sigma pi road warriors Stories from the Road
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A United Stance:
Hazing Prevention
Good in theory, bad in practice? Designated Driver Programs
of sigma pi fraternity, International • sigmapi.org • winter 2012
get to know Mike
Michael R. Ayalon Executive Director
A Grand Honor
Ed Levesque elected Grand Sage
Remembering San Antonio 51st Biennial Convocation
The Emerald
a Table of contents
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F e at ure s :
departm ents :
Get to know Mike
From the Grand Sage
A United Stance Hazing Prevention. 27
Centennials & new AED. 2
Michael R. Ayalon, Executive Director. 6
Educational Foundation
A Grand Honor
from chapters & colonies. 12
Remembering San Antonio 51st Biennial Convocation. 40
Upon further review: DD programs. 32
Undergrad Reports Risk Management Giving Matters
SPEF donations in honor/memory. 39
Adytum on High
brothers who have passed on. 45
Alumni Notebook
News & alumni services. 46
Sincerely,
Volume XCVII, Number 1 Winter 2012 Editorial Staff Todd Shelton Editor and Creative Director Jason “Gilligan” Walker (AF, Georgia ’96) Business Manager The Emerald of Sigma Pi Fraternity (ISSN 1074-5289, USPS 011-013) has been published since 1911. The Emerald is published two times a year by Sigma Pi Fraternity, P. O. Box 1897, Brentwood, Tennessee, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SIGMA PI FRATERNITY, P. O. Box 1897, Brentwood, TN 37024. MEMBERS: When making an address change, please send your full name and chapter with both the old and new address to the Executive Office address below or at mysigmapi.com.
Photo Finish
Submit Emerald news to: Sigma Pi Fraternity, Attention: Emerald P. O. Box 1897, Brentwood, TN 37024 Telephone: (615) 921-2300 Fax: (615) 373-8949 Email: emerald@sigmapi.org
Want to win Sigma Pi swag? Find this owl on a page in this issue then go to emerald.sigmapi.org and register to win.
Copyright © 2012 Sigma Pi Fraternity; Sigma Pi, ACE Project and the crest are trademarks of Sigma Pi, all rights reserved.
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I invite your feedback and story ideas via email tshelton@ sigmapi.org or traditional mail at the address below.
Print Edition Submission Deadlines: Summer May 10 Winter September 10
Sigma Pi in your life. 57
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While constantly coping with tight budgets, we want The Emerald to be a publication you enjoy and which represents Sigma Pi and its quest for excellence. We are also adding a more timely online version of the magazine and encourage to you watch for it at emerald. sigmapi.org.
Swag
We found cool products for you. 56
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There has been a great effort made to provide you more articles about the Fraternity and its members as well as adding entertaining and informative articles about topics such as hazing and risk management that relate to the greater Greek system.
International Digest
Scholarships & new board. 4
Sigma Pi Road Warriors stories from the road. 52
After weeks of preparation, I am excited to present this issue of The Emerald. With this redesign, we hope you will notice the addition of more and larger pages and richer content.
Ed Levesque. 1
Gamma-Eta Chapter Chartering at Rutgers. 30 Ed Levesque elected Grand Sage. 36
Dear Readers:
Member, North-American Interfraternity Conference
sigmapi.ORG • mysigmapi.com
sigmapi
A Message
from the grand sage e
Dear Brothers, It’s an honor to be elected as the 44th Grand Sage and represent this Fraternity. I am pleased to serve as spokesperson for the entire Grand Council in this opening letter. At our Convocation this past summer in San Antonio, we discussed our plan for this coming biennium with the attendees. We’d like to share this plan now with you and elaborate on current activities towards this plan.
Over the next two years, we look to improve upon three basic areas for our organization: our operations, our communications, and development of a long range vision. There are several actions we intend (some we have already initiated) to address these three areas.
We will develop a Mission Statement, a Vision Statement and Core Values. We will not replace our Creed - we shall reflect upon it, what it means to be a Sigma Pi and where we want to be as an organization as well as individual members. We have been working on these and you will see more in this issue of The Emerald. We will explore what future members and our alumni may want for benefits and programs, and revise our current offerings based on this information and in alignment with our Mission. We have begun reviewing relevant studies conducted by higher education institutions. We will also carefully consider impacts to our resources in any decisions we make. We will expand and modernize how we communicate with our members and what we share with them. Feedback is an important component of exploring your benefits of membership. We shall review what we ask, how we ask and what we receive in reply. We have formed a committee of alumni with communications expertise to assist us.
We will also strengthen our methods to guide and evaluate our Executive Director to ensure accountability to us and to our membership. Importantly, we’ll review feedback mechanisms he employs with our members. We will review our Council organizational structure, ensuring we are running efficiently and are in synch with modern board governance styles while retaining important traditions, and we shall review how we assess our work. We have formed a committee of alumni with non-profit organization expertise to assist. We will continue utilizing committees to help us in our work, which include audit, judicial, ritual/history, constitution and bylaw, Council operations, Councilmember communications and Council nominations. Many of these committees are simply subsets of Council and are comprised of council members only. Others require volunteer help, which we shall solicit through our international website and Grand Council blog.
We look forward to serving you this biennium, and are eager to share the progress and results of these actions as we move our Fraternity forward, providing members with a lifelong experience. Please feel free to contact me via email, Facebook or the Grand Council blog in www.mysigmapi.org (sign in required). Fraternally,
Ed Levesque Contact Ed: grandsage@sigmapi.org ed.levesque.71
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International
a Digest
Walker named AED Jason “Gilligan” Walker (AF, Georgia ’96) was selected to serve as the Assistant Executive Director of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International. “Jason has the enthusiasm and management experience to take Sigma Pi to the next level,” said Executive Director Michael R. Ayalon. “I am confident that Jason will be a major asset to our organization. Although there were many other impressive candidates for the position, I believe that Jason’s fifteen years of management experience for multi-million dollar retail sales units at Publix, developing and mentoring their employees, and reporting on their financial trends analysis, projections, and budgets will serve him well in his new role.” Jason has a thirteen year history of volunteer service as Alumnus Advisor, Chapter Director, and Province Archon in the South Atlantic province. “His experience and skills in building rapport with our undergraduate members and Universities, combined with his guidance towards individual chapter excellence, will help us continue to grow our chapters all over North America,” said Ayalon. “I have been involved with Sigma Pi Fraternity for over twenty years. I am looking forward to taking on this new role,” said Walker. He has worked for Publix SuperMarkets, Inc., since 1993. He has a 13-yearold daughter who keeps him grounded and his other passions are UGA football and Dr. Pepper. Jason assumed his new role in Brentwood, Tenn., in Ocotber. He can be reached at jwalker@ sigmapi.org.
