PAINTING THE TOWN PU RP LE
CO NVOC ATION R EC AP GE T TO KNOW THE NE W
GRAND COUNCIL N E W E X EC U T I V E D I R ECTO R JA S O N WA L K E R
A B U L L D O G AT H E A R T
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Dear brothers, As many of you know, the 53rd Biennial Convocation took place during the summer of 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. At Convocation, there were a lot of changes, discussions, and bylaw updates passed. This issue of The Emerald will recap the event, and showcase the award winners for the past biennium. This Convocation also saw a new beginning as we now have a new Grand Sage, Grand Council, and Executive Director for our brotherhood. I see it as a great opportunity to review where we are and where our membership wants us to go in the future. As a brotherhood where every Sigma Pi has a stake in what we do and how we conduct our business, it is very important to the new Grand Council, the Executive Office Staff, and myself to listen to our brothers and those that affect our membership. We want to provide our brothers with what they seek from their membership in Sigma Pi. We need to evaluate the needs and wants that are communicated to us and use the resources available to make the most of each brother's membership. This is not limited to just undergraduates; we must focus on all of our members. We are all committed to listening and doing everything in our power to help every brother get the most from Sigma Pi and to be proud of the brotherhood that they joined whether it was last week, last year, or two decades ago. I am honored and very proud when we charter a new group. At each chartering, I personally commit to making sure the entire process of the chartering weekend goes off without a hitch as we prepare our newest chapter for success. To this end, I give a presentation to the colony prior to their initiation on what their focus should be moving forward and what goals they wish to accomplish. In this meeting, I show them that the process is like a baseball season. In baseball, you have spring training leading up to opening day. That is similar to the colony’s status prior to chartering. The chartering weekend is opening day. It’s a huge celebration of the accomplishment of making the team and now getting to play in the major leagues. What is the ultimate goal? Winning the World Series. That is how you know you are the best. Chartering is one goal achieved before you must focus on other goals to become the best. It may not happen in year one, or even year two, maybe not for 108 years, but as long as you know your goals and work toward them, you are working toward success. Every chapter and alumni club should have goals that they look at every semester and every year. What do you want to accomplish on your way to the World Series? I had the opportunity to charter one of those chapters recently. It made me think of how much the process described in the preceding paragraph is so similar to what I am going through with my role as CEO & Executive Director of Sigma Pi. I came on staff in 2012 as the Assistant Executive Director. That was my spring training or colonization phase. This past April, I was given the honor of becoming the eighth Executive Director of Sigma Pi. That was my chartering celebration because I now have my dream job leading the brotherhood I love. Now, we are in the season. We have the goals of making Sigma Pi the greatest it can possibly be and giving the greatest brotherhood experience to our members, both young and "seasoned." As we ask our colonies and chapters to come together to set goals, I ask you all to help us set the goals for our brotherhood. You have elected a Grand Council that laid out a plan. Several of you have given input on what you want/need or what you feel our brotherhood needs. Some have not said anything. Please tell a staff member when they visit your chapter, contact a Grand Council member, or contact the Executive Office. We want to hear from you!
A B OU T T HE EMERA L D Volume CI, Number 1 - Fall 2016 (ISSN 1074-5289, USPS 011-013) The Emerald has been published since 1911 by Sigma Pi Fraternity, 106 North Castle Heights Ave, Lebanon, Tennessee, 37087 and additional mailing offices. Submission Deadlines Spring - February 10 Summer - May 10 Fall - September 10
A B O UT SI GMA PI Sigma Pi Fraternity, International was founded at Vincennes University, Vincennes, Ind. on February 26, 1897. The Executive Office is located in Lebanon, Tenn. Sigma Pi has chartered more than 230 chapters in North America and has initiated over 100,000 members since 1897. The founding fathers of Sigma Pi Fraternity are: Rolin Rosco James (1879 - 1953) William Raper Kennedy (1877 - 1944) James Thompson Kingsbury (1877 - 1950) George Martin Patterson (1877 - 1960)
EDI TORI A L STA F F EDITOR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Chris Carter (Middle Tennessee ’11) BUSINESS MANAGER
Jen Wyatt CONTRIBUTORS
Scott Andrews (Oakland ’99) Scott Courter (Detroit-Mercy ’12) Joe Drain (Florida State ’10) Rhett LaRose (UTSA '12) Lanse Macke (Oregon State '15) Dalton Reeves (Missouri State '15) Joe Turck (SIU-Edwardsville ’98) Foundation Director Lisa Pearson PGS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State '70) GFC Les Wright (Murray State '70) Nick Moquete (Seton Hall '17) Chandler Nichols (Monmouth '16) David Presson (Murray State '81) Marshall Seese, Jr. (Georgia '01) Ed Walker (Georgia '14) Chris Wilcher (Indiana State '98) Allen Yee (Georgia ’99)
SHA R E YOUR STORY Send pictures & stories to: Emerald@sigmapi.org or 615.921.2300 or Sigma Pi Fraternity 106 N. Castle Heights Ave. Lebanon, TN 37087
Fraternally, sigmapi.org
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Jason Walker (Georgia ’96) CEO & Executive Director
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FRATERNITY COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION
CON T EN TS
GET TO KNOW T H E NE W GR AND COU NC I L
I N THI S ISS U E 04 . . . . . . . Get to Know the Grand Council 10 . . . . . Philanthropy & Community Service 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . Painting The Town Purple 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Founders' Award 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Bulldog at Heart
04
13
56 . . . . . . . The Dead & Dormant Chapters 58 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Road Warriors
I N EVERY ISS U E 02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . International Digest 03 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From The Grand Sage 06 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In Your Own Words 07 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tech Talk 08 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sigma Pi Partners 12 . . . . . . Sigma Pi Educational Foundation 22 . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter & Colony Reports 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . Undergraduate Spotlight 41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Volunteers
PAINTING THE TOWN PURPLE CONVOCATION RECAP
48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adytum On High 50 . . . . . . . . . . Chartering Announcements 63 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Archives
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65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo Finish
THE FOUNDERS' AWARD 20 THE DEAD AND DORMANT CHAPTERS OF SIGMA PI
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44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alumni News
A BULLDOG AT HEART
GE T T O KNOW JASON WALKE R
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ABOUT THE COVER
ROAD WARRIORS: "Why Is ACE Important?"
58
The 53rd Biennial Convocation of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International was held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Flamingo Hotel from July 27 July 30, 2016. This great shot of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas by PGS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State '70) has been given a slight color makeover to show that Sigma Pi has "painted the town purple."
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IN T ER NATIONAL DIGE ST WYATT PROMOTED TO DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS The Executive Office of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International is proud to announce that Jen Wyatt has been promoted to Director of Business Operations, effective immediately. Wyatt previously served as the A/R & Operations Specialist for the Executive Office. The Business Operations department is committed to providing accurate, education-focused, policy-adhered, efficient, and cost-effective services and support to our staff, volunteers, alumni, and undergraduate members in order to enable them to fully live the principles, obligations, and values of Sigma Pi. The Director has a responsibility to maintain the finances and membership as accurately as possible because this is a reflection of the Fraternity itself. "Jen Wyatt has been a huge part of our operations at the Executive Office since coming on board in 2004," said Executive Director Jason Walker (Georgia ’96). "We felt a realignment of her job description and a promotion to Director of Business Operations better suited the work she does for our organization on a daily basis. Although not a member of Sigma Pi, she is essential to our operations and committed to serving our brotherhood."
COLONIZATIONS
NEW VOLUNTEERS APPOINTED MICHAEL D. GARDNER (VINCENNES ’08)
Northern Indiana Province Archon
RYAN BARTZ (IOWA ’13)
Xi Chapter Director at the University of Iowa
Epsilon-Gamma at Illinois Wesleyan University (Colonized on February 21, 2016) Beta-Iota at Northern Arizona University (Colonized on April 10, 2016) Epsilon-Eta at Illinois State University (Colonized on October 23, 2016)
DYLAN CLINE (UCF '14)
Iota-Kappa Chapter Director at the University of Central Florida
CHARTERINGS
TREVOR DAUGHERITY (FERRIS STATE '14)
Theta-Theta Chapter Director at Ferris State University MIKE GIDEON (MONMOUTH '08)
Delta-Beta Chapter Director at Monmouth University KEVIN PONDER (MISSOURI S&T ’12)
Epsilon-Chi at University of San Diego (Chartered on April 16, 2016) Beta-Kappa at Arizona State University (Chartered on November 5, 2016) Iota-Upsilon at Stockton University (Chartered on November 19, 2016)
Alpha-Iota Chapter Director at Missouri University of Science & Technology
CHAPTER CLOSINGS JOSH ROBINSON (GEORGIA '12)
Alpha-Phi Chapter Director at the University of Georgia
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA ALUMNI CLUB APPROVED BY GRAND COUNCIL Sigma Pi Fraternity, International is proud to announce that the Petition to Charter submitted by the Eastern North Carolina Alumni Club has been approved by a vote of the Grand Council. The Eastern North Carolina Alumni Club becomes the newest chartered alumni group of Sigma Pi. Our membership now has a valuable resource in Eastern North Carolina. They will help to reconnect alumni who may have lost touch with the Fraternity. The Alumni Club will work to rekindle the spirit of brotherhood among alumni 2 + FALL 2016
members in the area, as well as allow for networking opportunities. It will recreate the beneficial friendships that are so vital to the personal and financial growth of our members. Membership in the Alumni Club is open to all alumni in good standing, regardless of chapter, who live and work in the area. Those interested in joining the Eastern North Carolina Alumni Club can email sigmapialumniecu@gmail.com or call President Shane Ray (East Carolina ’93) at 919-414-9407.
Iota-Epsilon at University of Oregon (Closed on December 14, 2015) Eta-Psi at Clemson University (Closed on January 29, 2016) Eta-Gamma at Hofstra University (Closed on March 1, 2016) Iota-Xi at Duke University (Closed on May 16, 2016) Phi at University of Illinois (Closed on November 10, 2016)
FROM T HE GRA N D SAGE
From the Grand Sage
Get To Know
A M E S S AG E F R O M G R A N D S AG E ST E V E L AW L E R Brothers,
I was humbled and honored to be elected the 46th Grand Sage at our recent Convocation. Prior to the Convocation, "The Next Steps," a strategic plan for this biennium, was presented to the membership. All seven members of the Grand Council have been working hard to implement the new plan. I am fortunate to have an excellent group of brothers on the Grand Council.
GRA N D SAG E STEVE LAWLER ( I OWA '8 2) I graduated from the University of Iowa in 1982 with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance. After graduation I returned to the family agricultural business that has been in operation since 1868. Currently, I am the owner and manager of Lawler Farms, a commercial farming operation that primarily produces corn for the ethanol market. My primary daily functions include strategic planning, managing the revenues and expenses of the business, negotiating with vendors and suppliers, marketing our product, and dealing with our real estate partners. What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of Sigma Pi? My wife and I have four adult daughters and two grandsons. Spending time with our family and being a part of their lives has been very rewarding and enjoyable. Becoming a grandfather and playing with our grandsons is an opportunity I cherish very much. I enjoy following the Iowa Hawkeye sports teams, reading, and also skeet shooting. I serve on other non-profit boards, such as The Iowa Barn Foundation, a historical preservation group, and our local Scholarship Foundation where I am the Vice-President and Director of Development. What is your memory?
favorite
Sigma
Pi
I have dozens of great memories, one being watching my home Chapter Xi win the Grand Sage's Award at the 2014 Convocation which was an extremely exciting and emotional event. I am also moved every time a brother comes up to me and says that joining Sigma Pi was the best decision that he made in college.
Get to know the rest of the new Grand Council on the next page
My number one priority in the plan was the long-term financial stability of the organization. I am happy to report that through the good work of our new Executive Director, Jason Walker, we have returned the bottom line to the black through staff cuts, outsourcing, and focusing on best management practices for the Executive Office. This has laid the ground work for the further evaluation of our available financial resources. My second priority is to increase alumni engagement. We are expanding and restructuring our committee system to provide that opportunity. The Grand Council is requiring every committee to include new and especially younger alumni to train brothers for future roles as fraternity leaders. We are also requiring the addition of undergraduates on all our committees. Likewise, we are working closely with the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation to foster a new era of alumni giving to the Foundation to support our undergraduate educational programming. The Grand Council adopted a $5,000.00 per member "Get or Give" policy where every Grand Council member will either fundraiser or donate $5,000.00 per year to the Foundation. This is to show our support and commitment to the Foundation as we work closely to strengthen both entities. We need both the Grand Chapter and the Educational Foundation to be strong financially. My third goal is to grow the membership by providing better chapter services to increase the average chapter size and the functioning of our groups. We want to provide a growth specialist to our struggling chapters and expand our footprint with "Smart Expansion." We also are putting emphasis on advocacy for our chapters and supporting them with education before consequences. In some cases, we are allowing chapters to become independent of the university if we feel that is the best alternative for all sides. Fourth, we have started a Diversity and Inclusion Task Force to study the changing demographics of our membership and make recommendations to the Grand Council for new and updated policies that will better serve our brotherhood in the future. To increase the transparency of the Grand Council proceedings through more informational minutes and the timely release of the contents is our fifth goal. We are also inviting other alumni and undergraduates to attend our face to face meetings. Finally, in addition to the above stated goals, we want to provide the best environment and programming to give our undergraduates and alumni the best possible fraternity experience. Thank you again for allowing me this opportunity as Grand Sage to serve Sigma Pi. Fraternally,
GS Steve Lawler (Iowa ’82) Grand Sage #46 of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International
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G RA N D CO U N C IL
GE T TO KNOW T H E N E W
GRAND COUNCIL G RA N D SECON D COU N SELOR JO E PALA ZZOLO ( M ON M OU T H '03 )
GR A N D TH I R D CO U N S E LO R W I L L WOJ C I K ( M I N N E S OTA ' 0 8)
G R A N D F O U R T H CO UNSELO R B R I A N KU R I S KY ( FERRI S STAT E '07)
My career in real estate finance started almost 15 years ago. For the last 10 years I have managed the educational facilities and creative placemaking programs at New Jersey Community Capital, a statewide, nonprofit loan fund. My work focuses on providing financing, lease guaranties, and loan guaranties. I also travel around the country giving presentations promoting our work. Outside of NJCC, I'm an adjunct professor at Monmouth University and Thomas Edison State University. I instruct undergraduate courses in ethics, diversity, and social responsibility as well as nonprofit leadership, nonprofit organizations, and foundations of leadership. I also instruct MBA courses in corporate governance and organizational ethics. Aside from NJCC and teaching, I co-own a small business with another Sigma Pi alumnus.
After graduating from the University of Minnesota in 2008, I joined the staff of Sigma Pi’s Executive Office, working as an expansion consultant. I was promoted to Director of Expansion in 2009 and stayed in that position until 2011. After leaving staff, I attended law school, graduating from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2014. After graduation I took an associate position at Harrison Law Group in Nashville, TN. My practice focuses on commercial and construction litigation. I have also founded a tax consulting company that primarily helps non-profit organizations address their tax issues.
I have worked in college administration for around 16 years at three different institutions. Currently, I serve as the Director for Academic Initiatives for the Center for High Impact Practices at Old Dominion University. I create, implement, and assess programs to aid our first-year students succeed when they come to ODU. Prior to this position, I served as the Director of Advising and Academic Support for the ODU Honors College. Outside of this position, I am an adjunct faculty in the Department of Speech Communication teaching Public Speaking, Interpersonal Theory, and Advanced Interpersonal Theory. In 2013, I obtained my Doctorate of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration from ODU. For my doctoral research, I examined the educational programs for NIC Fraternity Chapter Directors in correlation to the current issues facing college students.
What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of Sigma Pi Fraternity? We have had a lot of births in my family recently including my nephew, who is less than a month old, and three younger cousins who range in age from 4 years to 6 months old. Spending time with them is both fun and entertaining! I also enjoy reading and writing as much as possible and volunteering at my church. Oh, and I'm an avid Monmouth basketball fan! #FlyHawks! What is your favorite Sigma Pi memory? There are too many to name, but these few stand out. Watching my Delta-Beta undergraduates win the Grand Sage's Award at Convocation in 2006. Working with the William Paterson University colony (now the Theta-Tau Chapter) in 2005. Being inspired by the chapters in our region responding to national tragedies like 9/11 and regional disasters like Superstorm Sandy. Participating in initiations and charterings across New Jersey and the MidAtlantic area. 4 + FALL 2016
What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of Sigma Pi Fraternity? These days, my hobbies revolve around my family and friends. I enjoy spending as much time as possible with my wife and son and frequently travel to visit grandparents, aunts, and uncles. I try to see my local Sigma Pi brothers as often as our schedules allow. I enjoy golfing, reading, and watching sports. I am very interesting in volunteering and giving back to my local community, and currently sit on the board of directors for Autism Tennessee, a Nashville based non-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals on the Autism spectrum and their families. What is your favorite Sigma Pi memory? The day my Chapter chartered will stand out for several reasons. First, being Sage of a colony that is chartering is an incredible honor and experience. What made it more special was the fact that my Dad was initiated during the colony installation as well. I had numerous other great experiences during my time on staff. Attending the chartering of Iota-Nu was very special. Watching that chapter grow from a colony of three members to nearly 60 in a matter of months was inspiring. It showed me the true power of Sigma Pi. Finally, being elected to the Grand Council in Las Vegas was a surreal moment that I will never forget.
What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of Sigma Pi Fraternity? Outside of Sigma Pi, my hobbies vary. I particularly love to travel both domestically and internationally. I have seven nieces and nephews, including one who is pledging Sigma Pi currently at Old Dominion University. I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends. Finally, I am big into college sports (primarily football, basketball, and hockey)‌especially ODU Monarchs! What is your favorite Sigma Pi memory? I have been lucky to have many different experiences. I remember being made the Chapter Director at Gamma-Rho Chapter, being initiated at Theta-Theta with Adam Dibble, Noah Angeletti, and Brian Kneibel running the initiation, and Theta-Eta winning Chapter of the Year at ODU four out of the last six years. Sigma Pi has given me many great memories and experiences. I know that there are many others and look forward to the many more memories that will occur.
G RA N D COUN CI L
The current Grand Council was elected at the 53rd Biennial Convocation in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 27-30, 2016. We would like to thank the 2014-2016 biennium Grand Council for their dedication and service to the Fraternity. G ra nd S ag e - E. Andrew Morris (Murray State '70) G ra nd Se co nd Cou n s e l or - Craig Donnelly (Loyola-Chicago '01) G ra nd Third Cou n s e l or - Brian Devot (Cal State Long Beach '00) G ra nd Fo u r t h Cou n s e l or - James Wisherd (Georgia '93) G ra nd F i r st Co u n s e l o r - Steve Lawler (Iowa '82) G ra nd H e ral d - Les Wright (Murray State '70) Pa st G ra n d S ag e - Ed Levesque (Bridgewater State '89)
GRAND FIRST COU N SELOR L ES WRIGHT (M U R R AY STAT E '70)
GRAND HERALD ED LEVESQUE (BRIDGEWATER STATE '89)
PAST G RAND SAGE E. ANDREW MORRIS (MURRAY STATE '70)
After graduating from Murray State University in 1971, I began what was a short lived career teaching in the Indianapolis public schools. Realizing that teaching was not my passion, I moved back to my home town, Louisville, KY, going to work for Pier One Imports in 1973. During a seven year tenure, I ran retail stores in Chattanooga, TN, Nashville, TN, Tulsa, OK, Dallas, TX, and Houston, TX. Making a career change, I began a 28 year career with Hertz-RentA-Car, where I was an Account Manager in Houston, TX. Then in 1983, I was promoted to Regional Sales Manager living in three cities, Washington DC., Dallas, TX, and St. Louis, MO, where I managed a business portfolio of $170,000,000. December 31, 2008 I retired after that 28 year career.
I have been in the biotech/pharmaceutical field for about 20 years, currently in the role of Director of Health and Safety for Takeda Pharmaceuticals. A majority of my work day is spent working with toxicologists and physicians to review clinical data and interpret how it may impact our workforce that handles hazardous oncology drugs. I also serve as the site’s incident management/business continuity lead, ensuring critical parts of our campus are prepared for and can respond to a variety of incidents that threaten our core mission.
After graduation at Murray State, I worked one year as a social worker and went into the new EPA Program in hazardous waste for the Commonwealth of Kentucky where I served as Director of Information & Training. In 1980 I was appointed as the fifth Executive Director of Sigma Pi and stayed in that role until 1991. I moved to Rhode Island working in the fraternal jewelry and sportswear industry, and in 1997 I formed Collegiate Regalia, which became a major supplier of ceremonial equipment for Greek organizations and university across North America. The company was moved to Denver, CO, and is being operated by Sigma Pi alumnus Kyle Koelbel (Arizona State '09).
What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of Sigma Pi Fraternity? When my wife and I moved to St. Louis in 1987, we bought a three story brick Victorian home that was in very poor condition. It has been our duty and passion to restore and maintain one of St. Louis' historical gems. The work continues today. I volunteer as a Commissioner on a Special Business District providing supplemental security for our district. Additionally, I serve as a Trustee on a Neighborhood Security Initiative working to provide supplemental security in the central core of the city. What is your favorite Sigma Pi memory? This "memory" continues to play out. The closest friends I have today are a result of being a brother of Sigma Pi. With these men, I have attended numerous chartering, gone on spring breaks, been to 20+ Kentucky Derbies, and taken cruises with my brothers and their wives. The list goes on and on, and continues to grow as I meet new Sigma Pi brothers.
What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of Sigma Pi Fraternity? My family has a small place in Maine by a lake. We spend many days there in all seasons to swim, ski, relax, and enjoy time with friends and family. My children are active in school and sports, so I enjoy watching them play and lend a hand reviewing homework or giving suggestions for school projects. What is your favorite Sigma Pi memory? As a Founding Father of my chapter, nothing seems to top our Founding weekend. It was a culmination of the efforts of those who started the group before I joined, as well as the promise of what the future would hold for our newly minted chapter. It was great to be recognized by the Grand Chapter and other area chapters. That weekend long celebration with many friends was such a great time, and seemed to last forever.
What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of Sigma Pi Fraternity? Hobbies change with age, so my focus is more on long walks at night with my wife Roselyn and traveling. Although my passions were scuba diving and snow skiing when younger, I seldom do either, anymore. My fraternity hobby is now volunteering with the Historical Society for research at the headquarters in Lebanon, TN. What is your favorite Sigma Pi memory? My two fondest memories are getting to pin my nephew Dr. Brad Mallory (Louisville '12) at the installation of Iota-Omicron Chapter. Second would be my attendance at my first Convocation in 1972 at French Lick, IN. I had the opportunity to meet some of the greatest leaders in Sigma Pi, including Harold Jacobsen, Byron R. Lewis, Judge Curtis G. Shake, Lothar Iversen, Louis Foley, William Cutbirth, and Col. Walter Lemmond. This changed my outlook and service to the Fraternity for the rest of my life.
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In Your Own Words IGMA PI THE WORLD OF S THOUGHTS FROM
To see your own words here, be sure to use #sigmapi, tag @sigmapi, or email us at emerald@sigmapi.org to share your thoughts!
@helloganfromtheotherside Spent my weekend chilling in Havasu, so of course I had to snap a pic with my letters! #sigmapiinau #questforexcellence
John Thomas A beautiful girl; a beautiful mind. Sigma Pi Fraternity The Wolf Pack Fights Cancer Ursinus College
Kevin Carey "Progress. I first learned what this word and idea meant to me when I joined a fraternity. If you are not moving forward, you are not progressing. Every step, action, act of gratitude, or failure helps us progress as humans. Progress, man’s distinctive mark alone, Not God’s, and not the beasts’; God is, they are. Man partly is and wholly hopes to be. - Robert Browning, "A Death in the Desert""
@sigmapi Richard Dulaney (Drexel '63) visited the Executive Office today. He served on staff under Executive Secretary Harold Jacobsen in the early 1960's! #questforexcellence
@ Stheffron We made it to the top! #climbforkids
#sigmapi
sigmapi_penncollege
@sigmapi_fitchburgstate Congrats to our new member Jacob LaFlam for winning the pumpkin carving contest outside of Hammond last night with this awesome #SigmaPi jack-o-lantern - Great job!
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Anthony Ferrer, an extraordinary alumni of the Sigma Pi Fraternity and Penn College, spent the day at Pierce and Ippolito Middle Schools to educate the children about the fire departments of Hillsborough County in Tampa. Its so nice to see a former brother getting involved and giving back to the community! #PennCollege #sigmapi #penncollegealumni @penncollege
sigmapimtsu Brother Ross Harvell flashing our flag at the Grand Canyon! #SigmaPi
reviewing today’s hottest trends in technology & communications
FINDGREEK APP Finding the best official Sigma Pi gear just got way easier! FindGreek is the new way for Sigma Pi brothers to shop for licensed products from official vendors. The website and mobile app are both designed for a highly visual experience, featuring quality product photos and a wide variety of Sigma Pi products. It's easy to browse all Sigma Pi gear, shop by vendor, and shop by category. You can also 'Like', 'Collect' and 'Share' all of your favorite items. Have a question for a vendor? You can send product questions and custom order inquiries right through the app. Start shopping for your next Sigma Pi purchase on the FindGreek website or mobile app today! CHECK OUT FINDGREEK.COM/SIGMAPI AND DOWNLOAD THE "FINDGREEK" MOBILE APP ON IOS AND ANDROID
HELP US LOCATE LOST BROTHERS! WHAT IS A "LOST BROTHER"? A "lost" brother is an alumnus who is missing at least one piece of communication information, such as their phone number, email address, or primary mailing address. Keeping your record up-to-date with the Fraternity ensures you will receive future communication from Sigma Pi including issues of The Emerald and info from your chapter.
