Elevating Sigma Pi Enhancing the Fraternity with an Assortment of Tools, Resources, Programming, and more
Happy Founders' Day Celebrating the 123rd Birthday of Our Fraternity
Get Ready for Conveaux Pack your bags for the 2020 Convocation in New Orleans
Winter 2020
From the CEO Brothers and Friends, Throughout these 123 years of Sigma Pi history, 2019 will, unfortunately, be forever known as a challenging one for our Fraternity. Due to the actions of individual members, Sigma Pi was placed into unchartered waters, with incidents at various chapters across North America. The media has portrayed the entire Fraternity in a negative light, but know that Sigma Pi has always, and continues to, believe in the health and safety of our chapters, members, and guests. By virtue of our belief in Sigma Pi, when chapters have shown an inability to self-govern, including at times being provided with additional consultation services, we have to revoke their charter. Unfortunately, between July 1 and December 31, 2019, due to violation of our policies, seven chapters had their charters revoked. We look forward to working with the alumni of those chapters to return to those campuses in the next four to seven years. For our chapters who stayed true to our beliefs, values, and policies, they embraced our obligations of membership, and provided bids to over 1,500 men on their respective campuses (July 1 to December 31). This highlights that our brand, determination to uphold our policies, and our values as a men's organization, is not being impeded. Believe me when I say: The adversities of 2019 will not weaken us, but rather, they will make us stronger. Our resilient spirit, belief in the power of fraternal bonds, and our diverse and kindred minds, will allow us to continue to navigate the malevolent forces that seek to harm Sigma Pi. Our Golden Quest has prepared us to overcome obstacles and struggles; we are together, fortified. Thanks to the support of our volunteers, donors, and partners, we have continued to uphold our motto of "progress." This coming Convocation in New Orleans, from July 29 to August 3, we will be launching a new resource program for our chapters to provide guidance and support on understanding mental health and addiction awareness at their chapters and colonies. The program will be aptly titled, Bonds of Brotherhood. As I always reference the quote by John Donne, "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main..." The success of Sigma Pi, and our chapters, is built upon the foundation of our fraternal bonds, focus, and teamwork. Thank you to our volunteers and donors for your continued dedication. We look forward to a flourishing 2020, as we will celebrate 123 years of existence and continue to strengthen our knowledge base. With your support, Sigma Pi will continue to provide a world-class fraternal experience to our current and future members. We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans this summer at the 55 Biennial Convocation. (Learn more on page 12.) th
Fraternally,
Jonathan M. Frost (UMSL '99) CEO & Executive Director
ABOUT THE EMERALD VOLUME CIV, NUMBER 1 - Winter 2020 (ISSN 1074-5289, USPS 011-013) The Emerald has been published since 1911 by: Sigma Pi Fraternity 1101 Kermit Dr., Suite 730 Nashville, TN 37217 and additional mailing offices. SUBMISSION DEADLINES Summer - April 10 Winter - October 10 ABOUT SIGMA PI Sigma Pi Fraternity was founded at Vincennes University, Vincennes, Ind. on February 26, 1897. The Executive Office is located in Nashville, Tenn. Sigma Pi has chartered more than 230 chapters in North America and has initiated over 112,000 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) SHARE YOUR STORY Send pictures and stories to: emerald@sigmapi.org or Sigma Pi Fraternity 1101 Kermit Dr., Suite 730 Nashville, TN 37217 UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION To update your contact information, please visit: sigmapi.org/updateinfo or send an email to: records@sigmapi.org CONTACT INFORMATION sigmapi.org @sigmapi linkedin.com/company/sigmapi 615.921.2300
FRATERNITY COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION
Copyright Š 2020 Sigma Pi Fraternity; Sigma Pi, ACE Project, and the crest are trademarks of Sigma Pi, all rights reserved.
Winter 2020
Contents
IN THIS ISSUE 18
Founders' Day
19
#whyibelieve Campaign
10
Elevating Sigma Pi
12 Convocation 14 Tightrope 16
Birkman Method
46
Overcome Seasonal Depression
47
Understanding 401K
IN EVERY ISSUE
08
02
International Digest
03
From the Grand Sage
04
In Your Own Words
05
Calendar of Events
20
Educational Foundation
24
Colony Updates
26
Sigma Pi Pride
28
Chapter Spotlight
30
Chapter Reports
49 Volunteers 56
Alumni News
60
Adytum On High
62 Archives
10
65
16
CONTRIBUTORS
About The Cover
EDITOR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
This photo, shot by Assistant Director of Visual Media Kyle Heimbigner (Washington State '10), helps to showcase the educational initiatives that Sigma Pi has put in place recently. Those initiatives are outlined in this issue.
Chris Carter (Middle Tennessee '08) ASSISTANT EDITOR
Kyle Heimbigner (Washington State '10) Summer Clarkson BUSINESS MANAGER
Jen Wyatt
CONTRIBUTORS
Eric Babbitt (Northern Arizona '17) Jacob Camilleri (Saginaw Valley State '14) CEO Jonathan M. Frost (UMSL '99) Jack Heimbigner Russell Kizior (Northern Arizona '17) Lanse Macke (Oregon State '11) GS Joe Palazzolo (Monmouth '00) Alexander Pettigrew (Indiana of Penn. '15) David Presson (Murray State '77) Matt Smith (Valparaiso ’01) Ian Wolf (Rutgers '12)
Photo Finish
Winter 2020
sigmapi.org 1
From the Executive Office
International Digest News from the World of Sigma Pi
Expansion COLONIZATIONS
Clarkson Hired as Assistant Director of Public Relations The Executive Office is thrilled to announce that Summer Clarkson has been hired to serve as the Assistant Director of Public Relations. She officially began serving in the position on August 21, 2019. As the Assistant Director of Public Relations, Clarkson will work within the Communications Department to create and execute the Fraternity’s comprehensive communications strategy including branding, marketing, web development, and public relations. Clarkson was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida, and attended Auburn University where she graduated with a bachelor of science in agricultural communications with a focus on public relations. During her time at Auburn, Clarkson was an active member of the Gamma Omega Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta. She also had the privilege to act as Vice President and an active competitor of Auburn University’s IHSA equestrian club team. Shortly after graduation, she joined MCreativePR in Fort Myers, Florida, first as a public relations intern and later as an independent contractor. In this role, she assisted with media relations, event planning and publicity for clients such as the Boston Red Sox and Southwest Florida Community Foundation.
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Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Delta-Theta Colony Corpus Christi, Texas Colonized on October 20, 2019
INTEREST GROUPS
In 2018, Clarkson moved to Nashville, joining Choice Media & Communications, a boutique media and communications business serving clients in the lifestyle and entertainment field. During her time with Choice, she served as a publicity intern and associate publicist where she led client campaigns, assisted with media relations, branding, and social media. Outside of the office, Clarkson enjoys riding her horse and cheering on the Auburn Tigers through football season. Clarkson said, “I am beyond excited to get started as the Assistant Director of Public Relations with the Executive Office of Sigma Pi. I look forward to help cultivate and enhance the communication strategy for Sigma Pi and spread the message of the Fraternity.”
Sigma Pi Fraternity prides itself on striving for excellence in everything that we do. We do this by living out our values everyday, and by doing so, we set the standard for fraternities on any given campus. To ensure that our colonies are the best groups on their respective campuses, the Fraternity’s colony development program includes requirements for interest groups petitioning to colonize. The interest group requirements will drive the group’s growth and become the foundation of future success. There are resources available to enable interest groups to meet these requirements in a timely manner. The Fraternity’s Director of Strategic Growth oversees the interest group process, working with the group and its leaders through the precolonization phase. He will continue to guide them as they strive to become a full chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity. For more information, contact the Executive Office Growth Department at growth@sigmapi.org.
Winter 2020
Grand Council
From the Grand Sage A Message from Grand Sage Joe Palazzolo Brothers, This issue hits mailboxes shortly after another successful Mid-Year Leadership Conference (MYLC). This year’s MYLC was fueled by undergraduate feedback from the last several years. Curriculum Task Force Chairman Matt Smith (Valparaiso ‘01) did yeoman’s work in organizing this feedback, assembling a skilled team to facilitate the conference, and designing the MYLC to promote chapter and individual-level progress.
GRAND SAGE Joe Palazzolo (Monmouth '00)
Over the next few months more details will be released regarding the Fraternity’s new five-year strategic plan. The process behind the plan actively sought feedback from more than 100 brothers through focus grandsage@sigmapi.org group discussions and one-on-one conversations. In addition, hundreds more men had their voices heard through survey responses. Among other priorities, the feedback clearly indicated a desire to see the undergraduate membership experience reinforced, for the Fraternity to engage in calculated growth, and to strengthen our intellectual, financial, and physical assets. This member-driven strategic plan was designed to provide these outcomes while also fostering organizational resiliency against the coming shifts in higher education. On the topic of resiliency, our undergraduates are leading the way by tackling big problems head on. In 2019 at FDU-Florham, Gabe Pimental (’18) and Luc Roberts (’18) became the Sage and Third Counselor, and inherited nearly $10,000 in debt. Instead of running from the problem, they led the way by fundraising and budgeting to repay the debt in full. Similarly, at the beginning of his term as Sage, Sam McTaggart (Michigan State ’17) inherited nearly $45,000 in debt. Undeterred, Sam and his leadership team led the way for Zeta-Mu Chapter to repay every penny before his term ended. The story was the same at Ole Miss, where former Sage Michael Whiteside (Ole Miss ’16) guided Beta-Mu Chapter to repaying approximately $55,000 in debt. Mike and his leadership team did not create this debt, but they did not shirk their leadership responsibilities. Instead, they led the way and repaid their debt in full, opening up a brighter future for the next generation of BetaMu Chapter. And I am proud of our young men at Iota-Iota Chapter at Montclair State where former Sage Lee Tamburello (’17) and former Third Counselor Sean McGourty (’18) discovered inconsistencies in the Chapter’s checking account statements. Through their diligence, they found that thousands of dollars were potentially embezzled from the Chapter. They did not run from this discovery, instead they led the way by filing an insurance claim that paid off their debt and ignited an investigation in collaboration with local authorities. Courageous leadership is what led the way for Lee and Sean at Montclair, for Mike at Ole Miss, Sam at Michigan State, and Gabe and Luc at FDU-Florham. And these young men have provided examples of what it means to lead the way for the Fraternity’s future. These are the stories that we need to celebrate more often and this summer’s Convocation in New Orleans is the right place to do it! At Convocation, we plan to shine a spotlight on the outstanding accomplishments of our brothers, chapters, and alumni clubs and their hard work over the last two years. Stay tuned for information on registering to attend Convocation! As always, I encourage you to make Sigma Pi stronger tomorrow than it is today. What can you do today to help? Learn about ways you can volunteer (page 50) or consider supporting the vital work of the Educational Foundation (page 20). If your chapter does not have an alumni club, then start one. If your chapter does not have a Chapter Educational Fund, then build one. Our Fraternity becomes stronger when our brothers take ownership of its future at the local and regional levels! Fraternally,
GS Joe Palazzolo (Monmouth '00) Grand Sage #47 of Sigma Pi Fraternity
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From Your Perspective
In Your Own Words
Social Media Thoughts from Around Sigma Pi
@MagmaaCK
To see your own words here, be sure to use the hashtag #sigmapi, tag @sigmapi, or email us at
emerald@sigmapi.org
@mrjhollywood
I love #myFraternity Day! Never met another group of solid guys dedicated to making each other better on a daily basis and still manage to make it fun. Nothing but love for Sigma Pi. sigmapi.csuf
Nothing better than a Sigma Pi brosgiving.
If you know the story of Nike then you would know Nelson Farris. Every since I became a brother in @sigmapi Fraternity, I always wanted to meet Brother Nelson. This week I had that pleasure [to talk] about the success he has had with communities by using his platform and being a pioneer with Phil Knight and other founders of @nike. He said tell them boys in Arkansas “Rush Sigma Pi.� @astatesigmapi
@seth_ing @Eta938 I am successful because of #myFraternity. @eamonn_g
Welcome to the fam, hoss. 4
13 new Brothers, getting installed as president, & getting a little, ALL on November 13th. What a great night to be a Sigma Pi. Winter 2020
Calendar of Events
Events & Anniversaries January 2020
March 25
January 15
25th Anniversary Eta-Phi Miami (OH) March 25
65th Anniversary Beta-Nu SIU-Carbondale
70th Anniversary Beta-Delta Kansas
January 19 35th Anniversary Zeta-Eta Santa Clara
April 2020 April 2
February 2020
60th Anniversary Beta-Tau Valparaiso
February 7 50th Anniversary Theta-Delta Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
50th Anniversary Delta-Iota Wisconsin-Platteville April 21 30th Anniversary Eta-Kappa East Carolina
March 2020 March 11 25th Anniversary Eta-Upsilon California-Irvine March 12 65th Anniversary Beta-Omicron Cal State Long Beach
80th Anniversary Alpha-Nu Wake Forest May 18
MAIN - GEARD
35th Anniversary Zeta-Mu Michigan State
SECONDARY - GOTHAM BOLD TERTIARY - GOTHAM BOLD ITALIC
July 2020 July 29 55th Biennial Convocation Grand Chapter New Orleans
April 11
February 26 123rd Founders’ Day
May 12
October 2020 October 27 30th Anniversary Eta-Nu Towson
May 2020 May 1 55th Anniversary Gamma-Iota Worcester Polytechnic
Is your chapter having a celebration for an upcoming anniversary? Email emerald@sigmapi.org with the details to be updated on the Sigma Pi website at
sigmapi.org/calendar
sigmapi.org 5
Founders' Day
The 123rd Founders' Day New Sigma Pi Initiatives Have Driven Growth and Leadership in Our Undergraduate Members by The Emerald Staff
S
ince our inception 123 years ago, the brotherhood of Sigma Pi has flourished across North America; thousands of philanthropic events are held, and great men and leaders are formed.