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PGS John Kitch and Ramsey Ayers, Past Sage, holding the Grand Sage’s proclamation
Eta Chapter at Purdue marks centennial by PGS John Kitch
On June 8, 1912, the members of the Minuet Club at Purdue University, established in 1898, gathered to be chartered as Eta Chapter of Sigma Pi. On June 8, 2012, the members of Eta Chapter of Sigma Pi at Purdue University gathered to celebrate 100 years of continuous operation “in the Service of God and Man.” At its Founders’ Day banquet in February the chapter and its alumni formally dedicated 2012 as the chapter’s centennial year, which culminated in a grand celebration on Homecoming weekend October 19 through 21. Over 150 alumni and friends, including Grand Fourth Counselor Craig Donnelly and Past Grand Sage George Hakim representing Sigma Pi internationally, attended. The festivities began with a dinner Friday night at The Trails in West Lafayette. Before dinner Brother Bill Fall, who was initiated into the Fraternity at Eta Chapter 76 years ago in 1936, gave the blessing. In addition to his customarily eloquent prayer for the gathering, Brother Fall asked the chapter to remember the Founding Fathers of the chapter in 1912, each of whom he named aloud, including his father Robert Fall who served the Fraternity as Grand Third Counselor from 1920 to 1928. That was the first of many moving moments during the weekend. The next was Brother Donnelly presenting the Chapter with a magnificent framed proclamation from Grand Sage Ed Levesque recognizing our chapter’s longevity, accomplishments and contributions to the Fraternity. Both before and after dinner the alumni shared
memories of their time at Purdue with each other and with the undergraduates. Saturday’s events began with a continental breakfast and the annual meeting of the housing corporation, known more formally as The Sigma Pi Chapter House of Purdue University, Inc. New members were elected to the board and the board then elected officers for the coming year. After the meeting, lunch was served as the assembled brothers and guests prepared to attend the football game against Wisconsin. While the game was a disappointment — Purdue was soundly thrashed and the rains came late in the second quarter — we saw recognition of our 100th anniversary flashed on the Jumbotron for all to see— another moving moment. Back at the chapterhouse Brother Jim Ward led the celebration, during which the chapter was presented a Sigma Pi flag that had been flown over the Indiana State Capitol and Purdue University. The chapter also received a formal resolution honoring the chapter signed by Grand Sage Levesque and acting Purdue President Timothy D. Sands. Following the event the attendees enjoyed a pig roast with all the trimmings, and the reminiscing and fellowship continued until the wee hours. Sunday morning featured a brunch, again at The Trails. For all of us it was a wonderful gathering of kindred minds, united in brotherhood, demonstrating clearly yet again the lifelong bonds we share. Thank you, Sigma Pi, and hail Purdue! a
a Centennial celebration held at Theta Chapter at Penn State by Cory Bosco
Only months after the Titanic sunk and two years before Europe became embroiled in the Great War, Sigma Pi Fraternity of the United States bestow a charter upon the Corinthian Club of Pennsylvania State College to become the Theta Chapter; the nineth chapter since our founding. Since then many things have changed, for example, Pennsylvania State College, in 1953, changed its name to Pennsylvania State University, and our organization went international in 1984 changing its name to Sigma Pi Fraternity, International. Today, Theta Chapter is our third oldest chapter in continuous existence and maintains the notoriety of being the first chapter to initiate 1,000 brothers. Theta Chapter has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the years but none were as special as the chapter’s 100 year anniversary celebrated on Saturday September 22, 2012. For the centennial, the chapter threw open the doors of its very old and spacious chapter house, built in 1931, to welcome back its alumni from all generations for a special centennial banquet and celebration. As ELC for the Northeast, I was sent an invitation to attend as a representative of the Executive Office. Among those in attendance was Grand Second Counselor E. Andrew Morris, who in 1987 was on hand for the chapter’s 75th anniversary as the, then, Executive Director. During the celebrations, GSC Morris presented the chapter a framed commendation for the chapter’s 100 years which is to be hung within the house next to its commendations for both 50 and 75 years. I had the opportunity to meet with numerous alumni from the chapter ranging from members that graduated just the year before all the way back to having graduated in the 1940s. Several alumni took the opportunity to share with the current brothers some of their experiences and lessons they learned while they were members of the chapter. Other alumni got delight from showing their wives and children where they lived in the house while they were part of the chapter. Unable to attend, Past Grand Sage Frank C. Fryburg who graduated from Penn State in 1949. PGS Fryburg shared a bit of his involvement with the chapter through a message that was read during the celebrations. He recounted
the celebrations that he had made with the chapter by saying, “My first major celebration was in 1952 when we burned the original mortgage on the house and celebrated Brother Dick Lowe having been elected Grand Sage. In 1962, I was privileged to chair the 50th anniversary celebration. Having recently been elected Grand Sage, I retired as president of the Theta Building Association after ten years as president and 13 years on the board. [And] in 1987 I attended the 75th anniversary celebration.” PGS Fryburg also took a moment to clarify that, “Despite rumors to the contrary, rest assured that I am NOT one of the charter members,” to the amusement of the alumni gathered. Theta Chapter has produced many notable alumni throughout the years including: Howard E. Milliken, Frank Spaziani, and Herman Fisher just to name a few. Theta has also produced many alumni that dedicated themselves toward the operation of Sigma Pi which include Past Grand Council Officers: PGS Richard Lowe, PGS Frank Fryburg, Past Grand Third and Past Grand Fourth Counselor Samuel E. Flenner, Jr. PGS Richard Lowe, PGS Frank Fryburg, George Haller, Herman Fisher, Herbert Longenecker and Charles Bricksler have all been awarded Founders Awards by Sigma Pi.
Travis McDaniel ’42 was the oldest alumni in attendance, pictured here with his daughter Laurie.
(L to R): Craig Womeldorf, Theta Housing Corp President; Tom “AJ” Harner, Theta CD; Andrew Morris, Grand Second Counselor
Having already placed 100 great years under their belt, it will be interesting to see what they can do through the next 100 years. Chapter members claim that they would like to start winning more Grand Chapter awards, something that hasn’t been done by the Theta Chapter since its Grand Sage Cup in 1976 and Grand Council Award in 1996. I would like to wish the brothers of Theta chapter the best of luck in these ventures and I look forward to working with them as they reign in another 100 great years as a chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International. a
Rovira recognized At the Long Beach State preference party recently, PGS John Merino, Taylor Fix from Beta-Omicron Chapter and Grand Third Counselor Brian Devot presented PGS Larry Rovira (left) with his Past Grand Sage gavel plaque winter 2012
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Sigma Pi
q Educational Foundation
Allen W. Yee and PGS Larry Paul Rovira present a scholarship to Taylor Fix Beta-Omicron, Cal StateLong Beach
Board of Trustees Dear Sigma Pi Brothers:
Allen W. Yee (AF, Georgia ’99) Chairman
It is my pleasure to offer greetings for a happy and prosperous 2013. 2012 was year of challenges - not only for Sigma Pi and the Foundation, but for the entire world as the economy continued to struggle and social and political unrest spread. But through it all, Sigma Pi prospered because of its time-tested values, solid foundation, prudent planning, and most of all because of the support of alumni like you.
