The
Winter 2011 Supplement
THIRD DEGREE The Journal of the Eta Alumni Association of Phi Sigma Kappa at the University of Maryland
A Special Supplement:
Eta Chapter Recognized!
.11 3 1 . 12
IFC Votes “Yes!”
04.24.09
First Eta Associate Member and Eta Colony Recognized by Phi Sigma Kappa
12.10.10
Eta Colony Recognized by University of Maryland
03.12.11
Eta Colony Re Re--Chartered by Phi Sigma Kappa
12.13.11
Eta Chapter Recognized by University of Maryland Be a Part of The Next Milestone of the Eta Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa at the University of Maryland
RUSH PHI SIGMA KAPPA
PRESIDENT
THE NEW ETA CHAPTER
by Chris Flood ‘13 - Incoming Chapter President
T
o my Brothers, Alumni, and all those who have an invested interest in Phi Sigma Kappa. It is with profound gratitude and great humility, that I accept the responsibilities, duties, and authorities of being elected President of the Eta Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa. I would like to express my thanks to all of my Brothers who have put their trust in me to lead our Fraternity for the next year. These are the very same men that have watched me grow over the last two and a half years while cultivating me into the leader that I am today.
During my presidential speech and since being elected a few short weeks ago, I challenged my Brothers to go the extra mile for our Brotherhood.
“...take a look at what Eta is doing, we are going places and doing great things.”
I would also like to articulate my appreciation not only to our alumni executive committee who is doing an admirable job, but also to those alumni who have been supporting us in every aspect of Fraternity. We are infinitely indebted to all of you.
Now I would like to make a plea to all of you, take a look at what Eta is doing, we are going places and doing great things. We will regain our rightful threshold at Number 7 Fraternity Row, but we need your support so that we can accomplish all of our goals. With your endorsement the Eta Chapter is surely destined for greatness.
Join Maryland’s First and Finest
ETA
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ETA CHAPTER NEWS News Briefs from the Eta Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa at the University of Maryland 4423 Lehigh Road #725 College Park, MD 20740
Why I Joined: New Members of the Eta Chapter provide some insight into why they joined Maryland’s first fraternity.
NEW OFFICERS ELECTED Congratulations are in order to the new officers of the Eta Chapter.
President Vice President Secretary Sentinel Inductor
Chris Flood Joe Keenan Zach Neigh Scott Irace Gavin Bedell
Chapter Chairmen Alumni Logan Miller
Zach Neigh ‘14
Athletics
Aerospace Engineering Bangor Area High School Easton, PA
Away Weekend/ Formal
When I first arrived at the University of Maryland, I never would have believed it if someone told me I was going to join a fraternity. I simply did not think that I belonged in Greek life. However, that view quickly changed by the next semester when my friend and I began to hang out with a few of the brothers from Phi Sigma Kappa. We were still a bit hesitant to join a fraternity, but these guys seemed different from the other typical Greek students on campus. They were engineering and science majors, they had their priorities in order, and yet they still had fun. They assured me that if I ever needed help with schoolwork, whether I joined or not, they would help me. The biggest factor for me was that by joining I would have the opportunity to be a part of something really great. By being a member, I would have the opportunity to lead the fight to restore the Fraternity's name and reputation. I could never pass up such a great opportunity. My friend ended up joining half-way through the spring semester, but I wanted to focus on my academics, so I waited until the following semester to join. Since then I can honestly say that it was the greatest decision that I have made here at Maryland. It may still only be my first semester in Phi Sigma Kappa, but I am now the newly elected Secretary of our chapter and my experiences this far have gone above and beyond all of my expectations.
Brotherhood
Andrew Roberts Adam Elbaz
Greek Week
Johnny Wright
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Seth McCullough Dom Cercone Roshan Shah Scott Manski
Jay Gobeil Philanthropy/ Community Service Zach Gorrell Nick Pirolli Recruitment
Raymond Bounds Recruitment Team Joe Keenan Jay Gobeil Brandon Madsen Austin Sichling Noah Mandell Johnny Wright
Scholarship
Philip Andemicael
Social
Keaton Pavier Austin Sichling
Web Administrator
Miraj Patel
Expectations
Will Glatz
IFC Representative Jake Comiskey Parliamentarian
Ryan Kief
Public Relations
Jared Lindendburg
Fundraising
Noah Mandell Charles Ng
Why I Joined:
John Wright ‘15
Andrew Macaluso ‘14
Austin Sichling ‘14
Cell Biology and Genetics Carlisle High School Carlisle, PA
Mechanical Engineering Yorktown High School Greenport, NY
Civil Engineering Paint Branch High School Burtonsville, MD
Setting aside all preconceived notions of what it’s like to be a member of a fraternity, coming into college I wasn’t completely sure if I’d ever join one. The first time I met some of the guys I found out that they went to high school 15 minutes from me, so naturally we got along. The more I hung out with them, the more brothers I met. That was the crucial point for me, once I got to know a large number of the brothers I became very comfortable and felt like I was a part of the fraternity. Once I was able to join, I made the commitment and haven’t had any regrets. I love every bit of it and I look forward to watching Phi Sigma Kappa grow and expand.