In this issue, you’ll learn just how much not only the brotherhood has flourished but the international Fraternity has in the past year. The international Fraternity of Sigma Pi has been dedicated to the prosperity and success of the organization, from new health and safety education and leadership conferences for undergraduates to training for volunteers and expansion into new places. Just this year, we’ve seen the launch of a in-person and online volunteer training program, online healthy and safety modules for all undergraduates, a reimagined Mid-Year Leadership Conference, and much, much more. Join over 1,600 brothers and friends of the Fraternity who have supported these initiatives of the Fraternity since 2018, ensuring the growth and development of thousands of undergraduate members throughout their educational pursuits. Please consider donating to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation at sigmapi.org/donate. 6
Highlights of 2019: • Development of new website, which includes a updated resource center with over 60 tools and materials for officers of chapters and alumni clubs; more resources will continue to be developed • Enhanced reporting system for volunteers to evaluate the status of the chapters they advise, as well as a streamlined reporting system for chapter officers • Identification of 179 volunteers, who serve on advisory boards at 47 chapters • Launched an undergraduate health and safety training module, created to provide education and liability support for chapter officers and Sigma Pi. The program had more than 87% completion rate in year one • Launched a volunteer training program where 14 province archons attended in New Orleans. Additionally, launched an online volunteer training experience for all province archons and chapter directors • Developed the Charlotte N. Mallotte Collaborated Growth Program for interest group and volunteer-led expansion efforts Winter 2020
Campaigns
Share Your Story
D
uring the 122nd Founders’ Day celebration in 2019, Sigma Pi officially launched the #whyibelieve campaign. The #whyibelieve campaign revolves around the idea of “if Sigma Pi didn’t exist, where would I be?” Because of this, the campaign is unique to anything we’ve ever done, and we want to keep it going. Showcasing the positive impact that Sigma Pi has had on each of our lives allows us to show everyone why the fraternal experience is special and leaves a lasting influence. If Sigma Pi has shaped you into a better man and leader, or if it has brought you things you love in life, like your best friends, golfing buddies, or business partners, we want you to reflect on where your life might be without the Fraternity. Being in Sigma Pi creates opportunities that may not have been presented otherwise and we want to showcase this throughout the campaign. We encourage you to share your story on social media with the hashtag #whyibelieve, and we look forward to hearing your stories and continuing the celebration of Sigma Pi that we launched one year ago.
Daniel Adorn (Fitchburg State ‘14) "I Believe in Sigma Pi because it helped me in a time of my life when I needed it most. It gave me the strength to follow my dreams and opened my eyes up to the world around me. Sigma Pi helped me during a very difficult time in my life and without it, I don't know where I would be today. It put me on a path of excellence and I am eternally grateful."
Tom Broadfoot (Valparaiso ‘71) "I believe in Sigma Pi because it has given me lifelong friendships and relationships with brothers of different generations. It inspired me to join other organizations in my community and church and professional life."
Danny Cassaro (UCF ‘12) "My Sigma Pi brothers show me everyday why our brotherhood is more than just four years in college, it’s for life. Even during my highest highs and lowest lows, I always expect to have my brothers by my side. The experiences and memories Sigma Pi gave me are more than I could ever repay."
Daniel DeLira (Southern Indiana ‘17) "The backbone that my brothers give me is an unconditional support system, and our collective efforts are capable of achieving anything we set our minds to. That’s why I believe."
Ian Holmes (Wake Forest ‘19) "I believe in Sigma Pi because it is a fellowship of men who strive for excellence in their daily lives. Although only being initiated for 4 months, I have already developed a camaraderie of lifelong friendships with my brothers, and I have the next three years to look forward to as we develop as people under the guidance of our fraternity. I couldn’t ask for a greater opportunity, and that’s why I believe in Sigma Pi with all my heart."
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Feature
Elevating Sigma Pi to the Next Level How the Organization Is Enhancing the Assortment of Tools, Resources, Programming, and More That Is Provided to Chapters by The Emerald Staff
T
he impact of change in 2019 was felt across the organization. In a year, the international organization has introduced new departments at the Executive Office, gained new partners, moved the Executive Office, and so much more. Within the staff, we have had many changes; some previous staff moved on, while new staff members were added. Additionally, some staff members gained spouses while others welcomed little ones to the world. Now, the Executive Office would like to share the leaps and bounds our departments have been working on in 2019 and plan to continue through 2020.
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Winter 2020
Feature Education and Programs With the implementation of the Education and Programs Department in April, there have been major developments in tools and resources for not only undergraduates, but alumni and volunteers, too. This department has outlined what it means to live a life of excellence as members are receiving materials that better aid them in financial management, diversity and inclusion training, and strategic planning to name a few. With the development of the department, one of the major changes was redeveloping undergraduate resources. These resources range from officer manuals for chapter leaders to health and safety training and enhanced educational conference curriculum. One of the most impactful trainings our Education and Programs Department started was the Plaid Tightrope modules, which encompasses training for our members on drugs and alcohol, hazing, mental health, and sexual misconduct. Since its inception in August 2019, nearly 4,000 undergraduate members have completed the Tightrope program, leading the way toward a better, safer college experience. (Learn more about the Tightrope program on page 12) In addition to these educational programs happening at our chapters across North America, the Education and Programs Department has re-envisioned the MidYear Leadership Conference curriculum to align with the undergraduate desires. The 2020 Mid-Year curriculum focused on Executive Council members' roles as leaders for their chapters. This included materials on running your chapter, crisis communication, financial planning, stress management, and much more.
Attendees at the 2019 Province Archon Summit in New Orleans
The resources that undergraduates received during the conference will not only benefit them throughout their time as undergraduates, but also into their professional careers as well. The educational resources do not stop with our undergraduate members as volunteers have all received enhanced training in 2019. Volunteers at Sigma Pi have the opportunity to receive training on courses ranging from mentoring college students to hazing prevention. The volunteer manuals for chapter directors, province archons, alumni advisory boards, and alumni associations have all been updated to reflect most accurately the position of volunteers today. Additionally, the manual provides best practices on how to be involved with their respective groups from the elements of mentorship to operational procedures. In October, the Education and Programs Department held the Province Archon Summit. Topics at the summit included crisis communication, volunteer success resources/education, growing a province, risk management policies, membership reporting, and more. For the first time in the last 20 years, Sigma Pi has a record number of Province Archon positions filled, which is a great accolade for the Fraternity.
The future is bright for members, as the Education and Programs Department will be launching a new mental health campaign rolling out late 2020. The Tony Siress Leadership Summit will also be launching summer 2020. The focus of this event will revolve around experiential learning for rising sophomores and juniors who will be in roles of leadership for their respective chapters and campuses.
Communications The Communications Department has hit the ground running in 2019 and has not slowed down. In February, the Communications Department rolled out the #whyibelieve campaign which has continued to be a huge success throughout the year. The #whyibelieve campaign captures the positive influence being in a fraternity has had on your life, and is centered around the idea that there is more to the fraternity experience than meets the eye. This campaign encompasses member involvement with overwhelming submissions in addition to high engagement rates on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Testimonies like “Sigma Pi gave me unique leadership opportunities and
sigmapi.org 9
Feature
Left: a refreshed, updated website features a clean navigation, streamlined news outlet with The Emerald Online, and an updated resources section. Right: Izzy the Islander, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's mascot, models the Sigma Pi founding father t-shirt on campus
the ability to grow alongside great men. If I didn’t make the decision to join Sigma Pi, I honestly don’t know where I’d be today,” from Mustafa Abdullah Jr. (SIU-Carbondale ‘13) showcase the importance of brotherhood. Outside of this national campaign, the Communications Department rolled out a new website. In early September, sigmapi.org officially switched over to the new site that includes a one stop shop for all the needs of undergraduates, alumni, and family. Through the assistance of Stream9 digital design team, the Executive Office was able to create one public site that encompasses all the resources important to the Fraternity. The new site not only allows for a more intuitive user interface by separating by user-type: undergraduate, alumni, family member, or other; it also separates content categorically by topic: 10
fraternity, foundation, news and stories, and events. These clearly defined menus will allow users to navigate at ease and find what they are looking for promptly. Aside from the improved navigation and visual appeal, the new site will continue to grow as a living entity for our members with fresh content and resources readily available. With improved accessibility, the site highlights our membership in a more engaging light. Recently added was a knowledge base of resources that allows easy navigation and accessibility, giving members quick access to the tools and knowledge needed in various situations. Internally, Assistant Director of Public Relations Summer Clarkson attended the ICM Crisis Communication Management Certification Course in early November. Through this intensive hands-on training, Clarkson became
certified in Crisis Communication Management. Along with Director of Communications Chris Carter (Middle Tennessee ’08) who received this certification in 2018, this ensures that our staff is prepared to be proactive and well equipped in the case of a crisis. Looking ahead into 2020, the Communications Department plans to continue providing our members with engagement opportunities, while also being proactive in showcasing the positive and beneficial aspects of the Sigma Pi brotherhood.
Strategic Growth With over 40 potential expansions and six colonies in the works, the Strategic Growth Department is aiming high for the growth of the Fraternity. The Strategic Growth team works with universities to create a pipeline for Winter 2020
Feature further market penetration, while also having a small portfolio of current chapters who need growth assistance, as well as managing the process for alumnifunded chapter expansion efforts. Currently, the Strategic Growth team is in discussions with over 40 universities across North America. With these conversations of expansion in the works, the pipeline for future expansion is constantly evolving and growing. The purpose of the expansion work is to diligently research opportunities in order to establish and cultivate colonies to become a chapter that makes real the ideals of Sigma Pi. The goal is to acquire premier institutions for expansion through values based recruitment of campus leaders, scholars, athletes, and gentlemen.
To ensure that our colonies are the best groups on their respective campuses, the Fraternity’s colony development program includes requirements for interest groups petitioning to colonize. The interest group requirements will drive the group’s growth and become the foundation of future success. The Fraternity’s Director of Strategic Growth oversees the Interest Group process, working with the group and its leaders through the pre-colonization phase.
Chapter Management The Chapter Management Department has been on the move, quite literally and figuratively this year. This team works to service and support the needs of undergraduate chapters and their volunteers, while also developing and executing strategies for improvement.
As for the colonies, the Strategic Growth team finished a successful expansion at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi with the reestablishment of the DeltaTheta Colony in October 2019. With 25 men, this colony represents 35+ organizations on campus, in addition to outperforming other fraternities on campus with a colony GPA of 3.5 cumulative.
During the course of a semester (or quarter system for some) the Chapter Management team will spend an adequate amount of time on the road visiting chapters, connecting with members, and helping in problem areas. With these visits, the Chapter Management team is able to work face to face with chapter members and their volunteers on areas of concern and how to improve.
With the other six colonies in the works, the Strategic Growth team guides them through the process of becoming a fraternity and educating them on Sigma Pi values and operations. The Strategic Growth team has also developed a Colony Development Guide to streamline the colony process and make them an award winning chapter.
With addressing areas of improvement, the Chapter Management team has worked on installing new resources into place that better aid chapters through their recruitment, reporting, and overall accountability. These resources include Chapter Builder, which is a tool that tracks recruitment, helping brother stay accountable through their recruiting process, while also providing updates to the Chapter Management team. The team can then consult and help where there are gaps for some chapters during this process.
In addition to this new guide, the Strategic Growth team has finalized the Charlotte N. Mallotte Collaborated Growth Program to help prepare alumni and volunteers for the expectations of starting an Interest Group of Sigma Pi.
In addition to these tools, the Chapter Management team has begun using Google Hangouts, a communication tool that offers face to face video chat, for meetings that cannot be made in person but still give that unique interaction. Google Hangouts allows our team and chapter members to have a more personal conversation than just a regular phone call, which allows members to share problem areas in a confidential setting. This new year will continue to bring new tools and resources to the Chapter Management team in aiding chapters and volunteers across the country. Including fully transitioning over to OmegaFi’s Compass for all member, chapter, and financial management needs. With new efficiencies in the areas of member management, fundraising, and finances, this will allow the Chapter Management team to focus on other areas of need than chapter finances. In addition to our departments' hard work, in early August the Executive Office as a whole moved offices from the previous headquarters in Lebanon to an office space within Nashville, closer to the airport as well as the downtown area. This transition has allotted more space in our fiscal planning for member resources, plus more engaging staff collaborations with all members in one office environment. We look forward to showcasing our new space soon. To say 2019 was a big year for the Executive Office is an understatement. Our staff has and will continue to work hard for the better of Sigma Pi Fraternity. We look forward to new projects and campaigns that will roll out for your benefit in 2020. For additional information, please visit sigmapi.org.
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Education and Programming
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Winter 2020
Education and Programming
Pack your bags for the 2020 Convocation in New Orleans! The 55th Biennial Convocation will take place at the New Orleans Marriott, located at 555 Canal Street in New Orleans. Join your fellow brothers July 29 through August 2, 2020 for a week full of networking, fun events, and good times. This is a celebration of Sigma Pi you won’t want to miss. Registration opens March 16th, 2020 and Convocation is open to any and all who wish to attend! While each chapter is required to send a delegate to the business sessions, we encourage multiple brothers from each chapter to attend and learn more about our Fraternity's successes during the current biennium. New Orleans is a city of celebration, and gives the Fraternity a great location for the event. Nestled on famed Canal Street, between the French Quarter and the Warehouse District, we’ll be a short walk from notable attractions such as Jackson Square, Bourbon Street, and Cafe Du Monde. For more information, please visit sigmapi.org/convocation.
Cafe du Monde Since 1862, the Original French Market coffee stand has been serving up the original beignet, Louisiana’s state donut, and cafe au laits. Just off Jackson Square, you can enjoy these treats 24 hours a day.
National World War II Museum Powerful images and extraordinary artifacts bring to life the American Spirit, courage, teamwork and sacrifice of the young men and women who won the war and changed the world. Visitors trace America’s role in the war, as well as on the Home Front.
Jackson Square One of New Orleans’ most recognizable landmarks, Jackson Square is a National Historic Landmark nestled in the center of the French Quarter. The space hosts a number of events and celebrations. The landmark earns its name for the bronze statue of Andrew Jackson located in the center of the square.
The Cabildo This Spanish colonial building stands on Jackson Square and houses many rare artifacts of America’s history. The Cabildo served as the seat of government during the Spanish colonial period. Today, the Cabildo showcases the rich history and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana.
French Quarter Often called the Crown Jewel of New Orleans, the French Quarter is one of NOLA’s most historic neighborhoods. You’ll find plenty of new mixed in with the old. There’s a reimagined French Market and modern boutiques mixed with beloved antique stores and old restaurants.
Ogden Museum of Southern Art The Ogden Museum of Southern Art celebrates the art, history and culture of the American South. The Museum is home to the largest and most comprehensive collection of Southern art in the world, showcasing art from 15 Southern states and the District of Columbia.
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Education and Programming
Walking the Tightrope Sigma Pi Pioneers New Health and Safety Education Initiative with Plaid by The Plaid Team
T
he college fraternal experience is often billed to students as an opportunity to explore, be carefree, and make the most of their last years before entering “the real world.” It’s true that this is often a time when students learn more about themselves and what they want out of the future, but the perception that life after college doesn’t offer these opportunities sometimes leaves members feeling pressured. A partnership between Sigma Pi and educational development firm Plaid aims to contextualize and alleviate some of that pressure.
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Winter 2020
Education and Programming The idea that members’ undergraduate years are the only time they have to enjoy life can prompt fraternity men to engage in behaviors with high risk attached. In August of 2019, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reported that over 50 percent of full-time college students (aged 1822) are monthly consumers of alcohol, and nearly 35 percent engage in binge drinking on a monthly basis. The NIAAA also estimated that alcohol contributes to over 1,500 student deaths per year and over 95,000 cases of sexual assault and date rape. In light of these numbers and other trends seen in our own research, Plaid developed a new approach to risk management education, the Tightrope Online Risk Management program, with the goal of providing students with important background and context about real-life situations they may face in college.
Sigma Pi have completed the Tightrope program, leading the way toward a better, safer college experience. This means that with the first year of Tightrope, a large number of undergraduates within the Fraternity have received this vital training.