Les L. Wright (GU, Murray State ’70) Vice-Chairman of Administration Edward Mora (BO, Cal State-Long Beach ’93) Vice-Chairman of Investments
In August, the Foundation held its Annual Meeting in conjunction with the Fraternity’s 51st Biennial Convocation at which we reviewed our activities over the past two years, presented our plans for the next biennium and beyond, and conducted other business, including the election of five new Trustees, Michael Simmons (EN, California State-Fullerton ’87), Shea Sticker (BK, Arizona State ’90), Ricky Marshall (AP, Arkansas State ’92), Paul Hetrick (GU, Murray State ’92) and PGS Larry Rovira (EN, California State-Fullerton ’85), whom we welcome with much enthusiasm. At the Foundation’s Luncheon held on Friday of Convocation, we awarded $12,750 in scholarships to 24 deserving young Sigma Pi men which were made possible by the generosity of our alumni members (see next page). Finally, we recognized Joe Palazzolo (DB, Monmouth ’03), James Jennings (GU, Murray State ’93), Gary Dvorchak (X, Iowa ’86), John McCann (AM, NJIT ’83), PGS John Merino (BO, California State-Long Beach ’58) and PGS George Hakim (GA, Detroit-Mercy ’78) for their service as they retire from the Board of Trustees.
PGS Larry P. Rovira (EN, Cal State-Fullerton ’85) Vice-Chairman of Development Gary S. Grubacich (AO, UC-Santa Barbara ’68) Vice-Chairman of Legal Affairs Paul M. Hetrick (GU, Murray State ’92) Treasurer Ian M. Itschner (W, Oregon State ’93) Secretary Dr Jay C. Joern, Jr. (GS, Missouri ’72) Trustee Michael Simmons (EN, Cal State-Fullerton ’87) Trustee Ricky Marshall (AP, Arkansas State ’92) Trustee
As we enter 2013, we look forward to advancing the educational pursuits of Sigma Pi and its members. With the Foundation’s 2012-2013 Annual Fund campaign already well under way, I offer a special thanks to those of you who have already made a gift. And if you have not chosen to make a gift yet this year, I invite you to join the nearly 9,000 alumni who have already invested back into Sigma Pi and its mission to build the leaders of tomorrow.
Shea Stickler (BK, Arizona State ’90) Trustee GS Edward Levesque (HH, Bridgewater State ’89) Trustee
On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the thousands of young men who benefit every year from your generosity, I thank you for your continued support and for BELIEVING IN SIGMA PI.
PGS Christopher R. Brown (GH, Rutgers ’81) Trustee
Fraternally,
Paul W. Hansen (BT, Valparaiso ’80) Advisor Trustee

PGS Frank C. Fryburg (Q, Penn State ’49) Honorary Life Trustee
Allen W. Yee
(AF, Georgia ’99) Chairman, Board of Trustees
Mark your calendars for Friday, April 12, 2013, for the Governor Mike Beebe Veterans Fund Gala being held at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock, Arkansas. This event is hosted each year by Governor Beebe and the First Lady and organized by the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation. Funds raised from this event go to support, through educational scholarships, our veterans and the families of those men and women killed in action, regardless of their affiliation with Sigma Pi. For more information, contact the Educational Foundation at (800) 332-1897 or SPEF@sigmapi.org
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congrats
During the 51st Biennium Convocation, the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation awarded $12,750 in scholarships at a luncheon on Friday, August 10, 2012. Congratulations to all the winners! Tony Siress Zeta-Eta Scholarship Roberto Fernandez, Kevin Henderson, Matthew Martinez, Max Wahl, Robert West Judge Curtis G. Shake Scholarship Christian Miele, Eta-Nu, Towson Graduate School, Emory Law School Frank Fryburg Scholarship Will Wojcik, Iota-Zeta, Minnesota Graduate School, Vanderbilt Law School Lothar I. Iversen Scholarship Stephen Mayers, Eta-Epsilon, Florida State Timothy B. Haney Scholarship Andrew Askew, Theta, Penn State PGS Jack C. Fields Scholarship Evan Hallock, Omega, Oregon State Laverne Marie Rovira Legacy Scholarship Taylor Fix, Beta-Omicron, Cal State-Long Beach Alexandra Akemi Rovira, UC-Dominican Mikayla Kimiko Rovira, Cal State-Fullerton Walter H. Lemmond Scholarship Grant Kehler, Theta-Omicron, Alabama Chase Anderson, Alpha-Delta, Auburn Donald J. Carswell, Alpha-Delta, Auburn
Beecher Hungerford Scholarship Jacob Kahn, Iota-Kappa, Central Florida Harold Jacobsen Scholarship Jared Sklar, Gamma-Rho, Western Michigan Dr. Morgan Brown Scholarship Benjamin Yates Andrew, Mu, Cornell William J. Cutbirth Scholarship Dylan Robin, Upsilon, UCLA Robert A. Falkenau Scholarship Alexander Asturias, Alpha-Omicron, UC-Santa Barbara Cletus A. Broecker Scholarship Raymond R. Ackerman, Theta-Rho, Grand Valley State Lyle H. Smith Scholarship Ronald R. Barbulescu, Gamma-Omega, Wayne State Frank E. Gray Scholarship Jacob Koopman, Gamma, Ohio State Gary B. Tash Scholarship Daly C. S. Brower, Beta-Pi, Virginia Dr. John J. Dimmick Scholarship Brennan E. Clay, Alpha-Nu, Wake Forest
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get to know
Mike MICHAEL R. AYALON
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR by John Michelich (EG, Illinois Wesleyan ’74), Past Grand Fourth
In March 2012, when Mark Briscoe retired after 15 years as Executive Director, the Grand Council embarked on a search for just the right person to fill Mark’s shoes. Grand Sage Chris Brown was determined to conduct an orderly and objective search process that everybody would respect as being fair and open. The Grand Sage appointed a search committee headed by Past Grand Sage Robert Burns and four other brothers: PGS Ed Panconi; Fr. Mike Hobson (GI, Worcester Polytech ’84), Brad Vaughn (BN, SIU - Carbondale ’87), and Ken Dzierzawiec (AM, NJIT ’79). The Grand Sage did not announce the other members of the committee in order to avoid outside influence. Advertisements were placed in The Emerald and other publications nationwide. Altogether, the committee received applications from more than a dozen individuals, including at least one
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woman and several men who are not Sigma Pi brothers. In May, the committee reviewed all resumes and conducted telephone interviews. Ultimately, the committee narrowed the field and sent three names to Grand Sage Brown for final personal interviews with the Grand Council. In June, the Grand Council met in Nashville for the purpose of interviewing the three finalists, and then met in closed session to make their choice. Their vote to hire Brother Mike Ayalon to serve as the fraternity’s seventh Executive Director was unanimous. Never in the history of the fraternity has there been such a deliberate and organized process for choosing our Executive. We owe our thanks to Grand Sage Brown, the Grand Council, Past Grand Sage Burns and the search committee for carrying out this responsibility so well.