UPDATE YOUR OWN INFORMATION Step 1: Go to mysigmapi.com Step 2: Click on "Establish Access" if you have never had an account there. Step 3: Once you are approved and have access set up, login to the site. Step 4: Click on "Edit My Profile" Step 5: Enter your current information (mail, phone, email, etc.) and click to save it. Or you can visit sigmapi.org/updateinfo to complete the online form!
RE-ENGAGE OUR FELLOW BROTHERS IN THE FRATERNITY FOR LIFE
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S I G MA P I PA RT N E R S
CHAPTER 3
SIGMA PI PARTNERS
FINANCIAL CHECKLIST FOR EACH CHAPTER OF LIFE by Brett Stewart, Sigma Pi Relationship Manager at Nationwide Affinity Solutions
Each chapter of life brings a new assortment of financial decisions you will have to make. We compiled useful information from Forbes, USA Today and Daily Worth to create this checklist of financial issues you may face—and how to address them. "Financial Checklist for Each Chapter of Life" is a four-part series from our partner, Nationwide, to help provide information about financial situations that our members may face throughout their lives.
"It’s tough to think about the end of a journey when you’re just starting out," Says Nationwide Director of Business Consulting John Kerr (Wake Forest ’89). "Thinking about retirement when you land your first full time job? Wrapping your head around sending your newborn off to college? These feel like the last things in the world to be considering but in reality, its the best thing you can do to insure you’re prepared for the next stage of your life."
CHAPTER 3. NEW PARENTS Nationwide Insurance is a proud partner of Sigma Pi. Join your fellow brothers and start saving today. Call 1-866-633-5747 OR VISIT nationwide.com/sigmapi
P LU S - O N E P R E PA R ATI O N Add your baby to your health insurance • Your child should be added to your health insurance plan within 30 days of birth Review employee benefits • See if your employer offers a dependent care account and whether you’re eligible Have a will drafted • It should designate a guardian for your child in the event something happens to you or your spouse Be sure you have adequate life insurance • Consider a 20-year term policy that will last until your baby is grown Establish a college savings plan • A college funding calculator can help you determine college expenses
C H E C K O U T T H E C O L L E G E F U N D I N G C A LC U L ATO R O N L I N E AT N AT I O N W I D E .C O M /A F F O R D I N G - C O L L E G E . J S P
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T HE EMERA L D ON L I N E
THE EMERALD ONLINE
A S N A P S H OT O F W H AT YO U C A N F I N D O N T H E E M E R A L D .O R G Don’t wait for The Emerald magazine to find its way to your mailbox. Just visit theemerald.org for the most up-to-date news and information on what is going on in the world of Sigma Pi. With the implementation and development of theemerald.org, nearly every Sigma Pi member in the world now has the ability to get the most current up-to-date information about our brotherhood–on any device! You can expect Sigma Pi-specific content, including many features and columns, to be provided on the online platform, plus much more. This addition to The Emerald lineup helps deal with the challenging economics of print publishing and distribution while remaining more connected to our subscribers.
F E AT U R E D A R T I C L E F R O M T H E E M E R A L D .O R G GAMMA-ETA CHAPTER (RUTGERS) HELPS TO OPEN FOOD PANTRY ON CAMPUS FEATURES
by Stephen Weiss
EDITORS NOTE: This excerpt is from an article that originally ran on The Daily Targum. Willson said Rutgers Against Hunger (RAH) and the Sigma Pi fraternity played key roles in starting the pantry and keeping it afloat. "One of the staff members who was instrumental in starting RAH was retiring, and it had always been a want of hers to create a food pantry on campus for students, and so the board of governors threw some support behind it and we here at student affairs had the ability to actualize the pantry," Willson said. Sigma Pi took on the pantry as a national philanthropy project last year, Willson said, and they are planning on returning this year to help out more. "(Sigma Pi) went to Home Depot with us, purchased the shelves, assembled them, picked up our first donation from RAH and stocked the shelves for us," she said.
R E A D MO R E O N L I N E AT T H E EM ERALD.O RG
H AV E S O M E T H I N G TO S H A R E ? V I S I T T H E E M E R A L D . O R G / S U B M I T
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PH I L AN T H R O PY & CO MM U NITY S ERVIC E
A MESSAGE FROM
DONATE LIFE Donate Life America (DLA) continues to be proud of our national partnership with Sigma Pi Fraternity. This year has been a big one, and we are grateful to have had the brothers of Sigma Pi be a part of it.
For more information about the partnership between Sigma Pi and Donate Life, visit: sigmapi.org/donatelifemonth
CHAPTERS: FIND YOUR LOCAL CONTACT SIGMAPI.ORG/DONATELIFEMONTH
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The commitment of Sigma Pi Fraternity to organ, eye, and tissue donation is inspiring. In fall of 2015, members of the Sigma Pi Fraternity Executive Office set the lofty goal of registering 250,000 donors by August 2022. With more than 100,000 alumni and 5,700 undergraduates, this means that each member is responsible for registering himself, if not yet registered, plus one to two additional people. To help set chapters up for success, an informational packet was developed and printed within the Philanthropy and Community Service Guide to provide tips and information for campus outreach and registerme.org campaign pages were created for the undergraduate chapters (find the link to your chapter’s page at sigmapi.org/donatelifemonth). In total, brothers registered nearly 700 donors during the 2015-2016 school year. The top chapter, Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale, registered a total of 210 donors. Thank you to all the chapters for their incredible work. Apple® and DLA announced in July 2016 our partnership to bring organ, eye, and tissue registration to the iPhone® with the release of iOS 10 in September. For the first time ever, iPhone users are now able to sign up to be organ, eye, and tissue donors right from the Health app. Through a simple process, iPhone users can learn more about donation and take action with just a few taps. All registrations are sent directly and securely to the National Donate Life Registry. The ability to quickly and easily become a nationally registered donor enables people to carry their decision with them wherever they go. Official registry statistics since the release of iOS 10 have yet to be announced. DLA has committed
to Apple to wait to release registration numbers with a coordinated media push this winter. We look forward to sharing this news with you. On August 4, 2016, the world was introduced to Coleman F. Sweeney. Yes, even Coleman can save a life through donation. Working with Thomas Jane, Will Arnett and Lyndsy Fonseca, DLA and The Martin Agency created a video about a fictional character, specifically designed to reach millennial men. The project began in response to low online registration rates by young men. Young men are also statistically more likely to be eligible donors, and men make up a majority of the national waiting list. Partnering with Sigma Pi Fraternity to launch the video was a perfect fit. We unveiled the video to brothers in attendance at the 53rd Biennial Convocation in Las Vegas, Nevada just days before its public release. Sigma Pi Fraternity was a powerful launch partner that assisted in creating viral buzz about the man and the message. Sigma Pi Fraternity helped shift and grow the reach of the donation message. "Coleman Sweeney" was the top Google search in the U.S. on August 5. During the first week after launch, the campaign generated more than 50 million views across social media platforms and more than doubled registry rates in the National Donate Life Registry. The percentage of millennial registrations jumped from 29% to 50%, and the percentage of registrations by gender shifted from 25% male, 75% female to 51% male, 49% female. DLA is appreciative to have a partner in Sigma Pi Fraternity. We look forward to sharing further developments with the "Even a _______ Can Save a Life" campaign and Apple partnership in the months to come. Your continual efforts across college campuses and your local communities help save lives!
PHILA N THR OPY & COMMUN I T Y SERV I CE
Delta-Beta Chapter shares a lifeline by Chandler Nichols (Monmouth '16), contributing writer
As a senior at Monmouth University—where I served as Treasurer of Sigma and Director of Fellowship on the Interfraternity Council—I created and organized a Suicide Awareness event to bring attention to mental health and suicide awareness. My goal was to increase the knowledge of mental health, improve help-seeking of students at risk for suicide and increase the visibility of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline numbers for depression and suicide prevention. I created this event for the Amazing Day Foundation. Sigma Pi worked alongside Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority and sponsors Dr. Lee, Director of the Department of Counseling & Psychological Services and Amy Bellina, Director of Student Services and Student Center Operations. I wanted to raise awareness about mental illness and help prevent suicide among college students. We need to remove the stigma attached to mental health problems to prevent the root causes of suicide. I wanted to organize an event in remembrance of those college students who lost their lives to suicide and give hope to those who are currently struggling with mental illness, as well as to recognize those individuals and show that they are not alone. We all have the power to make a difference and save a life. Suicide is the number two cause of death of college students and claims the lives of 1,100 college students across the country each year. It is estimated that for every completed suicide, 100-200 attempts are made, and there are countless more individuals who contemplate suicide. There is strong evidence indicating that adequate prevention can reduce suicide rates. The slogan at Monmouth University, "Hawks Fly Together" is so incredibly important. This event can increase awareness regarding suicide, but even more importantly, encourage help-seeking behaviors for those who may be struggling with these feelings. Universities across the nation offer mental health resources, too. It is important to know that there are people you can call and places you can go to reach out and connect,and that you don't have to go through what you're going through alone. What you see on the surface is not what is happening underneath. People who consider suicide feel that the world would be better off without them. There is a need for a better understanding and increased awareness of this problem in our communities. At the event, I addressed everyone from a podium on the steps of Wilson Hall. There were phone numbers on the large banner displayed behind me for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the New Jersey Suicide Prevention Hopeline. All members of Greek life were invited and the Monmouth Community gathered on The Great Lawn in front of Woodrow
Nichols is pictured second row, second from left
Wilson Hall. Everyone who attended received bubbles that were blown in memory of those who lost their lives to suicide. In honor of the 1,100 college lives lost each year, 11 balloons were released, one for every 100 students. The balloons that were released were purple to symbolize suicide awareness and prevention. Each bottle of bubbles had a label with important resource information pertaining to suicide prevention. One of the philanthropies that were sponsored by this event was the Amazing Day Foundation. After Brother Sean Vernon Feliciano ended his life in March of 2009, his surviving family and friends founded the Sean Vernon Feliciano Amazing Day Foundation in his memory. It is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to create awareness and reduce the amount of college student suicide on campuses across the country. The foundation gets its name from the voicemail message of Sean Feliciano, "Have an Amazing Day." This is fantastic advice for all of us, and something that we should strive to do each and every day of our lives - not only for ourselves but also something that we should help each other accomplish as well. Our hope is that we can all have an amazing day, each and every day. By improving the identification and referral of students at risk, we hope to deliver the message that suicide prevention is everyone’s responsibility. I hope to see this event continue to grow each year. Ideally, I would like to try and reach every student struggling at Monmouth because of the fear of what others might think of them if they do seek help. For more information about the Amazing Day Foundation, visit: amazingdayfoundation.org
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S I G MA P I E D U C AT IO N A L FO U NDATIO N
In 2014, the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation launched the Jacobsen Campaign. The success of the inaugural campaign in 2014 was apparent, as $3,380.44 was raised by contributions of 134 donors, of which 53 were first-time donors to the Educational Foundation. That success continued in 2015, with a total of $5,447.88 from 124 donors.
The campaign is named in honor of Harold Jacobsen, who at the 1926 Convocation, was appointed by the Grand Council to be the first Executive Secretary. He served a 36-year term before retiring in 1963. For more information, please visit us online at sigmapiedfund.org/spefjacobsen.
For 2016, the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation set a goal of $7,000 and that goal was reached with 113 donors contributing $7,717!
$7,717 TOTAL DOLLARS RAISED IN 2016 INCREASE FROM 2015 CAMPAIGN ($5,447.88)
GARY STRAUS (CENTRAL MICHIGAN ’79) LARGEST DONATION $1,000 CONTRIBUTION
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113 TOTAL DONORS FOR 2016 CAMPAIGN
CHAPTER WITH MOST DONORS
SIGMA PI EDUC AT I ON A L FOUN DAT I ON
TOP CONTRIBUTORS Paul Ahlhaus (Murray State '91) Brian Akerson (Missouri '69) Scott Andrews (Oakland '99) PGS Donald Cox (Temple '55) Robert Crane (Columbus '84) William Dembinski (UC Santa Barbara '12) Nelson Farris (Cal State Long Beach ’66) Eric Frobish (Illinois '92) John Hall (Iowa State '97) Michael Hatfield (West Virginia Tech '78)
Eugene T. Hibbs (Iowa State '93) Bruce Hoffberger (Maryland '71) Jay Joern (Missouri '72) GFoC Brian Kurisky (Ferris State '07) Rhett LaRose (UTSA '12) Terry Laughinghouse (Arkansas Tech '77) GS Steve Lawler (Iowa '82) Niles Leisti (NJIT '05) GH Edward Levesque (Bridgewater State '89) Ricky Marshall (Arkansas State '92)
Paul McDonald (Murray State '70) PGS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State '70) GSC Joe Palazzolo (Monmouth '03) PGH Robert Pankau (Oakland '05) David Presson (Murray State '81) Timothy Quick (Iowa State '01) Jay Rojo (Cal State Fullerton '91) Gary Straus (Central Michigan '79) GTC Will Wojcik (Minnesota '08) GFC Les Wright (Murray State '70)
ALL CONTRIBUTORS Eric Acre (Franklin & Marshall '17) Paul Ahlhaus (Murray State '91) Phil Aiello (Wisconsin-Oshkosh '15) Brian Akerson (Missouri '69) L. Wyatt Alverson (Murray State '03) Nicholas Amster (St. John's '15) Scott Andrews (Oakland '99) Sean Arca (California-Irvine '18) Thomas Armstrong (Indiana '89) Eric Babbitt (Northern Arizona '18) Charles F. Bauer (Wake Forest '90) Jason Beck (Georgia '93) HGS Mark Briscoe (Arkansas State '82) PGS Christopher Brown (Rutgers '81) Christopher Butcher (Grand Valley State '17) Chris Carter (Middle Tennessee '11) Scott Chastain (Florida '91) Daniel Clark (Miami (OH) '06) Steele Clay (Old Dominion '17) Anthony Coppola (Drexel '60) Scott Courter II (Detroit-Mercy '12) PGS Donald Cox (Temple '55) Robert Crane (Columbus '84) Daniel Daugherty (Morehead State '92) Jeff Daum (NJIT '81) William Dembinski (UC Santa Barbara '12) PGSC Craig Donnelly (Loyola-Chicago '01) Joseph Drain (Florida State '10) Stephen Dumalski (Cal State Long Beach '73) Joe Ely (Missouri State '83) Jeffrey Englebert (Wisconsin-Platteville '81) Scott Evans (Missouri '03) Jack Faulk (Murray State '72) Matt Ford (West Alabama '01) Patrick Forker (Rutgers '78) Stephen W. Frayn (Missouri '73) Michael Frayne (Missouri '84) Eric Frobish (Illinois '92)
PGS Frank Fryburg (Penn State '49) Allen Gardner (William & Mary '56) Joseph Gordon (Kentucky '20) Richard Gurevich (San Diego State '90) John Hall (Iowa State '97) Michael Hatfield (West Virginia Tech '78) Eugene T. Hibbs (Iowa State '93) Bruce Hoffberger (Maryland '71) Ted Hoffman (Eastern Illinois '87) Jeff Hubbard (Georgia '84) Harry Isabel (Penn State '50) Ben Isenmann (Missouri Southern State '14) Jay Joern (Missouri '72) Matthew Kenny (UTSA '15) Kangmin Kim (UTSA '08) PGS John Kitch (Purdue '73) Alan Krause (Cal State Long Beach '67) GFoC Brian Kurisky (Ferris State '07) Rhett LaRose (UTSA '12) Chris Lastre (Monmouth '05) Terry Laughinghouse (Arkansas Tech '77) GS Steve Lawler (Iowa '82) Niles Leisti (NJIT '05) Jeremy Lessmann (Franklin & Marshall '93) GH Edward Levesque (Bridgewater State '89) John Liska (Kenyon '59) Zachary Littrell (UMSL '15) Leonard Lorey (Indiana '74) Lanse Macke (Oregon State '15) Guy Madsen (Fairleigh Dickinson '85) David Magnano (Worcester Polytechnic '13) John Marks (Florida '84) Ricky Marshall (Arkansas State '92) Drew Martin (Arkansas '18) Joe Allen Mattingly (Murray State '90) James McDonald (NJIT '63) Paul McDonald (Murray State '70) Christopher Montana (Radford '13)
Julian Montilla (Montclair State '17) Derek Morgan (Arkansas '11) PGS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State '70) James Munson (Oregon State '11) George Olson (Penn State '85) GSC Joe Palazzolo (Monmouth '03) PGH Robert Pankau (Oakland '05) R. Zygmunt Pawlowski (Cal State Dominguez Hills '89) Lisa Pearson (Friend of Sigma Pi) Rob Pipes (Vincennes '89) Kevin Pons (Johnson & Wales '06) Jacob Powell (Kentucky '17) David Presson (Murray State '81) Tim Quick (Iowa State '01) Matthew Quimby (Bridgewater State '04) Mark Reed (Georgia '69) Dalton Reeves (Missouri State '15) Connor Riser (Cornell '16) Robert Roberson (UMSL '71) Jay Rojo (Cal State Fullerton '91) Brandon Rokos (UCLA '13) Stephen Smith (Ohio State '02) Kevin Smith (Georgia '02) Joseph Specchio (Montclair State '11) Gary Straus (Central Michigan '79) Michael Tackes (UMSL '81) Joe Turck (SIU-Edwardsville '98) James Tysse (Virginia '02) PGS Jim Verplanck (Mississippi '61) Jason Walker (Georgia '96) Michael Weseloh (Santa Clara '93) GTC Will Wojcik (Minnesota '08) GFC Les Wright (Murray State '70) Jen Wyatt (Friend of Sigma Pi) Paul Wydra (UMSL '01) Allen Yee (Georgia '99) Donald Young (Texas '69)
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D O N AT I N G A P P R E C I AT E D S E C U R I T I E S F O R C H A R I T Y
by David Presson (Murray State '81), contributing writer David Presson joined the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation Board of Trustees in 2014 and is in the middle of a four year term as Vice Chair of Investments. Professionally, David works for First Bank in St. Louis, MO, as a Senior Vice President and Director of Investments for the Wealth Management division. David is a Chartered Financial Analyst and has over 30 years of investment industry experience. David is a member of the St. Louis Society of Financial Analysts and has been a frequent guest on "Ask the Expert," a segment on KSDK, Channel 5 in St. Louis along with numerous appearances on CNBC and Bloomberg TV.
Tax deductions are a major benefit of charitable giving. Before cashing out of a profitable investment, consider making efficient use of its full value by donating it directly to a charity. Charitable giving provides donors with tax relief every tax season in the form of deductions. In an effort to encourage positive social action, the IRS provides incentives for all kinds of charitable contributions, including appreciated securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc. that have risen in value) to the charity of your choice. Long-term appreciated securities are the most common non-cash donations and they can be the best way for donors to give more to their chosen charities. The tax advantages to donating stocks are such that both the donor and the charity benefit. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? Donating appreciated securities yields two tax benefits for the donor. The first tax benefit is the elimination of capital gains tax. Normally when you sell an appreciated stock, you pay capital gains tax on the amount your securities have increased in value since being purchased. For example, if you bought stocks for a total of $1,000 and then sold them years later for $5,000, you would owe capital gains tax on $4,000 of income from the sale. This tax can add up significantly depending on what tax bracket you fall under, how many stocks you sell, and how much they’ve appreciated over time. When you donate appreciated securities, however, you don’t owe any capital gains tax, no matter how much they’ve increased in value. The charity receiving your donation is free from capital gains tax on your contribution as well. TAX DEDUCTIONS The second tax benefit is writing off the donation on your tax return. As long as you itemize, you can deduct charitable contributions on your return and the more you donate, the more you can deduct. In this case, you’ll be donating more since you can donate the entire value of the asset, not the value minus taxes. Thus, your tax write-off will be greater. In other words, you can take a charitable deduction on money that hasn’t been taxed. This also benefits the charity because they’ll get a larger donation than they’d otherwise receive. There is a limit to how much you can deduct for charitable contributions, which varies depending on what you’re giving and to what organization
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you’re donating. Most organizations are subject to a 50 percent limit, meaning your charitable tax deduction cannot exceed 50 percent of your adjusted gross income. Other organizations have a 30 percent limit. You can check with the IRS or ask the organization themselves to be sure. These limits apply to monetary charitable donations. If you’re donating appreciated securities, the limits change; a 50 percent organization’s limit becomes 30 percent for appreciated securities, and a 30 percent organization’s limit moves to 20 percent. REDUCING RISK Another benefit to donating your appreciated securities is reducing risk in your portfolio. If too much of your portfolio is dedicated to a certain kind of investment, your risk increases because your portfolio is less diversified, so your assets are all relying on that one kind of investment to succeed. To decrease that risk, you’d normally have to sell the stocks and pay capital gains taxes. Donating them, on the other hand, is a tax-free way to rebalance your portfolio. THE DETAILS To make this type of donation, it’s important to examine the details and learn the nuances that apply to these particular tax benefits: • In order for a security to apply, you must have owned it for at least one year prior to donating. If not, your charitable deduction would be limited to the security’s original cost. • If your stock is worth less now than when you bought it, donating it directly to charity won’t help you or the charity—you’d be better off selling it first, deducting the loss and gifting your charity with a cash donation. • Not all charities can and will accept stock donations, especially small ones. Make sure your chosen charity can accept your donation ahead of time. If you have applicable stocks, bonds, or mutual fund shares and want to maximize your tax benefits, donating them to a charitable organization is one of the best things you can do. You’ll save money in taxes, the charity will receive more in donations, and it’s all completely legal. The IRS creates these incentives to encourage charitable contributions, so consider taking advantage by including appreciated securities in your charitable giving strategy.
SIGMA PI EDUC AT I ON A L FOUN DAT I ON
D E LTA S O C I E T Y by Nick Moquete (Seton Hall '17), contributing writer
As an undergraduate, I consider myself to be "broke." I don't work while taking classes and I go through my semester with the savings I've collected from working during the summer. I'm incredibly thankful that my parents help me with groceries and living space so I can have the luxury of not worrying about basic necessities. I overspend my weekly budget if I want to have fun regularly, but it's worth it in every benefit of recharging myself. Other than that, I am "broke." I find that my fraternity is a big source of purpose and energy for my college career as it's opened every door of opportunity I've walked through the past 3 years. The idea of acting "for the greater good" and selfless gestures give me my own satisfaction and sense of accomplishment. I know my brothers share that with me. My fraternity gave me the stepping stones that lead to self-discovery and sense of belonging and the level of respect I have for the idea of Sigma Pi drives me to put it before myself sometimes. I'll travel for my chapter and take up a project that might take some time and resources. But while I do that, I am still "broke." Our fraternity recognizes these problems and values among the lives of undergraduate members. To provide an opportunity to make our college career easier and life less negative, the Delta Society offers undergrads several scholarships to cover their academic expenses. Given that members can only become a part of the Delta Society exclusively as an undergraduate, it is meant to be an opportunity for undergrads to make a small, one-time contribution of $20 in exchange for lifetime recognition. But... we are "broke"... Right? We can be broke if we believe so. We look at the benefits of social opportunities as an escape from the half-real world that is undergrad life. We struggle from time to time seeing the end of our college career and what it will hold for us. All the while,
we get caught up in the amount of effort we're putting in now while unsure what exactly the payout will be. Escaping from that mindset may become more valuable to you than the little things you personally believe. Maybe "the greater good" used to come first in your decision making thoughts, but life got in the way and pushed it down the list. I challenge every undergraduate that relates to look at this from a different perspective. $20 will get you a few beers and an appetizer at happy hour, but that same $20 could be used to lift that same sense of weight on life mentioned before from the shoulders of one of your brothers (and who knows, it could even be you). Donating to the Delta Society as an undergraduate is an incredibly selfless act in itself given what a $20 bill can do to help a college student. Undergraduates are recognized for it. All contributors will be inducted into the society for life. You will have contributed towards the ultimate success of one of your brothers. Of course, it doesn't seem like a lot. With an active undergrad membership of over 5,000 guys, I wonder how it is easy to think "someone else will do it" or "I'm not even making a difference." Well, I bet if you called up the next winner of a scholarship, they'd have you on the phone for a while showing their appreciation. So yes, we are broke. $20 is really easy to look at as a band-aid for your daily problems. However, maybe your contribution will remind you about how you felt giving towards "the greater good." I have a feeling if you focused on that, that $20 would provide an exponential amount of long-lasting self satisfaction knowing that you helped your brothers reach their full potential. If you are an undergraduate and would like to contribute to the Delta Society, visit sigmapi.org/donate and select "Undergraduate Delta Society" from the Campaign dropdown.