“We feel confident that the Tightrope Program will better prepare our undergraduate members in their overall knowledge and decision making.”
The Tightrope program is an online suite of five courses that cover topics ranging from alcohol and drug use to the culture of alcohol. The courses also cover related topics like hazing prevention, sexual misconduct, and mental health. Each course can be completed in less than 30 minutes, which allows members to integrate risk management learning into their busy schedules, and they can do it from anywhere with an internet connection—using a phone, tablet, laptop, or any device with internet capabilities and a screen.
The courses focus on giving members the information they need to make better, safer decisions while in college. Since members are often walking a tightrope between behaviors in which they want to engage and consequences that may be unforeseen, these courses are meant to broaden their understanding of risky situations in which they may find themselves. After completing the Tightrope program, members should feel more equipped to make confident decisions about their extracurricular experiences in college. Each course presents the facts in an honest, straightforward manner and prompts members to complete activities throughout the course to show progression. Each course concludes with a knowledge check to ensure comprehension of the main educational points.
The desire to provide students with opportunities to grow is what brought many of us into the fraternal industry. Sigma Pi is proud to work with Plaid in pioneering a new way for members to examine their behaviors and make safer decisions while in college. Since its inception in August 2019, more than 3,884 undergraduate members of
“We feel confident that the Tightrope Program will better prepare our undergraduate members in their overall knowledge and decision making,” said Alexander Pettigrew (Indiana of Pennsylvania ’15). “In our continued partnership with Plaid, we are constantly looking to further develop our membership."
Connecting with members about the realities of risky behavior can be easier said than done. College-age students live in a reality in which they are constantly juggling new ideas and exciting propositions—many of which may have consequences that are larger and more complex than they are equipped to handle at that point in their development. This makes education on alcohol and drug use (and other riskrelated behaviors) both important and difficult. Plaid tackled this challenge by specifically tailoring Tightrope to work with student development in mind. Discussing risk management with fraternity men can often be dry and difficult. Even after productive conversations, they may still make decisions that mentors, advisors, and other adults would find to be the wrong choice. To help bolster member decision-making, the Tightrope program also includes additional inperson, peer-to-peer resources called Companion Guides. These guides can be used by chapter leaders (and general members), as well as volunteers, to prompt conversation between brothers. The online courses provide the basic education to help students make good decisions; the Companion Guides offer opportunities to engage with and apply the learning as a group of brothers. In explaining the importance of the program, Plaid Partner Dr. Dawn Wiese says, “Every year we have new students, so we have to educate them every year. If we make any progress at all on issues like alcohol, it’s a big deal because each year students bring new behaviors with them.” For additional information regarding the Tightrope program, please visit tightropeprogram.com.
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Conferences and Programming
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Conferences and Programming
The Birkman Method at the Mid-Year Leadership Conference How Sigma Pi Is Using the Self-Assessment Tools for Continued Growth of Chapter Leaders by Matt Smith (Valparaiso ’01), contributing writer
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f you've heard anyone talking about using “the colors” of people for teams or communication, they were probably referring to the Birkman. The Birkman method is an assessment revealing three key perspectives of every person: motivation, self-perception, and social perception. By understanding these perceptions, and how they influence each other, leaders can better understand the emotions and actions that characterize their lives.
“The reality of life is that your perceptions – right or wrong – influence everything else you do. When you get a proper perspective of your perceptions, you may be surprised how many other things fall into place.” – Roger W. Birkman, PhD. 1919-2014 Over 8,000 companies, educational institutions and assessment centers, and more than 3.5 million people worldwide have taken the Birkman assessment. It is available in 20 languages and is rigorously evaluated for reliability, validity, and statistical soundness as a personality instrument. In 2018, Sigma Pi began looking at ways to enhance our training programs and
communication resources for alumni volunteers and chapter officers. The Birkman was chosen as one of the tools that can assist our fraternity in growing in these areas. Sigma Pi contracted a third party vendor to administer the Birkman assessment and conduct a pilot training at the 2019 Mid-Year Leadership Conference (MYLC) in Kansas City, MO. Several alumni volunteers and executive office staff assisted to observe and learn the process.
corporation itself, to understand how other corporations have scaled this methodology to ballroomsized audiences.
The ancient philosopher Socrates is quoted as saying, “Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen.” In this light, the Sigma Pi Curriculum Task Force took a very open and honest evaluation of our pilot by reviewing facilitators, undergraduates, and alumni volunteer feedback from MYLC. We reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of the approach taken with our vendor, and sought the advice from the Birkman
In 2019, only 77 participants at MYLC took the Birkman Assessment, which was sent to them after registration, meaning the majority of our chapter officers didn't receive the full benefit of the conference. The Birkman assessment is an integral MYLC experience and all participants are given complimentary assessment with their registration. The 2020 MYLC saw 174 undergraduates complete the assessment, a 126% increase year-over-year.
The Curriculum Task Force has taken the initiative to gain Birkman Signature Certification, which enables us to independently administer the assessment. It also qualifies us for generating insights, coaching, and group dynamic reports that were not available to us previously.
sigmapi.org 17
Conferences and Programming A Redesigned MYLC This year’s conference encompassed a blended approach balancing individual leadership development, with skills specific training, necessary to succeed in their chapter executive board position. There were four guiding principles that helped shape the 2020 conference: • Sigma Pi expertise to facilitate this conference • Redesigned program to encapsulate a holistic approach, in conjunction with a collaborative development approach, by experienced trainers and facilitators • Education on our Ritual values to enhance position skills training • Enhanced utilization of Birkman methodology to support position skills training
MYLC 2020 MYLC 2020 kicked-off with a retrospective look at our shared initiate experience: The Golden Quest. The Golden Quest is the single unifying experience for all Sigma Pi brothers and is rightly situated as a cornerstone for our premier educational event. Chapter officers gained a better understanding of our Ritual, they also gained knowledge on how to implement our core lessons and values, in addition to knowledge on developing solutions to address concerns at their own chapters. A variety of position specific sessions were held during the afternoon and were facilitated by alumni volunteers from the Curriculum Task Force. Sages learned ways to run efficient and effective meetings, manage crisis situations, and effectively manage their own stress levels. Second Counselors learned how to
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Conferences and Programming
utilize an effective committee structure, generate realistic and attainable committee goals, and build successful teams. Third counselors learned effective tactics for managing difficult conversations, understanding of Sigma Pi’s annual financial planning model, and how to effectively utilize OmegaFi and the new OmegaOne systems.
The Birkman beyond MYLC The use of the Birkman at MYLC is part of an evolving long-term strategy to maximize this investment in our chapter leaders. Sigma Pi will expand upon this investment through coaching
with alumni volunteers so that they can benefit from the Birkman as well. One of the benefits of the The Birkman is a coaching report that can be generated between any two individuals within the database. The report gives insights into the person being coached and specific suggestions on improving the coaching or advising relationship. The expected use case will be for sages and chapter directors to improve their working relationship and communication. The Birkman Insights reports suggest very probable ways to motivate, incentivize, influence, manage
conflict, and manage accountability. The reports are useful both as aids to personal improvement but also to better understand those you need to motivate, influence, hold accountable, etc. Fortune 500 companies globally have used the Birkman for succession planning, retention, organizational fit, onboarding, change management, conflict resolution, and sales/recruitment. While we are still in the early stages of adopting this powerful tool for our organization the possibilities seem nearly endless.
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Sigma Pi Educational Foundation
Ways to Give Online Giving with your debit or credit card online at sigmapi.org/donate is a quick and secure way to make a contribution, which accepts Visa, American Express, MasterCard, and Discover.
Mobile On your mobile device, you can quickly and easily visit sigmapiedfund.org/gift
photo courtesy of @SigmaPi_EKU on Twitter
Become a Monthly Donor If you are like most individuals, you receive many solicitations in the mail asking for money, and most go in the trash. However, with some organizations, you have a passion for their cause and choose to make a gift. For those organizations in which you strongly believe in, you might consider being a monthly supporter to take away the hassle of mail and phone solicitations. When making a monthly gift to Sigma Pi, it does not have to be a large amount of money. Small amounts add-up and help the Fraternity. If you were to become a monthly donor in the amount of $18.97, that equals an annual donation of $227.64. With this simple gift, your generosity will help expand initiatives that are bettering the lives of more than 5,000 undergraduate Sigma Pi brothers. If you would like to become a monthly supporter of the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation, visit sigmapi.org/donate and fill out the simple form. From there, you will be able to process your monthly gift through a recurring automatic deduction. All gifts—large or small—are graciously accepted by the Educational Foundation, and they are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. The Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization as recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. Through your generous monthly donations, you will enhance the future for undergraduate education through leadership development, chapter educational funds, and scholarships. 20
Mail You can mail a check or credit card gift to the SPEF at the address below: Sigma Pi Educational Foundation 1101 Kermit Drive, Suite 730 Nashville, TN 37217
Phone To make a donation over the phone, or for more assistance, please give us a call at 615-921-2300.
Corporate Matching Numerous companies match an employee’s personal donation to a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. Ask your employer for details.
Winter 2020
Sigma Pi Educational Foundation
The Service of Giving is Central to Sigma Pi by Jack Heimbigner, contributing writer
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very year, Sigma Pi members exemplify character and service by helping other people in need by taking action through charitable giving. There are many outstanding causes in the world looking for funding. Organizations range from helping the poor to improving the environment. And yet, there are nonprofits like Sigma Pi who are looking to impact the culture of the world, too. In the Fraternity’s case, the desired impact is on the young men who choose a lifetime commitment to the organization, and helping to ensure their growth and prosperity through education and leadership programming.
Why choose Sigma Pi for charitable giving? Each nonprofit organization adds value to the world, and with so many of them out there it can be hard to decide where to give or what is most important. While there is no simple answer, the most rewarding circumstances for charitable giving comes when passion aligns with a deep-rooted need in the world or in a local community. When an organization emotionally connects, its cause will directly impact the lives of the donor. This lends to a solid commitment to the goals of that organization, and can lead to an even deeper connection. When passionately giving to the Fraternity, you not only reconnect to an organization that is important to you, but you also reaffirm your dedication to the ideals and values that made you choose Sigma Pi in the first place.
But it's clear, not everyone is passionate about the same things. There are some who take great pride in their university, while others who have had life-changing experiences with fraternity life. And still others who simply desire to see the world a better place. It is important to focus on causes that connect emotionally, have a direct impact on our lives, and which we believe in their mission. Whether it is your time or your finances, you can find things right in front of you. Sigma Pi is always looking for volunteers and financial partners to help further the work in changing the lives of our members.
It's not just the one's receiving the gift. You’re impacted by your gift, too. Once you connect with an organization and begin giving, your life starts to change, too. Especially, if you have chosen something that really matters to you. As work begins to take place, it will open your eyes and encourage the growth of character in your life.
While giving can sometimes feel very disconnected, it can also become one of the most rewarding parts of your life. When you believe in the goals and begin to give to Sigma Pi, you will want to champion the Fraternity and its goals, ensuring that the end-result is sufficiently achieved.
Now is a great time to start impacting the Fraternity with your gifts. Your charitable giving means something for you and for those who receive thanks to your generosity. Whether it’s a chapter leader getting the chance to attend a international leadership conference, or a graduate student receiving a scholarship to continue his educational pursuits, your gift can truly make an impact. When choosing a charitable organization to give to, remember the core values that drew you to Sigma Pi during the recruitment phase of your collegiate experience: fellowship, character, leadership, academics, and service. How will you step into the gap this year with your charitable giving?
sigmapi.org 21
Partners
Sigma Pi and OmegaFi Strengthen Partnership He adds, “As Sigma Pi grows, so do OmegaFi’s solutions. We are pleased to announce that our newest app focused on member engagement, OmegaOne, will be utilized by Sigma Pi chapters across the nation. We look forward to providing Sigma Pi with the necessary solutions it needs to grow and assist in their Quest for Excellence.”
On October 2, 2019, Sigma Pi announced a valuable enhanced partnership with OmegaFi. Sigma Pi has renewed OmegaFi’s Compass database for member, chapter, and fundraising management. In addition, Sigma Pi designates OmegaFi as its Exclusive Partner for chapter financial management. With new efficiencies in the areas of member management, fundraising, and finances, the partnership allows Sigma Pi staff members, volunteers, alumni, and students to focus on the growth and prosperity of the organization. OmegaFi offers a great depth of knowledge and history of innovative solutions for fraternity management. Unparalleled customer service and dedication to information and financial security make OmegaFi the continued industry leader after 27 years in business.
OmegaFi’s Compass database supports operations at the Executive Office in Nashville, all chapters and all members will enjoy added benefits. An efficient chapter invoicing system improves the experience of our student leaders. Combined with OmegaFi’s Vault for chapter management, our local officers will be positioned to successfully fulfill their duties. Executive Director/CEO Jonathan Frost stated, “As we reviewed our financial management system, we identified a variety of needs, and OmegaFi presented a customized solution for all of them. Throughout our research we also realized a need for more than just technology. The hands-on approach OmegaFi takes to train and consult with our students, officers, advisors, and Executive Office staff was just as important. I am excited about the increased efficiency OmegaFi will bring to our operations and the additional support and benefits we will be able to provide our brothers.”
“OmegaFi has been a proud partner with Sigma Pi for nearly a decade, and we are happy to expand the scope of financial and membership management support we provide through Vault and Compass,” says OmegaFi president Fred Maglione.
The Fraternity’s continued use of the Compass database, powered by OmegaFi, will support the management needs of the Fraternity as well as the development needs of the Foundation.
Findgreek
Avis
FindGreek is the exclusive online store for official greek merchandise. Thousands of the most popular products, at the best prices, from official vendors. The store features thousands of apparel, gifts, and accessories with officially licensed Sigma Pi branding, giving you a central location to find all of your merchandise needs! Visit findgreek.com/sigmapi now!
All undergraduate members and alumni are eligible for a free Avis Preferred Club membership. In addition, Avis has agreed to extend contracted rates to our undergraduate and alumni members. Please reference AWD J861200 when reserving with Avis. Learn more about this new membership at sigmapi.org/fraternity/vendors-partners.
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Partners
Fall Graduation: What's Next? The fall term is over and you’ve graduated. While all of your friends have one more semester before washing their hands of 8:00 am classes and 150 page readings, you get to chill… Or do you? Fall graduations can be equally exciting and stressful. On one hand, no more discussion forums for classes. On the other, you have to figure out what you’re going to do while all of your friends have an extra five months to get it together. Here’s a few ideas on what to do and how to prepare for life after fall graduation: what’s next?
How to Find the Job Use your Greek life experience and connections! Pop into the university’s Greek Life Advisor office and see if they know about any companies that are hiring. Reach out to alumni and advisors from your chapter as well. One of the perks of Greek membership is the connections you have readily available to you.
Your Living Situation This is a long-term factor that can easily be overlooked when looking for your first job out of college. While it’s easy to say that you’re going to move back in with your parents for a few months to save money, or stay in your apartment lease for the remainder of the year, you’ll want to start looking deeper at the options you have available.