I came into college not even considering Greek life. I was always of the thought that these men were buying their friends when it came to pledging a fraternity. As the second semester of my freshman year came along I decided to take a look at fraternities here on campus. I went to a bunch of houses and met many brothers and I became interested in becoming a fraternity man but could not find the right bunch of guys for me. One of my friends told me about a fairly new organization named Phi Sigma Kappa, and said I should come meet them with him. I agreed and I was not disappointed. The group of men I met in the following weeks were down to earth, respectable, athletic, and most importantly I felt like these were my "type" of men. I also joined because this fraternity is growing and shaping up into the chapter that it once was. I am Damn Proud to be part of this organization and can't wait to bring success back to the Eta Chapter here at the University of Maryland.
I joined Phi Sigma Kappa in order to gain brothers and best friends, to develop as a young adult and have great experiences. I don’t have a biological brother and my best friends from high school don’t go to UMD so I turned to fraternity for a group of close friends. PSK has a great blend of guys, representing all interests and personalities however they all treat each other as equals and moreover always help another brother. Through Phi Sigma Kappa I can contact alumni and learn from interaction with them. As well, I’ll learn necessary social skills of life as well as leadership possibilities only available through Greek Life. Lastly, the Eta Chapter knows how to have a good time, not only at tailgates or on weekends, but hanging out with my brothers is the best part of my week. I hope my next 3+ years at Maryland will be great and highlighted by my memories with my brothers of Phi Sigma Kappa. Lastly, I couldn’t let my father have all the Phi Sig fun and secrets.
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ALUMNI CHAIRMAN
From the Alumni Chairman
One (or More) Last Thought(s)...
by Zach Gorrell ‘12 - Outgoing Alumni Chairman
With the Eta Chapter having just chartered in the spring, many were worried about the potential of “post-chartering blues.” This proved to be an unwarranted concern, as the members of Phi Sigma Kappa flourished in their first semester as an affiliated chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa. The previous five semesters of many of our member’s college lives had been working towards this semester. What we found was all of our hard work leading up to the chartering was well rewarded, as this fall semester has been one of the most enjoyable and rewarding for the members of Eta Chapter. The following will attempt to detail the activity and accomplishments of our first semester as an real chapter.
to increase the bonds within our fraternity. This goal was accomplished with numerous brotherhood dinners and our first brotherhood retreat to Deep Creek, Maryland. Twenty of the brothers made the road trip out to the sticks for the weekend, staying at brother Chris Monteil’s cabin. This event, along with the brotherhood dinners, brought the chapter together in a way unseen in previous semesters.
“...the most rewarding and most challenging semester in our past two years…”
Recruitment: Brandon Madsen While we had just reached what seemed like to a finish line to some of us in chartering, we ultimately knew that chartering was just the starting point to returning ETA to its glory days. In order to accomplish this, we needed to recruit new members, and not just any new members, but quality men. Brandon, our recruitment chair, did an excellent job of accomplishing this task with a variety of events that lead to bringing in seven new members to the chapter. Utilizing Dru Bagwell’s recruitment methods for success, our recruitment focused on meeting guys, making them friends, and then introducing them to the fraternity. Brotherhood: Ryan Keif In addition to bringing new members into our brotherhood, one of our goals for the semester was 4
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Social: Jon Shover and Scott Hoffman Another point that was emphasized at the beginning of the semester by both our alumni advisors and our members was that we needed to have more fun. The last five semesters had been so focused on the massive amounts of work associated with chartering, that this semester it was time to reap the benefits of the hard work we had put over the years. This was undoubtedly accomplished throughout the semester, as we had social functions with a variety of sororities and organizations. These events were not only a blast, but also increased the spirit of brotherhood and overall activity in the chapter. Homecoming: Joe Keenan The fraternity participated in its first Homecoming week this semester, which resulted in one of the most enjoyable weeks of the semester. Being paired with Sigma Phi Epsilon and Delta Gamma, the week strengthened the bonds within our chapter and with other Greek organizations. While our placement in events could have gone better, the (continued on page 6)
Alumni Support on Display at December 13th Chapter Meeting Alumni Association President Joe Criscuoli, ’82 welcomes the newest members of the 3rd Degree, Nathan Blaker (left), and Jonathan Shover (right), with a Proclamation from the Executive Committee of the Eta Alumni Association. The proclamation provides all members graduating from the Eta Chapter with the first year of their Association membership free of charge.
Alumni Association President Joe Criscuoli, ’82 had the honor of presenting the new President of Eta Chapter, Chris Flood ‘13, with a special donation made by Brother Philip E. Burr ’60, of Weatherford, Texas - that of a jeweled pin and guard, complete with the President’s gavel “dangle” (shown in detail, above). Chris majors in Aerospace Engineering, hails from Elkton, Maryland, and attended Salesianuum High School in Wilmington, Delaware.