2016-2017 Delta Society Contributors FISCAL YEAR TO DATE (JULY 1, 2016 - CURRENT)
Matthew Romero (Arizona State) Tristian Widger-Woodhouse (Arizona State) Daniel DeVol (Cal State Fullerton) Shawn Humphrey (Carleton) Robert Hilvert (Central Missouri) John Fruhmann (Fairleigh Dickinson) Matthew Scocco (Fairleigh Dickinson) Philip Sitver (Franklin & Marshall) Jordon Cole (Grand Valley State) Lane Bennett (Illinois Wesleyan) Vincent DiVincenzo (Iowa State) Justin Voorhees (Kennesaw State) Walton Draper (Kentucky) Alec Prew (Kentucky) Alex Fucich (Lawrence Tech) Remington Koch (Lawrence Tech) Jeff Cameron (Missouri) Nicholas Donzelli (Missouri) Cody Hill (Missouri State) Daniel Acerra (Monmouth) Zachary Castro (Monmouth) Daniel Collis (Monmouth) David Dean (Monmouth) Nicolas Infante (Monmouth) Clint Keeney (Monmouth) Andrew Lopez (Monmouth) Guy Madsen (Monmouth) Vincent Matano (Monmouth) Corey Nuzzi (Monmouth) Salvatore Popolillo (Monmouth) Christopher Porcello (Monmouth) Martin Prendergast (Monmouth) Matthew Ricker (Monmouth) Jason Rivero (Monmouth) Thomas Rodriguez (Monmouth) Daniel Severino (Monmouth) Michael Stigliano (Monmouth) Joseph Stingo (Monmouth) Anthony Verrone (Monmouth) Michael Viggiano (Monmouth) James Zoeller (Monmouth) Eric Babbitt (Northern Arizona) Zachary Quinn (Oakland) Samuel Reeser (Oklahoma State) Mark Strickland (Old Dominion) Semeon De Barros (Penn College) Daniel Nickens (Penn College) Andre Herrera (Rhode Island) Michael Cordano (Rowan) Sean Giblin, Jr. (Rutgers) Shaharyar Shamshair (Rutgers) Dante Enriquez (San Diego) Colin Riley (SIU Carbondale) Evan Brown (South Florida) Andrew Calvano (St. John's) Jason Artrip (Stockton) Bryce Chase (Stockton) Devin Hulse (Stockton) Kyle Keough (Stockton) Joshua Packen (Stockton) James Smith (Stockton) Daulton Sykora (Stockton) Avery Frank (Washington State) Kyle Klemencic (Washington State) William Oeck (Washington State) Nyquan Shaw (William Paterson) Nathaniel Jefferson (Worcester Poly) T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 1 5
CONF E R E N C E S & P R O GRAM M ING
PAINTING THE TOWN PURPLE by Chris Carter (Middle Tennessee '11), Editor FROM JULY 27 THROUGH JULY 30, SIGMA PI BROTHERS GATHERED AS THE GRAND CHAPTER OF SIGMA PI FRATERNITY, INTERNATIONAL AT THE FLAMINGO HOTEL IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA TO CELEBRATE THE 53RD BIENNIAL CONVOCATION. More than 350 brothers, vendors, and friends joined together from all over North America in Las Vegas for Convocation on Wednesday, July 27. The joyous event began with the opening procession, seeing Grand Sage's Award winning chapters, Past Grand Officers, Founders' Award winners, Educational Foundation Board of Trustees, and many others introduced to the Grand Chapter. Sigma Pi was also grateful to welcome many great vendors for the occasion, including: Spirit Recognition, Greek State of Mind, OmegaFi, Greek Capital Management, Collegiate Regalia, JusCollege, and Donate Life. These vendors showcased great services and products, and attendees were able to converse with the vendors throughout the conference. On Thursday, the official business portion of the event got underway. Following the first business session, a luncheon was held where candidates for Grand Council were given the opportunity to speak about their intentions for serving on the Grand Council. Afterwards, a public forum for the candidates allowed them to answer questions oneon-one with undergraduates and alumni. NorthAmerican Interfraternity Conference President & CEO Jud Horras presented the "NIC 2.0" concept to the Grand Chapter, which you can read more on at nicindy.org/about/2-0. After the last business session on Thursday, the Historical Society held their biennial meeting, and then assisted in performing a model initiation for the Grand Chapter. The Educational Foundation also hosted an event on Thursday night in which donors 1 6 + FA LL 2016
attending Convocation, as well as alumni living in the area, were invited to attend. On Friday, business sessions continued as usual. During the first business session, the Grand Council elections began, and the new Grand Council of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International was elected. (Read more about the new Grand Council on pages 3-5.) The Grand Chapter Awards Luncheon followed, where many chapters and individuals were honored with awards. Afterwards, meetings continued, and on Friday night, the Historical Society hosted a dinner at Margaritaville inside of the Flamingo Hotel. Saturday featured additional business sessions, as well as the Educational Foundation Luncheon, with several scholarships being presented. That night, the Grand Chapter Awards Banquet took place. PGS E. Andrew Morris gave the traditional farewell speech as his official last act as Grand Sage, and was presented the Past Grand Sage medallion by GS Steve Lawler. Afterwards, PGS Morris symbolically "passed the gavel" on to GS Lawler. The Founders’ Award recipients were introduced and gave outstanding speeches. Lastly, the winners of the Grand Sage's Award were presented, making four well-deserving Chapters very excited. For the traditional close of Convocation, all brothers circled the ballroom, locked arms, and joyously joined in the singing of "The Fireside Song." The 53rd Biennial Convocation was a great success. Congratulations to the chapters and individuals honored, as well as the new Grand Council Officers!
CON FER EN CES & PROGRA MMI N G
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CONF E R E N C E S & P R O GRAM M ING
G RAND SAGE 'S AWARD T IE R 1 - M I NNES OTA ( IOTA-ZE TA C H AP TE R )
GR A N D SAGE'S AWA R D TIER 2 - CA L POLY (ETA-DELTA CHA PT ER)
GRAND CHAPTER AWARDS
STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE
GRA N D SAG E'S AWA R D ( TOP 4 )
B E Y E R / F RY B U R G
Tier 1 - Minnesota (Iota-Zeta Chapter) Tier 2 - Cal Poly (Eta-Delta Chapter) Tier 3 - Central Missouri (Gamma-Gamma Chapter) Tier 4 - Santa Clara (Zeta-Eta Chapter)
Central Missouri (Gamma-Gamma Chapter)
GRA N D COU N C I L ( TOP 12)
Iowa State (Sigma Chapter) Florida State (Eta-Epsilon Chapter) Minnesota (Iota-Zeta Chapter) Missouri State (Alpha-Rho Chapter) Missouri S&T (Alpha-Iota Chapter) Cal Poly (Eta-Delta Chapter) Montclair State (Iota-Iota Chapter) Murray State (Gamma-Upsilon Chapter) Central Missouri (Gamma-Gamma Chapter) UMSL (Delta-Zeta Chapter) Drury (Epsilon-Rho Chapter) Santa Clara (Zeta-Eta Chapter) GRA N D C HA P T ER ( TOP 25 )
Iowa State (Sigma Chapter) Florida State (Eta-Epsilon Chapter) Minnesota (Iota-Zeta Chapter) Old Dominion (Theta-Eta Chapter) Worcester Polytechnic (Gamma-Iota Chapter) NJIT (Alpha-Mu Chapter) Missouri State (Alpha-Rho Chapter) Missouri S&T (Alpha-Iota Chapter) Cal Poly (Eta-Delta Chapter) Valparaiso (Beta-Tau Chapter) Kennesaw State (Epsilon-Alpha Chapter) Southern Indiana (Theta-Psi Chapter) Grand Valley State (Theta-Rho Chapter) UTSA (Iota-Delta Chapter) Montclair State (Iota-Iota Chapter) Murray State (Gamma-Upsilon Chapter) Central Missouri (Gamma-Gamma Chapter) Arkansas Tech (Iota-Lambda Chapter) West Alabama (Theta-Gamma Chapter) Bridgewater State (Eta-Eta Chapter) Seton Hall (Delta-Epsilon Chapter) St. Joseph's (Theta-Chi Chapter) UMSL (Delta-Zeta Chapter) Drury (Epsilon-Rho Chapter) Santa Clara (Zeta-Eta Chapter) 1 8 + FALL 2016
G O L D C H A P TE R S
Central Missouri (Gamma-Gamma Chapter) UMSL (Delta-Zeta Chapter) Santa Clara (Zeta-Eta Chapter) Minnesota (Iota-Zeta Chapter) Arkansas Tech (Iota-Lambda Chapter) S I LV E R C H A P TE R S
Missouri S&T (Alpha-Iota Chapter) NJIT (Alpha-Mu Chapter) Missouri State (Alpha-Rho Chapter) Valparaiso (Beta-Tau Chapter) Missouri (Gamma-Sigma Chapter) Murray State (Gamma-Upsilon Chapter) Seton Hall (Delta-Epsilon Chapter) Kennesaw State (Epsilon-Alpha Chapter) Drury (Epsilon-Rho Chapter) Cal Poly (Eta-Delta Chapter) Bridgewater State (Eta-Eta Chapter) West Alabama (Theta-Gamma Chapter) Old Dominion (Theta-Eta Chapter) Grand Valley State (Theta-Rho Chapter) Southern Indiana (Theta-Psi Chapter) UTSA (Iota-Delta Chapter) Montclair State (Iota-Iota Chapter) St. John's (Iota-Tau Chapter) B R O N Z E C H A P TE R S
Wisconsin (Tau Chapter) Iowa State (Sigma Chapter) SIU-Carbondale (Beta-Nu Chapter) Detroit-Mercy (Gamma-Alpha Chapter) Worcester Polytechnic (Gamma-Iota Chapter) Wisconsin-Platteville (Delta-Iota Chapter) Emporia State (Epsilon-Epsilon Chapter) Florida State (Eta-Epsilon Chapter) St. Joseph's (Theta-Chi Chapter)
ACE AWARDS (TOP 4 PROJECTS) Tier 1 - North Carolina State (Rho Chapter) Tier 2 - Cal Poly (Eta-Delta Chapter) Tier 3 - Central Missouri (Gamma-Gamma Chapter) Tier 4 - UMSL (Delta-Zeta Chapter)
For more from the 53rd Biennial Convocation, visit sigmapi.org/convocation
CON FER EN CES & PROGRA MMI N G
GRAND SAGE'S AWARD T IE R 3 - C E N T RAL M ISS O U RI (GAM M A- GAM M A CHA PTER )
GR A N D SAGE'S AWA R D TIER 4 - SA N TA CLA R A (Z ETA-ETA CHA PT ER)
MEMBER SHI P I N C R EASE AWA R D
M I C H A E L P. C A R E Y – O U TSTA N DI NG I ND I VI D UAL U N DE R G R A DUATE I N C HAPT ER
Keene State (Iota-Rho Chapter) William Paterson (Theta-Tau Chapter) Salisbury (Theta-Xi Chapter) Wake Forest (Alpha-Nu Chapter) Alabama (Theta-Omicron Chapter) MEMBER SHI P R EC R U I T M EN T AWAR D
Mississippi (Beta-Mu Chapter) Indiana (Beta Chapter) Colorado (Zeta-Delta Chapter) Missouri State (Alpha-Rho Chapter) Missouri (Gamma-Sigma Chapter) UCF (Iota-Kappa Chapter) St. John's (Iota-Tau Chapter) Alabama (Theta-Omicron Chapter) Minnesota (Iota-Zeta Chapter) Penn State (Theta Chapter) MERIN O/TASH 100 M A N C HA P T E R
Mississippi (Beta-Mu Chapter) UC Santa Barbara (Alpha-Omicron Chapter) Missouri (Gamma-Sigma Chapter) Miami (OH) (Eta-Phi Chapter) UCF (Iota-Kappa Chapter) Auburn (Alpha-Delta Chapter) Penn State (Theta Chapter) Santa Clara (Zeta-Eta Chapter) Indiana (Beta Chapter) Colorado (Zeta-Delta Chapter) West Chester (Zeta-Alpha Chapter) YO U N G A LU M N I VOLU N T EER
Bobby Hilvert (Central Missouri ’17) C L E TU S A . B R O E C K E R – O U TSTA ND I NG I ND I VI D UAL U N D E R G R A D UATE - CO MM U N IT Y SERVI CE
Adrian Carder (Central Missouri ’15) M OST O U TSTA N DI N G A LU MNI CLUB
Lone Star Alumni Club D R . R O B E R T L . B U R N S O U TSTA N DI N G FACULT Y ADVI SO R
Robert Cochran (Auburn ’12) O U TSTA N D I N G C A M P U S P R O FESSI O NAL
Leslie Merritt – MTSU RESTON-FITZPATRICK AWARD - UNDERGRADUATE EMERALD
Wake Forest (Alpha-Nu Chapter) – "Radiating Brotherhood" Article R E STO N - F I TZ PATR I C K AWA R D - A LUM NI CLUB EM ERALD
Kentucky Thoroughbred JOSEPH F. MARSALEK, JR. DEDICATED ALUMNUS AWARD
Dr. George Smith (Rhode Island ’65) LY L E S M I TH – C H A P TE R DI R E CTO R AWARD
Paul Ke (Purdue ’93) – UMSL Chapter Director C U R TI S S H A K E – P R OV I N C E A RCHO N AWARD
Kevin Carey (Illinois Wesleyan ’13) – Illiana Province W I L L I A M C U TB I R TH – C H A P TE R O UTSTAND I NG CO MM U N I TY S E RV ICE
UMSL (Delta-Zeta Chapter)
Matthew Quimby (Bridgewater State ’04)
W I L L I A M C U TB I R TH – C H A P TE R O UTSTAND I NG P H I L A N TH R O PY
YO U N G A LU M N I VOLU N T EER
Penn State (Theta Chapter)
Paul Salvesen (Monmouth ’08)
BY R O N R . L E W I S AC A D E M I C AWARD
YOUNG P ROF ESSI ON A L AC HI EV EM EN T AWA R D
Cornell (Mu Chapter)
John Zimmer (Cornell ’06)
M OST- I M P R OV E D C H APT ER
LOUIS FOLEY – U N D ER G R A D UAT E N EWS L E TTE R
Wake Forest (Alpha-Nu Chapter)
Oregon State (Omega Chapter) – "Omegaphone"
STA F F M E MB E R O F TH E Y EAR
LOUIS F OL EY – A LU M N I N EWSL ET TE R
Michael Davis (UCF ’13)
Cornell (Mu Chapter) – "The Muse"
PAST G R A N D SAG E (G AV E L P L AQ U E & M EDALLI O N)
HAROLD JACOBSEN – OU TSTA N D I N G I NDI V I DUA L UN D ER G R A D UAT E ON C A M P U S
C A M E R O N C H A N A – D O N ATE LI FE AWARD
David Rogers (Central Missouri ’16)
PGS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70) SIU-Carbondale (Beta-Nu Chapter) T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 1 9
CONF E R E N C E S & P R O GRAM M ING
THE FOUNDERS’ AWARD The Founders’ Award is the highest and most prestigious honor which the Fraternity bestows upon an individual brother. The selection is based upon outstanding contributions or exceptional service in business, a profession, education, or humanitarianism, including service to Sigma Pi or the fraternity system as a whole. Before each Convocation, the Grand Council selects the recipients from among those brothers recommended by chapters and alumni clubs. The presentation of the Founders’ Award to recipients takes place during the closing banquet of each Convocation. Since its inception, 96 outstanding brothers have had the prestigious Founders’ Award bestowed upon them.
H ARRY EBERLY (P EN N STAT E ’4 5 )
JACK L A Z A R ( SA N TA C L A R A ’ 87 )
WAY N E L AU F E R ( MI SSO URI S&T '67)
Harry L. Eberly is a 1945 graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University’s College of Engineering. Eberly began his career as an engineer for Western Electric from 1945 to 1949 in New York. Between 1949 and 1972 he worked for RCA, where he held various operating and staff positions in manufacturing, engineering, and business planning. He joined Telex Computer products in 1972 and held various management positions before rising to the position of executive vice president responsible for the worldwide supply operation, including research and development, service support, sales support, manufacturing, and product design. After 45-plus years in the electronics industry, he retired in March 1990.
Jack R. Lazar is the former Chief Financial Officer of GoPro, a provider of wearable capture devices that enable consumers to share and enjoy meaningful life experiences. As CFO he was part of the team that took GoPro public in 2014 with a peak public market capitalization of over $13 billion. GoPro was the fourth largest US IPO (in terms of proceeds) in 2014, and raised over $1.4 billion in capital and completed 8 acquisitions during his tenure.
Wayne Laufer, a 1967 civil engineering graduate of Missouri S&T, is the retired co-founder and CEO of Bois d’Arc Energy Inc., a NYSE Houston-based company that specialized in offshore oil and natural gas exploration and production.
Eberly has extensive experience as a board member and advisory council member for a multitude of organizations, ranging from professional organizations in engineering to educational and community involvement in groups such as the United Way. Together with his wife, Marion, the couple established three endowments to benefit both the students and faculty of the College of Education at Penn State: The Harry and Marion Royer Eberly Scholars, a merit-based award for the most talented students planning careers in education; The Harry and Marion Royer Eberly Faculty Fellowship in Education; and The Harry and Marion Royer Eberly Endowed Professorship in Education. The Eberlys reside in Raleigh, North Carolina, and have two daughters: Jenny Ellen Eberly Holmes and Susan Lynn Eberly Patrick and four grandchildren.
20 + FA LL 2016
From 2011 to 2013, Jack was employed by Qualcomm where he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and General Manager of Qualcomm Atheros. From 2003 until the company's $3.6 billion acquisition by Qualcomm in 2011, Jack served in a variety of positions and as Atheros' chief financial officer and Senior Vice President of Corporate Development. In 2004, Jack was part of the team that took Atheros public, raising $145 million in capital as part of its IPO. Prior to joining Atheros, Mr. Lazar was Executive Vice President of Corporate Development, Chief Financial Officer, and Secretary of NetRatings, an internet audience measurement and analysis company which he helped take public in 1999 (subsequently acquired by the Nielsen Company in 2007). He was also part of the team that took Electronics for Imaging public in 1992. In February 2016, Jack announced his retirement from GoPro. "In my quest to strike a balance between work and family, it was the time to make the move and start the next chapter of my life. I can now focus on mentoring some of the folks who have worked with me in the past who are ready to take on bigger roles, as well as working with companies in an advisory role." Jack remains active in the tech community.
Wayne spent 40 years in the oil business. His first job out of college was as a production engineer for Shell Oil Co. He worked in various capacities from 1967-1977. After a decade with Shell, he struck out on his own as an independent oil and gas producer. In 1977, he co-founded a reservoir analysis consulting firm which is now a part of Schlumberger. In 1984, he co-founded Bois d'Arc Energy Corporation, initiated a NYSE IPO in 2005, and retired after the Company was sold in 2008. Wayne was a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas and is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the Louisiana Independent Oil and Gas Association. At Missouri S&T, he is a member of the Academy of Civil Engineers and received a Professional Degree from the Civil Engineering Department in 2009. While attending Missouri S&T, Wayne held several offices within Sigma Pi. He is a member of the Missouri S&T Order of the Golden Shillelagh donor society. Wayne and his wife Gayle reside in Sanibel, Florida, and spend their summers on San Juan Island, Washington. They are actively engaged in managing their investment portfolio and charitable foundation.
CON FER EN CES & PROGRA MMI N G
2016-2018 EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
BOARD OF TRUSTEES C H AIRMAN
Lester C. "Jay" Joern, Jr. Missouri ’72
VC OF ADMINIST RAT ION
VC O F D E V E LO PM E N T
Ricky Marshall Arkansas State ’92
Nicholas Zeisler Colorado State ’93
VC OF INV E ST ME NTS
VC O F LE G A L A FFA I R S
David Presson Murray State ’81
Scott Evans Missouri ’03
T RE AS U RE R
S E C R E TA RY
Tim Quick Iowa State ’01
PGH Robert Pankau Oakland ’05
T RU ST E E
TR U ST E E
PGS Donald J. Cox Temple ’55
Mason Cozart Southern Arkansas ’83
T RU ST E E
TR U ST E E
Nelson Farris Cal State Long Beach ’66
GS Steve Lawler Iowa ’82
T RU ST E E
TR U ST E E
PGS Ed Levesque Bridgewater State ’89
Shea Stickler Arizona State ’90
ADV IS OR T RU ST E E
A DV I S O R T R U ST E E
Paul Hansen Valparaiso ’80
James Jennings Murray State ’93
In 2007, when Alpha-Omicron Chapter was looking to re-charter on the UC Santa Barbara campus, Gary jumped at the chance to be involved and agreed to be the Chapter Director and served in that position on the local level until his death.
ADV IS OR T RU ST E E
A DV I S O R TR U ST E E
John McCann NJIT ’83
Michael Simmons Cal State Fullerton ’87
Serving as Chapter Director wasn’t enough for Gary when it came to serving Sigma Pi; he was nominated and elected to serve on the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation Board of Trustees in 2010. While sitting on the Educational Foundation, Gary served as Vice Chair of Legal. Upon his death, he had just been re-elected to serve another four years.
ADV IS OR T RU ST E E
A DV I S O R T R U ST E E
Allen W. Yee Georgia ’99
Jeffrey Yordon Northern Illinois ’70
- P RES EN T ED P OST HU M OU SLY GARY GRUBAC I C H ( U C SA N TA BA R BA R A ' 6 8)
What comes to mind when you think of Gary Grubacich? Hawaiian shirts, old war stories, attorney, a dear friend and/or a fraternity brother. For those that knew Gary, they would no doubt agree that he was a man with a big heart and deep devotion to his causes, especially when it came to giving back to his fraternity. Gary was very dedicated to Sigma Pi, and it definitely showed in his countless hours and energy he put into advising Alpha-Omicron Chapter at UC Santa Barbara. So, it is understandable when he suddenly passed away on January 12, 2015, he would leave a legacy gift to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation and to the young men of Sigma Pi Alpha-Omicron Chapter at UC Santa Barbara. The Educational Foundation is proud to recognize Gary’s gift of $318,500 with $127,000 unrestricted in nature to help further the organization’s mission. The remaining $191,500 was restricted for use in a Chapter Educational Fund for the undergraduate brothers of Alpha-Omicron, his collegiate chapter and where he served as Chapter Director. Gary attended UC Santa Barbara and was a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity from 1965 to 1968 before he was drafted into the Vietnam War where he served in the U.S. Air Force for three years. Upon returning, Gary went to work as a System Engineer in Michigan for General Motors (GM) and completed his BA with honors at Oakland University in 1973. He returned to Santa Barbara continuing his employment at GM for a total of 17 years. While serving on a local jury, Gary decided he wanted to be an attorney. So, in 1988, Gary was admitted to the California Western School of Law in San Diego graduating cum laude in 1991 with his J.D. degree. Grubacich was employed as an Attorney in Civil Litigation and Appeals at the Santa Barbara law firm McCarthy & Kroes for 23 years until his death.
Gary was a man who could talk to anybody at length on just about any subject matter; definitely wasn’t afraid to share his thoughts and opinions. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and the young men of Alpha-Omicron Chapter of Sigma Pi.
HONORARY LIFE TRUSTEE
PGS Frank Fryburg Penn State ’49
T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 21
C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS
CHAP TE R & CO LO N Y
RE PORTS Editor’s Note: Chapter and Colony Reports are submitted by undergraduate members of each Chapter and Colony. Along with updating and correcting basic guidelines, reports have been edited to only provide the most important content.
LEGEND Ø
$
Zero Balance
Owe Money
Number of Undergraduate Members
Total Brothers
Lost Brothers (Missing Contact Information) Donors to SPEF this fiscal year (undergrad & alumni)
NO REPORT SUBMITTED $
28
1321
538
2
ALABAMA (THETA-OMICRON)
ARKANSAS STATE
ARIZONA STATE (BETA-KAPPA)
ALPHA-PI CHAPTER
CAL STATE LONG BEACH (BETA-OMICRON)
Alpha-Pi Chapter managed to put community service in the first week of school so we could get an early shot to show the campus what the men of Sigma Pi are about. This was a day to serve all local law enforcement/first responders, where we cooked and had local news crews promote so we could get a positive turn out. The following week we received 12 new members. Also conducting Pi Week as a philanthropy, we had 11 people sign up as organ donors and raised $200 for the Amazing Day Foundation for suicide prevention. With the 11 signups, 88 people will be able to receive organ donations. Alpha-Pi Chapter looks to build off this early momentum.