What about Traveling? Traveling is one of the first things that we hear “I wish I would have done more” of. Save up your money and take a trip after graduation. Whether it’s with a friend or family member, or even a trip by yourself, don’t question whether you should go or not. Take the trip and make the experience. If it’s a crosscountry trip or backpacking through Europe, just go.
More School It’s hard to imagine enduring another two to four years of school when the light at the end of the tunnel seems so close! Some
fields require more schooling, or maybe you decided to get your Masters in a more specific area. Don’t forget to consider online classes, especially if you’ll also be working full-time. There are still scholarships and grants available to graduate students.
Insurance and Financial Well-Being Insurance and handling your own finances is probably the most stressful part of graduating. You’ll want to have the conversation with your parents at least six months before graduation. See what they are handing off to you, or see if they’ll give you a six month grace period, similar to student loan companies. A good rule of thumb is to try to keep at least three months of living expenses in savings. You never know what is going to happen and you don’t want to have nothing in savings, in case something unexpected comes up.
Don’t Forget about Greek Life! After fall graduation, don’t drop off of the map. Be sure to stick around, if geographically possible, and show up to philanthropy events in support of your chapter. If your chapter holds spring recruitment, see what you can do to help (even if it’s just bringing food by or helping set up decorations). Offer to help in any way that you can. Being the alumni that the active members can rely on is a fantastic feeling! Your school may let fall graduation students walk with the rest of their class in the spring, so you never want to be at your own graduation and feel like you missed out on everything.
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Growth & Expansion
Colony Updates
An Update on Our Current Expansion Efforts Updates provided by members of the Growth Team from the 2019-2020 academic year, including Director of Strategic Growth Lanse Macke (Oregon State '11) and Assistant Director of Strategic Growth Eric Babbitt (Northern Arizona '17)
Maine
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Elon
Epsilon-Theta Colony Elon, North Carolina 1
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Colonized in April, Epsilon-Theta is the second youngest colony of the Fraternity. Despite being in existence for less than nine months, the men at Elon have continually strived for excellence. The Colony has already surpassed their philanthropy goals for the semester, and together have raised more than $1,500 for various causes and organizations. The founding fathers here are promoting the best fraternity experience they can; brotherhood, philanthropy, service, scholarship, and most important, social and risk management. The entire colony completed every module in the Tightrope Program weeks in advance! As a new Colony, and as part of a statistically more risky Greek community, it's reassuring to know that Sigma Pi is doing its due diligence in ensuring that all our brothers, guests, and friends are able to enjoy fun and safe college experiences. This reputation should support this Colony in their efforts to recruit a new member class this spring, to add to their current roster of 30+ men. In recent months, the Executive Office has been able to appoint both a new North Carolina Province Archon, and colony director to support these founding fathers at Elon.
New Colony Orono, Maine Founding fathers of Sigma Pi at the University of Maine have made some impressive and significant progress in the last several months, as the Colony prepares to transition to become a new chapter! In addition to growing to a massive 60-man colony, this brotherhood has moved into their future chapter house! Thanks to the support of many dedicated volunteers in the greater New England area, the founding fathers at UM are now firmly connected to the university and the community of Orono. The Fraternity's footprint has been established and now our reach expands; as far east as Maine! The Executive Office is eager to celebrate the chartering of this colony, with an anticipated late April 2020 date.
Plymouth State
New Colony Plymouth, New Hampshire The founding fathers of the colony at Plymouth State University recently observed their one-year anniversary since colonization. This celebration has furthered their desire to become initiated brothers of Sigma Pi. These men are collaborating with their host institution to create the Greek community most of our chapters would recognize. This Colony is the only fraternity on campus with national or international affiliation. The unique situation has required our men to be more than role-models and leaders in Sigma Pi, but to everyone on campus, too! Colony members have assisted others in the development of an All-Greek Council that would represent all Greek-Letter student-organizations; local, or otherwise. As our Colony at Plymouth State awaits approval of their petition to charter, the Executive Office is excited to see the influence these men have on the University’s community for decades to come.
Winter 2020
Growth & Expansion
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Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
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Delta-Theta Colony Corpus Christi, Texas The most recent colonization took place October 20, 2019 at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. More than 25 men pledged and restored Delta-Theta as an official Colony of our Fraternity. The Colony members have been incredibly involved on and around campus in their short month of life: through Dance Marathon, the Colony raised nearly $1,000 in donations for local children’s hospitals; together the group has dedicated over 50 hours of community service; achieved a 3.5 cumulative GPA; and represent Sigma Pi as officers in more than 12 other student organizations. Please welcome our newest Colony members! A welcome email is encouraged; email to islandersigmapi@gmail.com.
Towson
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Eta-Nu Colony Towson, Maryland The Colony at Towson University in Maryland has grown steadily this semester. Placing emphasis on continuous or “open” recruitment has made it possible for this Colony to continue to add new members weekly, long after the many other colonies have stopped. This approach has helped the Colony to become the largest of five colonies at Towson. The founding fathers are determined to restore Eta-Nu as the former Grand Sage Cup winning chapter it was only a decade ago. The Colony has reported an anticipated spring 2020 chartering ceremony.
For more information on expansion efforts at Sigma Pi, visit
joinsigmapi.com
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Winter 2020
Sigma Pi Pride
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As Sigma Pi men, we share a sense of affinity and dedication to our Fraternity. These recent photos showcase some of the best examples of Sigma Pi Pride. To show your Sigma Pi Pride, share your photos with us at photos@sigmapi.org. 1
Undergraduate brothers from Oregon State (Omega) geared up and displayed their Sigma Pi pride on the university’s Jump Day!
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Brothers from Cal State Dominguez Hills (Eta-Iota) soaked up the sun while hiking in the Hollywood hills!
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Members from the recently established Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Delta-Theta) colony enjoying the holiday season!
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A pair of brothers from Bridgewater State (Eta-Eta) snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef!
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Southern Indiana (Theta-Psi) brothers taking in the Colorado Rockies.
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Chapter and Colony Reports Alabama
Theta-Omicron Chapter Tuscaloosa, Alabama
EDITOR’S NOTE: Reports are submitted by undergraduate
Ø
members of each Chapter and Colony. Along with updating and correcting basic guidelines, reports have been edited to only provide the
115 33
most important content. All reports are accurate as of October 10, 2019.
843
LEGEND
309
Ø
$
Ø Balance
Owe Money
Number of Undergraduate Members
0 1
Theta-Omicron is proud to be celebrating 15 years on campus this fall 2019. A celebratory event for members, alumni, family, national representatives, etc. will be held October 11th and 12th at the Sigma Pi house on campus. We welcomed in a new house mother this year, Ms. Kim Burchfield, and she has overseen some great house improvements for the chapter. We look forward to an amazing rest of the semester and are excited for what the future holds for this chapter at The University of Alabama.
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Pledges
Arkansas State
Lost Brothers (Missing Contact Information)
$
Donors to SPEF this fiscal year (undergraduate & alumni)
14
PHOTO REFERENCE
7 1348
NO REPORT SUBMITTED Arizona State Arkansas Buffalo Cal State Fullerton Cal State Long Beach California-Irvine California-Santa Cruz Carleton Colorado Colorado State Eastern Illinois Emporia State FDU-Metropolitan Ferris State Indiana Indiana of Pennsylvania Iowa Keene State Kennesaw State Lawrence Tech Louisville Miami (OH) Minnesota
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Mississippi Missouri State Monmouth Montclair State Northern Arizona Oregon State Purdue Rowan Salisbury San Diego South Florida UC Santa Barbara UCF UCLA UMSL UTSA Washington State West Chester West Virginia Tech Western Illinois William & Mary Wisconsin-Oshkosh Worcester Polytechnic
Arkansas Tech
Alpha-Pi Chapter Jonesboro, Arkansas
Lost Brothers (Missing Total Brothers Contact Information)
526 6 2
We’ve been working hard to overcome some large obstacles that have been put into our path. With the help of many of our alumni, we have made great progress and would like to thank you for your help. Make your plans now to attend our Founders’ Day celebration on March 7th. We always observe the first Saturday in March, so it’s easy to remember every year. We are always looking for volunteers to help the chapter. If you have specific life-skills that would be relevant to a group of young men, or would like to be involved in a volunteer role with the Chapter, please reach out to us at alphapicd@sigmapi.org.
Iota-Lambda Chapter Russellville, Arkansas $ 47 18 282 12 0
Iota-Lambda is enjoying our 10th year at Arkansas Tech University. To celebrate our decade on campus with our alumni, the chapter has planned an alumni-formal event which takes place on the night of our local Founders’ Day. Twenty new members accepted bids, which was one of the largest fraternity classes on campus. After having the highest cumulative GPA among fraternities last year, 3.23, the chapter is working hard to keep that trend going.
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Winter 2020
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Auburn
Alpha-Delta Chapter Auburn, Alabama $ 196 44 2162 932 6 4
The Chapter had a very successful semester in recruitment, social events, and academics while still contributing to philanthropy and service to the Auburn community and beyond. We will initiate almost 40 new brothers by the end of the semester. AlphaDelta has put on some great social events this year including the fall kickoff party which was one of the largest on campus. We have a renewed commitment to grades in 2019, increasing the amount of brothers on the Dean’s List by 70% in the spring semester. Our commitment to service has been steady, doing over a 1,000 hours of service already in 2019.
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Chapter and Colony Reports Bentley
Iota-Theta Chapter Waltham, Massachusetts $ 52 7 217 16 0
2019 has been a great start to the year for the brothers of Iota-Theta. We recently welcomed a class of six great men after a successful recruitment season which further extended their presence on campus. In addition, the brothers helped to raise money for the Greater Boston Food Bank to further our philanthropic efforts. The brothers also had the highest overall GPA among all chapters of Bentley’s Interfrateral Council and are looking to continue this success in the classroom for the rest of the year!
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Bridgewater State
Eta-Eta Chapter Bridgewater, Massachusetts $ 37 11 515 84 3 6
Eta-Eta is celebrating our 30th anniversary at Bridgewater State University. On September 7th, the chapter held its annual alumni softball game with about 40 total brothers in attendance. On October 19th, Eta-Eta holds its 30th anniversary reunion as part of the chapter homecoming celebration. Active brothers participated in Bears Fighting Hunger by helping pack meals for impoverished families on 9/11. In addition, Eta-Eta successfully extended 13 bids for the Beta-Pi new member class aiming to initiate them on November 13th.
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Cal Poly
Eta-Delta Chapter San Luis Obispo, California $ 92 25 556 112 6 7
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As the 2019-2020 academic year kicks off, the brothers of Eta-Delta have returned to the Cal Poly campus with vigor and excitement for all the opportunities this new year may bring. To kick off the year, Eta-Delta hosted the annual Mental Health and Suicide Awareness Week in support of the Amazing Day Foundation by hosting awareness and “Break the Stigma” events in conjunction with Cal Poly’s Counseling Services. The brothers of Eta-Delta have returned not only to philanthropy, but also the athletic fields as we advance to D1 IFC football, as well as, soccer and ultimate Frisbee teams.
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Winter 2020
Cal State Chico Theta-Mu Chapter Chico, California Ø 46 4 383 54 2
Over the last month our chapter has participated in our school’s greek week in which we have been paired with the Sigma Kappa Sorority. This week we have collected canned food donations, and raised money to support the prevention of domestic violence. This upcoming Saturday our chapter will be volunteering for the Alzheimers walk in downtown Chico. Our intramural teams, both soccer and football, finished the regular season undefeated, and look to win both league championships during the upcoming weeks.
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Cal State Dominguez Hills Eta-Iota Chapter Carson, California $ 22 0 408 123 0 8
During fall semester, Eta-Iota hosted our first fundraiser at Red West Pizza in Wilmington, that turned out to be a success as it maximized profit as mush as possible for the chapter. Additionally, the brothers have also contributed to the Eco Club on campus by helping clean up the butterfly garden. We have future upcoming events, such as, more community service with I Dig Long Beach to help plant more trees in a variety of parks. The brothers from Eta-Iota continue to strive for our quest of excellence by securing our position as the best and largest Fraternity on campus.
Central Michigan
Delta-Alpha Chapter Mount Pleasant, Michigan $ 98 28 1120 526
This is a big year for Delta-Alpha as we are celebrating our 50th year on campus. Our chapter recently received the “Best Fraternity” award from our student newspaper, CMLife. We are currently at 66 active members and we had a very successful fall recruitment, with 30 new members accepting their bids and beginning their quest for excellence.
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Chapter and Colony Reports Central Missouri
Gamma-Gamma Chapter Warrensburg, Missouri $ 73 29 1118 279 3 10
Starting off the 2019 fall semester, Gamma-Gamma was happy to initiate seven new members into our brotherhood. We had a successful recruitment, gaining 22 potential new members who are currently undergoing pledgeship. We have had a engaging year so far by establishing a point value system for chapter related events. Through this system, we hope to strengthen and improve the involvement of the chapter’s members. Our highest goal for this year is to be the model chapter on campus and to win our campus’s coveted Five-Star Award.
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Cornell
Mu Chapter Ithaca, New York $ 68 0 1852 781 1 11
Mu has enjoyed a very eventful, and very successful 2019. The year has included two new member classes, many esteemed social and philanthropic events, and the graduation of a very influential senior class. Some highlights include an amazing alumni reunion to kick off the summer season, a privileged opportunity to host the university trustees for a breakfast in the Mu house, and the momentous dedication of our memorial library to late Brother Jim Keene ‘57, a Sigma Pi Founders Award recipient. Mu is very grateful for the year we’ve had!
Detroit-Mercy
Gamma-Alpha Chapter Detroit, Michigan $ 21 9 1148 515 1 11
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This semester has been extremely busy. We hosted a flag football tournament fundraiser on homecoming and we also helped campus with tear down after homecoming. We have focused a lot on fundraising this semester to continue to work on the house, which made tremendous strides during the summer and early fall semesters. Fundraisers include Blaze Pizza, Salsa, and others. We are looking to have a good class of new members this semester and next semester. We also have a few philanthropy events coming up, including helping out at Gleaner’s Community Food Bank.
Winter 2020
Drury
Epsilon-Rho Chapter Springfield, Missouri Ø 25 9 614 263 0 12
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Epsilon-Rho hit the ground running this year, pinning eight new members on the inter-fraternity campus bid day, and added a ninth just before October. This momentum carried into greek week, where Epsilon-Rho took first place while paired with the Mu chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha. The brothers of the Epsilon-Rho continued the semester with the highest greek organization GPA, and look forward to increase our community service and philanthropic activities. In addition to things aforementioned, EpsilonRho has no plans to slow down on our quest for excellence in all that we do.
East Carolina
Eta-Kappa Chapter Greenville, North Carolina $ 58 23 414 110 0 13
This semester we have pinned 23 new members to our fraternity. We also have had our lettering ceremony for our house that we as a chapter have earned last semester. This semester we also have planned two social events with other greek organizations. We are doing homecoming with Kappa Delta and three philanthropy events included big roast with Chi Phi, county fair with Kappa Delta and country dinner with Phi Mu. We’re also getting another lettered house right across the street from campus.