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Mike with his wife Jennifer and children Rachel and Jacob
Mike started his new job officially on July 1, 2012, but much of that month was spent selling his family’s home in New York and moving his family to their new home in Nashville. During the fraternity’s Convocation in August, Mike took the reins of the fraternity like an old pro, reporting on our current status, and delivering his inspiring vision for the fraternity’s future progress. After he had time to settle in to his new position, I sat down with Mike to get to know him better, and find out what makes him tick. His answers to my questions reveal a man who loves our brotherhood and who is dedicated to making Sigma Pi the best fraternity in the country. John Michelich (JM): Mike, we would like to get to know you better on a personal level. Tell us a little bit about your family background, where you grew up and your experiences in high school. Did you ever expect that you would pledge a fraternity? Why did you decide to pledge Sigma Pi? Michael Ayalon (MA): My parents were both born in Israel, they served in the Israeli Army, and then immediately moved to the United States after completion of their service. They attended universities here in the United States with almost no money. They took out loans and had part time jobs to make ends meet. My mother has been in the medical
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field her entire life, and my father has recently retired from a very successful career in corporate insurance. I also have two younger sisters. One is a teacher in New York City, and the other is a mechanical engineer in New York City. Since my parents had very little to start with and achieved tremendous success in life, they instilled a great work ethic in me from the very beginning. At age 13, I had a newspaper route, and then at age 14 I started mowing lawns in the neighborhood. At age 15, I started working at a frozen yogurt store, and I continued as a manager of various frozen yogurt chains all the way through college. Since my parents took out loans to support themselves through college, it was expected that I would do the same when I went to college. It made me appreciate the opportunities that I was given, and I didn’t want to waste those opportunities. In high school, I was on track and field and I was also on the lacrosse team. I didn’t spend as much time as I should have on studies. I was mostly interested in sports, hanging out with friends, and riding bikes around the neighborhood. There was one friend named Scott that I was very close with, and he was a year older than I was. Scott was already at the University at Buffalo, so I applied and got accepted. Since it was an affordable state school and my friend
Scott was already there, I decided on Buffalo for my undergraduate education. I never expected to join a fraternity. My friend Scott failed out of school because he was working nights as a security guard and didn’t wake up for his classes. I was left in a dorm full of transfer students, and the students on my floor didn’t speak English. By the end of my first semester, I remember calling my father and telling him that college life wasn’t for me. I was just a number here. I was going to drop out of college and start my career with only a high school diploma. My father then told me that was not an option.
worth it. The weather is significantly better, the taxes significantly lower, and generally speaking, the cost of living is much lower. Also, the people in Tennessee are very friendly. New Yorkers are always so pressed for time. We’re putting the finishing touches on our new home in Franklin, Tennessee. It’s about a ten minute drive from the office, and the schools in Williamson County are the best in the state. We couldn’t be happier. JM: Tell us about your previous career up to this point. What positions have you held, and how has your previous experience prepared you to serve as Executive Director?
Upon returning in my second semester of freshman year, I remember taking a calculus class, and there was five feet of snow on the ground in Buffalo. The guy sitting next to me was wearing cut off jean shorts and flip flops to class. As I looked over in amazement, I noticed that he had Sigma Pi tattooed on his thigh. He was also drawing the crest of Sigma Pi on his notepad, but I had no idea what a crest was at the time. After class, I pulled him aside and asked him about this organization that he felt so passionate about. After all, it was tattooed on his leg! His name was Rich, and he suggested that I come to the chapter house and meet the guys.
MA: After graduating from college, I went to work for Associates Commercial Corporation on Long Island. I found that my experience on E-board in my local chapter, managing a chapter full of twenty-yearolds, made it very easy to manage the people that worked in my company. Even to manage people that were twenty years older than I was, or the people that had already worked at that company for fifteen years, seemed very easy to do after managing a successful chapter and getting them to work together for a united cause. I quickly became the Collection Manager responsible for $470 million in loans at 22 years old.
The brothers at the house seemed like a nice bunch of guys, and they even spoke English! The next day after calculus class, Rich again asked if I wanted to come by the house. This time, when I walked in the door, each brother greeted me by saying “nice to see you again, Mike.” My own name was music to my ears. That’s when I knew I had a family, and it was everything I had been missing. At a school of 30,000 students I was only a number. In my Sigma Pi chapter, I was able to build leadership skills, communication skills and even network with successful alumni. I would not have graduated from college without the Sigma Pi influence. I would not have been so successful in business without the skills that Sigma Pi taught me as Third Counselor and eventually Sage of my chapter.
I then decided to get back into accounting, which was my major in college. I built up a career starting with staff accountant of a Cisco Premier Partner in New York City, all the way up to Director of Finance, and eventually Chief Financial Officer. I learned the ropes by working alongside other successful CEOs, and learned how to run an entrepreneurial company while learning how to avoid all the mistakes they were making.