CALIFORNIA-SANTA CRUZ (IOTA-ETA) CENTRAL MICHIGAN (DELTA-ALPHA) COLORADO (ZETA-DELTA) COLORADO STATE (ETA-SIGMA) EMPORIA STATE (EPSILON-EPSILON) FRANKLIN & MARSHALL (NU) GEORGIA (ALPHA-PHI) GEORGIA TECH (IOTA-MU) ILLINOIS (PHI) INDIANA (BETA) INDIANA OF PENNSYLVANIA (THETA-EPSILON) MIAMI (OH) (ETA-PHI) MICHIGAN STATE (ZETA-MU) MISSISSIPPI (BETA-MU) NORTH CAROLINA STATE (RHO) OAKLAND (ZETA-PI) OHIO (EPSILON) OKLAHOMA STATE (IOTA-PI) PENN STATE (THETA) RADFORD (THETA-LAMBDA) SAGINAW VALLEY STATE (THETA-BETA) SALISBURY (THETA-XI) SOUTHERN ARKANSAS (EPSILON-KAPPA) UCLA (UPSILON) WILLIAM & MARY (ALPHA-ETA)
22 + FA LL 2016
$
31
741
315
1
$
62
216
7
0
ARKANSAS
ARKANSAS TECH
ALPHA-SIGMA CHAPTER
IOTA-LAMBDA CHAPTER
Alpha-Sigma Chapter is excited to return to campus after a good summer break. On August 25th, we initiated five pledges into our Chapter from our spring class. Our Chapter held a formal rush with the University during the first two weeks of the semester, and we took in nine new members for this fall’s pledge class. Last semester was a big step forward for us in regards to the progress of the Chapter. We raised $5,000 for American Cancer Society, had a huge turnout for our ACE Project with UAPD and No Woman Left Behind, and we improved our SOE score greatly compared to previous years. We look forward to having a great semester.
The Spring 2016 semester was one of substantial growth for Iota-Lambda Chapter. After putting forth great effort, we were awarded with a few accolades when we completed the semester with gold on our SOE and brought home the Grand Chapter Award from Convocation. On campus we finished with a 3.25 GPA as a Chapter, which placed Iota-Lambda as the third highest among all Greek organizations. We also complete the semester with an average of 25.3 service hours per member. We are currently installing a new and improved recruitment program which is already showing signs of success.
CHA PT ER & COLON Y REPORTS
$
154
1995
947
4
Ø
20
401
143
1
$
30
298
48
1
AUBURN
BUFFALO
CAL STATE CHICO
ALPHA-DELTA CHAPTER
EPSILON-OMICRON CHAPTER
THETA-MU CHAPTER
The semester is off to a great start for
Epsilon-Omicron Chapter is working diligently this semester to increase membership and expand our presence at UB. A high emphasis has been placed on getting our Chapter GPA to the top of the list of our IFC organizations, while working to improve all aspects of the Chapter. We are also very excited for our upcoming alumni weekend. With all the positivity coming into the semester, this summer marked a sad time for Epsilon-Omicron, as Alex LaViola (‘16),
With the 2016-17 school year beginning for us at Chico State, we have been spending a lot of our time and resources upgrading and renovating our Chapter house. A couple of renovations that we’ve made so far include restoring our letters, replacing the doors, and landscaping our front yard. Before rush we hope to repaint the house and cement our front yard to add a basketball hoop for our brothers to practice for intramural sports on. We have football and soccer intramural seasons coming up where we hope to repeat in football and move up from second to first place in soccer. From Theta-Mu Chapter we hope everyone has a great semester.
Alpha-Delta Chapter at Auburn University. Recruitment went well this summer. We finished with a fall pledge class of 42, making it Alpha-Delta’s third straight year with a 40+ man fall pledge class. We raised $4,000 for our local philanthropy, AHERO Foundation, this past spring. Our Alumni Weekend and tailgate will take place on the weekend of the Texas A&M game, which is September 17, and we are expecting a big turn out. We always welcome all Alpha-Delta Alumni to come back and visit.
$
38
156
10
one of our recently graduated members passed away. He will be missed dearly by the Chapter as he was an exemplary Sigma Pi and a role model for many members within the Chapter.
0
BENTLEY IOTA-THETA CHAPTER
Iota-Theta had a terrific summer. Since returning to campus, brothers have been getting back into the swing of things including classes and rush, which starts this week. We said farewell to our seniors and look forward to the recruitment of new members. On the whole, Iota-Theta Chapter is looking forward to a successful semester.
$
This
46
459
134
2
Ø
84
453
111
7
$
34
380
146
0
BRIDGEWATER STATE
CAL POLY
CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS
ETA-ETA CHAPTER
ETA-DELTA CHAPTER
ETA-IOTA CHAPTER
Eta-Iota Chapter is pleased to announce the initiation of nine new members of spring 2016 class. For the fall semester we are striving to carry this momentum forward into the upcoming class. Over the summer, we had our annual firework stand fundraiser, which was a huge success and has put our Chapter in a great financial position for this upcoming year. We were also the only organization tabling and recruiting at the New Student & Transfer Student orientations all summer, because of this we have high expectations for this fall semester and are aiming to reach the pinnacle of what it means to be a Sigma Pi.
sent
The brothers of Eta-Delta Chapter continued
undergraduate brothers John McGowan (Beta-
summer,
Eta-Eta
Chapter
to show their excellence throughout last
Eta pledge class) and Michael Findlay (Beta-Iota
spring and summer. Last spring, Eta-Delta was
pledge class) to represent us at Convocation
recognized as the leading Independent Student
in Las Vegas. There they accepted the Grand
Organization at Cal Poly including fraternities,
Chapter Award for being one of the Top 25
sororities, and clubs. Additionally, Eta-Delta
Chapters in Sigma Pi as well as the Silver SOE
was honored to have received the Grand Sage's
Award for attaining over 90% on our SOE report.
Award at Convocation this past July, as well
The average percentage across all Chapters
as an Outstanding ACE Project and Grand
was 68%. At Convocation Past Grand Sage Ed
Council’s awards. Eta-Delta is extremely excited
Levesque (Bridgewater State ‘89) was reelected
to continue in our quest for excellence this fall as
to the Grand Council in the position of Grand
we hope to have another strong recruitment and
Herald for the new biennium (2014-2018).
successful quarter.
T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 23
C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS
Ø
69
824
436
3
CENTRAL MISSOURI GAMMA-GAMMA CHAPTER
$
30
575
202
1
CALIFORNIA-IRVINE ETA-UPSILON CHAPTER
$
49
1007
511
4
CAL STATE FULLERTON EPSILON-NU COLONY
The Fall 2016 recruitment season proved to be successful for Epsilon-Nu. Over 20 new members chose Epsilon-Nu Colony as their fraternal home and with the much awaited chartering day around the corner, California State University, Fullerton is excited to receive us as the newest fraternity on campus. The Executive Counsel have worked tirelessly with the committee chairmen to prepare for the Fall 2016 recruitment and the hard work paid off. Along with one of the highest grade point averages on campus and excellent student leaders, Epsilon-Nu will have an important presence as the year unfolds.
The brothers of Eta-Upsilon closed out the 2016 school year with a bang, finishing off with our formal Orchid Ball in Las Vegas, and clinching awards such as Best in New Member Recruitment and Best in New Member Education. We are very eager to see what this upcoming fall quarter has waiting for us. Members of the rush task force have been hard at work all summer to ensure a dominating fall rush, packed with two weeks worth of events such as brotherhood boxing.
Ø
38
433
175
1
Coming out of a fantastic summer where we were honored to receive the Grand Sage's Award, Gamma-Gamma Chapter is already set for another great semester. Following a very successful rush where 26 outstanding men signed to pledge Gamma-Gamma, work has begun on the many philanthropy, social, and campus events planned. In the next few weeks we will be working with the community for a suicide awareness walk as well as assisting the local veteran’s home put on an event. With initiation right around the corner and homecoming on the horizon, we are excited to see what the future holds for Gamma-Gamma.
$
56
1771
774
1
CORNELL MU CHAPTER
Classes started up at Cornell in mid-August, and since then we’ve had a great start to the year. Mu Chapter kicked off the year with the annual Sigma Pi Parking Lot Party in the bottom parking lot, which was cosponsored with five other fraternities and six sororities. It was a great way to celebrate the beginning of the year with the Greek community. We have added a fall pledge class this semester, as Cornell IFC is encouraging more fraternities to participate in recruitment in the fall for sophomores and older. We have added eight new members.
CARLETON ETA-RHO CHAPTER
$
37
1027
464
0
CALIFORNIA IOTA CHAPTER
Iota Chapter is flourishing and ready for a new semester. We finished major renovations to our house over the summer and are ready to put it to use. With a large senior class graduating early in spring, the Chapter is young and full of brothers striving for leadership and excellence. We have several intramural teams, philanthropy, social, and brotherhood events planned through the end of the year that we eagerly await. 24 + FA LL 2016
Last semester was a successful one for the Gem of the North. We have numerous brothers on student council, and in leadership positions on campus. As well as several brothers were accepted into Order of Omega. We look forward to a successful semester ahead, as we are coheading the Movember campaign on campus, and look to dominate poppy sales for Remembrance Day as usual. The 25th anniversary of the chartering of Eta-Rho is approaching, and we are eagerly anticipating our planned celebration at the Château Laurier, where we also held our 20th anniversary.
$
60
293
14
0
DELAWARE IOTA-BETA CHAPTER
We are all very excited to be back at Iota-Beta Chapter! With the school year starting up, we have rush coming up on September 12. Also, this year marks our ten year anniversary, which we most likely will be celebrating at our Founders’ Day, open to all who would like to attend. Later on this semester, we will also be hosting our annual Crab Fest. All money raised will be donated to the wounded warriors project.
CHA PT ER & COLON Y REPORTS
$
30
601
268
3
$
68
342
106
0 $
DETROIT-MERCY
EAST CAROLINA
GAMMA-ALPHA CHAPTER
ETA-KAPPA COLONY
It’s been an incredible year for Epsilon-Rho Chapter. Together, our members achieved the highest GPA among campus fraternities surpassing Drury’s all-male average, raised $10,000 dollars for charity, and donated 700 hours of our time to the community. At Convocation, we were fortunate enough to receive the Grand Council and Grand Chapter Awards for our accomplishments. This fall, we plan to continue the development of Sugar Rush, a desert sampling philanthropy event, and HelpOut, a volunteer service discovery platform. Following our Chapter retreat and a successful recruitment week, we are proud to welcome nine new members into our brotherhood.
Eta-Kappa has had a productive few weeks in the beginning of the fall semester beginning with recruitment. This past rush, Eta-Kappa gained 16 new members, resulting in 68 total undergraduate members in the colony. There has already been a big emphasis on brotherhood this year by starting off the semester with a brotherhood cookout to get the colony back together after the long summer break. EtaKappa is looking for big things this semester as the colony becomes closer to chartering with a set goal of January to charter. Eta-Kappa is powering forward in working to charter, through brotherhood, recruitment and plans to continue growing.
$
25
584
263
34
858
485
0
EAST STROUDSBURG BETA-PSI CHAPTER
As we enter the fall semester of 2016, Beta-Psi focuses on maintaining community engagement. Some of the events the Chapter plans on contributing time and effort into are Special Olympics, Buddy Walk, and Pink Light Walk. During the summer, Sage Chase Berlin continued his battle with cancer and was able to make it back to school on time. Second Counselor, Don Derrick, attended Mid-Year Convocation where he learned a lot of useful information. Beta-Psi looks forward for recruitment this semester as we hope to bring a class of gentleman into the brotherhood. We look forward to another successful semester.
1
DRURY EPSILON-RHO CHAPTER
It’s been an incredible year for Epsilon-Rho Chapter. Together, our members achieved the highest GPA among campus fraternities surpassing Drury’s all-male average, raised $10,000 dollars for charity, and donated 700 hours of our time to the community. At Convocation, we were fortunate enough to receive the Grand Council and Grand Chapter Awards for our accomplishments. This fall, we plan to continue the development of Sugar Rush, a desert sampling philanthropy event, and HelpOut, a volunteer service discovery platform. Following our Chapter retreat and a successful recruitment week, we are proud to welcome nine new members into our brotherhood. T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 25
C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS
$
40
349
79
0
FITCHBURG STATE ETA-TAU CHAPTER
$
43
2219
1105
6
EASTERN ILLINOIS
$
BETA-GAMMA CHAPTER
Beta-Gamma’s main concentration this semester is academics. We have embedded bylaws and plans to make sure that we meet our required GPA of 2.7. Our scholarship chair is very motivated and determined to make sure that we do not fail, since there would be many consequences of not meeting this academic requirement. Another concentration for this semester is homecoming and giving it the required effort needed to make it successful and in a way we can represent our Chapter in our best ability. Lastly, we plan on putting in the time and effort to participate in intramurals so that we can win the trophy back this year.
$
44
695
222
Eta-Tau Chapter recently began the development of an Interfraternity Conference, with Sage Brian Andy (’17) leading the charge. Two of our brothers, First Counselor Joshua Dean (’18) and Second Counselor Colin O’Hearne (’18) also had the pleasure to go to Convocation this year in Las Vegas. Our goals for this year are to recruit over 12 new pledges and to create more buzz across the campus of Fitchburg State University. Recruitment Chair William Quilty (’18) has been doing a fantastic job recruiting members and leading us as we continue on in meeting new members on our Quest for Excellence. 14
259
118
2
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON EPSILON-XI CHAPTER
This past summer has been an exciting and productive one for Epsilon-Xi Chapter. The biggest highlight of it was that two of our newest members, John Fruhmann (‘16) and Matthew Scocco (‘16), attended the 53rd Biennial Convocation in Las Vegas to represent our Chapter. It was a great experience and opportunity to participate in political discussion as well as having their voices heard during voting meetings. We are just preparing for what will be a successful rush period and are confident in bearing great achievement this semester and are hopeful to repeat last year’s success in winning a Chapter of the Year on campus.
0 $
EASTERN KENTUCKY EPSILON-LAMBDA CHAPTER
Epsilon-Lambda is off to a great start, as the fall recruitment brought in thirty three incredible new members. We enjoyed an exciting rush, and have already gotten the opportunity to talk with several Alumni at the first tailgate. The summer meeting in Cynthia led our Executive Council to take action and grow our Sigma Pi Chapter here. And with the completion of the yearly Eddie Munster golf tournament, Epsilon-Lambda traditions are running strong and spreading from Alumnus to new member. The bonds of brotherhood are already beginning to form, and we have already achieved several intramural victories.
26 + FALL 2016
$
18
257
42
98
839
273
1
2
FLORIDA STATE FERRIS STATE THETA-THETA CHAPTER
The 2016 fall semester has officially began! Theta-Theta Chapter has decided to try a new system for recruitment that utilizes techniques that were learned during the leadership conference in the spring semester of 2016. One of our fall semester fund raisers is going to be working at Cedar Point for a weekend in September. Along with Cedar Point, we also will be doing our annual Teeter-Totter-Athon for philanthropy. Theta-Theta Chapter would also like to congratulate Brian Kurisky (’07) on becoming the new Grand Fourth Counselor!
ETA-EPSILON CHAPTER
Eta-Epsilon Chapter is pleased to announce that at Convocation this summer, we were awarded the Grand Council Award, Grand Chapter Award, and the Bronze Standard Award for our SOE. This fall semester we look forward to welcoming our largest pledge class ever. In addition to that, we also look forward to our pairing with the sorority Phi Mu for homecoming in October! Over the summer we were able to secure the lease on a second house on our property, bringing the number of brothers living in the houses to 28 in total. This fall is certainly going to be an interesting one for Eta-Epsilon Chapter!
CHA PT ER & COLON Y REPORTS
$
90
333
21
0
GRAND VALLEY STATE THETA-RHO CHAPTER
The men of Theta-Rho recently completed our first annual Sigma Pi Climb for Kids by hiking the tallest mountain in New York State, Mount Marcy. Funds were raised with the help of family and friends and we were able to raise $5,180. This money was donated to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital for the continued research of congenital heart disease. The men of Theta-Rho have hit the ground running this recruitment season, giving ourselves a goal of 35 new members. We have teamed up with Phi Mu for this semester’s homecoming events and are looking forward to a new year.
$
28
241
27
0
HOUSTON THETA-NU CHAPTER
Theta-Nu Chapter of Sigma Pi has recently seen a huge increase in brotherhood events in which many members are actively participating in. With the increase in popularity our football program, tailgate events are a great opportunity to expand the name of Sigma Pi. Also, rush week was splendidly done as potential new members demonstrated their values and beliefs which will greatly validate what it is to be a Sigma Pi. Ø Ø
38
781
397
1
83
1139
394
1
IOWA XI CHAPTER
ILLINOIS WESLEYAN EPSILON-GAMMA COLONY
Exciting progress is coming out of EpsilonGamma Colony. Upon returning from summer break, the Colony is well over half way towards chartering. With plans to submit the chartering petition in the fall semester, Epsilon-Gamma hopes to charter less than a year from its original colonization date. Epsilon-Gamma is participating in Illinois Wesleyan’s new formal recruitment process this fall. With rush season coming to a close, Epsilon-Gamma has a recruitment goal of 15 new members, bringing in 45 undergraduates and securing the second largest fraternity at Illinois Wesleyan.
Xi Chapter is off to great start to the 2016-2017 academic school year. Our primary focus at the beginning of the semester was fall recruitment. We are happy to welcome 28 new members to the Xi Chapter. We look forward to developing the skills of these men and pushing them to strive for excellence academically and throughout the University of Iowa community. We are excited to be paired with Gamma Phi Beta sorority and Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority for Homecoming 2016 and eagerly anticipate many of our planned brotherhood events. Overall, Xi Chapter continues to be a positive image for the University of Iowa as well as Sigma Pi.
$
102
1015
283
3
IOWA STATE SIGMA CHAPTER
Sigma Chapter has been busy and is happy to announce the recruitment of 36 men for the fall 2016 class. For Homecoming 2016, we are paired with the ladies of Delta Delta Delta Sorority, as well as the men of Kappa Sigma and Delta Upsilon Fraternities. We are excited to work with our pairing and make it a Homecoming the Greek Community will never forget. This semester, we have taken action with public presence to support Suicide Awareness and the Amazing Day Foundation and plan to create a diversity seminar on campus, in addition to our philanthropy and leadership development in our members. We are excited for what fall 2016 will bring us! T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 27
C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS
$
Ø
27
284
67
0
KANSAS BETA-DELTA CHAPTER
Beta-Delta Chapter has started off the year focusing heavily on the recruitment process. We have planned several successful events including pickup basketball games, cookouts, watch parties, and an information meeting. We look to pin in a healthy sized pledge class within the following weeks. In addition, the members of the Executive Council along with our Social Chair, Casey Boyd, and Brotherhood Chair Jacob Asherman, have worked extremely hard to form a calendar of events that all our brothers can look forward to.
$
20
115
7
0
KEENE STATE IOTA-RHO CHAPTER
Iota-Rho Chapter is super excited for the upcoming semester and year of great events. Vince Pagan is ready to help the Chapter expand more than every before as this semester’s Recruitment Chairman. ACE Project is already getting the ball moving and we have only been to school for a week. We cannot wait for the new members to experience greatness.
61
1323
689
3
$
13
346
79
0
KENTUCKY
MICHIGAN
EPSILON-BETA COLONY
ALPHA-BETA COLONY
This fall Epsilon-Beta Chapter had their largest recruitment class ever, most of the efforts are due to the recruitment chair Justin Deyhle. Through his efforts the Chapter went in with a high morale and gained a pledge class half the size of their current Chapter. Just recently they regained possession of their Fraternity House and are making large stride to bring it back up to a modern state. Finding treasures such as competes from the 70’s and before the Alumni Relations Committee is being to reach out to members and invite them back to the house to showcase the fraternities success in growth as well as the restoration of the home.
Alpha-Beta Colony is ready for our first fall rush since returning to campus. The Colony returned to campus in the Fall of 2015, and we are excited to be back and ready to add some new members. We have a fun week planned with football, barbecues, and plenty of frisbee. Overall, our Colony is excited to continue to grow and spread our presence throughout campus.
$
23
386
178
0
MICHIGAN TECH ZETA-EPSILON CHAPTER
$
23
408
138
2
LAWRENCE TECH ZETA-OMICRON CHAPTER
Zeta-Omicron Chapter is dusting off the gears after a restful summer, and kicking off the school year by moving into a new house! The coming semester looks promising, with our committees already hard at work planning a fundraising event at the local Potbelly, our annual Adopta-Road cleanup, and much more. One notable project in the works seeks to bring the LTU spirit to high schools in the City of Southfield by helping the local high school robotics teams, building interest in STEM and perhaps even inspiring a couple of future brothers.
In the spring, we were able to initiate two new members, bringing our total for the year to five new members, with all of them holding an Executive Office position in their short time in the house. This summer the alumni were able to kick start the fraternity house renovation process by setting in place a solid plan, as well as finishing preparations for work on the house to begin. We also completed our ACE Project this year by helping the students on campus get some much needed stress relief during the hectic final exam week by providing snacks and a relaxing environment in a classroom on campus.
$
45
247
27
2
MIDDLE TENNESSEE $
$
21
591
279
1
47
141
9
0
LOUISVILLE IOTA-OMICRON CHAPTER
THETA-OMEGA CHAPTER
The Theta-Omega Chapter is pleased to announce a 22 man pledge class for the fall 2016 semester. Currently, we are working hard
KENNESAW STATE EPSILON-ALPHA CHAPTER
We had a very well executed rush and we will continue to work on recruitment as the semester continues on. The football season has just started which is very exciting as we will be tailgating the games. We have a lot of philanthropy planned such as our blood drive for the American Red Cross and Family Care Day where we give Thanksgiving meals to families in need. 28 + FALL 2016
Iota-Omicron Chapter spent the past several months with an intensified emphasis on recruitment. This emphasis required the hard work of every individual brother, effectively increasing individual involvement as well as the overall morale of the Chapter. Our hard work paid off as we just welcomed our largest pledge class ever, with a total of seventeen new pledges. With this, we’re now turning our focus to retention and new member education.
on homecoming with our partners Chi Omega, Lambda Theta Alpha, and Sigma Gamma Rho. As the semester continues, the chapter is working hard to introduce new programming for the betterment of members. In April, the chapter will be holding the tenth anniversary of our chartering by having the first Orchid Ball in over four years! If you are interested in attending, contacting Paul Wydra at sunpa@sigmapi.org.
C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS
$
$
89
241
10
1
MINNESOTA IOTA-ZETA CHAPTER
Iota-Zeta Chapter experienced an exciting and event-filled summer as the Chapter members prepare for the fall semester. Recruitment Chair Ben Varick (‘18) kicked off recruitment with a number of exciting events such as an annual volleyball tournament and a streak cookout night for new and upcoming members. Iota-Zeta Chapter is happy to welcome our new members this semester to the brotherhood! Over summer, members found themselves on study abroad terms across the globe along with fun-filled vacations.
$
82
872
303
12
346
129
0
40
421
106
26
MISSOURI SOUTHERN STATE
MONMOUTH
ETA-MU CHAPTER
DELTA-BETA CHAPTER
The brothers of Eta-Mu, have been already hard at work this semester! From getting a Greek Garden in the works at our school to Paint Wars at the park, we strive to always have fun and welcome new people and as always ready to hit the ground running for this semester! We are excited to see how our second annual Where’s Waldo event will do this year, and also excited to participate in the schools first ever Fraternity Games during home football games! We are looking at pledging in some really great, sound minded young men for this semester class, and we can’t wait to see where they take us!
Delta-Beta prides ourselves on brotherhood. Over the summer many of the brothers found time to meet up despite distance and their summer jobs. Congratulations to Joe Palazzolo (‘03) on becoming Grand Second Counselor. The brother BBQ was celebrated at an alumni of Epsilon-Xi Chapter’s beach house. The brothers of Delta-Beta also participated in Monmouth’s involvement fair. This helped us generating interest and awareness of our Chapter to potential new members.
$
29
142
1
0
MONTCLAIR STATE IOTA-IOTA CHAPTER
As we prepares for the upcoming semester we would like to look back on this past Convocation. In Las Vegas we won a silver efficiency award, a Grand Chapter Award and a Grand Council Award. These would not have been possible without the hard work of the undergraduates and alumni. As we move forward we are looking to recruit high-quality men that would add to the overall success of Iota-Iota and help us build for the future. We are planning on holding an Amazing Day project this semester as well as participating in community service events.
4
MISSOURI GAMMA-SIGMA CHAPTER
Gamma-Sigma Is starting out the school year well so far. We have a 19 man pledge class into the first couple of weeks of school and are planning on participating in sorority philanthropies that are coming up very soon. We are very optimistic about the upcoming semester. Our goal is to have a 35 man pledge class and we are doing our best to get to that number.
Ø
Ø
105
1525
654
8 Ø
22
633
293
3
MISSOURI STATE ALPHA-RHO CHAPTER
$
38
1140
571
3
MISSOURI S&T ALPHA-IOTA CHAPTER
Alpha-Iota Chapter has initiated two members from the 2016 Spring Semester. Additionally, the following six undergraduates have been transitioned to alumni status, John Elam, Issac Hicks, Brett Kraus, Thomas Knight, Tyler Sundell, and Blake Womble. For the 2016 Fall Semester, eight new members have been formally pledged and we look forward to a great semester hoping they will fully join in our brotherhood. 30 + FALL 2016
With their sights set on winning the coveted "Chapter of the Year" award, Alpha-Rho Chapter started off the fall semester with a myriad of accomplishments. At the 2016 Biennial Convocation, Alpha-Rho received multiple awards, including the Grand Council Award. Led by both the MSU Senior Class President and reigning Homecoming King, we successfully recruited a 32 man new member class, pushing our total membership to over 100 brothers. We are incredibly excited about our current success and potential for future achievement, and we look forward to welcoming our alumni for Homecoming on October 15th.