After three years leading the Eta Colony and Eta Chapter, outgoing President Jay Gobeil ‘12, receives best wishes, sincere thanks for a job well done, and a formal Proclamation of admiration from the Eta Alumni Executive Committee. (left to right: First Vice President Wayne H. Bethards, ‘ 59, President Joseph E. Criscuoli, ’82, Treasurer Peter J. DellaCroce, ‘99, Gobeil, Secretary Todd B. Hoffman, ‘82, and Second Vice President John J.B. Wright, ‘82. Winter 2011 Supplement
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One (or More) Last Thought(s)... (contined from page 4) week was still a great success. Some highlights from the week were, with the help of Sig Ep’s Mike and Joe Criscuoli, making it to the final four of flag football, as well as an extremely entertaining skit. The week was capped off with an extremely successful homecoming tailgate with the alumni association. Alumni: Zach Gorrell The alumni homecoming tailgate was arguably our chapter’s most successful event with the alumni. The event had a great turnout from both the active members and the alumni, and when combined with great food, lead to one of the most enjoyable days of the semester for many of the brothers. This event was many of the new member’s first interactions with our alumni, and it would be an understatement to say they were impressed. Noah Mandell has this event to thank for his nickname (“Quarter”), given to him by an alum, and many of the new members left telling stories of the alumni they had meet and retelling stories told to them by the alumni. In addition to this event, many brothers attend a cookout at the Hoffman Ranch earlier in the semester, which had equally successful results. The chapter will certainly be looking forward to these two events in the fall of next year, and I know I, like many of our other seniors, will be looking forward to the event for years to come from another perspective; that of an Eta Alumni. Athletics: Andrew Roberts This semester we participated in a variety of intramural sports, some with great success, and some with less. Our 6 v 6 soccer team was the first Phi Sigma Kappa sports team to place in a sport, finishing third after a heart breaking loss in the semi finals. Our flag football team had a very successful season, finishing 2-1 in regular season play, but fell short in the playoffs losing a nail-biter to AEPi in the second round of the playoffs 30-28. While we had some great successes, we were also humbled just ask incoming President and Division 1 basketball recruit Chris Flood about our 3 -on-3 basketball record.
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Community Service & Philanthropy: Will Glatz and Doug Astler Our chapter was able to continue with previous successes with our community service and philanthropy events by continuing to host blood drives and volunteering at a variety of on-campus events such as Spread the Love. Hosting blood drives with the Red Cross has become a staple of the chapter that we wish to continue for many years to come. Community service and philanthropy will continue to be an integral part of the fraternity’s activities, as it not only provides a great service for the Red Cross and other organizations, but it is something that the brothers truly enjoy. Web Administrator: Miraj Patel This semester brought a very exciting addition to the Phi Sigma Kappa chapter - our own website. While still a work in progress, www.psk-eta.com serves as a great tool for our chapter, which we plan on utilizing in a variety of ways. Wrapping-Up the Semester With all of these great achievements by each of our chairman, it is no surprise that the Inter-Fraternity Council has officially voted, as of December 13th, 2011, a resounding "Yes" to reinstate the Eta Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa at the University of Maryland. This vote places an exclamation mark on all of the hard work done by the brothers as we have successfully returned Phi Sigma Kappa to the University of Maryland. In addition, the chapter looks forward to proving itself this spring during our first official semester as an IFC recognized chapter.
TWO GREAT WAYS TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE ETA CHAPTER... WWW.PSK-ETA.COM
Phi Sigma Kappa (ΦΣK) - University of Maryland
g{x ZÜtÇw exâÇ|ÉÇ of the Eta Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa
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Founded: Location:
January 8, 1897 College Park, MD
Mission: Phi Sigma Kappa is a lifelong brotherhood dedicated to the betterment of the individual, the university community, and our world, by giving its members opportunities to develop leadership skills, participate in service to others, achieve academic excellence, experience cultural diversity and practice personal integrity.
To Develop Character. Honor is the basis of fraternal relationships. We resolve to instill in each member a devotion to those values which will guide him to ends that are noble and right, so that in all that he represents and in all that he does, he shall be known as a man of honor who inspires others by his example and thus wins admiration and respect for himself and for Phi Sigma Kappa.
Become a Member of Phi Sigma Kappa:
Cardinal Principles of Phi Sigma Kappa:
To learn more about us, please contact: Raymond Bounds, Recruitment Chair Phone: 302-531-7341 Email: rebound5@verizon.net Website: http://psk-eta.com
To Promote Brotherhood. Justice, harmony, and brotherly love are essential to the spirit of fraternity. We promise to set an example of true brotherhood not only in our relations with each other, but in our association with people everywhere. To Stimulate Scholarship. Wisdom comes with learning. Complementing the mission of higher education, we seek to help our members to combine formal and informal learning experiences; to more fully appreciate the importance of both theoretical and practical knowledge; and, by broadening their understanding of human relationships, to produce men of wisdom who will be better prepared to make positive contributions to society and all mankind. Eta Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa
4423 Lehigh Road #725 College Park, MD 20740