Rich and I have been in each other’s weddings, and up until my move to Tennessee, he and his family lived five minutes from our home. JM: Please tell us about your family, and what life is like at new Ayalon household in Nashville. As a native New Yorker, what was it like for you and your family to move to Tennessee? MA: My wife, Jennifer, is originally from Pennsylvania, and she knew of the Sigma Pi chapter at West Chester where she went to school. We met in Dallas during training seminars for our first real employer after college, Associates Commercial Corporation. It was the largest publically traded finance company at the time. We married in 2002, and we have two very bright kids, Jacob and Rachel. Jacob is seven years old, and Rachel is five years old. It was a big adjustment for us to move from New York to Tennessee. However, the move was well
Finally, I started my own website design and search engine optimization company in New York. We were wildly successful because we focus on a particular niche in the market, namely the pet industry, which is a $50 billion industry. As the top web designer in that field, we quickly gained national accounts and the company hired employees all over the world. My wife is now running that company and doing a really good job. JM: You were initiated at the Epsilon-Omicron Chapter, at SUNY-Buffalo in 1993. Please tell us about your undergraduate fraternity experience and what life was like as a brother in your chapter. What do you recall as the major strengths and weaknesses of your chapter? MA: Our chapter at the University at Buffalo never had any money. Getting dues paid was a major obstacle. We never received much support from the university, and that’s one of the reasons why the Greek organizations haven’t done very well at SUNY schools. We were the oldest Greek organization on that campus, established in 1979. I’m proud to say that we are still on campus, and I don’t even recognize all the other organizations there now. Our alumni are extremely tight and successful. They still come back to see the chapter on a semi-annual basis for formal events and the annual Buffalo Bills game. We love to winter 2012
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talk about old times and reminisce about how much fun we had together. I take great pride in being a brother from Buffalo, and I know the other alumni from that chapter feel the same way. We’ve had many great volunteers come from that school, and they have served various roles as Chapter Directors, Province Archons, and now one of them even made it to Executive Director. They are all very passionate about Sigma Pi and how much that experience in Sigma Pi allowed them to become successful in life. JM: Do you believe that Sigma Pi has influenced your personal and professional development? If so, can you give us some particular examples of how Sigma Pi has influenced your life? MA: I owe all my leadership and communication skills to Sigma Pi. It all started on the chapter level, and continued throughout my life. It was much more than a four year commitment for me. It was a lifelong membership that allowed me not only to have personal and professional growth, but also contacts among our many alumni that I would never have. Many of my closest friends now are Sigma Pi members that I met from other chapters only because I became involved on an international level. As the CEO of my own website design company, I remember thinking back to when all the personal and professional development started for me. It was in the chapter. So, I decided to volunteer for Sigma Pi as the Province Archon in the Northeast. My chapters were Hofstra, Cornell, Penn College of Technology, Kutztown, and East Stroudsburg. It felt great to teach these college students and then watch them succeed, not only in their chapters, but also in life. It was almost as if they were my own kids. I was so proud of them, and I still am. Being Province Archon was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. I hope more of our alumni will volunteer to help us in the capacity of Chapter Director, Alumni Advisory Board, or as Province Archon. They will see the same rewards that I see on a daily basis. Being the founder and president of the New York City Alumni Club for Sigma Pi was also a big step. Being that is was a regional-based alumni club open to all 4,200 alumni of Sigma Pi in New York City, allowed for significant networking opportunities. We had actives show up at the alumni events each month, and they started getting jobs! That’s when I knew that I needed to take this model to an international level. JM: You have been the fraternity’s Executive Director for a little over 3 months, as this is being written. Please tell us what will be your guiding philosophy as CEO of the Fraternity. MA: The guiding philosophy, or the basis of each decision that I make, will be based on the “Ends” that are produced by the Grand Council. I expect that members of Sigma Pi will have advantageous career and social networking opportunities available to them. They should be prepared to enter the workforce as leaders. They should be able to demonstrate scholastic aptitude, financial literacy, interpersonal
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skills, and organizational abilities. They should be well rounded in terms of public service opportunities such as volunteering and philanthropy. They should be able to maintain those relationships as alumni members. Most importantly, they need to be given the opportunity for success. JM: Since you started your job as ED, what has been your biggest surprise? Also, please describe the most difficult challenges you faced during your first three months. MA: The biggest surprise for me was not having as much structure in the organization as I thought we needed. It was important for me to have job descriptions, department policies and procedures that are documented, and a system for reviews that enable our employees to get better at what they do. The most difficult challenge that I faced was trying to balance the budget. Our resources are very limited, so I had to make difficult decisions regarding staffing and other expenses that I had to cut back on. As long as I sit in this chair, we will always operate in a manner that our expenses will never exceed our revenues, and that we are growing as an organization. JM: The high cost of insurance has been a topic of discussion within the Fraternity for years. Recently, you announced that Sigma Pi had joined a group of national fraternities called the Fraternity Risk Management Trust (FRMT). Please explain what this is, and how you expect it to benefit Sigma Pi. MA: In the past, Sigma Pi has purchased standalone liability insurance policies to protect their chapters and members. In researching the fraternity insurance market and the high number of claims for all fraternities, this market has not been a profitable one for the standalone insurance carriers. Historically, insurance carriers have come and gone every two to three years since 1985. Had we stayed in the standalone insurance market, we would be susceptible to radically higher premiums based on our claims history, which is often difficult to predict. It would make budgeting for our chapters next to impossible. Also, we might have been left scrambling if the standalone carriers had left the market. It was my job to seek a solution that protected our long term interests. In December 2012, Sigma Pi will become the 30th fraternity to join membership into FRMT. The new policy adequately protects our assets, which is one of my primary concerns. By rolling Sigma Pi into one policy for 30 fraternities, the large claims in this industry would continue, but the risk is shared between so many organizations, so there are enough insurance premiums to make the carrier whole over the long term. FRMT gives us certainty as to the availability of future insurance coverage and stability in pricing as compared to the standalone insurance market. This will allow us to be much more predictable in terms of your local chapter insurance bill, and it will help our chapters budget properly for many more years to come without major swings in the premium from year to year.
JM: Mike, you just wrote and published an article about “values-based” recruitment. Please explain what you mean by this, and how you expect this approach to benefit the entire brotherhood. MA: The first step for each chapter is to identify the type of person they want to attract to their organization, and write those qualities down before the recruitment process begins. If it is written in advance by the whole chapter, there will be no disagreements when the time comes to decide whether a perspective new member is given a bid to join Sigma Pi. What are those qualities? I would suggest that the chapter identify the cultural issues within the chapter and begin to phase in change through their new members. The chapter should identify the minimum GPA for each new member, the history of community service required, and proven leadership in other organizations. The chapter should also ask if each perspective new member meets the values of Sigma Pi, including things like scholarship, raising the standards of morality, developing character, diffusing culture, and encouraging chivalry. These are the values of our brotherhood, and if we are able to communicate these values to perspective new members, we will attract those members with higher GPAs, a community service focus, and well-rounded leaders. By incorporating these values based recruiting methods, we can change the trajectory of our chapter’s success and ensure its future by retaining the men who joined Sigma Pi for the right reasons.
is why I have been speaking at universities all over the country spreading that message. In the next year, we will see growth of our pledges and initiates as a result of our efforts, and over the next five years, we will become an exclusive organization that has built consistency in all chapters for being the best on their campus and in their communities. Prospective new members will want to join our ranks because they see the level of success that Sigma Pi men enjoy as new graduates and over their lifetimes. I also want our alumni to increase their support to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation. Without those tax deductible donations, I have a hard time spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on leadership conferences from the operating budget of the fraternity. I’m competing with other fraternities that already have that coming from their foundation. We’re not there yet, but I know our alumni feel just as passionate about their fraternity experience as I do. In the future, I would like to expand the quality of these leadership conferences by bringing in higher level speakers and training even more members of the chapter than just the four members that we invite. It’s the life skills and leadership training that is not available at our universities, so we have to step in and teach them how to be successful in life. I need more help to do that through the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation. We have a significant amount of work ahead of us to achieve these goals. I know we can do it, and I have a clear vision of what it looks like. It’s a great day to be a Sigma Pi. a
Contact Mike: mayalon@sigmapi.org SigmaPiExec You may also follow Mike’s blog at fraternitypledge.com
JM: What do you see as the biggest challenge Sigma Pi faces right now? What is your plan to meet that challenge? MA: The biggest challenge by far is risk management. It’s literally killing our chapters. Our chapters need to do a better job in terms of following FIPG guidelines. I want our undergraduates to have a fun experience, just like I had a great experience as an undergraduate. However, there are ways to have fun and limit your chapter and personal liability by following FIPG guidelines. My plan to meet that challenge is to discuss it more often with our chapters. It’s one of the first things our ELCs will speak to the chapter about, and we will also discuss it at length at our Mid-Year Leadership Conference in February in St. Louis. The more we talk about it and educate our chapters on the right way to do things and incorporate that into the culture of the local chapter, the easier it will become going forward. It needs to be done every semester, otherwise we are not doing our job. JM: Have you formulated any goals for Sigma Pi and for yourself as Executive Director? Please describe those goals, and tell us where you see the fraternity a year from now and five years from now. MA: We want to advance man’s quest for excellence. We want Sigma Pi to be on the forefront of key Greek issues like hazing prevention, which winter 2012
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submitted rts are those po re r te ap Ch : Note ont cover. listed inside fr by deadlines
New!