MOREHEAD STATE DELTA-RHO CHAPTER
As the summer winds down, the brothers of Delta-Rho Chapter are looking forward to the new fall semester. This past summer saw a wonderful turnout at our annual summer picnic. The attending alumni provided great assistance in setting new, attainable goals for the school year. Our Chapter is implementing a "Rolling Recruitment" plan, which is focused on yearround recruiting. This program encourages yearround recruiting with multiple pledge classes per semester. With that in mind, we would like to congratulate the brothers of the new GammaOmega pledge class!
CHA PT ER & COLON Y REPORTS
$
73
612
334
2
NORTHERN ARIZONA BETA-IOTA COLONY
Over summer, Beta-Iota alumni successful raised enough money for our Sage Matthew Romero and 2nd Counselor Eric Babbitt to go Convocation in July. They had a great time and learned a lot during their time there. Now that the semester has started, we have been working hard to prepare for Rush Week. We are super excited to get new quality men to pursue their quest for excellence. Beta-Iota Colony has a handful of social, philanthropy, and brotherhood events coming up the weeks after Rush Week. It’s going to be a great semester for Beta-Iota Colony as we continue our progress to chartering. $
56
806
366
12
MURRAY STATE GAMMA-UPSILON CHAPTER
Undergraduates here at Murray State are gearing up for another productive semester through academics, recruitment, intramural, community service, and philanthropy. GammaUpsilon Chapter is continuing to grow with 17 new members this semester. All brothers as well as the new members continue to recruit throughout the rest of the semester to add more gentlemen to our increasing size. As we prepare for this semesters philanthropy, Fall Fest, every brother is striving to make this semester the best one yet.
$
49
1129
535
4
$
55
1287
485
3
NJIT
OHIO STATE
ALPHA-MU CHAPTER
GAMMA CHAPTER
Alpha-Mu has had another semester of success. With a 3.09 GPA, we had the highest fraternity GPA on campus. We were proud to take home a Grand Chapter Award as well as a Silver SOE (with room for progress). Back at home our Chapter received three Standard of Excellence from NJIT. We hosted a new large event with our alumni, a golf outing in the beginning of summer. We also hosted a new annual charity softball tournament in remembrece of our lost brother Stivel Ramirez, we invite you all to come out for it next year! For the coming semester we have a great new rush class and hopefully many more successes.
The semester has begun and Gamma Chapter is already starting to flourish. Many of the Sigma Pi members are actively involved in on campus organizations and have begun intramural sports. Philanthropy events are being planned for the fall including our haunted house. New member education has begun with a prospective class of ten individuals. As the football season has started our social events with our block partner Delta Zeta have begun as well. Overall, Gamma Chapter is growing in size and presence on the University’s campus. We look forward to the events to come this fall as well as opportunities to acclaim Gamma Chapter.
Ø
45
321
47
2
OLD DOMINION THETA-ETA CHAPTER
Theta-Eta Chapter ended the spring semester on a great note. We finished winning multiple awards at the Fraternity and Sorority Life Awards, including James Kling winning the Greek Man of the Year for the second year in a row. Brad Bonnema and Curtis Strickland attended the 53rd Convocation in Las Vegas. While there, the Chapter was recognized for being a Top 25 Chapter and for our efficiency totals over the last two years. Dr. Brian Kurisky, our Chapter Director, was elected to the Grand Council and will serve over the next two years as the Grand Fourth Counselor.
Ø
83
1164
359
1
OREGON STATE OMEGA CHAPTER
Omega Chapter is excited for a busy fall term with a focus on recruitment. We look forward to building on the momentum made with last year having the largest recruitment and initiation class in Omega’s history. Coming off a very successful spring term, which saw the second year of our Pi for Life philanthropy, with all proceeds going to the Amazing Day Foundation. We would also like to wish the best of luck to our seniors that just graduated. They have had a deep and meaningful impact on our Chapter. Omega Chapter looks to start the new school year on a positive note, continuing the great energy from years past.
T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 3 1
C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS
$
19
166
14
1
$
80
1188
473
4
$
64
751
354
2
PENN COLLEGE
RHODE ISLAND
RUTGERS
THETA-PHI CHAPTER
ALPHA-UPSILON CHAPTER
GAMMA-ETA CHAPTER
The brothers of Theta-Phi started off the semester with a series of events as part of our second annual on campus Welcome Week programming. Theta-Phi is reaching out early and often this semester to keep potentials engaged in search of a strong recruitment class.
This fall our Chapter has seen great improvements in productivity. We have the largest freshman class ever, as URI received over 21,000 applicants. This surge of students has been reflected in the fall potential new member process. In other news, Sage André Herrera has worked tirelessly to plan three philanthropy events for this upcoming month. These include the annual Alton Jones Campus Cleanup, a fundraiser for KIND (Kids In Need of Defense), and a "Grill and Chill" with Delta Zeta to provide food for the Rhode Island community and raise money for local charities.
Gamma-Eta Chapter has just started the school year, and many of us have wrapped up summer internships. Our recruitment process has just started, and we had over one hundred people come to our first event. Gamma-Eta is looking to take in a large class, as many of our members are set to graduate this year.
$
24
229
23
1
PENN STATE-ALTOONA THETA-IOTA CHAPTER
41
1566
24
445
214
2
SAN DIEGO EPSILON-CHI CHAPTER
With the leadership of our new Executive Board, Theta-Iota Chapter has strived for academic, and social excellence. Theta-Iota welcomed five new members ready to take on leadership roles within the Chapter and on campus. Our first event involved brothers helping incoming freshmen with move in. Our second event of the semester involved a collaboration with Voluntoona; a new student orientation community service event. Together we logged over 2,000 hours of service in Altoona. President of Recruitment Tito E. Orjih administered a new recruitment program that focused on efficiently attracting cultured, motivated young men.
$
$
488
Epsilon-Chi Chapter spent this summer preparing for our very first semester as an official Chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity. Now that the Chapter has finally reached its goal of chartering, we turn our attention heavily towards the growth of the Chapter. Our formal Fall Rush begins September 11th, and we hope to break all of our previous numbers in terms of recruitment. Epsilon-Chi as a whole is very excited for the future of our fraternity at the University of San Diego.
5
PURDUE ETA CHAPTER
Eta Chapter had a great start to fall recruitment picking up nine potential new members and we are continuing to add to those numbers as the semester goes by. We are currently doing great things planning and setting up our new philanthropy the Emerald Open, a tennis tournament, for later this semester. Eta Chapter has also had great success with the food pantry we set up and that the undergraduates have been volunteering hours to keep things moving smoothly. With homecoming just around the corner we look forward to reuniting all of the brothers of Eta Chapter together for a great weekend.
32 + FALL 2016
$
72
479
153
1
ROWAN ZETA-CHI CHAPTER
Zeta-Chi Chapter had an exciting summer which started off with selling beverages for fundraising. at the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City. After a much needed break from school, the brothers of Zeta-Chi helped "move in" incoming freshman to their dorms in early September. Zeta-Chi Chapter is also very proud of former sage Peter DeLeonibus (‘15) on passing his final CPA exam to become an accountant.
Ø
81
821
394
2
SANTA CLARA ZETA-ETA CHAPTER
Zeta-Eta Chapter was honored to receive the Grand Sage's Award this past summer. Preparing for the upcoming year, the Chapter is working hard and looking forward to another successful rush.
CHA PT ER & COLON Y REPORTS
$
42
697
220
2
SIU-EDWARDSVILLE DELTA-OMEGA CHAPTER
$
53
490
190
2
SETON HALL DELTA-EPSILON CHAPTER
Delta-Epsilon is coming off of its most successful year yet, winning Silver Standard and earning the Grand Chapter Award, and is only looking to improve on it even more this coming year. First off, our third annual 5k raising suicide prevention awareness for the Sean Vernon Amazing Day Foundation will kick off later this month. We are also doing a repeat of our Wounded Warrior Project fundraiser, accepting donations in honor of the 15th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Lastly, we will be hosting our first ever Spikeball Tournament in order to fundraise for the Chapter itself.
$
47
1233
608
4
SIU-CARBONDALE
Delta-Omega Chapter of Sigma Pi is starting the year strong. With 17 pledges taken in formal recruitment, and looking to grow to 20 by the end of the semester. This semester, the Chapter focused on smaller events. Sigma Pi will now be hosting a Yankee Candle Fundraiser. Sigma Pi is also planning a Teacher Appreciation day this semester as our ACE Project. Also Congratulations to brothers Matt Onysio, Randy Romann and Cameron Borri on graduating from SIUE last May!
$
50
114
2
1
$
59
SOUTH FLORIDA
91
0
1
ST. JOHN’S
IOTA-SIGMA CHAPTER
IOTA-TAU CHAPTER
Iota-Sigma Chapter returned to the fall semester after a summer filled with brothers traveling all over the United States and a few brothers traveling internationally as well. We began the fall semester planning how our semester will be done, talking about philanthropy events, our ACE Project, and what events we will do for recruitment. Our goals for this semester include placing first place in a major philanthropy, win a major intramural sport, and finally recruit amazing men to join our brotherhood.
Iota-Tau Chapter has hit the ground running here at St. John’s organizing two events to raise money for the families of the victims of September 11th through the Stephen Stiller Foundation, more commonly known as the Tunnel to Towers foundation. The first event consisted of brothers running up and downstairs to commemorate the first responders and their sacrifice; the second was a softball game organized with St. John’s Public Safety, a staff of which approximately 80% of its members are retired NYPD police officers. The fundraisers combined for over $1,500 in donations and served as a great start to the semester for Iota-Tau.
$
31
146
8
1
BETA-NU CHAPTER
SOUTHERN INDIANA
This Fall, the undergraduate members of Beta-Nu Chapter are staying very busy with SIUC’s new recruitment plan that was newly implemented this semester. In addition, the Beta-Nu Chapter recently earned several new awards that were received at Convocation. The two awards entailed the Donate Life Award for getting the most people to sign up as an organ donor during Donate Life month and the Bronze award for our SOE rating. This is very exciting news for Beta-Nu Chapter, as it represents the growth of our Chapter, and our ambition to continue this trend.
This semester has been going incredible so far for Theta-Psi Chapter. Official IFC recruitment week has just concluded. Theta-Psi Chapter has nearly doubled in size with 15 new members to our current 19 undergraduates. Ten new members accepted bids at bid day via formal recruitment. Now the Chapter has entered into informal recruitment. Theta-Psi Chapter has already had responses to five informal bids bringing our new pledge class to a campus dominant 15. The Chapter was in the top half among fraternities on campus in recruitment.
THETA-PSI CHAPTER
Ø
54
233
8
0
ST. JOSEPH’S THETA-CHI CHAPTER
Theta-Chi Chapter is looking forward to continuing its success from last semester. This summer at Convocation Theta-Chi Chapter qualified for the Bronze Standard and received the Grand Chapter Award for being a Top 25 Chapter. Currently the brothers of Theta-Chi Chapter are focused on recruitment. Coming off of recruiting one of our biggest pledge classes last semester, we are looking to continue that success and grow our Chapter even further. T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 3 3
C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS
$
$
38
42
0
7
STOCKTON IOTA-UPSILON CHAPTER
The Stockton Colony is extremely excited to be back for the fall semester. Over the summer, our President James Mallia and Treasurer Josh Packen attended Convocation in Las Vegas and had a fantastic time. Also this summer, we formally submitted our petition to charter, and are so excited that it was approved! Additionally, with the start of the fall semester comes fall rush, we already have several very interested students who seem eager to join Sigma Pi here at Stockton. On top of it all, we will be hosting the Province workshop for our region on September 17th!
$
51
391
75
0
12
459
175
0
$
39
644
284
1
TEXAS
UMSL
GAMMA-THETA CHAPTER
DELTA-ZETA CHAPTER
The brothers of Gamma-Theta Chapter accomplished many Chapter and personal goals this summer. As a Chapter, brothers regularly convened throughout the break to discuss the previous year’s accomplishments and plan out next year’s recruitment schedule and events. Jake Klovenski (‘18), in particular, took much of the work load upon himself while still attending summer classes. On the personal side, many brothers decided to spend their well-earned vacation by traveling. Caleb Sims (‘18) went on a cruise around the Bahamas and Wooho Song (‘16) went backpacking through Europe.
Sage Robert Michael Clark (’17) and Past Sage Kyle Williams (’17) represented us in Las Vegas for the 2016 Convocation where they brought home multiple awards! Our focus this year is to continue our streak of earning the highest GPA among all Fraternities as well as the highest community service hours and philanthropy dollars raised by adding additional opportunities. Our Recruitment committee is on target for a new member class of 12 by the end of the fall semester. We are excited for another productive year!
$
141
747
218
2
UC SANTA BARBARA ALPHA-OMICRON CHAPTER
It has been a very busy summer for the brothers of Alpha-Omicron Chapter. With the leadership of house manager Kyle Miller (‘17), our Chapter house has undergone major renovations with new light-up letters on our chimney and front door, new wood flooring upstairs, and a new outdoor patio. In addition to the renovations, our brothers have been enjoying our beautiful new oceanside senior house on 6631 Del Playa. We are incredibly excited for what this year has to offer as our Chapter prepares for our Fall Rush, where we hope to add some fresh blood to our expanding brotherhood. $
35
145
12
0
TCNJ THETA-DELTA CHAPTER
After months of scrutiny from the school, ThetaDelta Chapter has gone independent from the college. The Chapter has overcome extreme adversity, and continued to pursue a degree of aptitude a league above other fraternities at the college post independence. This was seen as the Chapter raised $12,351.20 for Relay for Life, the greatest amount of any organization, along with hosting numerous other events. The Chapter is also pleased to introduce 19 new members. In the words of the Sage, Austin Gibbs, "Theta-Delta Chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity will be seeking to achieve a higher level of accomplishment as an independent organization." 34 + FA LL 2016
URSINUS $
119
402
15
0
UCF IOTA-KAPPA CHAPTER
With a newly pinned 22 man Fall class, IotaKappa Chapter is looking forward to another great semester. We are looking forward to our fall ACE Project, SPIKE, a volleyball tournament and canned food drive for the Knights Helping Knights Pantry on Campus. Lastly, we would like to congratulate brothers Josh Winograd (’17), and Nick Larkins (’18) for being selected for the 2016 UCF Homecoming Court; this makes eight brothers on court over the past five years.
THETA-SIGMA CHAPTER
This will be a very exciting fall semester for Theta-Sigma Chapter. The week of September 4th to September 11th was rush week at Ursinus College. The Theta-Sigma Chapter worked very hard in coordinating rush events for those who are interested on campus. Andrew Wieczenski (‘18) and Jon Livezey (‘17) lead the way with the rush events, although it was overall a group effort. Rush events include a pig roast with Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority, which had outdoor games and music. Theta-Sigma Chapter is very excited about the fall semester and the possible new members.
CHA PT ER & COLON Y REPORTS
$
50
321
14
1
UTSA IOTA-DELTA CHAPTER
The gentlemen of Iota-Delta are excited to be back on campus for this fall semester. Coming off a strong spring semester full of achievements such as being one of the top GPA’s on campus for the second semester in a row, and winning the Grand Chapter Award, we intend on continuing our success in the classroom, on the intramural field, and in the community. We are already off to a running start by having a great recruitment, and expecting an amazing pledge class in both quality and quantity. The future is bright here at Iota-Delta, as we continue our quest for excellence.
$
22
662
310
4
VALPARAISO BETA-TAU CHAPTER
Building off their progress in the Spring 2016 Semester, Beta-Tau Chapter intends to keep their momentum with strong recruitment. The Chapter has a determined mindset which has increased their efficiency and productivity as a group; they recently had their Amazing Day philanthropy event which was a big success. Community service is looking strong, as are home improvement and scholarship. Every brother is actively participating and all efforts are as a cohesive unit.
Ø
$
29
1490
506
4
VINCENNES ALPHA CHAPTER
This year is starting off on the right foot so far for Alpha Chapter. We are proud to report that we have 19 great active brothers in Alpha house right now, and we are looking for more great members to join our brotherhood. Rush week was a huge success every brother contributed in making every rush feel at home. A total of 36 people signed up to rush for us in the fall. Out of that 36 rushes we recruited 19 pledges. This is a really great year to join our brotherhood this year.
1000
500
1
269
20
3
WASHINGTON STATE IOTA-NU CHAPTER
VIRGINIA BETA-PI CHAPTER
Beta-Pi Chapter is looking forward to another successful fall semester. The Chapter is excited to have recently initiated 20 new brothers this semester. Our undergraduate membership is larger than it has been in the past five years, and we are looking forward to taking another large class of in the upcoming year. This past summer one of our brothers rode his motorcycle across Europe in an effort to fundraiser for Alzheimer’s research, raising over $18,000.
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WAKE FOREST
Finishing up formal recruitment, Iota-Nu Chapter is pleased to announce the pinning of 31 new members which strive to become members of our Chapter. Last spring semester we received our highest GPA of 3.02 with hopes to reach 3.10 this fall. Iota-Nu has two members striving to become a master of ritual and we are excited about their journey. This year for our homecoming football game we are hosting an alumni tailgate with hopes that many will attend. The brothers of Iota-Nu Chapter are looking forward to excelling this semester and strive to become better men. As always, GO COUGS!
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WAYNE STATE
ALPHA-NU CHAPTER
GAMMA-OMEGA CHAPTER
Alpha-Nu Chapter is excited to start off the 2016 school year after receiving the Most Improved Chapter and the Membership Increase awards at Convocation. Our Chapter has many philanthropy events planned for this semester, including Project Pumpkin and Hit the Bricks. We also hope to keep improving numbers through our fall recruitment period starting later this month. The spring class has successfully assimilated into the organization and has found themselves fulfilling their responsibilities dutifully. This year will certainly be a memorable one for Alpha-Nu Chapter.
Everyone here at Gamma-Omega is excited to be back for the Fall semester! We started off the semester by assisting during move-in weekend, and hosting a table at Festifall. We have had an excellent turnout at all of our events thus far. We look forward to hosting our second annual "No Place Like Home" philanthropy for the Haven Foundation later in the semester. We are facing new obstacles after leaving our Chapter house, but due to the hard work of our brothers, it has not hindered us in the slightest! The Chapter is always open to hear from our alumni we can be reached at gammaomega1c@sigmapi.org. T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 35
C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS
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WEST ALABAMA
WESTERN ILLINOIS
WISCONSIN-OSHKOSH
THETA-GAMMA CHAPTER
EPSILON-ZETA CHAPTER
GAMMA-MU CHAPTER
At this years Convocation, Brother Will Tittle represented Theta-Gamma Chapter and received the Silver SOE award and the award for being within the Top 25 Chapters of our organization. So far this fall semester, we have helped move the new freshmen into their dorm and have built a new set of letters for a fellow fraternity on campus. Currently we are working to build West Alabama’s annual homecoming bonfire. Theta-Gamma had a very successful recruitment this semester where 13 associate members have joined our Chapter.
Epsilon-Zeta Chapter is looking forward to another successful semester. Despite being on academic probation, we are aiming for a 15 member pledge class this semester, the most we have had in a long time. We continue to focus on our academics in order to keep above university’s standards. Our chairs are working hard to ensure we have successful philanthropy events, ACE Projects, and fundraisers. Overall, Epsilon-Zeta Chapter is going to continue to
Gamma-Mu has had a very successful summer and with the help of our generous alumni, we are extremely excited to begin the fall semester in our newly renovated Chapter house. Recruitment has taken off and is going very well so far as we anticipate a large fall pledge class. We also plan to continue our involvement in the community with a recently established volunteering opportunity at the Day By Day homeless shelter.
strive for greatness.
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WISCONSIN-PLATTEVILLE DELTA-IOTA CHAPTER
WEST CHESTER
WILLIAM PATERSON
ZETA-ALPHA CHAPTER
THETA-TAU CHAPTER
Lead by a maturing exec board and passionate chairmen, Zeta-Alpha Chapter is gearing up for the Fall semester. Random acts of Kindness, is back in full effect. To go along with our national philanthropy of suicide prevention we thought the best action we could take is just to brighten peoples days as much as possible. We are also very excited to start our new brother education program this fall. This is an exciting time because we have the opportunity to help new incoming students mature into fine gentlemen.
Our Chapter’s Sage, Jon Padilla, attended Convocation in Vegas this summer. He came back from Vegas with many new leadership skills. Skills that he will use to guide and move the Chapter forward this semester. We started the fall semester by helping freshman move in to their dorms. We met various potential new members during this event, and we look forward to learning more about them. We are also very excited about this semester’s events and the upcoming fall class.
Greetings fellow brothers! Over the summer, the brothers of Delta-Iota Chapter made some improvements to the Chapter’s house. Our goal for this upcoming fall semester is to obtain a pledge class of 12 new members and to do multiple service projects benefiting the campus and the surrounding community. The brothers of Delta-Iota wish everyone the best of luck and to have a safe fall semester.
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WEST VIRGINIA TECH GAMMA-XI CHAPTER
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WISCONSIN TAU CHAPTER
Everyone here at Gamma-Xi is excited to begin their final year in Montgomery. We are working hard to prepare for WV Tech’s move to Beckley. Several bids have been handed out since rush week concluded and we look forward to adding to our numbers. A car wash was held with AST Sorority which provided us an excellent opportunity to better get to know our fellow Greeks. We are beginning to plan this year’s Homecoming and are excited to spend time with our awesome alumni, without whom we wouldn’t still be here. All of us will be working hard to ensure that we make the best of this year.
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School is in full swing and the campus is vibrant. Tau Chapter is poised to have a successful semester and that success is starting with our recruitment. Our recruitment event have been having turnouts and all the guys who have been coming over have been great fits for us. Our social events for the semester have included events with organizations of whom we haven’t associated with before. Tau Chapter is also excited to announce our first parents weekend. This semester should be a very fun and successful one.
GAMMA-IOTA CHAPTER
The brothers at Gamma-Iota Chapter are excited to be back at WPI for the 2016 fall semester! In late August, we and the rest of Greek life assisted WPI’s class of 2020 with moving into their residence halls. We’ve held multiple philanthropy events in the past few weeks. At campus’s central point, The Fountain, we held a Donate Life day event by table-sitting and promoting the mission of the organization. Upcoming events for our Chapter include Homecoming on Saturday, October 8th and our Rush process in the latter half of the fall semester. We are enthusiastic about these forthcoming opportunities and look forward to what they entail!
A BULLDOG AT HEART
G ET T O KNOW JA S ON WA LK ER by Chris Carter (Middle Tennessee '11), Editor
Jason Walker (Georgia '96) was hired as Executive Director on April 20, 2016 after serving as Interim Executive Director for six months. I sat down with Jason for this interview to share what drives him, his experiences in Sigma Pi, and some interesting facts about his life.
Chris Carter: Tell us a little bit about your background. Jason Walker: I was born in Okinawa, Japan on an
U.S Army base. My father was in the Navy and he was stationed there. Being a "Navy Brat," I moved around about every three years to a new base. I have lived in New York as a baby and don’t remember anything about it although I have seen some pictures of me on a cannon and my dad still talks about having to carry me up the steps of the Statue of Liberty. I remember living in Orlando, Florida, Guantanamo Bay Cuba, El Paso, Texas, again in Orlando, Florida, and St Mary’s, Georgia, which was where I graduated from High School and why I ended up at the University of Georgia. CC: Tell us about your family. JW: Growing up, I always had a core family of my
Father, Mother, brother, and a dog. I never knew much about any other family (grandparents, etc.) as they were in Oklahoma and we were traveling with my dad in the military. When I graduated from UGA, I was married for ten years and had a daughter who is now 17 years old and a senior in High School. She is my greatest accomplishment. If anyone has met her, they understand she is an amazing young woman and she makes me proud every day. Another thing I am proud to say is that my father, Ed Walker, is also my Sigma Pi little brother as I initiated him at the Orlando Convocation in 2012. I am honored that he is both my dad and my brother. I also have been blessed with meeting a lovely southern lady since I moved to Nashville. We have been together over a year and a half and she has stuck with me through some trying times as a great support system. Having someone that loves and supports you is key to staying happy and healthy. CC: Before joining Sigma Pi Staff in 2012, you had a long history at Publix. How did that prepare you for a career with Sigma Pi? JW: I think working for Publix SuperMarkets was the
perfect job for me to prepare me to come work for Sigma Pi. I had been a volunteer for the Fraternity for upwards of ten years while working for Publix. Many may not know, but Publix is one of the world's largest employee owned companies. Every day as you work, you are an owner and as a manager, I had to deal with "owners" every day and manage their work. Sigma Pi is similar as it is a membership organization so that means everyone has a stake in how we operate. Every time I get a call or email from a brother, I know this is their organization and I am an employee for them. I do what I can to serve every brother as best I can even if that is telling them we can’t help them. CC: You’re a proud Georgia alumnus. What are some of your favorite experiences at Alpha-Phi Chapter? JW: There are a few. One of the tops is being a re-
Founding Father of the Chapter. There is something special about creating a brotherhood from nothing. That is one reason I enjoy our Ritual so much and sharing it with our members be it at a chartering or any
other opportunity. I fought for two years to be initiated into this organization and our Ritual is something I fought to learn. Another of my favorite experiences was the three times I was presented with awards for service to the Chapter. In 2004, 2008, and 2011, my Chapter chose to honor me with an award for dedicated service and advice. They did this even after I told them not to because I don’t need the recognition, I do it because I love to teach and show what Fraternity and Sigma Pi means. CC: Most of our members who know you personally may refer to you by your nickname "Gilligan." How did that nickname come about? JW: This is actually a pretty boring story. As an interest
group member, we went on a camping trip and there were two hammocks involved. People started calling me Gilligan and I hated it, so obviously it stuck. For the longest time, when I heard Gilligan I knew I was around brothers. Now, I have to be more formal in this position and less people use that nickname. CC: You’re a collector of a certain brand of soda. Tell us about that. JW: I don’t actually collect Dr. Pepper; that would be a
waste of the pure goodness that the King of Beverages brings. I do, however, like to pick up Dr. Pepper "stuff" as I see it. I probably know way too much about it, and a lot of people that know me know I am always drinking it. Many have even contributed to my collection of items by providing me with stuff such as BBQ sauce, Jelly Belly’s, old bottles, and other neat items. CC: Tell us a little bit about your time on the Executive Office Staff so far. JW: As I said, I was a volunteer for a number of years.