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East Stroudsburg
Beta-Psi Chapter East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania $ 28 3 889 480 1 14
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This fall at Beta-Psi, we started the semester with a huge positive change in lifting our financial suspension. A new Second Counselor was elected at beginning of the semester. We’ve been finding success with our fundraisers as we hosted multiple car washes with our sister sorority. Our chapter has participated and planned for the entire semester to clean up the streets of East Stroudsburg. Multiple brothers volunteered to help with the Monroe County annual Special Olympics hosted at ESU. On the same day, other brothers participated and donated blood to an ESU athlete who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
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Chapter and Colony Reports Eastern Kentucky
Epsilon-Lambda Chapter Richmond, Kentucky $ 35 0 738 374 1 15
The fall semester has been very good to Epsilon-Lambda. We gained 22 new members from recruitment. These young men consist of 15 high school athletes, three current athletes at EKU, and 12 members of the National Honor Society. We look forward to see the progression of these fine men. Epsilon-Lambda just had a very successful homecoming weekend. We rented a venue to host an alumni breakfast and had a fantastic tailgate. We are currently preparing for our annual philanthropy, Tree of Hope. We will be buying, wrapping, and delivering presents to a local daycare in a low income area of Richmond.
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FDU-Florham
Iota-Phi Chapter Florham Park, New Jersey $ 25 0 280 118 0
After a successful spring 2019 semester, Iota-Phi returned to FDU’s Florham Campus stronger and more unified than ever before. Along with many other greek organizations, the brothers helped FDU Florham collect 814 gallons of water for the people of Newark, due to the town experiencing unsafe water conditions in the latter end of the summer. Iota-Phi has initiated the pledge process for 10 new gentleman this fall, bringing the new member total in the past six months to 21. Iota-Phi looks forward to elections in November, for it will give our new members their chance to make a difference.
Fitchburg State
Eta-Tau Chapter Fitchburg, Massachusetts $ 32 9 999
Eta-Tau has had their brotherhood retreat in the summer, which was a huge success. Eta-Tau is looking forward to participating in the Boys and Girls Club of Lunenburg’s annual “Shrieks and Krieks” for community service and improving their SOE points this fall semester.
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Winter 2020
Florida State
Eta-Epsilon Chapter Tallahassee, Florida $ 117 22 448
In the spring of 2019, the brothers of the Eta-Epsilon participated in Dance Marathon at Florida State University. After months of fundraising for the event, the brothers were able to raise over $19,000. Eta-Epsilon raised the second largest amount of money out of all the fraternities on campus all for the kids.
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Georgia
Alpha-Phi Chapter Athens, Georgia $ 95 23 260 29 0
During the past year, Alpha-Phi had a successful fall recruitment class with the addition of 21 new brothers. A new addition to the Alpha-Phi philanthropy branch is a concert thrown in honor of Camp Kesum, a foundation that helps children whose parents are affected by cancer, through the hard work of philanthropy chair Brother Austin Grant. Alpha-Phi is looking forward to the next semester where we plan on traveling to Savannah,Georgia for our river boat formal.
Grand Valley State Theta-Rho Chapter Allendale, Michigan $ 98 25 658 324 1 18
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Even though the new school year has only just begun, Theta-Rho is already excited to share what we have accomplished this semester. Theta-Rho recruited 25 excellent potential new members currently in the middle of their pledging process and recently organized a very successful philanthropy event. This past September, Theta-Rho held its first annual golf outing and raised over $7,000 in donations for our local philanthropy, The Hero Foundation, whose main goal is to help lessen the financial load of Michigan families that have been impacted by cancer.
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Chapter and Colony Reports Houston
Theta-Nu Chapter Houston, Texas $ 17 0 1244 404 0 19
During the beginning of our semester we finally made the big decision to move to an off campus house. The decision has paid off by allowing the chapter to arguably operate better, and save money. We held a yoga mixer at the house with the ladies of Alpha Kappa Delta Phi that went well, as we are continuing to branch out to more multicultural organizations. We have also been able to throw several successful social events, as well as, tailgates for the football season. We are excited for the upcoming semester as we are planning an entire philanthropy week.
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Illinois State
Epsilon-Eta Chapter Normal, Illinois $ 112 35 2612 770 0 20
Epsilon-Eta has had another great semester. With the addition of 33 new members from fall recruitment, the total number of members here has been raised to over 110 members. This semester continues with successful brotherhood events and philanthropies. Many men attended our brotherhood camping trip. We are also hosting a philanthropy event for a brother’s friend who lost her life tragically in a car accident over summer, the event is called “Bags for Mags” and is hosted on October 11th. Barn dance is also right around the corner on October 12th, which the guys are excited for!
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Iowa State
Sigma Chapter Ames, Iowa $ 121 21 1137 283 2 21
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We put together the Back to School donation drive, donating school supplies to children in Iowa who couldn’t afford them. Following that, we hosted a drive for the victims of Hurricane Dorian, sending food and hygiene products to families in need. We also help with an event called Blue Sky 5k where all members raise money, and many also participate in the actual 5k. The proceeds go to children with mental health problems in Iowa. We recently held a philanthropy as well, raising money for the Amazing Day Foundation.
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Winter 2020
Kansas
Beta-Delta Chapter Lawrence, Kansas $ 48 30 1389 671 0 22
Beta-Delta was able to obtain one of the largest houses on campus at Kansas. As a chapter we worked incredibly hard throughout the summer to establish a name and good reputation on campus. In years prior Sigma Pi was not well known around campus but the house has helped to change that. During the beginning of the this fall semester we have begun the process of adapting to what life is like in the house. With this new addition to the chapter we were able to also grow our numbers by nearly 130% with a 30 member pledge class and are excited to see what the future for Beta-Delta holds!
Kentucky
Epsilon-Beta Chapter Lexington, Kentucky $ 56 20 167 12 4 23
So far this year, our most successful event was recruitment. We spent a considerable amount of time and resources contacting potential new members, setting up and scheduling recruitment events, and doing our best in recruiting the next class. We ended with a class of 20. We have also had our brotherhood retreat. As always, it was held in Gatlinburg, TN. We rented a three floor cabin that came with a first floor pool, as well as, two hot tubs! Overall, we had a great time getting to know all of the pledges and hanging out as brothers. This event is always a huge success and definitely a favorite amongst the brothers.
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Michigan State
Zeta-Mu Chapter East Lansing, Michigan $ 123 22 796 196 0
The fall semester has been an exciting one for the brothers of Zeta-Mu. We recently held our annual volleyball tournament which raised more than $3,000 for RAINN, the largest non-profit sexual assault prevention organization in the United States. In the spring, our chapter will be celebrating our 35th anniversary! We look forward to welcoming back our alumni and brothers from all years and hope for another 35 years of excellence! 23
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Chapter and Colony Reports Michigan Tech
Zeta-Epsilon Chapter Houghton, Michigan $ 34 7 420 180 0
Zeta-Epsilon is enjoying a strong start to the fall 2019 semester. We currently have 18 out of 26 active brothers living in the chapter house, which is the largest amount in quite some time. Our fall recruitment has also been very successful, with a potential new member class of seven. With our annual Haunted Haus charity fundraiser and alumni cleanup events scheduled in October, we will be looking to carry this momentum forward into the rest of the fall. 24
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Missouri S&T
Alpha-Iota Chapter Rolla, Missouri $ 58 22 466 112 5 26
Alpha-Iota had the ribbon cutting for our new house on August 3rd, thanks to the many donations from our alumni. Since then, our chapter has excelled in pledging 21 new members into the fraternity, placing third in the Interfraternity Council event, greek week, and establishing a new philanthropy event for Donate Life Missouri. Alpha-Iota was also recognized as the best fraternal organization in the city of Rolla for 2019.
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Middle Tennessee
Theta-Omega Chapter Murfreesboro, Tennessee Ă˜ 43 18
Theta-Omega has had a great start to the fall semester. There are a total of 20 new members this fall. The new members along with brothers attended a kayaking trip to kick off the semester. This will be a very eventful year for Theta-Omega.
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Winter 2020
Morehead State
Delta-Rho Chapter Morehead, Kentucky $ 14 8 837 354 5 27
Delta-Rho is continuing to strengthen and improve its relationship with, not just the campus community, but the community of Rowan County as well. This semester, Delta-Rho managed to double its chapter size with a very successful recruitment of nine new members. This was the largest turn around in years. This has been noticed by other chapters and alumni, as well as, the Greek Life Adviser. Delta-Rho has also been hosting and doing more philanthropy events, such as Sigma Pirates and Hoops for Troops. The members of the chapter are eager for this upcoming semester.
Murray State
Gamma-Upsilon Chapter Murray, Kentucky $
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28 6 1177 437 5 28
Gamma-Upsilon initiated two brothers at the start of this fall semester and have taken on five new members. Four of our brothers competed in a grueling obstacle course hosted by the Murray State ROTC raising money for the Wounded Warriors Project. Alongside this, we have contributed to many philanthropies such as “Get Cheezy” with DZ, an event which supported the Starkey Hearing Foundation, an organization that provides free hearing implants to those in need. We look forward to having an excellent fall semester with many new memories and bonds being created.
NJIT
Alpha-Mu Chapter Newark, New Jersey Ø 32 7 1217 430 4 28
Alpha-Mu has enjoyed a successful start to the fall 2019 semester. We welcomed seven new members after a great recruitment period. The chapter has been very involved on and off campus in the city of Newark. We won first place for NJIT’s Can Drive for homecoming weekend and stand in first place for the flag football league. Alpha-Mu has also held cleanups on neighboring streets to keep a clean environment in Newark. They are now looking forward to a great rest of the semester and gearing up for ACE week.
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Chapter and Colony Reports North Carolina State Rho Chapter Raleigh, North Carolina $ 74 18 678 333 3 29
Rho had a strong spring semester, and is currently having a great fall semester. In March, Rho hosted their annual Break the Silence 5k, a philanthropy event that raises funds to be donated to the NC State counseling center, and works to end the stigma surrounding mental health. The event was a huge success, raising over $10,000 to donate to the counseling center, and having over 300 participants. Rho currently has a class of 16 new members. Rho will be hosting their annual alumni event in November, and are looking forward to a terrific night. Rho’s current GPA is above a 3.0.
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Oakland
Ohio State
Zeta-Pi Chapter Rochester, Michigan $ 38 14 1501 694 3 30
Zeta-Pi took on 13 new members with their initiation to be hosted later this fall. Our philanthropic efforts this semester have followed the lead of our brothers efforts in attaining new members. The chapter co-hosted Sigma Pups alongside Alpha Sigma Tau, where therapy dogs were hosted on campus at Oakview Hall during midterms for students, with all proceeds going to Fur Angels Animal Therapy. In addition to Sigma Pups, the chapter also hosted our 25th annual Pig Roast at the Welcome Week Carnival and provided meals for well over 500 students.
Gamma Chapter Columbus, Ohio $ 29 17 536 226 4
This past semester we had a successful recruitment and have 13 young men who are excited to join the Fraternity. We have also agreed to partner with Empower Sports, a student organization which teaches sports to kids with disabilities, on an upcoming philanthropy event. A few of the brothers attended the Sigma Pi Columbus Alumni Club Dinner and had a great time hearing about the chapter’s past and getting to know the men who built it.
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Ohio Northern Zeta Chapter Adams, Ohio $ 20 0 392 49 5 31
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Zeta has hit the ground running for the start of the 2019 - 2020 academic year. An event the chapter has had so far is the Sigma Pi Hog Roast, where brother Adam Clemens brought one of the pigs he raised to be roasted and served as a fundraiser. The brothers and potential new members had lots of fun at recruitment events like Break or Bounce, Party on the Tundra and the Taste of Ada Pizza Buffet. We enjoyed hosting some of our alumni, building a float, and participating in the parade at homecoming. 31
Winter 2020
Old Dominion
Theta-Eta Chapter Norfolk, Virginia Ø 47 15 1255 355
Theta-Eta has been having an amazing fall semester. We held a fantastic parents weekend tailgate. A lot of parents came out to support us and our fundraising table. Along with that, our brothers had a great time at our semi-formal. Our chapter as a whole has raised a good amount of money towards our philanthropy. We killed it in fall recruitment and we hope to carry that energy over into the next semester.
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Radford
Penn College
Theta-Lambda Chapter Radford, Virginia
Theta-Phi Chapter Williamsport, Pennsylvania $ 18 4 1979 713 0
Last semester, Theta-Phi donated over $1,100 to the ALS Foundation by doing a raffle ticket contest. Theta-Phi will also be donating to the St. Jude’s Children Research this semester. Theta-Phi has six people going through our new member education. Theta-Phi’s fundraising has been going better than it has in previous semesters. Thank you to all the alumni that came to our alumni weekend, we hope to see you there for the next alumni weekend.
$ 52 11 569 165 0 33
Penn State-Altoona
Penn State
$ 50 0 277 27 0 33
Theta had a great start to fall 2019. We are glad to have been fundraising for our school’s student-run philanthropy, THON, with our partner sorority, Delta Zeta. This semester we have also organized a fundraiser with Epsilon Sigma Alpha sorority through our annual haunted house. Through this event, we raised money for The Amazing Day Foundation. We are also participating in a holiday season toy-drive for local families with young children. Additionally, we are active with intramural sports, placing second in the greek softball tournament.
Rutgers
Theta-Iota Chapter Altoona, Pennsylvania
Theta Chapter State College, Pennsylvania $ 13 0 32 0 1
Over the early weeks of the semester, our current members were able to meet notable alumni and former Sage, Marshall Smith. Brother Smith was in the process of tearing down a house that he had purchased. After one of our current brothers reached out to him, members of the chapter volunteered their time helping him tear down what was remaining of the house. Our goal was not only to help Marshall and his family but also to further our bond of brotherhood in which our chapter is striving to improve on.
For fall recruitment we welcomed nine new members who look to help better the Chapter. We held a fraternity retreat with most of our active brothers, chapter director, and province archon. Here, we went set chapter goals, went over our 20192020 budget, and ways we can better follow our new risk management policy. Some of the new members were able to attend our retreat and see first hand the operations of our Fraternity. We are extremely happy to be back on track and operating again, striving for excellence.
Gamma-Eta Chapter New Brunswick, New Jersey $ 16 1 405 77 1
We’ve had brotherhood events, recruitment events, Keller sports events, and philanthropy events. All our recruitment events were successful which started September 4th and we had Meet the Brothers that day, Chick-fil-A Night on the 6th, Game Night on the 11th and our Invite Only on the 13th. They all went well with good brother turnout. We had Brotherhood Buffalo Wild Wings which we had almost two-thirds attendance. An upcoming milestone event is homecoming, where we plan on having many recent alumni come.