Guide to Undergrad Reports:
Use the key below to learn more about each chapter: f : Grand Sage Cup
Brothers at Eta-Eta Chapter at Bridgewater State sporting Sigma Pi pride
Arkansas State University Alpha-Pi Chapter
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Alpha-Pi had an unusually busy summer. Using contributions from alumni and active brothers, we installed a volleyball pit and had numerous work days to improve the condition of the chapter house. As for the current semester, we have embarked on a massive rush effort, involving various rush events and extensive alumni and active support. We are busily planning philanthropic and social events to fill our semester calendar following the completion of formal rush. This fall semester, as usual, will be fastpaced for Alpha-Pi chapter.
Bridgewater State University Eta-Eta Chapter
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Eta-Eta Chapter is currently getting ready to begin rush. The events that
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we are going to have on the first week are volleyball, dodge ball, Game night, bonfire, and Sigma Pi rocks. During the second week of rush we are going to have pie a Sigma Pi, Luau, Tilly Dinner night, and wrights chicken night. Hopefully we will be able to have a large pledge class this semester. We are also currently working on planning events for the school year. Our top priority this year is to better the chapter as a whole and show our campus what it means to be a Sigma Pi.
California State University, Long Beach Beta-Omicron Chapter
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After a successful spring semester, Beta-Omicron has welcomed twelve new brothers into our chapter. With only a week into the fall semester, we are preparing and already witnessing one of the strongest rush semesters Beta-
recipient in 2012
f : Grand Council Award
recipient in 2012
f : Grand Chapter Award
recipient in 2012
g : Chapter has zero
balance for insurance
h : Chapter has zero
balance with Executive Office
p : ACE Project this
school year
m : Philanthropy project
this school year
i : Total number of living
alumni from chapter
q : Total donors to
SPEF this fiscal year (undergrad & alumni)
Data current as of 12/07/12
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Omicron has seen in years. Every brother is taking part in ensuring that our chapter rushes men who will uphold Sigma Pi’s ideals and beliefs.
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Carleton University Eta-Rho Chapter
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Last spring the Eta Rho chapter celebrated our 20th anniversary with a great event and has carried that momentum over into the new academic year. Starting off with our ACE Project™ the brothers made an enormous contribution in the planning and running of fall orientation week, which was an incredible success. This past weekend, the brothers came together for our Annual Reece Scofield memorial Golf tournament and collected contributions to donate to a local fire department in order to purchase the “jaws of life”. With fall rush coming to a close Eta-Rho looks forward to welcoming a new pledge class and continuing the Sigma Pi tradition of excellence here in Canada.
Drury University Epsilon-Rho Chapter
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The men of Epsilon-Rho are looking forward to another successful year at Drury University. We look to repeat as both intramural champions and Greek Week champions, and with the makings of another strong class of pledges these goals are well within are grasp. As for the ACE Project™ we are looking to work closely with Drury to create a campus disc golf course. We are also looking to maintain our high academic and social standards that the Drury community has come to expect from the men of Sigma Pi, EpsilonRho.
Congrats!
Cameron Nichols from Delta-Beta Chapter at Monmouth was awarded the Red Clover Scholarship of $500. The key criteria included GPA while pledging, breadth of involvement in chapter activities and contributions made toward the chapter’s overall progress.
This fall marks the 35th anniversary of Epsilon-Theta. Our homecoming events this year will be bigger than ever, with an expected turnout of several hundred alumni. Festivities planned for the weekend include a golf tournament, a tailgate, and an event at our recently acquired chapter house. These all present a great opportunity for old friends to reconnect, and for new connections to be made between alumni and active brothers. Additional news to look forward to in the fall is a philanthropy basketball tournament open to campus organizations, participation in the Sigmapalooza philanthropy concert, as well as further expansion of our membership through a fall pledge class.
Your chapter has good news? Use #sigmapi and tell the world.
Emporia State University Epsilon-Epsilon Chapter g i:457 q:1
The Epsilon-Epsilon chapter has been recruiting heavy. We have a total of 6 pledges signed and are actively recruiting potential members. We are in the process of planning an alumni event for our 150th homecoming. continued...
Epsilon-Omicron Chapter at SUNY - Buffalo had over 20 volunteers for “UB Getting Dirty Day”
Eastern Kentucky University Epsilon-Lambda Chapter g i:400 q:2
Things are going well here at the EpsilonLambda chapter. We had a successful rush and acquired 21 new members for our Gamma Delta pledge class. We are currently working with a local elementary school for our Tree of Hope philanthropy, and looking forward to hosting events for our two new national philanthropies later this semester. We are thrilled to attend a province workshop with our brothers from Morehead and the University of Louisville in early October. With homecoming approaching we are excited to welcome the return of many of our alumni. winter 2012
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Xi Chapter at Iowa
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So far the chapter is off to a strong start, we are only on our second week of school have over 30 potential interests that all seem very interested. In September alone we have events ranging from a friendly football game to a candlelight vigil to honor those who died on 9/11.
Ferris State University Theta-Theta Chapter
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The Theta-Theta chapter at Ferris State University is off to a strong start. We have been getting involved early this year and a lot, also we hope to reach out to the young men of Ferris and bring in our biggest class to date. For the future we will be hosting our annual 48 hour Teeter-TotterA-Thon and continuing with our weekly Quad cleanup.
Fitchburg State University Eta-Tau Chapter
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Over the past few months the Eta-Tau chapter has been very busy and is looking forward to a productive fall semester. Over the summer the chapter took a retreat
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to Saco, Maine, where they went on a weekend canoe trip filled with traveling the river, camping, and talk of business for the upcoming school year. Moving past the summer the chapter has hit the ground running and started rushing to strengthen the chapter. Within the first week Eta-Tau has had four separate rush events witch included the Greek carnival, rock the block, whiffle ball followed by a BBQ, and a car smash which was a great rush event that doubled as a fundraiser. There seems to be a big interest in Greek life this year and the Eta-Tau chapter hopes to rush the largest pledge class in recent history.