In that capacity, I came to know a great many people on the International level and I consider them my close friends and brothers. When HGS Mark Briscoe (Arkansas State '82) retired from staff, I took a wild leap and put my resume in for the position. Everyone has a dream job and mine was to lead Sigma Pi Fraternity as Executive Director. I didn’t get the job at that time but it definitely got me thinking about it and how I would love to one day be ED. After the 2012 Convocation in San Antonio where I also had the opportunity—thanks to PGH Rob Pankau (Oakland '05) —to visit the Dr. Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute in Waco; there was an opening for Assistant Executive Director. I submitted my resume once again and was hired by Mike Ayalon to come on staff. I served as Assistant Executive Director until Mike left staff and then Interim until I was made Executive Director in April of 2016. CC: You’ve been ED since April 2016. What are some things that you’ve accomplished since being hired for the position? JW: There is so much that we have worked on since I
was actually made ED. As Interim and then ED, I was responsible for changing the budget, putting on the
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53rd Biennial Convocation in Las Vegas, chartering Epsilon-Chi Chapter at the University of San Diego, working with the new Grand Council elected at Convocation, and just this fall, we have been working on chartering three groups: Beta-Kappa at Arizona State University was chartered on November 5th, Stockton University was chartered on November 19th, and Epsilon-Beta will be re-chartered in early 2017. We have also hired two new Regional Directors and we’re looking to hire another Growth Specialist. CC: What has been the biggest surprise for you so far since becoming ED? JW: The support I have gotten as Executive Director
has been remarkable. It seems as though people have come out of retirement to offer a helping hand. Every person I reach out to is so happy to help in any way that they can. Even former Grand Council members have stepped up to do what is needed and they have served in the highest capacity of our organization. It is remarkable to see the support our brotherhood has as well as the support other organizations have for us as a fraternal partner. It is also very humbling to hear that people are proud that I was chosen as the best person to lead Sigma Pi into the future. CC: What challenges does Sigma Pi face in the future? JW: First things first, we need to assist our Chapters
in being the very best on each campus where we are operating. It was clear at Convocation that the chapters want and need the help and are willing to make
the sacrifice to get it. The chapter representatives overwhelmingly voted to increase their dues to the Grand Chapter to provide the resources to help the Executive Office assist them. We also need to focus on pulling our membership together. This involves reconnecting with graduates and alumni that had a great experience as undergraduate members and help them have a great experience as alumni members. We don’t expect them to "party like they’re still in college" but we need to give them the social and brotherly experiences that fraternity is beyond graduation. We all need to remember and live what we preach when we tell potential new members that "Sigma Pi is for LIFE." CC: What message do you want to share with our membership? JW: We are at a turning point in our organization. We
have a lot to do and prove with all the negative publicity that the entire country seems to receive when it hears of fraternities. We need to promote what Fraternity really is because we do so many great things but they get overshadowed by the bad that gets reported. All the philanthropy in the world won’t wash away the memories of a death at a Fraternity house or a chat on a bus that goes viral on social media. We all need to know our Creed and Ritual and live what it teaches. If we do that, we will be better and our communities will be better for it. Be the example, not just as an undergrad at a University but as an alumnus in our communities. Sigma Pi is for Life and we need to live our ritual every day.
TO C O N TA C T E X E C U T I V E D I R E C TO R J A S O N WA L K E R , E M A I L H I M AT J WA L K E R @ S I G M A P I . O R G
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A DY T UM ON HI GH
VO L U N T E E R OPPORTUNITIES CHAP TE R /CO LO N Y D I R EC TO R S Cal State Dominguez Hills (Eta-Iota) East Carolina (Eta-Kappa) Georgia Tech (Iota-Mu) Miami (OH) (Eta-Phi) Ohio (Epsilon) Penn State (Theta) Purdue (Eta) Rhode Island (Alpha-Upsilon)
Seton Hall (Delta-Epsilon) South Florida (Iota-Sigma) Southern Arkansas (Epsilon-Kappa) UC Santa Barbara (Alpha-Omicron) Wayne State (Gamma-Omega) Western Illinois (Epsilon-Zeta) Wisconsin-Platteville (Delta-Iota) Worcester Polytechnic (Gamma-Iota)
PROVINCE ARCHONS ARKANSAS
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Arkansas Arkansas State Arkansas Tech Louisiana Tech Southern Arkansas
Berkeley Santa Clara Chico Santa Cruz
NE PENN/LONG ISLAND
Cornell East Stroudsburg St. John's NORTH CAROLINA
Duke North Carolina State Wake Forest
WISCONSIN
Michigan Tech Wisconsin Wisconsin-Oshkosh Wisconsin-Platteville
ADVISORY BOARD ME MB E RS Sigma Pi Fraternity has a vested interest in developing our members to be the very best they can be in all aspects of their lives. In an effort to further that goal, we believe that it is important to provide each of our Chapters/Colonies with an established Advisory Board. The bottom line is this: a successful Chapter/Colony has strong alumni support. Advisory Boards exist for one reason—to support the efforts of the undergraduate Chapter/Colony. This team, made up of committed and dedicated alumni, university staff or friends of Sigma Pi will serve as mentors to our undergraduate men as they pursue their quest for excellence. We feel that this team is pivotal to a successful organization because of its ability to assist and guide the undergraduates in various aspects of Chapter/Colony operations. Each advisor is responsible for training and advising one undergraduate officer or committee head. The advisor will become an expert in his area of Chapter/Colony operations and will help maintain continuity through officer transition and longterm planning in that area. The advisor is not expected to attend every committee meeting; however, we recommend attending committee meetings when possible, as well as provide advice, assistance and encouragement. We hope that you choose to serve on a local Advisory Board, because we know that any real-world and fraternal experiences you share with the active brothers will help the Chapter/Colony continue to grow for years to come.
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VOLU N T E E R S
WH Y I VO LU NTE E R
Dr. Lester C. "Jay" Joern, Jr. (Missouri '72), Sigma Pi Educational Foundation Chairman
Why do you volunteer for Sigma Pi?
BIOGRAPHICAL TIMELINE Graduated University of Missouri in 1972 with BS Cum Laude Graduated University of Missouri 1976 with DDS Summa Cum Laude In 1978, founded South St. Louis Dental Group From 1978-1985, served on Board of Directors of Greater St. Louis Dental Society From 1978-1985, served on Board of Directors of Mizzou Quarterback Club. President of Board from 1989-1990 From 1976-present, Served on Board of Directors of Gamma Sigma Building Association, Inc. From 1994-2000, served on Board of Trustees of SPEF. Treasurer 1998-2000 Began serving on the SPEF Board of Trustee again in 2008. Current serving as Chairman.
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I would not have the things in my life if it were not for Sigma Pi. I lived in the chapter house all four years of my undergraduate years and served as Secretary and President of the chapter. The men of Sigma Pi, as well as the institution of Sigma Pi itself, influenced me and molded me into the person I am today. All for the better! It taught me perseverance, developed my character, and greatly influenced my personality. I owe what I have in my life to Sigma Pi, so the least I can do is step-up and volunteer when called upon to serve.
undergraduates. Currently, I am very involved in promoting the Delta Society, our undergraduate giving program. If our undergraduates get in the habit of donating regularly when they are in college, then the hope is when they become an alumnus, they will continue to support the Educational Foundation with an annual gift. What do you think is in the future for Sigma Pi?
Since 1976.
I am so excited with the new make up of our Grand Council and the Educational Foundation Board of Trustees . I feel we have two boards that will work together and make Sigma Pi a better fraternity in the decades ahead. The three areas we need to concentrate on are:
What is your biggest struggle in your role as a Volunteer?
2.) Increasing our presence through expansion and
How long have you volunteered for Sigma Pi?
Trying to get other Sigma Pi brothers as enthusiastic about the fraternity as I am. It seems so many are a Sigma Pi, or any other fraternity for that matter, just during their undergraduate years. I always preach that you didn't pledge Sigma Pi for just four years, rather for a lifetime! Continue to serve and you will reap the rewards. What is your biggest accomplishment in your role as a Volunteer? I enjoy working on the Educational Foundation, and I like to think I have made a difference over the last two years I have served as Chairman. I am especially excited now that we have hired a Development Director, Andy Morris, to begin fundraising on behalf of the organization. Hiring a Development Director has been my number one priority since becoming Chairman. We need to take fundraising to the next level to fund all of our educational programs, scholarships, and Mid-Year Leadership Conference. We are behind other fraternities in these efforts, and to remain competitive, we need to increase the amount of funding for our increasing number of
1.) Servicing & strengthening our existing chapters. 3.) Fundraising to support these two areas, as well as secure funding for our undergraduate educational programming. Where do you see yourself and your role in the next two years? I will roll-off the Educational Foundation board at the 54th Biennial Convocation in 2018. However, I hope to continue to serve as an advisory trustee. How have you challenged your chapters? I offer a $1,000 scholarship each year to my collegiate chapter to the initiated member with the highest GPA and to the pledge with the highest GPA for a total of $2,000. Our creed tells us to "promote scholarship". First and foremost, we are in school for our education, and I try to emphasize this to our undergraduates. How have your chapters challenged you? Trying to engage our undergraduates in the fraternity experience is a challenge. There are always followers and what we need are leaders. I try to delegate and encourage all undergraduates to be involved in their chapter operations.
VOLUN T EERS
FEATURED CHAPTER DIRECTOR Quentin Groce (Grand Valley State '09), Alpha-Beta Colony Director Why do you volunteer for Sigma Pi? I volunteer for Sigma Pi because I believe in fraternity. I joined as a junior at GVSU and have not stopped my involvement since. When I was first recruited to join Sigma Pi, I was already a leader on campus involved in housing and a campus-wide car show program. Honestly, I joined because I viewed it as more leadership experience and did it for a resume builder but that changed very shortly after accepting my bid. I volunteer for Sigma Pi because I want to be able to help chapters and brothers have an experience similar to mine, building life long friendships, traveling, and growing as men. How long have you volunteered for Sigma Pi? I graduated and the following semester joined the advisory board for my chapter, Theta-Rho which was in fall of 2009. Since then I have served as Theta-Rho Chapter Director, and when I moved for a new job across the state, was asked to aid in the building of the new Alpha-Beta Colony at The University of Michigan, where I now serve as Colony Director. What do you think is in the future for Sigma Pi? Sigma Pi has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the decade but I am very excited for the next two years under the newly elected Grand Council and having Jason Walker as our Executive Director. Chapter services has to be a concentration
for Sigma Pi and have seen in the short time since convocation a shift in this mentality, and focusing on our existing chapters to help them grow and remain stable. What is your biggest accomplishments as a volunteer? Seeing the chapters I have worked with have small wins and eventually big ones! Where do you see yourself and your role in the next two year? I plan to run for the Grand Council in 2018. How have you challenged your chapters? To think bigger and challenge themselves to grow bigger, achieve more and the small wins matter. I think its the nature of our chapters and our men to want to be the best at everything all at once and then they get lost trying to do everything all at once. I feel the best advice I have shared with chapters to combat this I learned reading Good to Great by Jim Collins; if you have more than three priorities, then you don't have any. From then on I have always worked to find the three priorities that are most important to the chapter/colony and help them become laser focused on those to make them happen.
FEATURED PROVINCE ARCHON Paul Wydra (UMSL '01), Sunbelt Province Archon How long have you volunteered for Sigma Pi? Pretty much since the day I went alum. I wanted to see some changes with our Housing Corporation, so I took that on within a year of becoming an alumnus. Since then I have been a Colony Director, Chapter Director, Province Archon, ELC - Midwest, Director of Expansion, Director of Alumni Relations, served in various positions on Alumni Advisory Boards for UMSL (DeltaZeta) & Middle Tennessee (Theta-Omega) served on numerous committees, and still serve as Housing Corporation President. Who do you model your volunteer experience after? Paul Ke is definitely someone who I look up to and respect so much for the way he is as a volunteer. He once told me that you can't tell the undergrads what to do, but let them choose their path and then support them down that path 100%. Be their guide. Sage advice there, we are there to support the undergraduates and help them have the best possible undergraduate experience that they can have, so that they will give back as an alumni volunteer. What is your biggest accomplishment as a Volunteer? Well, nothing that has been done has been just because of me, so let's start there. My two favorite moments/accomplishments that I have been a part of? Delta-Zeta Chapter's 40th Anniversary formal seven years ago. UMSL is less than 1%
Greek, and for us to be in operation since 1969 tells you the character of men we have been lucky enough to recruit. It was an awesome night. The second one is seeing Theta-Omega become a chartered Chapter. I was so proud that night of what those Founding Fathers did on a campus where that hadn't been done in well over a decade. Lots of people told us that we couldn't make it...but we did! What is your biggest struggle in your role as a Volunteer? Getting others involved. I think that is the main struggle with anyone that volunteers for Sigma Pi. "I was a Sigma Pi in college". Ugh, I hate that line. You still ARE a Sigma Pi, that didn't change. We need to better educate our alumni on the importance of remaining involved in our organization. That starts from the top down. How have you challenged your chapters? I have seen it all. Honestly, I have seen so many things, and heard so many things in my 20 years as a member that I try to push my groups on what NOT to do, and how to do the right things. Does it always work? No, because I didn't listen to the older guys in the Chapter or alumni when I was an undergrad either half the time. When you join Sigma Pi you are now part of something much bigger then yourself, so act accordingly. T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 4 3
ALUMNI NEWS, EVENTS, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ALUMNUS LEADS NEW JIM HENSON PUPPETRY MUSEUM When University of Georgia alumnus Allen Yee (Georgia ’99) learned a museum to house his favorite childhood characters was to be built, he knew he had to be involved. So in 2012, he joined the Board of Directors of the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta as it launched a massive expansion dedicated to the work of the world’s most famous and beloved puppeteer Jim Henson. Working with the Henson family, the Center opened the official World of Jim Henson museum three years later to much fanfare (including features in Smithsonian Magazine and national television coverage on CNN) selecting Yee as its new Chairman in the process. The $15 million dollar, 15,000 square foot, "Kermit-green" wing houses the definitive collection of Jim Henson’s work with memorabilia such as his Emmys, original artwork, and even the desk from his office. Interactive exhibits, including a puppet workshop and a TV studio allow school children to try their own hand at performing with puppets on camera. The highlight of the collection are originals of popular characters like Miss Piggy, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and of course Kermit the Frog. "It is only one of three places in the world the public can see Henson’s original work, one of the others being
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the Smithsonian, so we are in good company" explains Yee, who adds "but our collection in Atlanta is the biggest and best." The Center expects to host over 250,000 visitors annually at the new attraction and its existing arts and education offerings. Jim Henson educated and entertained generations of children and adults alike. Programs like Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and the Muppet Show as well as his work on movies like the Dark Crystal and Labyrinth have been seen around the world. "The world loved Henson and his creations and mourned his sudden death in 1990. It is a great honor to have his work permanently showcased in Atlanta" says Yee. "And it is humbling to be entrusted with helping ensure those priceless treasurers continue to educate and entertain for years to come."
For Yee, an attorney at The Coca-Cola Company, ensuring that future generations have access to education and arts is not just limited to Muppets and Fraggles. He also serves on the boards of the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation, The Atlanta Opera, and is an active alumnus and generous supporter of his alma mater and chapter. For his community leadership, Yee was recognized by the University of Georgia Alumni Association in 2013 as one of its "40 Under 40" outstanding young alumni. "Sesame Street was my favorite educational show as a child and I studied for seven years at the University of Georgia" says Yee. "It is fitting that my way of giving a little back to education is helping out with Jim Henson’s museum, the University, and of course Sigma Pi."
A MUSICAL JOURNEY FOR THE TIN MAN by Marshall Seese, Jr. (Georgia '01), contributing writer
"You’ve gotta have a Plan B." Solid parental advice by most standards. It’s safe to say most mothers and fathers would rather see their child graduate college and head to law school rather than a music tour. So I did. But what was supposed to be a small investment in grad school turned into a decade of my life. Plan B became Plan A. Funny how nearly $100,000 of student debt can affect your decision making. I decided I wanted to have my cake and eat it too. So I’d go to work at the law firm during the day and then head to a gig at night. I thought moonlighting as a wanna-be-rockstar would result in me being whisked away to fame and fortune by a record label. But that’s not how the world works. After seven years of practicing law, I had built a life society and my parents applauded. I was general counsel of a global consulting firm, engaged to a
beautiful, wonderful woman, and lived in a gorgeous house in the heart of Atlanta. We even had the cutest Persian cat you could ask for. It was a perfect life. But it wasn’t the life I was meant to have. First the relationship ended. Then I rented out the house. Then I quit my job. In the span of three months I had slammed on the brakes, cut the wheel hard left, and made a U-Turn after going 100mph in the direction my parents and most others had told me to go. That’s when I founded Mowgli, a music-based mobile video game company, with my Sigma Pi pledge brother Adam Kunz. One thing that separated my brothers in our Fraternity from everyone else was that they genuinely wanted and supported what was best for me. Not best for them or the fraternity. Just me. That’s true brotherhood. And even though I put my music career on the back burner again, I got to experience the most
incredible start-up roller coaster ride with my best friend and brother. When Mowgli came to a close, I had yet another crossroad in front of me. So finally, two years ago, I put my brain aside and consulted my heart for a change. That’s what gave birth to The Tin Man and the pursuit of my music career full time. My life doesn’t look like it used to on the outside. Or on the inside for that matter. Trading paychecks for passion has been the best decision I’ve ever made. There’s no need to be whisked away to stardom or anywhere else because I couldn’t be happier exactly where I am. This has been the best journey of my life, and I’m thankful to have had incredible fraternity brothers supporting me the entire way. If you’d like to learn more about my story, you can see my video here: thetinmanmusic.com/mystory.
T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 45
ALUMNI NEWS, EVENTS, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS KENTUCKY THOROUGHBRED ALUMNI CLUB Check out the Murray State chapter’s revamped website at sigmapi1968.com. Also, 2018 will be our 50th anniversary. We are planning big things so mark your calendars for that year. Summer Reunion will be the weekend of July 21, 2018 and Homecoming will be October 27th. Summer Reunion for 2017 will be the weekend of July 15th. We published a newsletter this year that can be seen at scribd.com/GammaUpsilon. During the Summer Reunion, Jack Faulk and Sam Aldridge won the golf scramble in a tie breaker with Paul Ahlhaus and Clay Young. Both teams shot par on the front nine at Miller Golf Course. Peter Dirks is now the Faculty Advisor for the Beta Nu chapter. Les Wright is on the Sigma Pi Grand Council and David Presson is on the SPEF Board of Trustees. Thank you to the many brothers who donated to our Chapter Educational Fund. Congratulations to Sam Lakey for winning the Tools for Teachers Award from KPLR-TV. Gabe Klamer won JayP’s 200K Fat Tire Pursuit bicycle race in 17.5 hours during January in Idaho. Michael Glover published his first novel, saint Sebastian: The Rose. James Eason owns Eason Law Firm in St. Louis. Carl Oros is a supervisor for AIG Insurance. Bill Scarola is a retired teacher in New Jersey. Ed Musselman owns Dry Ground Brewing in Paducah. Don’t forget to pay your alumni club dues which are $25 per year. You can pay on PayPal by sending money to sigmapialumni@hotmail.com or send checks to: VP/Treasurer, Dakota Fields 206 Stewart Stadium, Murray, KY 42071
CRAIG NAMED NASHVILLE'S TOP 30 UNDER 30 Brad W. Craig (Middle Tennessee '09), an attorney at Lewis Thomason practicing in the areas of education law, employment law, and general civil litigation, has been named as a top Nashville 30 Under 30 for 2016. Nashville’s Top 30 Under 30 recognizes the city’s most active young professionals and philanthropists under the age of 30 while benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s work to develop ways to control and cure cystic fibrosis.
NEW JERSEY P R OV I N C E WO R K S H O P
KEYSTONE P R OV I N C E WO R K S H O P
ILLIANA P R OV I N C E WO R K S H O P
New Jersey Province Archon Ian Wolf hosted a successful Province Workshop with nearly 200 Sigma Pi brothers in attendance! Members from FDU-Metro (Epsilon-Xi), Monmouth (Delta-Beta), Montclair (Iota-Iota), Rowan (Zeta-Chi), Seton Hall (Delta-Epsilon), Stockton (IotaUpsilon), Theta-Delta, and William Paterson (Theta-Tau) attended the event, which took place at Stockton University.
Keystone Province Archon Brent Smith (Indiana of Pennsylvania ’02) hosted a successful Province Workshop, with 64 undergraduate and 5 alumni attendees! Members from Penn State (Theta), Franklin & Marshall (Nu), Indiana of Pennsylvania (Theta-Epsilon), Penn State-Altoona (Theta-Iota), and Penn College (Theta-Phi) attended the event, which took place at Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park.
Illiana Province Archon Kevin Carey (Illinois Wesleyan '13) hosted a successful Province Workshop in October. There were 33 undergraduates and nine alumni in attendance at Illinois Wesleyan University for the "Illinois" version of the Illiana Province Workshop. Members from Epsilon-Zeta (Western Illinois) were present, along with members from EpsilonEta (Illinois State) and EpsilonGamma (Illinois Wesleyan) colonies.