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Chapter and Colony Reports Saginaw Valley State
Theta-Beta Chapter University Center, Michigan $ 40 15 279 7 1 34
Theta-Beta gave out 14 bids for the semester which is one of the larger classes we have had in recent years. We have a great group of guys that are pledging who are dedicated and ready to learn. We just finished homecoming here at SVSU. Although we did not win homecoming, we all had a blast helping throughout the week. Which included kickball, powderpuff, float building, and lastly, our famous lip sync which all the brothers love to participate in. The next big event coming up is the Ace Project with police department, and collecting donations for the Military affairs on campus.
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Santa Clara
Zeta-Eta Chapter Santa Clara, California $ 82 0 527 222 4 35
Zeta-Eta is proud to announce the success of our philanthropy for Multiple Sclerosis, which culminated with our annual MS volleyball event at the beach in Santa Cruz. In total, we raised $47,435 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Beyond philanthropy, 2019 has been a very special year as it marks the 30th year of our chapter director Fr. Art’s service to Zeta-Eta. We honored Fr. Art at our Orchid Ball Formal dinner in San Diego with a video showing old photos and videos of alumni sharing kind words of gratitude. We look forward to finishing off the rest of the year in a strong way!
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SIU-Carbondale
Southern Arkansas
Beta-Nu Chapter Carbondale, Illinois $ 30 7 163 1 2
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Beta-Nu has put an emphasis on community service and philanthropy with the new school year. The chapter focused on several charities including the Amazing Day Foundation for suicide awareness, the Superhero 5k to support For Kid’s Sake, and countless Adopt-A-Spot cleanups along the highway. The fraternity is looking forward to developing brotherhood as well this semester. We are planning constant events from as small as a bonfire in the backyard to a trip to go paintballing, as long as we get to spend quality time together as brothers.
Southern Indiana
Epsilon-Kappa Chapter Magnolia, Arkansas $ 18 4 1279 609 2
Epsilon-Kappa has had a great year so far. We were able to initiate seven brothers through the Golden Quest in the spring 2019 semester. We also were able to pick up four new guys for our organization. We are looking forward to Southern Arkansas University Homecoming this year and being able to meet alumni and introduce them to the new members in Epsilon-Kappa.
Theta-Psi Chapter Evansville, Indiana $ 24 7 374
Our brothers helped incoming freshman move into their dorms for volunteer hours. We plan on having our annual event “Fraturday Night Live” in support of Amazing Day Foundation in November. We also had a successful recruitment week of events.
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Winter 2020
St. John’s
Iota-Tau Chapter Jamaica, New York $ 39 0 109 1 0 36
This past September, Iota-Tau participated in our annual 9/11 stair walk. This year, as we do every year, we had members of the NYPD and FDNY come out to our philanthropy event in which we reenact walking up the stairs in the Twin Towers. From this event we were able to raise over $500 and the money we raised goes towards the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which helps provide for the families who lost someone, to show that their heroic sacrifice is always remembered and honored. Looking ahead in the month of October we will be having our annual Sigma Puppies event.
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Stockton
TCNJ
Iota-Upsilon Chapter Galloway, New Jersey $ 51 9 58 24 3 37
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Iota-Upsilon kicked off the semester strong by holding philanthropy and community service events such as The Field of Dreams in Absecon, hosted by brother Tony Clerico. Our philanthropy events included selling bracelets and key chains to support breast cancer awareness and research, all money was donated to a local sorority Zeta Tau Alpha. IotaUpsilon recently introduced our Theta class which includes, brothers-Nick Haffner, Albert Mobilo, Dylan Fiedler, Joseph D’Alessio, Kelvin Rosario, Daniel Bunting, and Jack Arnold. We are excited to continue our quest of excellence in upcoming events!
UC Berkeley
Theta-Delta Chapter Ewing, New Jersey $ 28 0 1342 484
As a close-knit brotherhood, ThetaDelta continue to excel with the odds stacked against us. Our chapter is currently in first place as a team for the upcoming Relay for Life. We are also in the works of forming a charity basketball game with Ewing Police for this spring. Despite being off campus as a chapter, we continue to have a significant and meaningful impact to the local community and succeed as an independent chapter of Sigma Pi.
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Iota Chapter Berkeley, California $ 34 14 657 212 1 38
13 men of Alpha-Rho could not be more excited to join the brotherhood. For their pledge class project, they have been beautifying the drab, uneven dirt area by the parking lot and basement; look forward to a new backyard for the house come spring semester! Recently completed renovations include entirely remodeling the bedroom in the basement and the one by the kitchen, now called the Batcave and Presidential suite. We have also been active in our community - over 30 house members helped clean up the Berkeley Waterfront in honor of this year’s California Coastal Cleanup Day!
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Chapter and Colony Reports Ursinus
Theta-Sigma Chapter Collegeville, Pennsylvania $ 23 6 176 11 0 39
Theta-Sigma has experienced great growth cultivated by a stronger sense of brotherhood and fraternalism amongst brothers. This fall, a strong pledge class of six was initiated. Brothers new and old had the chance to mingle at the homecoming football game at Ursinus College, where bonds between current undergraduates and alumni were strengthened. The entire chapter also worked hard volunteering for “Wolfpack fights Cancer,” a massive local fundraiser created to help a young girl in her courageous fight against cancer. Overall, the future is bright for Theta-Sigma.
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Valparaiso
Vincennes
Beta-Tau Chapter Valparaiso, Indiana $ 17 2 689 307 2 40
Beta-Tau has worked hard this semester to expand our presence on campus. We have participated in more fraternity and sorority life events on campus as compared to previous years. The brothers have also hosted a successful community service event at the local migratory bird sanctuary to help the owner who is trying to restore the land to its original state. Beta-Tau has been reaching out to the fraternity and sorority life community, hosting two joint social events. The brothers will be going into the spring 2020 semester striving to be a better and more successful community member at Valparaiso University.
Virginia
Alpha Chapter Vincennes, Indiana $ 24 6 1548 468 1
Alpha has been more active on campus than ever before. One thing we have done more of is intermural sports and participating in other events held on campus. During our recruitment week this semester, we decided to have alumni come and talk to the potential new members about their experience and how Sigma Pi affected their lives for the better. We have hosted more and more alumni events that have brought alumni back to bond with there old brothers and the new generation that has succeeded them.
Beta-Pi Chapter Charlottesville, Virginia Ø 35 0 375 150 1
Beta-Pi is grateful to welcome brother Jack Grunberg back to grounds after a grueling spring hiking through the northwestern region of the Amazon Rainforest, where he worked with UVA biologists to track the movements of the endangered Uakari Monkey during its quadrennial mating season. More recently this semester, brothers Jacob Rantas and Benjamin Grimmelbein have been working hard to rekindle our fall philanthropy event, “Kisses for Mr. and Mrs.” where we donate Halloween candy to the greater Charlottesville community. Well done gents!
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Winter 2020
Wake Forest
Alpha-Nu Chapter Winston-Salem, North Carolina Ø 56 7 1409 711 5
Alpha-Nu had a successful alumni pig roast, in which over 40 Alpha-Nu alumni came back to campus! With that, we implemented a new alumni mentor program. Sixty-three alumni responded to a survey describing what they have been up to since leaving campus, and I paired them with current brothers in order to make a good networking connection. In terms of larger upcoming events, our chapter is signed up to set-up, lead, and break down, the Winston-Salem Annual Alzheimer walk. With the honorable, Gary Tash, as a long time mentor to our chapter, we take this walk very seriously.
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Wayne State
Wisconsin
Gamma-Omega Chapter Detroit, Michigan $ 45 11 642 233 0 41
Everyone here at Gamma-Omega is excited to be back for the fall semester! After celebrating our 50th anniversary last February, the chapter has been highly motivated and has been proud of the work we have been doing. Recruitment month was a great success recruiting a total of 11 new members for this semester. We look forward to hosting our fourth annual “No Place Like Home” philanthropy for the Haven Foundation later in the winter semester. The chapter is always open to hearing from our alumni, we can be reached at gammaomega1c@gmail.com.
Tau Chapter Madison, Wisconsin $ 54 19 383 18 0 41
West Alabama
William Paterson
Theta-Gamma Chapter Livingston, Alabama $ 26 11 336 41 0
Theta-Gamma had a successful spring semester. We completed our ACE Project, which was called “Spring Dingers.” The brothers allowed the campus to participate in a slow pitched softball tournament. The chapter as a whole, the chapter coordinated with the Livingston City Hall all assisted in cleaning the city. The chapter also supported the University of West Alabama’s baseball team. We hosted a crawfish boil at one of the team’s home games and helped bring the community together at these. For fundraising, the fraternity continued to sale Yankee candles to the public.
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Wisconsin-Platteville
Theta-Tau Chapter Wayne, New Jersey $ 13 0 191 17 0
In early September, Theta-Tau brothers helped move in well over 1,000 freshmen to their new homes on campus. The chapter has had several successful fundraisers thus far and partnered with other student organizations around campus. Brothers were hard at work during the summer months as well. Brother Marvin spent much of his time volunteering at his local Boys & Girls Club, where he offered STEM tutoring to children grades 3-10. Brother Martin spent time in Kentucky working with the Appalachia Service Project, repairing homes for low income families.
Tau is pleased to have had a great fall recruitment, with 17 excited new brothers ready to see what Sigma Pi has to offer them. As one of the smaller chapters on campus, getting numbers like this is what we need to grow and better our fraternity. We successfully raised $400 for the Amazing Day Foundation with our annual “MacTaggart’s fundraiser.” Along with that philanthropy event,Tau had it’s biannual highway cleanup where we pick up trash on the side of the highway to better our community. Tau is excited to see what the future holds for us.
Delta-Iota Chapter Platteville, Wisconsin $ 38 8 642 276
Delta-Iota worked together to clean and sort artifacts at the Mining and Rollo Jamison Museums. It was a chance for the chapter to give back to the community that supports them and was a chance to pay respects to the history of Southwest Wisconsin. The brothers enjoyed handling the artifacts and helping move them to a different building for safekeeping so that future generations may continue to study and learn the region’s history.
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Lifestyle
Overcoming Seasonal Depression Winter blues, cabin fever, seasonal depression, climbing the walls... you’ve heard all the nicknames for Seasonal Affective Disorder, but what is it really? And how do you overcome? According to the Mayo Clinic, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons; SAD begins and ends at about the same time every year. If you're like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue through the winter months, draining your energy and making you feel moody.
Get Moving Head to the gym and exercise or take the stairs at work. Aerobic exercise in particular stimulates endorphins and can help you to feel better.
Get Outside Yes, even though it's cold, bundle up, get outside, and walk for at least ten minutes a day. The natural light will help to enhance your mood.
Hit the Road Taking a weekend escape to warmer climates can work wonders. It gives you something to look forward to rather than dwelling on the long cold winter, and it provides a healthy dose of sunshine and warmth.
Get Social Surround yourself with supportive friends and family to help lift your frame of mind; plan activities like movies and dinners.
Read the full article at: shorturl.at/qxjo5
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Winter 2020
Finance
Understanding a 401(k) Plan Why You Need to Start Saving For Retirement Today by David Presson (Murray State '77), contributing writer
A
401(k) plan is a tax-advantaged, defined-contribution retirement account offered by many employers to their employees. It is named after a section of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Workers can make contributions to their 401(k) accounts through automatic payroll withholding, and their employers can match some or all of those contributions. The investment earnings in a traditional 401(k) plan are not taxed until the employee withdraws that money, typically during retirement. Taxes can take a big bite out of your total investment returns and having a 401(k) plan offers a variety of tax benefits. When you contribute to a traditional 401(k) plan, your contributions are deducted from your pay before income taxes are assessed. The pretax contributions reduce your current taxable income, which in turn reduces the amount of taxes owed each year. The other tax benefit of a plan is the tax-deferral of your yearly returns. In a taxable account, you are obligated to pay taxes on the income each year as well as any capital gains from investments sold, in addition to capital gain distributions from mutual funds. The taxes on these returns will dilute your returns over time and, in some cases, in a meaningful way if you are not careful. However, in a 401(k) plan, you can delay paying the taxes on your gains until you withdraw the money during retirement. While you are not completely avoiding the taxes, the delaying process can enable your yearly returns to compound at a much higher rate than if you had to pay the taxes each year. In addition, depending on your situation, when you are in retirement you could be in a lower marginal tax bracket than in your peak earnings years. Given the tax benefits, it makes sense to try to contribute as much as you can afford each year to your plan. Individuals can contribute up to $19,500 in 2020 vs. $19,000 for 2019. For those people 50 years or older, the IRS allows a larger amount. For 2020, this amount is $26,000 per individual vs. $25,000 in 2019. Even if you can’t contribute the maximum amount each year, be sure to contribute what you can. Through the yearly power of compounding, even small amounts have the potential to add up over time. Your employer may also contribute to your
plan through matching or profit-sharing contributions. If your employer offers a match, be sure you’re contributing enough to get the full benefit of this match. For example, if your employer matches the first 5% of your contributions, make sure you contribute at least 5% each year to get his full benefit; think of it as free money! Some other things to consider with your 401(k) plan: • If you take money out of your plan before the age of 59 ½, in addition to the normal taxes owed on the distribution, you could also be subject to a 10% early distribution penalty. • However, depending on your plan’s provisions, you may be able to make a hardship withdrawal for certain types of financial needs such as covering a medical or burial expense, or avoiding a foreclosure on a home. These withdrawals would still be taxable, but not subject to the extra 10% penalty. • In some cases, depending on your plan’s provisions, you might be able to borrow against your 401(k) balance. The proceeds from the loan would not be taxable. • Finally, one other benefit of the 401(k) plan is that generally your assets are fully protected from your creditors in the event of a lawsuit or bankruptcy. So, in summary, there are many benefits to investing in your employer’s 401(k) plan, so make sure you’re taking advantage of them as much as possible.
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The Emerald Online
Check Out The Emerald Online! With the re-development of theemerald.org, nearly every Sigma Pi member in the world has the ability to get the most current up-to-date information about our brotherhood on a refreshed, modern platform! You can expect Sigma Pi specific content, including many features and columns, as well as beneficial articles surrounding topics like finance, personal development, travel, and much more. The Emerald Online lineup helps deal with the challenging economics of print publishing and distribution while remaining more connected to our subscribers. Featured Article from theemerald.org
Why Mentoring is Important and How to Get Involved With January honored as National Mentoring Month it is important to highlight the impact a mentor has on a student that can be life-changing. Volunteering your time as an alumni mentor not only benefits the undergraduate members with the critical guidance they need to succeed, it also provides the alumni volunteer with a personally rewarding and fraternally enriching experience. Here are five benefits of being a mentor for Sigma Pi Fraternity: •
Help undergraduate men shape their career goals.
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Enhance your leadership skills.
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Support undergraduate men to develop a lifelong passion for Sigma Pi.
•
Create long-lasting relationships with undergraduate, alumni, and fellow volunteers.
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Assist Sigma Pi Fraternity’s immediate growth and longterm sustainability. To read the remainder of this article, visit
theemerald.org
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Winter 2020
Volunteers
Newsletter
Are You Subscribed to Receive the Sigma Pi Quarterly?