Florida State University Eta-Epsilon Chapter
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The Eta-Epsilon chapter at Florida State University is very excited about where we are going. In the last year we have moved into a new house. We have also had a great year recruiting, and got almost as many pledges as we have brothers. We are very excited about this upcoming year, and we hope to see some other chapters come by and visit because our doors are always open.
Grand Valley State University Theta-Rho Chapter
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Class has started back up here at Grand Valley State University. We are hitting the ground running as we know how we can further improve not only our national standings but our image on campus as well. We are having elections this Fall and will have a new executive board. I believe.
Iowa State University Sigma Chapter
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School just started and the Sigma chapter is already off to a great start for the Fall 2012 semester. Sigma Chapter just finished a strong summer of recruitment. So far this year we are thirty percent larger compared to this time a year ago. We currently have the largest pledge class in ten years here as well. We are also preparing for a successful Fall Fraternity Rush. 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of homecoming at Iowa State and Sigma chapter has already started to work our Yell Like Hell Skit. We also look forward to supporting Suicide Prevention with our philanthropy this semester.
j signed the biggest pledge class we’ve had in several years. As we move forward with our chapter goals throughout the term, we are looking forward to visiting brothers at other chapters during away football games.
Keene State College Colony
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As the boys in the Keene State Colony work on chartering, they have been making it a fun and memorable time. Just recently they have had a brotherhood BBQ. Following the BBQ the boys got together with the 40 plus Phi Sigma Sigma sisters and had a social that the sisters mentioned was one of the most fun socials they have had, and there were only nine men from the colony present. Coming up in the beginning of October the Keene State Colony will be doing a philanthropy event.
Lawrence Technological University Zeta-Omicron Chapter
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Johnson & Wales University Eta-Omega Chapter
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Our first couple weeks back have been very busy with a huge rush, and getting lots of new events planned for the year. This year we plan on continuing our strong partnership with the Boys & Girls Club and also increase the number of ACE Project™s from 1 to at least 2. We are very excited for the 2012-2013 year and hopefully we will have some exciting news in Emeralds to follow.
Louisiana Tech University Delta-Lambda Chapter g i:311 q:1
Brothers at Delta-Lambda chapter enjoyed their annual fraternity camping trip in October with the new fall pledge class. At the homecoming event they saw great alumni turnout; over thirty alumni attended including several past sages of the chapter.
Kansas State University Iota-Alpha Chapter
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Fall semester at Iota-Alpha is in full swing. The recruitment committee has been working very hard, and has successfully
The second annual Eta-Tau Chapter Holiday Family Gathering, with over 150 alumni and their children attending, including Grand Sage Ed Levesque. The event was held at Fitchburg State University, December 1, 2012.
The Zeta-Omicron chapter started off the semester strong by getting heavily involved with the incoming freshman class. Every year our brothers volunteer for Freshman Move-In Day and this year we also teamed up with Campus Housing to host a Move-In Barbecue which was open to all freshman and their families. Along with Freshman Move-In, we also participated in Welcome Week which is a series of events put on by the school to welcome the students back to campus and all events are free for all students. After Welcome Week we jump right into rush, and this semester we have high expectations. Our rush chairman has been working hard planning the events, and the brothers have been eagerly waiting for rush to start so they can start recruiting high quality members. This semester is going to be a busy one, but Zeta-Omicron is ready for anything.
Loyola University Chicago Beta-Chi Chapter
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The Beta-Chi chapter was happy to receive a Grand Chapter Award this summer at Convocation in San Antonio. This summer we ran our 3rd annual Sigma Pi Campus Movers which raised over $2,200. We also were named the most spirited chapter at Loyola’s first ever Greek Weekend. continued...
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Middle Tennessee State University
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Eta-Phi Chapter
As the fall semester begins, the brothers of the Eta-Phi Chapter are extremely busy. We recently re-organized our New Member Education process to improve ourselves internally and externally on campus. In addition, we hope to win our third Greek Week title in four years. Recruitment is going well and our brothers are highly motivated to become more involved on campus. We are sure this semester will be a good one as everyone continues to work hard and do their part.
Michigan Technological University Zeta-Epsilon Chapter g i:302 q:0
Iota-Alpha Chapter at Kansas State suited up
Our balcony took quite a hit during a storm the previous semester, tearing down railing and damaging a large portion of our house. This coming weekend, many generations of Sigma Pi’s will all congregate to fix the house. When you have brotherhood, the rest is taken care of.
Theta-Omega Chapter
Giving back!
The past few years our chapter has has made leaps and bounds toward success. We are very excited about receiving MTSU’s President’s Cup for a second time and also being awarded the Grand Sage’s Cup during Convocation. We had an excellent rush bringing in 13 solid new members and are excited to see the fruits of the remaining semester. Best of wishes and happy holidays to our fellow chapters of Sigma Pi.
Missouri State University The Delta-Beta Chapter (Monmouth) brothers had a busy Saturday in December in Keansburg, New Jersey. For those of you not from the area - Keansburg is part of the far north Jersey Shore that was battered by Hurricane Sandy. The guys rehabbed damaged homes with Habitat for Humanity.
Alpha-Rho Chapter
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Alpha-Rho Colony has had a very challenging but successful semester so far. Our group of around forty men has stepped up to make a name on campus, as well as working our way to becoming a chapter. So far we have achieved some great goals for ourselves. The colony took fourth out of twenty-two Greek organizations in homecoming which was an incredible feat for a new and small colony on campus. Our men, as well as with help from our very supportive alumni, have come together to make a name throughout of community. We hope to continue our progress as men and as brothers of Sigma Pi for not just today’s group, but for every future classes that follow.
Missouri University of Science and Technology Alpha-Iota Chapter
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The brothers of Alpha-Iota chapter are having a great start to the fall semester. With twelve well rounded pledges and a better house morale things are really starting to fall into order. We have two planned philanthropies and multiple campus relations planned. We have some more athletes now so our IM’s are looking to be on the rise. Our overall goal this semester is to get our name known on campus as it once was.
Monmouth University Delta-Beta Chapter
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Over the course of the summer the DeltaBeta chapter of Monmouth University set up a brotherhood barbecue, inviting friends and family. We had a great turn out.
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Montclair State University
Murray State University
chapter. Tailgating at the recent football opening game brought out more people than ever as the Murray State Racers have one of the best quarterbacks in the FCS division. Rush Week, starting September 10th, is looking to be a tremendous opportunity this year as Murray has the largest incoming class of freshmen in recent memory, and a brother as the IFC Rush Chair. Sigma Pi at Murray State, as is Greek life campus wide, is looking forward to an excellent year of quality growth and expansion.