46 + FALL 2016
A LUMN I CLUB S
RE-ENGAGING WITH THE FRATERNITY:
ALU M NI C LUB S by Ed Walker (Georgia '14) and Chris Wilcher (Indiana State '98), contributing writers
Remember tailgating in college? Remember mixers with your favorite sorority? Remember brotherhood events at your favorite local spot? Those memories are what made our time as undergraduate brothers of Sigma Pi so unforgettable. But there’s great news. Joining Sigma Pi isn’t just for four years during your time in college. An alumni club is the ideal vehicle for recapturing those memories and making more. An alumni club is also a great way to keep in touch with the next generation of brothers. Alumni clubs function much the same as an undergraduate chapter. Clubs have officers, dues, events, etc. They also provide brotherhood, fellowship, philanthropy, and much more for brothers after graduation. Starting an alumni club is one of the simpler things a person can do. The first thing to do is to decide what sort of Alumni Club to start. There are two types: (1) regional, also called city, and, (2) chapter. Regional includes ALL the brothers in a region/city. Atlanta has the potential for a great regional alumni club; UGA, Kennesaw, Clemson, and other universities are in the area. A chapter-oriented alumni club includes only brothers from a specific chapter or those who want to help that chapter. The chapter-oriented club is the easiest to start because everyone knows some of the brothers who were in the chapter and you can use those to connect to others. The regional alumni club is more difficult because people may not know brothers from another chapter due to the lack of socialization amongst chapters during college. This is an area where the Executive Office can help. Get your closest brother to help you. The more volunteers the better as it spreads out the workload and everyone has less to do but more is accomplished. The Executive Office will send you a mailing list of everyone in certain zip codes (for a regional club) or a chapter list of the brothers of the particular chapter. All you need to do is ask and there is no cost for the list. An email list is best because it is the least expensive to use and has the greatest potential for interaction. We recommend that you send multiple emails. This first email is to gauge the level of interest in the audience, so tell them your plans - a poker night every quarter, a social for the families, visit a local museum, or something else. Include philanthropic events as many brothers want to do good in their communities but may not know where or how. The key is to find something most brothers like and pursue that option. Be prepared for a lot of returned emails as many of your fellow brothers didn’t update their information when they graduated
or moved. The Executive Office needs to know about the returned emails so they can update their database. Just send them a list and they can get it corrected. Now you are ready for your next step. The next email is to those who responded to the first one. It should solicit volunteers to help with the event; planning, setup, take down, or any other types of delegation that can aid in a successful outcome. This email should announce your first event, which needs to be far enough in the future to allow people to make plans but not too far to allow them to forget it. The first event is a social where people have the opportunity to meet and mingle, rekindle acquaintances, and let their feelings be known as to the direction the alumni club should take. If you can have it in connection with something that is already scheduled, that will make it easier. Homecoming and Founders’ Day events are perfect opportunities for a first gathering. Select a venue and reserve it. Many places will "comp" you a meeting room if people eat/drink there. Be certain to have a registration table so people can provide their name, physical mail address, cellphone number, etc. This is also a great place and time to ask for other brothers’ addresses. A jar on the table can result in contributions to the cost of the event or the cost of the next one. Once you have a good alumni club foundation, start to build up. Become a chartered group by contacting the Executive Office. They can walk you through the process of becoming a fully recognized and chartered Alumni Club. Starting an alumni club will be a challenge, but the Executive Office is available for any questions or concerns you may have. They are also full of resources and information from other successful clubs that have been created. Good luck! T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 47
A DY T U M O N H I G H "Our Ancient Sage firmly believed in the persistence of the soul beyond the grave, and although we mourn our brother’s passing from this world, we take comfort in sharing this belief that life is not ended, but changed, and that he now enjoys the reward for a life well-lived and guided by the ideals of our Fraternity." ARKANSAS
CENTRAL MISSOURI
GEORGIA
Ward Nicholas Marianos ('55)
Charles William Yates ('66)
Floyd William Head Jr. ('66)
ARKANSAS STATE
CORNELL
John Edward Laughinghouse ('54)
Daniel Reed Gerson ('88)
Larry Allen Poole ('64)
Lorenz Kellner Muller ('46)
AUBURN
DETROIT-MERCY
Lt. Richard Russell Curtis ('61)
Girard William Belanger ('69)
Stephen Robert Phillips ('71)
Patrick John Haley ('69) Robert Carl Kirschling ('68)
BARTON
Charles Louis Marinelli ('69)
Bobby Lynch ('64) BUFFALO
Alex Michael LaViola ('15) CAL STATE CHICO
Matthew Joseph Pusateri ('06)
ILLINOIS
Clifford Harry Allen ('45) John Edward Keyser ('51) INDIANA
Thomas Acres Brown ('54) James Reynolds Fagan ('53) James Edward Johnson ('54) Philip Arthur Macy, III ('66)
DREXEL
Philip Lyndall Parsons ('53)
Albert Bernard Baikauskas Jr. ('59)
Richard Bradley Watson ('92)
EASTERN ILLINOIS
KANSAS
Frank Louis Cattaneo ('55)
Erroll Houser ('53)
Michael Harvey ('58)
CAL STATE FULLERTON
Charles Lebkuecher ('81)
Theodore Clifford Gedney ('86)
Bert Levinson ('82)
KENTUCKY
Forest Spanton Stivers ('77)
Joe Richard O'Dell ('56) CAL STATE LONG BEACH
Kenneth Ramsey ('77)
Julius Gerzson Kanasi ('65)
Michael Andrew Sweeney ('87)
Michael Robert Lantow ('62)
Glen Wendel Temple ('52)
LOCK HAVEN
Christian Breunle Dwyer ('64) Jeffrey Alan Winters ('71)
Michael James Loewen ('87)
MIAMI (FL)
Rev. Martin Ernest Lundi ('58)
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL
Ronald Charles Perry ('65)
Dwight Rausford Ashbey, Jr. ('43)
Jack William Peterson ('64)
Dr. Gilbert Budding Lyons ('52)
MISSISSIPPI
Pell Rogers III ('58)
Harry Everett Moore ('55)
Lawrence Eugene Redman ('62)
Terence Connor Sullivan ('60)
John Gregg Royer ('43)
To report a brother’s death, visit sigmapi.org/adytum-on-high to let us know.
A DY T UM ON HI GH
MISSOURI STATE
PENN STATE
TEXAS
Ralph Wilbur Day ('49)
Dennis Michael Donati ('71)
Paul Joseph Bearden ('68)
MONMOUTH
Dan Snel ('09)
Gerald Eugene Garman ('53) Harold Bruce Gerber ('46) John Joseph Hedl Jr. ('67)
MOREHEAD STATE
Warren Brooke Moyer ('57)
Michael Wayne Anderson ('74)
Peter Paul Schoderbek ('54)
Mark Joseph Brunelle ('80)
John Gray Strange ('39)
UCLA
Douglas Walter Bastyr ('51) Daryl LeRoy Gustafson ('57) Charles William Osterlund Jr. ('57) Thomas Lou Straeter ('51)
Kenneth F. Kaffenberger Jr. ('73)
Charles David Suitch ('49)
UMSL
George Kevin Rowland ('78)
William Engle Taber, Jr. ('57)
William Carl Roth ('75)
Joseph Philip Viglione ('48) MURRAY STATE
Ronald Leroy Walker ('54)
Michael Lee Ayer ('73)
Harold Robert Wausat ('49)
UTAH
Richard Ellis Barker ('52) Stanley Metcalf Bess ('57)
NJIT
PURDUE
John Bachelder ('49)
John Robert Erler, Jr. ('58)
VALPARAISO
George Blount ('47)
Lt. C Lawrence Henry Ransberger Jr. ('62)
Jon Willard Stem ('71)
Jesse Farbman ('88)
Steven Joseph Thalmann ('73)
George Kohn ('48)
RHODE ISLAND
Frank Navratil Sr. ('46)
Rev. Robert Anton Butziger ('58)
VINCENNES
Richard Polacek ('47)
Stephen Owen Coldwell ('61)
Michael Alan Johnson ('69)
Stivel Ramirez ('18)
Alexander Bruce Filonow ('64)
Derek Jordan Knowling ('05)
Herbert Schreiber Jr. ('49)
Jeremiah William Mahoney ('63)
Manning Stair ('49)
Robert Forrest Poyton ('49)
Russell Stair ('44)
Andrew Joseph Sherry ('68)
Frederick Wiegleb ('55) NORTH CAROLINA STATE
William Bennett Bullock ('57) NORTHERN ARIZONA
Dennis Ray Hunt ('69) Jack Robert Koon Jr. ('68) NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Dennis Frederick Douglas ('63)
SETON HALL
Gerald Joseph Pluhar ('90) SHIPPENSBURG
Ronald Lee Hollenbaugh ('65) SIU-EDWARDSVILLE
Bruce Wayne Fields ('76) Myron Jack Provence ('77)
VIRGINIA
Claude Ervin Keener, Jr. ('75) WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE
George J Stagakis ('67) WISCONSIN-OSHKOSH
Robert Richard Bauhs ('71) John Joseph Mathe ('69) Gilbert Joseph Rieder ('70) WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC
Eric Michael Hart ('03)
ST. LAWRENCE
OHIO NORTHERN
LtC William E. Heck, Jr. ('55)
Bernard Eugene Beaston ('55)
Walter C. Pascoe ('80)
OHIO STATE
TEMPLE
George Edward Cook ('81)
Michael Rudy Chelednik ('83)
Robert Marshall Rule ('48)
Frank Elmer Gable ('49) Christopher Gary Plant ('89)
T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 49
C HA RT E R IN G A N N O U N CEM ENT
RE-INTRODUCING
"The alumni have contributed to the success of Sigma Pi returning to USD with leadership from Steve Gauvin and Paul Bealafeld, by forming the Colony Advisory Board, campaigning with the University, and raising support from the alumni network. Although the Chapter was gone from campus, the alumni continued gatherings over the years including homecomings and the 'Fancy Pants' Golf Tournament."
CHA RTE RI N G A N N OUN CEMEN T
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO by PGS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70), contributing writer
INSTALLATION TEAM HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY In December of 1949, the University’s founder, Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill, started the San Diego College for Women, which was the progenitor of the University of San Diego. This originated as a result of a $4 million endowment from the Society of the Sacred Heart. Later, in 1954, the College for Men and the School of Law were established. In 1959, the iconic Immacatata Parish was constructed and dedicated. Finally, in 1972, the diocese and the sisters of the Sacred Heart decided to merge the colleges to create the University of San Diego. Since then, the university has grown to 5,872 undergraduate students. The 180-acre campus currently houses buildings, that encompass more that two million square feet. The Greek community at USD is represented by ten sororities and eight fraternities that comprise 33% of the student population. HISTORY OF THE COLONY Epsilon-Chi Chapter received its initial charter on April 16th, 1983. The Chapter went on to receive recognition from both the university and the Executive Office, receiving the National Triad Award in 1984 and 1986. Additionally, the Chapter was bestowed the Grand Council Award in 1986. Despite this history of achievement, success, and recognition, the chapter was closed in the spring of 1995. The colony was reestablished on March 4, 2014. Extensive efforts by Director of Expansion Ryan Armstrong (Iowa '12), and Expansion Consultant Nick Lorenzini (Oregon '12), resulted in 19 members making a pledge to Sigma Pi on February 18, 2014. 24 additional members pledged at the colonization ceremony two weeks later. Epsilon-Chi worked to bring the core values of Sigma Pi to USD by working with other organizations to promote philanthropy, service, and unity with events such as Operation Bow Wow, which raised $20,000 to provide a service animal for a blind student. Epsilon-Chi continued to operate as a successful colony and in February of 2016 petitioned the Grand Council to recharter. The colony reached a GPA of 3.3 and a membership of 43 and the request was approved. CHARTERING The initiation ceremony was held on April 16, 2016 in Moot Court Room of the Law School on the USD campus, where 41 new brothers were installed into Epsilon-Chi Chapter. The Executive Office staff—Executive Director Jason Walker (Georgia '96) and Expansion Consultant Lance Macke (Oregon State '15)—led the event, alongside Province Archon Scott Tucker (Cal Poly '10) and Chapter Director Paul Bealafeld (Grand Valley State '12). Michael McGuire (USD ‘83), the first Sage of Epsilon-Chi Chapter in 1983, had the honor of being the Grand Herald in the installation. The Installation Banquet was held at the Handery Hotel in San Diego that evening, honoring the Founding Fathers of Epsilon-Chi. Over 220 guests—including USD officials Katelin Rae, Mandy Womack, and Victoria Valdes—were in attendance. Also in attendance were members from Cal Poly (Eta-Delta), Oregon State (Omega), Grand Valley State (Theta-Rho), and Vincennes (Alpha). Dante Enriquez ('16) served as Master of Ceremonies. PGS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ‘70), on behalf of the Grand Council and all the chapters in North America, read the Presentation of the Charter Proclamation, officially recognizing the installation of Epsilon-Chi Chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International.
GRAND SAGE
PGS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70) GRAND SECOND COUNSELOR
GFC Les Wright (Murray State ’70) GRAND THIRD COUNSELOR
PGTC Brian Devot (Cal State Long Beach '00) GRAND FOURTH COUNSELOR
Stephen Gauvin (San Diego ‘84) GRAND FIRST COUNSELOR
Bradley Vaughn (SIU-Carbondale ‘ 87) GRAND HERALD
Michael McGuire (USD ‘ 83) C H A R TE R I NG O FFI CERS SAGE
Dante Enriquez SECOND COUNSELOR
Adam DeJong THIRD COUNSELOR
Nathan Curry Camacho FOURTH COUNSELOR
Allen Pangan FIRST COUNSELOR
Kenneth Garrett Evensen HERALD
Andrew Ericsen
FOUNDING FATHERS Garrett Airey Nicholas Baker Jay Bayles Chris Benvenuto Will Burns Nathan Camacho Ian Carstens Stefano Casillo James-Brandon Christopher Alex Coverdale Adam DeJong Blake Dunn Dante Enriquez Andrew Ericsen Kenneth Evensen David Farrell David Fenner Kyle Fernando Devon French Michael Hanlon Morgan Hansen
Daniel Hoy Jason Kintonis Christopher Lomeli William Meron Michael Muna Jesse Nebres Anh Nguyen David Nierman Allen Pangan Kyle Picunko Alexander Prindle Brandon Rausch James Ricketts Matthew Rimlinger Chris Schmid Kevin Searle Shalin Shah Frank Slykas Nevin Szukala Andrew Torre Patrick Vogt
T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 5 1
C HA RT E R IN G A N N O U N CEM ENT
RE-INTRODUCING
BETA-KA
"Accomplishments for Beta-Kappa Colony prior to chartering included: 68 men (above the campus average of 60), GPA of 3.14 (campus average was 3.10), completed 1189 hours of community service (17.25 hours/man), and 71% of the colony was involved in other student organizations."
CHA RTE RI N G A N N OUN CEMEN T
APPA
AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
by GFC Les Wright (Murray State ’70), contributing writer
INSTALLATION TEAM HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY On February 26, 1885, John Samuel Armstrong, the youngest representative in the Thirteenth Legislature, introduced House Bill 164 which aimed to establish a Normal School in the Territory of Arizona. On March 12, Territorial Normal School at Tempe was founded. This was also thanks to Governor Anson acknowledging the need of a school to train teachers for public education. It started small at first with only 33 students in a four classroom building. From there it began to grow into what we know today. In 1903 it was renamed "Tempe Normal School" and in 1923, admission requirements were raised to a high school diploma. In 1945 Governor Howard Pyle cast the deciding vote against making Arizona State College a university but in 1958, the state of Arizona voted to rename Arizona State College to Arizona State University. HISTORY OF THE COLONY Beta-Kappa Chapter was first chartered on April 20, 1951, after being formed as a colony at ASU in 1948. This is the only chapter started by one of the original four founders, James Thompson Kingsbury (Vincennes 1897). The chapter was inactive from 1965 through 1984. After being dormant for several years, the chapter was rechartered November 8, 2003, and remained active until June 13, 2011. On January 20, 2015, Beta-Kappa Colony extended its very first bid to Terry Zhou. By February, 33 men had accepted bids and were formally pinned. Then, on March 1, 2015, Beta-Kappa was officially re-colonized with 82 men. The colonization was spearheaded by Expansion Consultants, Andrew Locke, (Kansas '14), and Michael Davis, (UCF '13), and Lanse Macke, (Oregon State '15). Over the summer of 2015, the new colony met with some challenges that required some deep internal structural changes. They addressed their issues and became stronger as a result. On June 9, 2016, Andrew Locke submitted a letter of recommendation to approve chartering to the Grand Council. Accomplishments included: 68 men (above the campus average of 60), GPA of 3.14 (campus average was 3.10), completed 1189 hours of community service (17.25 hours/man), and 71% of the colony was involved in other student organizations. At the 53rd Biennial Convocation in Las Vegas, Nevada, The Grand Council voted to approve Beta-Kappa Colony's Petition to Charter. CHARTERING The initiation ceremony was held on November 5, 2016 in the Turquoise Room, in the Memorial Union on the Arizona State University campus, where 87 new brothers were installed into Beta-Kappa Chapter. The Executive Office Staff—Executive Director Jason Walker (Georgia '96), Scott Courter (Detroit-Mercy'12) and Lanse Macke—led the event. The Installation Banquet was attended by 142 brothers and guests and held at the "W" Hotel in Scottsdale that evening, honoring the Founding Fathers of Beta-Kappa. Also in attendance were members from Southern Indiana (Theta-Psi), Purdue (Eta), and Penn State-Altoona (Theta-Iota). Sage Daniel Spalinger ('16) served as the Master of Ceremonies, where he recognized individuals from the chapter, and alumni that made the rechartering a success. Grand Sage Steve Lawler (Iowa '82), on behalf of the Grand Council and all the chapters in North America, read the Presentation of the Charter Proclamation, officially recognizing the installation of Beta-Kappa Chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International.
GRAND SAGE
GS Steve Lawler (Iowa '82) GRAND SECOND COUNSELOR
Gregory Newman (Penn State-Altoona '09) GRAND THIRD COUNSELOR
Ananth Raman (Purdue '11) GRAND FOURTH COUNSELOR
GFoC Brian Kurisky (Ferris State '07) GRAND FIRST COUNSELOR
GFC Les Wright (Murray State '70) GRAND HERALD
Andrew Locke ( Kansas '14) C H A R TE R I NG O FFI CERS SAGE
FOURTH COUNSELOR
Daniel Spalinger
Trevor Freeman
SECOND COUNSELOR FIRST COUNSELOR
Sheridan Maxey
Justin Dhanda
THIRD COUNSELOR
HERALD
Jason Song
Nic Gerard
FOUNDING FATHERS Mohmmad Al Qattan Samuel Glover Mathieu Alabeurthe Alp Goksoy John Angermeier Michael Goldfine Keith Arnao David Hagstrom Zach Ater Ryan Hayes Charlie Banke David Hehir Ryan Barr Ryan Henry Nick Braddock Tommy Hogan Grant Canning Zachary Hogan John Cardinale Connor Hopkins Grey Carruth Haig Hovsepian Vincent Ciaramitaro Nick Humphreys Michael Close Gordon Hundley Isaac Clouse Collin Hurt Ryan Cooper Carter Irwin Cameron Cramer Rakan Janbi Alex Crawley Nicholas Jansen Justin Dhanda Amar Joshi Jossel Disengi Eric Kamin Brandon Dovgan Seth Krueger Jonathan Durkin Isaac Lee Samuel Ell Allistar Machacek Austin Enyeart Logan Max Collin Fergus Sheridan Maxey Cole Frederick Hayden McMurtrey Trevor Freeman Jared McNece Victor Gama Michael Mendola Marcus Gambatese Spencer Molnar Gabriel Gamboa John Moran Mat George Jared Moreda Nic Gerard Evan Mowery
Chase Murdaugh Sean Murphy Austin Nann Christian Noel Emmanuel Oñate Randy Perez Trent Pruitt Ashwin Ravi Max Reich Wyatt Reimann Steve Sakar Adrian Salmen Ryan Sandstrom Michael Savage Kyle Schmidt Nicholas Schrader Aryan Shahsavari Eric Slovak James Smith Jason Song Daniel Spalinger Rayden Terca Nathan Trogan Chris Underwood Gus Visser Daniel Wang Noah Weinberg Tristian Widger Julian Wilson Terry Zhou
T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 53
C HA RT E R IN G A N N O U N CEM ENT
INTRODUCING
IOTA-UPS
"Iota-Upsilon Chapter will strive to achieve excellence in every facet of our being. We will mold boys into men, teaching them the values of truth, justice, scholarship, chivalry, culture, service, and brotherhood in order to further develop character. Iota-Upsilon Chapter will engage with the community and shall always be a prominent group that others will look up to. Founded on brotherhood, the men of Iota Upsilon will epitomize what it means to truly be a Sigma Pi man."
CHA RTE RI N G A N N OUN CEMEN T
SILON
AT STOCKTON UNIVERSITY
by GFC Les Wright (Murray State ’70), contributing writer
INSTALLATION TEAM HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY The history of Stockton University started in 1968 when the New Jersey legislature approved a $15,000,000 budget to build a state college in southern New Jersey. After being passed in 1969, a 1,600 acre piece of land in Galloway was selected. September of 1972 marked the first full academic year at the new campus. On June 8, 1975, graduated its first four-year class, with 475 students receiving their degrees. Throughout the 1980s enrollment climbed past 5,000. During the 1980's and 1990's, Stockton College continued to grow and prosper. In 1993, the college name was changed to The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey became Stockton University on February 18, 2015. HISTORY OF THE COLONY The founding of the Stockton Colony began in Spring of 2015, when two groups of motivated students came together with a desire to found a new and superior fraternity on the Stockton campus. The first group of freshmen students had the alumni backing and direction, however needed improvement in their structure. The other group, composed of upperclassmen and transfer students, had impressive structure and know-how while lacking proper direction and national support. The groups expressed desire to consolidate and work towards forming a Colony of Sigma Pi. Less than a month later on April 14th, PGS John Williams (Widener '71), Greg Sykora (Widener '84), and Stan Sykora (Widener '96) traveled to Stockton to discuss what being a brother of Sigma Pi entails. At that moment, the Stockton Colony’s quest for excellence began. With National support and refined structure, the interest group was able to send James Mallia, Daulton Sykora, Ian McCaffrey and Kyle Keough to present its case to colonize at Stockton in front of the Greek Council. With approval to colonize, the official Sigma Pi interviews were conducted by GSC Joe Palazzolo (Monmouth '03), Greg Sykora, and PGS John Williams. On November 21st, 2015, 26 brothers were pinned. Over the next number of months the colony continued to grow and prosper with the efforts of the brothers and the help and guidance of Growth Specialist Lanse Macke (Oregon State '15) and many alumni brothers. CHARTERING The initiation ceremony was held on November 19, 2016 at the Seaview Country Club in Galloway Township, NJ, where 40 brothers were installed as Founding Fathers into Iota-Upsilon Chapter. The Executive Office Staff—Executive Director Jason Walker (Georgia '96), Lanse Macke, and Regional Director Joe Turck (SIU-Edwardsville '98)— led the event. PGS John Williams, Greg Sykora, Stan Sykora, New Jersey Province Archon Ian Wolf (Rutgers '14), and many other alumni were also in attendance. The Master of Ceremonies, Sage Daulton Sykora recognized individuals from the chapter and alumni that made the chartering a success, including his father Greg Sykora (Chapter Director), PGS John Williams, and GSC Joe Palazzolo. GS Steve Lawler (Iowa '82), on behalf of the Grand Council and all the chapters in North America, read the Presentation of the Charter Proclamation, officially recognizing the installation of Iota-Upsilon Chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International.
GRAND SAGE
GS Steve Lawler (Iowa '82) GRAND SECOND COUNSELOR
GSC Joe Palazzolo (Monmouth '03) GRAND THIRD COUNSELOR
Greg Sykora (Widener '84) GRAND FOURTH COUNSELOR
GFoC Brian Kurisky (Ferris State '07) GRAND FIRST COUNSELOR
GFC Les Wright (Murray State '70) GRAND HERALD
PGS John Williams (Widener'71) C H A R TE R I NG O FFI CERS SAGE
Daulton Sykora SECOND COUNSELOR
Kyle Keough THIRD COUNSELOR
Joshua Packen FOURTH COUNSELOR
Gabriel Cruz FIRST COUNSELOR
Michael Leonchuck HERALD
Bryce Chase
FOUNDING FATHERS Maxwell Alpert Wasif Amin Jason Artrip Ryan Bladel Mike Brock Bryce Chase Gabriel Cruz Thomas Denardo Chase DiGregorio Steven Dyl Josh Ferman Nicholas Figueroa Matthew Gentek Steven Hoffman Owen Homeny Ryan Hornberger Devin Hulse Anthony Jones Kyle Keough Ronald Kibitlewski III Tyler Kohlhaas
Tyler Lees Michael Leonchuck Donovan Mahoney James Mallia Ian McCaffrey Joe Misciascio Josh Packen Matthew Podolla Zachary Ronketty Camilo Rosas Daniel Santoro Ryan Schaefer James Smith Conner Stacy Evan Swartley Daulton Sykora Michael Vinci Jack Wagner Jesse Whitbeck Matthew Wood
T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 5 5
THE DEAD AND DORMANT CHAPTERS OF SIGMA PI by PGS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70), contributing writer
"We gather ‘round the fireside bright, In bonds of brotherhood tonight; And raise our voices lustily, To sing to our Fraternity" "THE FIRESIDE SONG" OF SIGMA PI In the "Sigma Pi Manual," we learned that the American college fraternity grew out of an organization known as the Flat Hat Club, founded at the College of William and Mary around 1750. Phi Beta Kappa, the first Greek-letter society with a motto, grip, and ritual, came into being the night of December 5, 1776, when five companions met in the Apollo Room at the Raleigh Tavern and established a society whose principles were fraternity, morality, and literature.