Volunteering and #whyibelieve New England Province Archon David ‘Mango’ Magnano (Worcester Polytechnic '10)
Recognized as the Province Archon of the Quarter in the July issue of the Sigma Pi Quarterly.
As an undergrad and newly initiated member attending my first Convocation at Danvers, MA, I remember being told that Sigma Pi was by the undergrads, for the undergrads.
Visit our "Update Your Information" page on the Sigma Pi website, fill in your information, and select "Yes" in the question"Would you like to receive emails from Sigma Pi?"
Just visit sigmapi.org/updateinfo
As an alumnus I try to keep that in mind when interacting with the chapters in my province. As an advisor to several chapters, I see my role as acting as a resource for them to use to better themselves, rather than as a leader setting standard benchmarks by which to judge differing groups on unique campuses. Just like every college is unique, every chapter of Sigma Pi is unique and there is no best practice that works for all circumstances. As an alumnus, with my college experience behind me, I believe it is not my place to tell an undergraduate what they have to make out of their individual experience. Undergraduates need to discover their strengths and set their goals for
themselves, however as alumni it is our job to offer them at a minimum the same levels of support and assistance that were available to us when we were going through similar transitional periods in our lives. Sigma Pi, at its most basic, is an organization whose main purpose is to foster a positive collegiate experience that prepares its members for personal and professional life after graduation. We attempt to achieve this by connecting them with the contacts, tools, and resources of the generations that have come before them. Aside from that, we alumni have to believe in their ability to succeed knowing that our encouragement and honest faith in their ability to achieve their goals is likely the best support we can provide as they take their first steps towards truly independent lives.
sigmapi.org 49
Volunteers
Dr. Jeremy Lessmann (Franklin and Marshall ’88) facilitates a session at the 2020 Mid-Year Leadership Conference
Volunteering Beyond a Title There Are Many Ways to Give Back to the Fraternity by Jacob Camilleri (Saginaw Valley State '14), Assistant Director of Volunteer Education
D
id you know there are volunteer opportunities with Sigma Pi other than the province archon or chapter/colony director positions? Volunteer opportunities also include alumni advisory board member, alumni club leader, speaking/facilitating at a workshop or conference, contributing as a writer for The Emerald, and helping out on a committee created by the Grand Council for events like Convocation.
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Volunteers Each chapter/colony is expected to have an advisory board to help take some of the work off of the chapter/colony director. Advisory boards are not voted on, and they do not have - or need bylaws or corporation status. Advisory boards exist for one reason - to support the efforts of the undergraduate chapter/ colony. It is the role of the appointed chapter/ colony director to construct and oversee an advisory board that consists of at least three other positions that will be most beneficial for the chapter/colony. These three main positions are financial advisor/comptroller, faculty/academic advisor, and recruitment advisor. Once these positions have been filled there are other positions that can be added to your advisory board, such as member education and culture advisor, philanthropic and community service advisor, career placement advisor, undergraduate-to-alumni transition advisor, alumni engagement advisor, public relations and campus image advisor, and housing advisor. It is expected that the chapter director contact the alumni in the area and gauge their interest to help on the advisory board. Chapter directors, province archons, or alumni club leaders can request a list of alumni and their contact information within an entire state or within a certain radius from a specific zip code by filling out the Membership Record Request at sigmapi.org/reporting. To learn of any volunteer openings and who works with a specific chapter please visit sigmapi.org/contact-directory. Alumni clubs are a great way for brothers to stay connected with other alumni
in the area. Sigma Pi currently has 35 alumni clubs across North America. Did you know alumni clubs in good standing earn a vote at Convocation? Many alumni live and work far from their chapters and alumni clubs are a great way to reconnect with the brotherhood. Through the alumni clubs, members meet brothers from other chapters and continue the lifelong membership of Sigma Pi even after departure from campus life.
Who to Contact
Every chapter director and province archon should be conducting at least one workshop per academic year, and with that, they can always use help with volunteer facilitators or presenters on a specific topic. This is a great way to volunteer some time to help educate undergraduate members.
apettigrew@sigmapi.org
Sigma Pi also has at least one international conference each year that volunteers can request to speak at or help facilitate the event. If you would like to speak at a local chapter or province workshop please get in contact with the appropriate volunteer to set that up. The Emerald is a great way to contribute to the written work of the Fraternity that will live on forever. Want to contribute to The Emerald? From event coverage to recognition of a member or chapter accomplishment, there are many great articles to feature. High resolution photos are also welcome to be shared! Lastly, another way to volunteer is by helping out the Fraternity’s Grand Council by sitting on a committee or task force created by them.
Volunteer Engagement Jacob Camilleri Assistant Director of Volunteer Education jcamilleri@sigmapi.org Education and Programs Alexander Pettigrew Director of Programs and Events
The Emerald emerald@sigmapi.org Contact for: All Emerald-related content, contributing to The Emerald or The Emerald Online Alumni Clubs To see if there is an Alumni Club in your area please visit: sigmapi.org/alumni/alumni-clubs
Here you will also see information on how to start an Alumni Club if there is not one in your area. Committees gc@sigmapi.org To inquire about serving on a committee or to better understand the committee system, contact the Grand Council.
You can give back to the Fraternity in many different ways. Determine what's best for you!
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Volunteers
Province Workshops
A Look at Recent Province Workshops and Training Events New Jersey Province Province Archon Ian Wolf
Province Workshop Date Held September 15, 2019 Location William Paterson University Number of Attendees 140
New Officer Training Date Held December 7, 2019 Location Monmouth University Number of Attendees 75
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New Jersey Province New Officer Training On Saturday, December 7th, 2019, all 11 chapters in the New Jersey Province gathered at Monmouth University for the first ever New Jersey Province New Officer Training. Delta-Beta Chapter hosted this training which was facilitated by New Jersey Province Archon Ian Wolf, Grand Sage Dr. Joseph Palazzolo, and several undergraduates who are outgoing in their roles on their respective chapter’s Executive Council. The purpose of the Province New Officer Training was to provide a baseline of knowledge regarding Sigma Pi leadership across New Jersey. An identified area of improvement across the entire Fraternity has been transitioning from one Executive Council to the next efficiently and effectively and this event was the New Jersey Province’s response to that feedback. The training consisted of information pertaining to leadership, the role of volunteers and the Executive Office, positional breakout discussions, a review of the chapter
budgetary process, how to effectively run a chapter meeting, a ritual review, and an overview of the Standards of Excellence and Chapter Workbook. Incoming Executive Council members walked away from this training feeling more knowledgeable and confident in their roles. The date of this training was strategically selected after Thanksgiving when chapters have already elected new leadership and before final exams, while undergraduates are still available before the New Year. This training was also situated before Mid-Year Leadership Conference allowing incoming chapter leadership to have a working knowledge of their roles ahead of time. This training set the tone for Province-wide collaboration among undergraduate brothers who hold the same leadership position in different chapters across the area. Alumni volunteers in the New Jersey Province are looking forward to institutionalizing this training in the years to come.
Winter 2020
Volunteers
Spring Province Workshops Arizona Province
Kentucky Province
New Jersey Province
Province Archon
Province Archon
Province Archon
Ryan Sandstrom
Kent Varney
Ian Wolf
Date to Be Held
Date to Be Held
Date to Be Held
February 22, 2020
Spring 2020
April 5, 2020
Location
Location
Location
TBD
TBD
Rowan University
Florida Province
Keystone Province
South Atlantic Province
Province Archon
Province Archon
Province Archon
Greg De Jesus
Brent Smith
Jeff Cline
Date to Be Held
Date to Be Held
Date to Be Held
Spring 2020
Spring 2020
February 15, 2020
Location
Location
Location
TBD
TBD
Auburn University
Greater Detroit Province
Michigan Province
Sun Belt Province
Province Archon
Province Archon
Province Archon
Mike Long
Quentin Groce
Paul Wydra
Date to Be Held
Date to Be Held
Date to Be Held
March 21, 2020
March 21, 2020
February 22, 2020
Location
Location
Location
Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Illiana Province
New England Province
Province Archon
Province Archon
Kevin Carey
David Magnano
Date to Be Held
Date to Be Held
April 19, 2020
February 15, 2020
Location
Location
Eastern Illinois University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Want to Volunteer? Visit sigmapi.org/volunteer for more information
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Volunteers
Volunteer Opportunities
Check Out the Open Province Archon and Chapter Director Roles Province Archons
Chapter/Colony Directors
Ohio Province Ohio Northern (Zeta) Miami (OH) (Eta-Phi)
Cal Poly (Eta-Delta)
Louisville (Iota-Omicron)
Cal State Chico (Theta-Mu)
Mississippi (Beta-Mu)
Central Missouri (Gamma-Gamma)
San Diego (Epsilon-Chi)
Colorado (Zeta-Delta)
South Florida (Iota-Sigma)
Georgia (Alpha-Phi)
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Delta-Theta)
Indiana of Pennsylvania (Theta-Epsilon)
Advising for a Local Chapter Supporting local chapters through advisory roles help strengthen the undergraduate experience directly. We feel that one of the keys to a successful organization is the involvement of a core group of alumni advisors to help assist and guide the undergraduates with different aspects of chapter operations. Sigma Pi’s most successful chapters/colonies have exemplary and dedicated alumni advisors.
Advisory Boards are generally focused on one chapter, but regional boards may be formed if there are two or more chapters that could benefit from the volunteers’ expertise. The Board does not need to be comprised solely of Sigma Pi Fraternity alumni. In fact, when people from outside of the Fraternity are brought onto an Advisory Board, they often bring a great new perspective to the table.
An Advisory Board is a group of volunteers who have limited time for volunteering, but extensive knowledge and expertise that could benefit our undergraduates. Geographically,
Want to become an advisor? Contact your local chapter for more information, or reach out to the Executive Office at alumni@sigmapi.org.
For information on the roles and responsibilities of chapter directors and province archons, please visit
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Winter 2020
Volunteers
Volunteer Appointments Chapter/Colony Directors ARIZONA STATE (BETA-KAPPA)
FLORIDA STATE (ETA-EPSILON)
NORTH CAROLINA STATE (RHO)
ARKANSAS (ALPHA-SIGMA)
FDU-METROPOLITAN (EPSILON-XI)
PURDUE (ETA)
CAL STATE FULLERTON (EPSILON-NU)
GRAND VALLEY STATE (THETA-RHO)
ROWAN (ZETA-CHI)
CARLETON (ETA-RHO)
ILLINOIS STATE (EPSILON-ETA)
SIU-CARBONDALE (BETA-NU)
COLORADO STATE (ETA-SIGMA)
KENTUCKY (EPSILON-BETA)
TOWSON (ETA-NU)
EASTERN KENTUCKY (EPSILON-LAMBDA)
MAINE COLONY
UC-SANTA BARBARA (ALPHA-OMICRON)
Tracy Nadzieja Arizona State ‘87
Drew Martin Arkansas '15
Michael McDonald Cal State-Fullerton ‘78
Zachary Kirkpatrick-Bourbonniere Carleton ‘14
Matt Kuhn Embry Riddle-Daytona Beach ‘88
Daniel Daugherty Morehead State ‘88
Andrew Reiter Florida State ‘14
John Fruhmann Fairleigh Dickinson ‘16
Duane Cunningham Grand Valley State ‘05
Patrick Smith Illinois State ‘89
Adam Bruening Kentucky ‘17
Timothy Rocha Non-Member
Alex Lasek North Carolina State ‘12
Chastin Seeby Louisiana Tech ‘12
Louis Raimondi Rowan ‘16
Jacob Dyson SUI-Carbondale ‘15
Jason Kelly Towson ‘94
Ty Saylors UC-Santa Barbara ‘15
ELON (EPSILON-THETA)
Byron Uzzell East Carolina ‘17
Province Archons NORTH CAROLINA PROVINCE ARCHON
WISCONSIN PROVINCE ARCHON
FLORIDA PROVINCE ARCHON
GREAT PLAINS PROVINCE ARCHON
TEXAS PROVINCE ARCHON
NORTHERN INDIANA PROVINCE ARCHON
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA PROVINCE ARCHON
ARIZONA PROVINCE ARCHON
Todd Griffin East Carolina ‘90
Greg De Jesus William Paterson ‘06
Mark Holloway Southeastern Oklahoma State ‘85
Braden Pivirotto Santa Clara ‘05
Colin Daly Grand Valley State ‘06
Tim Walker Emporia State ‘00
Eric Griffin Vincennes ‘05
Ryan Sandstrom Arizona State ‘16
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Alumni News, Events, And Accomplishments Alumni Achievements
Tracy Lawrence (Southern Arkansas '87) Since 2006, country singer Tracy Lawrence has hosted a turkey fry benefiting Nashville Rescue Mission. The mission is to create, promote, and implement the Mission:Possible Turkey Fry to feed homeless men, women, and children and raise awareness to the plight of the homeless. Mission:Possible Turkey has raised over $500,000 for Nashville Rescue Mission and has fried over 5,800 turkeys to provide more than 84,000 meals to the homeless and hungry of Middle Tennessee. 2019’s event alone yielded an impressive 500 fried turkeys which fed approximately 6,000 people. “The annual Mission Possible Turkey Fry is my favorite time of the year,” says Lawrence. “Being able to bring awareness and raise money to Nashville Rescue Mission is such an honor. As the homeless population grows in our country, it’s important that we continue to work toward understanding all of the different situations that lead people down the path of homelessness. Rescue Mission is such an important part of our Nashville community and I look forward to working with them for many more years.” Following the turkey fry held outside the Nashville Rescue Mission, Lawrence headed over to Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville to play a concert. This past event Lawrence was joined by Clay Walker, Rhett Akins, Justin Moore to do a set, then auction items off to also raise money for the Nashville Rescue Mission.
Alumni Achievements
Rich Herrera (CSU-Bakersfield ‘85) Rich Herrera (right) had the opportunity to host on After Hours on CBS Sports Radio. Herrera is the Senior Executive Producer and Pregame Show host of San Diego Padres Radio and broadcast host of MLB Roundtrip on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM. Herrera has also previously been a host for CBS Radio, Sports USA Radio and broadcast host for Tampa Bay Rays Baseball Club.
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Alumni Achievements
Matt Healing (Monmouth '01) Matt Healing was named Division II National Coach of the Week by Hoop Dirt. Since being named head coach of the men’s basketball program at Pace University in 2015, he has piloted Pace to historic heights. The Setters started the season 7-0, which is tied for the best start in program history. The Setters had won all but one of those games by doublefigures, and sat at 2-0 inside the Northeast-10 Conference. At the time, Pace was also the lone unbeaten team left in the NE10, and one of just 25 teams across the country without a loss. Healing graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication from Monmouth University in 2004. He is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and resides in Fair Lawn, N.J. with his wife, Daniela and their sons Nicholas and Matthew.
Alumni Achievements
Alumni Achievements
Jonathan Fannin (Morehead State '07)
Micah Tarrel (California - Irvine '07)
Jonathan Fannin was selected as 2020 Kentucky Rising Star by Super Lawyers. Fannin is a trial lawyer for a plaintiffs’ litigation firm, Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton, LLP, and has been with Hare Wynn since 2017. Fannin obtained his undergraduate degree in philosophy from Morehead State University in 2011, before going on to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2014. Super Lawyers recognizes outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
Micah Tarrel had the opportunity to be part of the camera crew for Alaska PD, which was set to premiere January 1, 2020. Tarrel spent 10 weeks in Fairbanks, Alaska following the Fairbanks Police Department as they perform their duties. Tarrel was part of the Camera and Electrical Department for the A&E television series. Previously in 2018 through 2019 he was the assistant camera for the television series Ocean Treks with Jeff Corwin. Tarrel graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in studio arts.
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Alumni News, Events, And Accomplishments Alumni Achievements
Dr. George Mazpule (TCNJ '03) Dr. George Mazpule (left) was named Top Doctor by Bergen Magazine for 2020. This is the third consecutive year Dr. Mazpule has been named Top Doctor by Bergen Magazine. Dr. Mazpule is highly specialized in the latest laparoscopic and robotic techniques, particularly weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery). Dr. Mazpule joined Stephen G. Pereira, M.D. and Associates in 2013. The surgeons at his practice specialize in minimally invasive surgical procedures, including laparoscopy, and robotic surgery using the state-of-the-art robotic surgical system. Dr. Mazpule is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery, he completed medical school and his residency at Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, and finished his undergraduate studies at The College of New Jersey.
Alumni Achievements
Kevin Carey (Illinois Wesleyan '09) Kevin Carey was awarded the Doctoral Fellowship by Order of Omega. Carey is the Director of Student Involvement at his alma mater, Illinois Wesleyan University. Carey is also an active volunteer for Sigma Pi Fraternity acting as Illiana Province Archon and volunteer at international conferences including Mid-Year Leadership Conference and Convocations. Since 1985, Order of Omega has awarded over $1.2 million in undergraduate scholarships and more than $200,000 in graduate fellowships.
Alumni Achievements
Roger Claar (Eastern Illinois '65) Mayor Roger Claar has now served as Mayor of Bolingbrook, Illinois for 34 years. Claar is Bolingbrook's longest-serving Mayor and the only Bolingbrook Mayor to be elected to consecutive terms. He was elected Mayor in 1987, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2019. Claar was originally appointed Mayor in 1986 to fill a vacancy. The village of Bolingbrook is a southwest suburb of Chicago with a population of over 75,000. Previously, Claar had attained his bachelors and masters at Eastern Illinois University, then gaining a Ph.D from Kansas State University.
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Winter 2020
Alumni Achievements
Alumni Achievements
Jeremy Boyd (Radford '03)
Bob Manzi (Indiana of Pennsylvania '98)
Jeremy Boyd was featured in Voyage MIA Magazine as “Meet Jeremy Boyd of Miami New Times + V Digital Services in Wynwood.” In the article, Boyd outlines his story from childhood to college into the professional world. Boyd attended Radford University where he acted as founding sage of the Theta-Lambda Chapter. Boyd also served as Director of Recruitment and Expansion for the Executive Office of Sigma Pi Fraternity. Boyd has nearly 15 years experience in digital marketing and advertising and has spent 12 years with Voice Media Group as Senior Account Executive of Miami New Times + V Digital Services. The Miami New Times & New Times Broward Palm Beach is a weekly newspaper published in Miami, FL and V Digital Services is a true digital marketing company offering services such as organic SEO, email marketing, CTV/Radio advertising, and more.
Bob Manzi was elected Indiana County District Attorney. Manzi was a partner at Indiana law firm Holsinger, Clark and Armstrong, P.C. He was an Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Widener School of Law graduate and has spent the last 20 years working in and around the criminal justice system as not only as a prosecutor but also as an at-risk youth counselor, a college professor, and in private practice. Manzi additionally has served as a board member of the Indiana County YMCA, the Care Center for Indiana County, the IRMC Healthcare Foundation, the Western Pennsylvania Veteran’s Relief Fund, and as a Little League baseball coach. He lives with his wife, Amy, their son, Charlie, and daughter, Liliana.
To submit news and stories for consideration in The Emerald, please visit
sigmapi.org/news-stories/submit-a-story
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Adytum On High "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." Accurate as of December 15, 2019.
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AKRON
EMORY
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
John Pinto MD ('66)
Clement McGowan ('38)
Herbert Pinckley Jr. ('48)
ARKANSAS STATE
Duval Meier ('35)
MISSISSIPPI STATE
John Gregson Jr. ('88)
Efroem Miller ('38)
Augustus Fort ('41)
AUBURN
Philip Rhodes ('35)
Abraham Thomas ('39)
Neil Chase ('59)
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL
MISSOURI S&T
John Donehoo ('60)
Christopher Leahy ('77)
George Gustafson ('56)
George Garrett ('38)
GEORGIA
MISSOURI STATE
BELOIT
Norvel McClung ('62)
John Doing ('53)
William Webster ('35)
ILLINOIS
Fred Ray ('52)
CORNELL
Robert Avery ('49)
NJIT
John Hough ('34)
William Meehling ('42)
George Dzierewianko ('68)
David Kay ('46)
INDIANA
NORTH CAROLINA STATE
DREXEL
William Hindman ('46)
Harold Conley ('39)
Herman Ringler Jr. ('51)
Forest Kendall ('34)
Howard Derlin ('39)
EASTERN ILLINOIS
Charles Smith ('36)
Frank Saunders ('38)
Monte Groothuis ('55)
IOWA STATE
Emmitt Sherron ('43)
David Herzog ('69)
Clarke Potter ('38)
NORTHERN ARIZONA
Dennis Hill ('71)
LOCK HAVEN
Steve Balich ('67)
Bruce Knicley ('53)
Roy Kress ('61)
Donald Pehlke ('69)
Winter 2020
Adytum on High
Help Us Keep Up-To-Date Member Information Step 1: Go to sigmapi.org/updateinfo Step 2: Click on "Update Your Information and The Emerald Magazine Subscription" Step 3: Fill our the simple form To Report a deceased member: Step 1: Click on "Report Deceased Members" and fill out the simple form
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
SAN JOSE STATE
Robert Geraghty ('72)
William Ogilvie ('59)
Alvin Beckett ('56)
Thomas Greenwood ('70)
OHIO
SHIPPENSBURG
Roger Gribble ('74)
Francis Baldy ('39)
William Logan Jr. ('64)
William Jenkins ('68)
Robert Thoma ('35)
TEMPLE
Steven Johnson ('68)
OHIO NORTHERN
William Baldwin Jr. ('49)
David Kehl ('72)
Dale England Jr. ('66)
Benton Moore ('39)
Kenneth King II ('69)
Dane Heitzman ('34)
UMSL
Richard Knox ('80)
Floyd Parr ('59)
Wayne Pennington ('69)
William Languell ('78)
OHIO STATE
UTAH
Douglas Lindvall ('66)
Robert Abel II ('62)
Thomas Bacon ('56)
Norman Maple ('65)
Gordon Haas ('60)
Victor Halling ('41)
Brian Miller ('89)
Alex Papagan ('62)
VALPARAISO
Michael Millhoff ('84)
Gary Parson ('67)
James Maxwell ('60)
Charles Tewalt ('65)
PENN STATE
Edward Thormahlen ('60)
Scott Tharp ('95)
Joseph Eremus ('63)
VINCENNES
Arthur Windell ('66)
Robert Morgan ('35)
Marion Burcham ('68)
VIRGINIA
PURDUE
Erin Burlew ('11)
Herman Bryant Jr. ('59)
James Calamungi ('45)
Kevin Campbell ('71)
WILLIAM & MARY
SAN DIEGO STATE
Scott Cooney ('90)
Dorryl Buck ('46)
Cave Sanford ('49)
David Dodge ('67)
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Archives The Emerald Recovered
Making The Fraternity Real for the Alumni
A
mong those urgent problems which confront a fraternity, undoubtedly the most urgent is that of retaining the interest of its members when once they have left college and the active chapter. The majority of alumni appear to feel that the FraterÂnity has quite fulfilled its purpose by ministering to their needs while they are in college; after they graduate their attitude towards it is much the same as that of the butterfly towards the cocoon it has left. Of what use can it be to them outside the university world? How, even if they should wish, can they keep in touch with the other members of their organization? And, we too may well ask, what has been done to bind the alumni closer together? All of us can perceive the advantages to be gained by arousing the interest of the great body of our alumni in Sigma Pi, and in making them feel as much a part of our organization as they did when they were actives. For indeed what constitutes the major portion of a fraternity, the actives or the alumni? A man is an active for but three or four years and an alumnus for perhaps 40 or 50. And yet in both of these periods he is equally a member of Sigma Pi. Fraternities seem now to emphasize the interests of the active members and leave the alumni to shift for themselves in large measure. But since a man is an alumnus for ten times the period that he is an active it would seem that the emphasis should be reversed.
In this series, The Emerald committee finds past articles from the archives that are still relevant in today’s fraternal world. The following article was printed in The Emerald, Volume VIII, Number 3 in October 1921, and was written by Hugh MacKenzie (Cornell 1917).
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It was not until a very recent date that any serious effort was made to solve this truly important problem, and strive to retain for Sigma Pi the whole-hearted allegiance of her alumni. The formation of alumni clubs was the first great step forward, and one that presages much hope for the future. But we must not stop there. It is in only a few of the larger cities, or in those sections of the country where several chapters of Sigma Pi are located near one another, that it is possible to bring together enough men to make such a club successful. And even then can the club be certain it has reached all the [Sigma Pi brothers] in the neighborhood?
Winter 2020
Archives The last national Convocation of Sigma Pi, in addition to authorizing the foundation of alumni clubs, enacted a second piece of legislation which appears to me to be almost as important in its meaning for alumni, while active members, too, will find it to be of vital interest. This was the provision that a directory should be compiled, containing the names and addresses of all members of the fraternity, both active and alumni. All the deleÂgates agreed that such a directory, printed in handy form, was a real necessity, and the chapters pledged themselves to dispose of enough copies to make sure that the Grand Chapter would not suffer a financial loss if it assumed the responsibility of publication. The book was to come out in the near future. We recognize the fact that the members of the Grand Chapter are busy men and have but little time to spare. Still this matter of the directory is of such importance that we hope it will be published as soon as possible. Certainly it should be considered as important as The Songs of Sigma Pi, valuable as that book undoubtedly is. When it is remembered that a man may live in some city quite in ignorance of the fact that other [Sigma Pi brothers] are residing nearby, it is evident that the need of a directory is vital. Frequently a man drops into town a stranger. If he knew where to find members of his own fraternity he would certainly be gladly welcomed by them, and his stay made more enjoyable. This is creating a real bond of union between alumni, and indeed between all members of Sigma Pi. Since our numbers are still few, and we are scattered through the length and breadth of the United States, the need of such a directory is seen to be absolutely imÂperative. It has been mentioned only because it is one of the foundation stones required if we wish to make the fraternity real for our alumni. While it would be folly to imagine that such an organization of alumni and actives could hope to rival great fraternal orders like the Masons and the Elks, it might yet be possible for it to fulfill many of their functions. Would not a fraternity employment agency be feasible and advantageous both for the men to be placed and for those placing them? We pride ourselves upon taking only a high type of man into our Fraternity, and we
should welcome the opportunity to have this man work beside us in the business world as well. Why do not those members of Sigma Pi who are able to do so advertise in The Emerald? A magazine is in large measure made by its advertising, and such a step would be of profit to both magazine and advertisers. It might also serve to promote a livelier interest in one another's affairs among the members of Sigma Pi. Such advertising was actually done in the 1920 edition of The Muse, the publication of Mu Chapter. Why not make the experiment in The Emerald and see how it works? But to hold the alumni together and make of Sigma Pi a real fraternal order there is one prime requisite, without which alumni clubs, directories, and other agencies will help but little. The men of Sigma Pi must make real in fact as in theory the bond of brotherhood which holds them together. Members of the same chapter seldom have scruples about visiting one another, asking favors, or rendering services. All Sigma Pi members, whether they have met before or not, should show as little hesitation. Then we shall have a real alumni association, and there will be no reason, when speaking of a Sigma Pi, to say that a man forgets his fraternity as soon as he leaves college. Would not this project of persuading the alumni that they belong to a live organization in which they may be actives again settle many of the problems of the fraternity? Certainly there would be increased interest in The Emerald, and an enlarged circulation for our magazine. Alumni would also, we may be sure, do much more for the cause of a permanent endowment fund for the Fraternity. And so when we send out our traveling secretaries to look after the affairs of the active chapters, let us also give thought to our alumni, who should form the backbone of the fraternity. An effective organization can not be built up in a day, but we may made steady progress towards an ideal. The speedy publication of a fraternity directory would surely be a step in the right direction quite as much as was the formation of alumni clubs. Other measures are bound to follow. A number of prominent national fraternities have made themselves real for their alumni; what they have done Sigma Pi can do and even improve upon.
The full article is available within the digital archives, just click on the "Emerald Archive" button at
theemerald.org
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Archives
From the Fraternity's Archives
The New Executive Office In early August, the Executive Office moved from its previous headquarters in Lebanon, TN to an office space at The Oaks Office Complex near downtown Nashville, TN. The move to a more practical office space took time to transition but was essential to maximize resources. This transition has allotted more space in our fiscal planning for member resources, plus more engaging staff collaborations with all members in one office environment. Check out the gallery on theemerald.org to see the new space and all it has to offer, from the bold lobby to showcasing areas of the Fraternity's history, the new office embodies the best of Sigma Pi Fraternity. Each photo area that line the halls has significant meaning, from brotherhood and travel to conferences and service.
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Additionally, a wall dedicated to The Emerald will rotate with updated issues of the cover, photo finish, and archive sections. An exciting new addition to the office is a studio area for creating video content that ranges from education and training to social media fun. Additionally, the conference area allows for collaborative work among departments to review content with the new meeting display. Finally, the new office features cabinetry showcasing items from the historical archives of Sigma Pi. Included in this are various items from the origination of Tau Phi Delta, badges from throughout the history of the Fraternity, items from the original Delta Kappa Fraternity, military and governmentrelated items, and more.
Winter 2020
Photo Finish This photo was taken by Assistant Director of Visual Media Kyle Heimbigner (Washington State '10) during the 2020 Mid-Year Leadership Conference and features keynote speaker Hon. Robert Alton Clarke (UMSL ’02). To submit your own photos for consideration as the Photo Finish, please email them to emerald@sigmapi.org or tag @sigmapi on your social media accounts.
Sigma Pi Fraternity 1101 Kermit Dr., Suite 730 Nashville, TN 37217
ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED
Celebrate the 123rd Founders' Day by giving back to the Fraternity through a gift to the Educational Foundation.
sigmapiedfund.org For more information, check out page 6.
As a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code, gifts to the Educational Foundation are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.