Members of Tau Phi Delta at what is now known as Alpha Chapter at Vincennes University
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The founders of Phi Beta Kappa declared that the society was formed for congeniality and to promote good fellowship, with "friendship as the basis, and benevolence and literature as its pillars." At first, the only secrets were the mysterious letters used on the badge. One official historian of the society, William T. Hastings, and others believe that the "S" and "P" on the badge, which meant Societas Philosophiae, was the original name of the Society and that the name Phi Beta Kappa only came to be taken as the society name over time. The heading on the original list of members states: "A List of the members, who have been initiated into the S.P. alias Phi Beta Kappa. The first general, sustained Greek-letter fraternity is considered to be the Kappa Alpha Society, established at Union College in Schenectady, New York on November 26, 1825 by John Hart Hunter. An untimely event occurred that would come to shape the public perception of fraternities for decades. In 1826, a man named William Morgan professed himself to be the highranking member of the Freemasons and said he intended to publish their secrets. He then disappeared and was assumed murdered or abducted. Public interest in the case led to a severe anti-secret society sentiment. Fraternity members faced expulsion and general suspicion, which only increased the secrecy of the early organizations. Meanwhile, Union College was firmly established as the birthplace of the North American fraternity and sorority system when Sigma Phi Society formed in March 1827, followed by Delta Phi in November. Kappa Alpha Society, Sigma Phi, and Delta Phi would constitute the so-called Union Triad. Sigma Phi became the first "national" fraternity when it opened a satellite chapter at Hamilton College in 1831. A failed 1830 attempt by Kappa Alpha to expand to Hamilton sparked the founding of the Alpha Delta Phi Society, the first Greek-letter fraternity founded outside Union. Thus, became the beginning of expansion of chapters and new national organizations across North America. Sigma Pi Society of Illinois College was founded in 1843 in Jacksonville, Illinois. After Robert G. Patterson completed his secondary education, he made a trip there and visited the Sigma Pi Hall on campus. Returning to his home in Ohio, Patterson told his parents he was planning to enroll there that fall. This was not to be. His parents decreed he would attend nearby Ohio State University. Dutifully, he obeyed, but was determined to become a Sigma Pi. Freshman Patterson soon contacted Sigma Pi Society at Illinois College. He proposed the Society join with him to expand Sigma Pi into a national fraternity. His proposed was rejected and he began the campaign to recruit local fraternities from all over the country. "The Patterson Episode: How Sigma Pi Got Its Name" – can be found on the website of the Fraternity in its entirety. The first 33 chapters of Sigma Pi were all from local organizations until December 11, 1937, when the first colony at Mississippi State was formed by an alumnus from Alpha-Delta Chapter at Auburn University. Since then Sigma Pi Fraternity,
International has chartered an additional 197 chapters throughout the United States and Canada bringing our total to 230 as of September 2015. The loss of chapters over the last 119 years has come from several reasons including the wars and depression. In 1947, the Fraternity was down to only 10 active chapters, but two years after WWII, 18 dormant chapters reopened. Three chapters are dead due to the host institutions closing, so members of Gamma-Zeta Chapter at Parsons College, DeltaGamma Chapter at Milton College, and Delta-Mu Chapter at Salem College will never have an active chapter again. All the chapters that are dormant of the Fraternity do have living alumni. It is always the responsibility of the Grand Chapter to work to reopen those chapters, so the alumni can return to their Fraternity homes when possible. Sigma Pi has been the pioneer of several Greek systems since 1897, including Temple (Kappa), UCLA (Upsilon), NJIT (Alpha-Mu), Arkansas State (Alpha-Pi), Northern Arizona (Beta-Iota), East Stroudsburg (Beta-Psi), Indiana-South Bend (Delta-Tau), Kennesaw State (Epsilon-Alpha), Southern Arkansas (Epsilon-Kappa), Christopher Newport (Epsilon-Pi), Embry-Riddle (AZ) (Epsilon-Phi), Widener (Epsilon-Psi), Cal State Bakersfield (Zeta-Kappa), Southern Connecticut State (Eta-Beta), Cal State Dominguez Hills (Eta-Iota), and Saginaw Valley State (Theta-Beta). Most of the Fraternity’s lost chapters have come in the last 20 years and for the same reasons as the other fraternities; the social behavior and hazing continue to be the problem with the liability impacting the host institutions they remove the problem by loss of recognition of the chapters for a period of time. The question asked most by alumni from a dormant chapter is "When are you going to reopen my chapter?" Although the Executive Office and staff continue to reopen dormant groups, institutions are asking for more than just the national headquarters to be involved. The universities are requiring local alumni support and interest in working with a colony to insure success. An alumni advisory board, house corporation and if possible alumni club in the area. These are the questions asked when we are going up against other competing fraternities and why we should be selected. If more alumni made an investment by donating to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation it would provide funds to help the Grand Chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International. The investment of time from alumni to a new group to insure success to become a chapter again is the biggest problem and we can do it without you. In the last two years we have reopened eight colonies at dormant campuses: Michigan (Alpha-Beta), Northern Arizona (BetaIota), Kentucky (Epsilon-Beta), Illinois Wesleyan (EpsilonGamma), Illinois State (Epsilon-Eta), Cal State Fullerton (Epsilon-Nu), East Carolina (Eta-Kappa), and Colorado State (Eta-Sigma).
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COLONY UPDATES An update on our current colonies provided by Growth Specialists Dalton Reeves (Missouri State '15) and Lanse Macke (Oregon State '15).
CAL STATE FULLERTON EPSILON-NU COLONY
Originally chartered on December 10th, 1978 in Fullerton, California. Epsilon-Nu was off campus for over a decade before they Recolonized at Cal State Fullerton last Fall. We Recolonized Epsilon-Nu on October 11th, 2015 with 67 Founding Fathers. The men of Epsilon-Nu have continued to be involved on the Fullerton campus; whether that’s competing in all Intramural Sports, being involved on the IFC, being on the council for ASI (Student Government), participating in all major Campus events, and having a strong relationship with the other organizations on campus, the Epsilon-Nu Colony continues to make a difference on the commuter campus of Cal State Fullerton. The men of Epsilon-Nu recruited 27 New Members this Fall 2016 after graduating 3 men last Spring, putting their numbers at 75 Men! The Colony has a very strong brotherhood and look to build on that moving forward. They just got back from a very successful brotherhood retreat, in Big Bear California where they set goals and bonded as brothers!
we will see this group chartering very soon and the success of a chapter unfolding. ILLINOIS STATE EPSILON-ETA COLONY
Originally founded on March 19th, 1977 in Normal, Illinois, Epsilon-Eta had a strong tradition at Illinois State University for over two decades. After being inactive for 14 years, the men of Epsilon-Eta Recolonized at ISU on October 23rd, 2016 with 58 men. Dalton Reeves and myself did a great job meeting with and recruiting a diverse group of student leaders on an Illinois State campus with mainly negative stereotypes of Fraternity men. These men, with guidance from the Executive Office, will be one of the top organizations on campus by helping bring together the Greek community and ending the negative image of fraternities at ISU. I am very excited to see where these men can take this Colony moving forward!
COLORADO STATE ETA-SIGMA COLONY
Another group that is on their way to chartering and re-establishing themselves on Colorado State University's campus. After a successful recruitment period, the Eta-Sigma brothers were able to bring in 14 guys, putting them up to 40 men. These men have worked hard for the last two years and have proven themselves on their campus, while also leaving their legacy to be the best Sigma Pi men they can be. EAST CAROLINA ETA-KAPPA COLONY
As we hit our one year anniversary for the Eta-Kappa colony, we have seen a very successful ACE Project, intramural wins, fantastic brotherhood events, and these men prove time after time that they are a force to reckoned with. While maintaining a solid G.P.A. on campus, Eta-Kappa is winding down on the colony experience. With the petition in the editing phase, 5 8 + FA LL 2016
ILLINOIS WESLEYAN EPSILON-GAMMA COLONY
The men of Epsilon-Gamma recolonized on February 21st, 2016 with 38 Founding Fathers. After graduating five of their Founding Fathers in May of 2016, the men of Epsilon-Gamma recruited an additional seven men to keep their total Colony number at 38. Immediately following their Colonization, the men of Epsilon-Gamma made an impact on the IWU Campus,
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winning "Greek Week" the week after they Colonized in February and establishing excellence in all facets of Fraternity Life. The men received the highest GPA not only among the IFC, but also the highest in ALL of Greek Life and is well above the All-Men’s average at the very high scholastic University of Illinois Wesleyan, with a 3.51 accumulative GPA. The men of Epsilon-Gamma are on pace to Charter by next semester, Spring 2017! KENTUCKY EPSILON-BETA COLONY
Our newest approved colony for chartering—this colony made a huge impact on their campus this year with a new house, a new group of guys, and a new drive to be successful. Epsilon-Beta has worked hard to remodel their house and continue to build relationships with fellow organizations and the Fraternity and Sorority Life community. While their chartering has been approved, their journey to making an impact as a Sigma Pi Chapter is just about to begin.
MICHIGAN ALPHA-BETA COLONY
Alpha-Beta, after forming last fall, is making quick work of the accreditation process. With over half of the work completed, they have attended Sigma Pi conventions, hosted brotherhood events, and given back to their community. While being a Founding Father is a difficult task, these men have decided to make a difference and leaver their legacy.
NORTHERN ARIZONA BETA-IOTA COLONY
Beta-Iota Colony recolonized in Flagstaff on April 10th, 2016 with 62 men. The colony recruited another 24 men in the Fall of 2016 during their first recruitment period since being colonized, good for 5th highest on campus! They are now up to 74 men in the Colony. The men of Beta-Iota have created a name for themselves quickly at NAU and have created a very positive image for themselves almost immediately on a campus that has had their fair share of issues within the Greek Community. They participate in all major events on campus and have hosted a Donate Life Event, getting over 150 people to sign up to donate in 2016! The men rank in the top 3 on campus in Grade Point Average with a 3.1 accumulative GPA, as well as volunteer regularly in the Flagstaff community (adopt a highway Flagstaff, Flagstaff Humane Society, and The Flagstaff Homeless Shelter among others), and have over 200 Community Service hours as a Colony since being Colonized in April, with 20+ hours of community service per member met by all members semesterly. The men have created authentic fraternal plans for: Scholastic excellence, New Member Education, Values Based Recruitment, and Risk Management. Along with all of that, the men of Beta-Iota have a very strong brotherhood, recently hosting a brotherhood Retreat with the men of Beta-Kappa, where they set goals for the future, held workshops, and bonded as Founding Fathers; along with rekindling the BetaIota Alumni group that had been inactive for over 20 years, the men recently hosted an Alumni Weekend in Phoenix, AZ that had over 50 Alumni from Beta-Iota from the 1960s-1970s in attendance. The men of BetaIota continue to impress and are well on their way to be chartered in the Spring of 2017!
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Q U ESTI O N S FRO M TH E ROAD:
Why is ACE Important? As the Fall 2016 semester has moved along and the Executive Office traveling staff has been on the road, The Emerald Staff asked the Regional Directors and Growth Specialists "Why is ACE Important?" creativity, may aid in 4-5 other operational aspects of your organization. That operational enhancement—while growing your campus reputation—is a smart choice and I would call it significant progress for the brotherhood. REG I ON A L D I R EC TOR SCOTT A N D R EWS (OA KL A N D ’9 9 )
The ACE Project is the campus event all of our chapters should be noted for. I am a huge proponent of the ACE Project, because of how many areas it can impact for our undergraduate chapters. Doing something wonderful for the campus may improve the public relations image of Sigma Pi and overall Greek life at your school. Even if it doesn’t make the campus newspaper, the ACE Project may be noteworthy enough to mention during recruitment season to potential members about this great activity you have recently completed. Any community service is a good thing, because quite simply it makes you a better person and better citizen in society. Doing something valuable for the campus means, as a fraternity chapter, you are highly dedicated to your university/college more so than most students. In this day and age, many people simply rush in and out of classes, so it makes you unique to participate in bettering your campus community. Executing an ACE Project that a school official (such as the dean of students) suggests puts your chapter in a good light, and may give your group future benefits, or requests to contribute to the advancement of campus life development going forward.. Remember to speak to administration to determine what the campus may need completed. When a chapter has a workforce of 20-80 men, the few hours of free labor you donate could significantly assist your school and have the men of Sigma Pi acknowledged in a positive light. Any activity/event that can help your chapter’s reputation and get your membership visibly noticed out in the campus community is an attractive idea. If you can possibly create better relations with student life administration, along with training young adults about the values of caring for your community, then the ACE Project is an unbeatable event for the brotherhood. The quest for excellence is a challenge we pose to our membership. I can think of nowhere better to pursue excellence than contributing to the campus you attend, while promoting your dedication to the school and student life. ACE should be a top priority for our chapters and with some 6 0 + FALL 2016
R E G I O N A L D I R E C TO R S COTT CO U R TE R ( DE TR O I T- MERCY ’1 2)
My professional path since graduating from the University of Detroit-Mercy has taken me from traveling around the world of Sigma Pi to working as a fraternity and sorority life advisor at a university. This has allowed me to gain the unique perspective of what Sigma Pi Fraternity, International does in comparison to other Greek-letter organizations. One main difference that I have seen is the implementation of the Altruistic Campus Experience projects, and the impact that this can have within the institutions that host our chapters. Working with chapters in all four time zones of the United States, I have been able to see chapters that have been around for decades, and colonies that are just starting their journey in Sigma Pi. This has given me tremendous joy seeing all of the amazing things that our chapters can accomplish through their ACE Projects. Take, for example, Eta-Delta at California Polytechnic State University, and their award-winning project. The Chapter hosted multiple interactive awareness campaigns to teach their peers about the facts, statistics, and stories of college-based suicide, all while outlining resources for students to utilize. Even more impressively, the chapter hosted the QPR national certification program for students on their campus. This chapter went so far above and beyond to have a lasting impact on their community, that they truly deserve the recognition that they received for their project. I have talked with chapters who provide coffee and donuts to their professors during finals week. Chapters want to beautify their campuses, especially while many campuses are doing construction projects and ripping up the grass and flowers that students enjoy walking through on campus. Chapters have built, cleaned, and maintained statues and fountains on campus. One of my chapters talked to me about trying to get a K-9 unit for their campus police! The diversity of projects that impact our
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campuses is something that amazes me every time I talk with our brothers about their events. So, why is the ACE Project important? The ideal of our ACE is something that embodies the commitment of partnerships between all chapters of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International and their host institutions. It is important because this is our organization’s way to show pride in our campus community. It is our time to partner with the administration of a university on a project that betters the place that we live and work in. It is the way that Sigma Pi leaves a lasting imprint on the physical campus and the memories of those that we impact in our projects. I have seen many amazing projects in my travels, and I can hardly wait to see what we can accomplish.
R EG I ON A L D I R EC TOR JOE D R A I N ( F LOR I DA STAT E ’10 )
The ACE Project is one of the cornerstone programs that Sigma Pi has to set itself above its fraternal peers. The idea of actively operating in a fashion whose mission it is to consciously give back to the host institution in a unique way is quite amazing. From fundraising 5K’s, to campus improvements, to organized acknowledgment of faculty and staff at the institution, there’s no aspect that can go unrepresented. The part of the ACE Project I think is imperative to focus on is a core component to this event: "campus." Our host institutions are the greatest partners for our undergraduate members outside the Fraternity itself. By utilizing the ACE Project and open communication to cultivate those relationships, chapters are able to better forge their place as an asset of their community. As Regional Directors we advise our respective regions to further work toward leaving a positive mark in their community, and it starts with the impact they are able to make at their respective institution. This then enables the chapter to be a more enriching element to the outlying community makeup moving forward. The ACE Project goes beyond simple community service, it enables our members to be champions of issues and matters that the institution is trying to address, and embodies their part as students who are looking out for the wellbeing of their campus community. One of the greatest accomplishments we, as the member services arm of the Fraternity, receive is getting unsolicited feedback from our colleagues at various schools on the great work our members are doing. A lot of times these university leaders tell us how they push their other fraternal organizations to strive for the "Sigma Pi model." The more a chapter places on the importance on being leaders on their campus and among their peers through collaboration and initiative using the ACE Project as the platform, the further we as an organization can make strides in exemplifying the legacy of excellence that ask all our members are charged to leave behind.
R E G I O N A L D I R E C TO R R H E TT L A R OS E ( U TSA '1 2)
In my opinion, I don’t think the question is "Why is ACE important?" as much as it is "How could ACE not be important?" ACE is, by its very design, unique to Sigma Pi Fraternity. All of our peers in the fraternity and sorority world have organizationwide causes that they support such as we do with Donate Life (organ and tissue donation) and Amazing Day Foundation (suicide awareness and prevention). ACE, however, is special because it is ours. No other fraternal group makes it their mission to regularly give back to our host institutions. The Altruistic Campus Experience is as much a part of the Fraternity's image as anything else; when it looks bad, so do we. So for what reason should you care about ACE? For the same reason you care about your school having beautiful buildings to impress your peers and parents. The reason you get dressed a special way for gameday tailgating. The reason is pride! Be proud of being a student at your university, it’s going on your diploma and resume. Be proud of being a Sigma Pi, your brotherhood is for life. We Sigma Pi men express that pride by combining the two experiences for the benefit of both school and fraternity. I meet with a lot of chapters who are looking for a "signature event" that will "really get our name out there on campus." How is that not the ACE Project? With proper planning and the right partnerships, ACE can boost your reputation with the school, your peers, and even help with recruitment. I can’t tell you how many men who join in their second semester or later have told me they wanted to check out Sigma Pi because "I wanted to get more involved and I see you guys everywhere!" ACE is by definition a campus-based service effort, so it is easy to see how a highly-visible public display of altruism for the school we all are proud to attend would work wonders for overall public relations. So let me say this to sum it all up. Do you want to do something unique to Sigma Pi? Something that incorporates school pride and gets your name out into the community in the right way? Good! The answer has been right under your nose, it’s ACE!
G R OW TH S P E C I A L IST L A N S E M AC K E (O R E G O N STAT E '1 5 )
As a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity, we uphold certain standards and values. There are many fantastic things that our organization does, and many values that we stands for; brotherhood, fellowship, chivalry, leadership, social and scholastic excellence, T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 61
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and service. The way we separate ourselves from other fraternal organizations is how we live out these values as men of Sigma Pi in our everyday lives. Both as undergrads and as alumni, we are to hold ourselves to the standards of Sigma Pi and in this quest, to strive for excellence in everything that we do. One thing that I think we forget about as men of Sigma Pi, and one thing that our chapters and colonies forget about, is our ACE Project. ACE Project, similar to how we live out our values as Sigma Pi men, is something that separates us from other organizations. We are the only Fraternal organization that has an International program like the ACE Project. The ACE Project is a way for us to give back to our host institutions. We would not exist at our respective campuses around the world, if it was not for our host institutions. Because of that, it is very important for us to give back to our host institutions that give us so much as fraternity men as well as students. Hosting a yearly or semesterly ACE Project is a way for us to create positive public relations, but is also a way for us to network with other student organizations, the Greek community, and the campus community. Pairing up with multiple fraternities/ sororities, clubs, and other student organization for an ACE Project allows for us to not only network with these organizations, but also to show these groups and our university what Sigma Pi is all about, and to show them that we are different than other fraternities in the world; we truly do live out the values of our organization every day. Our relationship with our universities, the fraternity and sorority life community, and especially the fraternity and sorority offices at our host institutions is vital for our success as fraternity men and our success as a chapter/colony. This is why the ACE Project is so important for us to host each and every year as men of Sigma Pi, and as fraternity gentlemen across our colleges and universities in North America.
G R OW T H SP EC I A L I ST DA LTON REEV ES ( M I SSOU R I STAT E '1 5)
Everyday we, as human beings, try to leave our mark on the world through the actions we do and the impacts we have. As fraternity men, we try to pave the way for the young freshman that follows shortly behind us. What we do as men impacts a young individual that is born today, who in 18 years will step foot on our campuses and choose to join Sigma Pi. We are bridge builders and we are developers. The Altruistic Campus Experience is one way we build our bridges—and it is an important bridge. Through our ACE Project, we can see the impact right in front of our eyes—whether we are helping with the beautification of our campus, or we are 6 2 + FALL 2016
educating our fellow students on the safety precautions during spring break—we can see it. It may not be a sudden change, like dropping a pebble in a pond, but that ripple grows and grows until it has affected the entire waterway. We as Sigma Pi men make small ripples with our projects today, but large waves with them tomorrow. Allowing a fellow student to eat for the night, giving a nice place to sit in the shade under a tree, or even preparing someone with the proper tools when they encounter bystander intervention or alcohol awareness. The ACE Projects we do affect ourselves, our fellow students, our faculty and staff, our campus, and the young men born today that will come to our campus's and be proud to be Sigma Pi.
R E G I O N A L D I R E C TO R J O E TU R C K ( S I U - E DWA R DSV I LLE ’98 )
The Altruistic Campus Experience has been a program since 2003. Our chapters have partnered with their universities to accomplish great projects. From creating on-campus food banks, to providing awareness about an important subject through week-long events, and sometimes saying thanks to the employees and staff on campus, these projects have left their mark. Leaving that mark for future Sigma Pi is fantastic, but also coming back to the university as an alumnus to see the impact is wonderful. Sometimes, our chapters do not take advantage of the opportunities in front of them. Often, they take the easy way out, and the results are marginal. I think the best option for any chapter is to collaborate with the university and see what need that they might have. Sometimes they have an area or department that cannot accomplish their task and it is a perfect opportunity for Sigma Pi to come in and fill that need. I always recommend to my chapters that their first step in working on ACE is to see if there is a need for the university and then work to see how Sigma Pi can help with that. It is important to work together with the university to help reach a common goal. Another aspect of ACE is for chapters to work with other students that they sometimes would not normally have that opportunity. The student organizations can even team-up and discover ways to help better their campus. This provides the opportunity for both parties to share resources and even work on projects in the future. The benefits of a strong collaboration between the chapter, the university, and other organizations is invaluable.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACE PROJECT: SIGMAPI.ORG/ACE-PROJECT
A RCHI V ES
THE EMERALD RECOVERED
THE DUTY OF AN ACTIVE MEMBER TO HIS FRATERNITY In this series, The Emerald staff finds past articles from the archives that are still relevant in today’s fraternal world . The following excerpt is from an article written by Abner R. Knight (Ohio State 1909), a professor at The Ohio State University.
I The fourth issue of The Emerald, volume II, issue III was published in May 1915, with Luther C. Weeks (Purdue 1912) serving as Editor-in-Chief and Kenneth G. Hobart (California 1917) serving as Business Manager. Additionally, Robert B. Fall (Purdue 1912) served as Alumni Editor, Willard M. Kiplinger (Ohio State 1912) served as Exchange Editor, and Henry H. Hibshman (Temple 1912) served as Collegiate Editor.
n the days of primitive man, we are told, each family lived alone and that they had nothing in the way of food, clothing, shelter or amusement, except that which they could produce themselves. To offset the lack of benefit which would come from cooperation with other families they enjoyed practically absolute personal liberty. As the race progressed the desire for companionship led the independent families to combine to form tribes and a number of benefits arose from the formation of the larger unit; but in return for the benefits the personal liberty of each family was curtailed. As the unit of government increased in size the benefits increased, but at the same time the number of regulations for the individual’s conduct increased until at the present time we find ourselves rather completely hedged in by our duties to our neighbor, our city and our government. While the above duties devolve upon us, whether we wish them or not, simply by virtue of our existence at the present time, there is another set of obligations which can be classed as optional. Under the head of optional obligations come those arising from the joining of an organization, participation in some sport or other things of like nature. These duties are voluntarily assumed by
the individual and therefore it is vastly more imperative that he discharge them to the very best of his ability. Since the affiliation with a university fraternity is entirely voluntary it seems evident that the duties arising from such an affiliation are of considerable importance, and cannot be shirked without harmful results. The questions now arise. If there are duties devolving upon the member there must be some benefit to compensate; what then are the benefits and what are the duties? The benefits are well-known and only need enumeration. Probably the greatest benefit i the development of the ability to live in intimate daily contact with other men of different characteristics without friction. Next in order come the broadening effect of daily intercourse with men engaged in totally different lines of work; the correction through frank, friendly criticism of personal faults; the association with men willing and glad to rejoice in achievements’ and to sympathize with reverses, and who, by their encouragement send one back into the fight with renewed vigor; and the near approach to pleasant, homelike life that is impossible in boarding or rooming houses.
TO READ THE COMPLETE EXCERPT FROM THE EMERALD, VISIT THEEMERALD.ORG/ARCHIVES
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FROM THE MUSEUM ARCHIVES
THE ONLY SIGMA PI PRESIDENT OF THE NIC by PGS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70), contributing writer
Editor’s Note: The "From The Museum Archives" spotlight will be an ongoing series in each issue of The Emerald that introduces an important historical item from the museum at the Executive Office. William H. Cutbirth, Jr. (UCLA '44), was elected as the President of the NorthAmerican Interfraternity Conference in 1974. Founded in 1909, Sigma Pi has been a senior member of the NIC, which is a trade association representing international and national men's fraternities. Brother Cutbirth also served as Grand Sage from 1960-1962 and received the Founders' Award in 1976. Other members of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International, that have served on the NIC Board of Directors include: PGS Robert L. Burns (Wisconsin-Lacrosse '71), PGS John J. Merino (Cal State Long Beach '58) and PGS Gary B. Tash (Virginia '68). We are proud of the contributions Sigma Pi makes to the interfraternity effort on behalf of all fraternities.
VETERANS COMMITTEE CERTIFICATES The Sigma Pi Veterans Committee is proud to announce the rollout of our new initiative for the Fraternity to recognize our heroic brothers who have honorably served in the military branches of their country. We have developed certificates suitable for framing to be presented to any Sigma Pi who served his country and received the Purple Heart and/or received a medal for valor. The Sigma Pi Order Of The Purple Cross will be presented to any recipient of the Purple Heart (or its equivalent in the Canadian military). The Sigma Pi Order Of The Valor Cross will be presented to any recipient of a valor decoration (i.e., The Medal of Honor, etc.). The only requirement for receiving a Certificate is the submission of their DD214 Form or copy of the Award Certificate documenting receiving the award(s). Some of our heroic brothers will qualify for both certificates. Additionally, there are plans to recognize all brothers who honorably served, or are currently serving, in the military with the development of The Sigma Pi Order Of Military Service. In order to request your certificate, please contact the Chairman of the Veterans Committee Mark Reed at veterans@sigmapi.org, supplying him with the appropriate documentation. Your certificate(s) will be sent to you along with a hand salute. 6 4 + FALL 2016
PHOTO FINISH This photo from Guadalajara, Mexico was submitted by Bryant Plasencia (Cal State Dominguez Hills '15). To submit your own photos for consideration as the Photo Finish, please email them to emerald@sigmapi.org or use #sigmapi on your social media accounts.
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