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New Jersey Institute Of Technology
Iota-Iota Chapter
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Montclair State Iota-Iota is looking forward to this semester and the opportunity to improve the campus and add several new brothers. Over the summer during a Canning Drive for the Valerie fund, we raised over 100 dollars in one day. Gamma-Upsilon Chapter
This year is proving to start off exceptionally well for the Gamma-Upsilon Chapter here at Murray State University. Before the start of the year, Brothers Adam David and Ryan Johnson attended Convocation, where we proudly received the Attendance Award for having seven active and alumni brothers present from Gamma-Upsilon, more than any other
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Brothers at Iota-Iota Chapter at Montclair State sporting Sigma Pi pride
Alpha-Mu Chapter
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After taking second place this year at the Grade Sage cup and initiating the largest pledge class our chapter has seen for many years, the Alpha Mu chapter here at NJIT has been off to a commanding start. With a newfound inspiration to try and be the best chapter we possibly can, our continued...
Brothers at BetaPsi Chapter at East Stroudsburg raised $500 for the American Red Cross in two days for Hurricane Sandy Relief. winter 2012
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j chapter & colony reports excitement for the positive direction being taken by our chapter’s new members has been equally met with great results. One of our goals for this semester has been to advance our status with the college community. We accomplished this by not only having a strong presence at campus events, but also by reaching out to the faculty here at NJIT. Events such as our annual dinner with public safety have been met with outstanding results. Another area that we improved upon this year was our commitment to have a more active relationship with our alumni, and because of it we are seeing more and more alumni stopping by the house. Yet after all of these accomplishments, the most inspiring thing about our chapter came from an unlikely place. How we reacted to tragedy. During the semester one of our brothers was diagnosed with cancer. The news came as a shock to everyone, and yet it also brought a level of sincerity and closeness that was palpable in the air. We wanted to support our brother in every way we could, and added ACE Project™s such as Light the Night cancer walk NYC. All in all this has been a huge year for us and you can see it in our excitement and willingness to improve every day.
Old Dominion University Theta-Eta Chapter
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Since January, the Theta-Eta Chapter at Old Dominion University has had many significant milestones. After attending Convocation in San Antonio, the Chapter was recognized as one of the top twelve Chapters in the fraternity along with the Byron R. Lewis academic award for having the highest GPA on our campus for the last five semesters. Personally, Robert Romm was awarded the Cletus Broeker award that recognizes an undergraduate Brother who has excelled in academics, leadership, and service to the community and Brian Kurisky was awarded the Lyle H. Smith Outstanding Chapter Director award. To all alumni who may be in the area, our chapter will tentatively be hosting its second annual semi-formal event on the ninth of November and is looking forward to seeing any alumni wishing to attend. For any Sigma Pi Alumni in the Hampton Roads area, we hope that you can come out to any events the Chapter sponsors. Please contact rmcav001@odu.edu for more information.
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Oregon State University Omega Chapter
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Omega Chapter at Oregon State has started the year off with a bang and is growing rapidly. We have received twenty new gentlemen into our brotherhood so far with plans to add to that number in the near future. We will also be initiating four new members very soon. We have also started up our new Philanthropy, “Recess” with all the proceeds going to the Amazing Day Foundation. We are currently looking forward to putting on a memorable Dad’s Weekend as the Beavs take on the Sun Devil’s of Arizona State. We’re looking forward to another successful year.
Pennsylvania State University Theta Chapter
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The Theta chapter is starting off a great semester this fall after a spring semester where we raised more than $80,000 for Penn State’s student philanthropy called THON. It is aimed to help raise money for kids with cancer. We are looking to have another great rush and hope to have a class of 20+ new members. Also this year marks our 100 year anniversary and we will be hosting a large get together in which alumni from all chapters can come back and celebrate this historic event. It is truly a great year over here at the Theta chapter and we hope all is well with all of our other Sigma Pi brothers.
Pennsylvania College of Technology Theta-Phi Chapter
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The Theta-Phi Chapter is currently going through big changes, including a new house! After a large graduating class in the Spring, the Chapter has singled in on recruitment as our top focus. Thus far, Sigma Pi is becoming a larger household name than in years past and will only continue to grab the attention of our campus.
Purdue University Eta Chapter
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The brothers of Eta Chapter have been hard at work to continue our momentum from last year. So far we have had a great recruitment with solid new members. Last year’s new members have stepped into crucial roles and have not faltered. We have multiple community service and ACE
Projects planned for this year, as well as a philanthropy for the first time in a long time. We have a new chapter director this year, who is a recent alumni, but he has shown us age isn’t everything as we have been prepared more this year than any in recent memory. We are also celebrating our centennial this year and anticipating another one 100 years from now!
Radford University Theta-Lambda Chapter
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The Sigma Pi Theta-Lambda Chapter at Radford University has recently finished a very successful recruitment process. During recruitment, the Theta-Lambda chapter hosted numerous brotherhood events such as the Sigma Pi/ new member cook out, formal dinner, and cascade hike. All events proved to be very successful tools in recruitment and benefiting the Fraternity as a whole. We recently participated in a car wash Fundraiser to help raise money as well as donating
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money to the Zeta Tau Alpha’s breast cancer philanthropy. Brothers will be in attendance at the breast cancer walk to show our support. We are held our first alumni weekend of the semester October 5-7 and were excited to see Sigma Pi brothers return post-graduation.
Chi finished off our summer with a Brotherhood retreat at the Jugtown Mountain Campground in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. As of this past weekend, we completed our ACE Project™ by having a barbecue on campus with our friends from the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
Rowan University
Saginaw Valley State University
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Although the school year ended, the Zeta-Chi chapter continued to strive for excellence throughout the summer. Setting new standards for fundraising, Zeta-Chi accumulated $11,500 over a three month period. We obtained this by simply devoting our time to work at concessions stands for music festivals such as Bamboozle, Big Phish, and Orion. What made this fundraising event that much better was that it was a brotherhood event in itself. We all had free admission and were allowed to watch the concerts whenever we were not working. Zeta-
Theta-Beta Chapter has began the fall semester with a new sense of energy and motivation. We have already had a mixer with local sorority, Kappa Tau Epsilon, and are currently in the workings on planning a larger mixer involving not only one organization but all of IFC, Panhellenic Council, and KTE. We are currently in the middle of recruitment week and have taken our recruitment program to new leaps and bounds to become more continuous. Saginaw Valley is also coming upon Homecoming 2012 and Theta-Beta cannot wait to win the trophy, as well as continued...
Zeta-Chi Chapter Theta-Eta Chapter new members at Old Dominion recently enjoyed meeting Miss United States and Miss Virginia.
Gamma Chapter at Ohio State hosted a very successful alumni golf tournament
Theta-Beta Chapter
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j chapter & colony reports securing the spot as Homecoming King. Looking forward, our chapter is excited for the rest of this semester and what this whole year is going to bring us. We are Sigma Pi.
Saint Joseph’s University Theta-Chi Chapter
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The Theta-Chi chapter at Saint Joseph’s University is ecstatic about the various awards it received at convocation. These awards included recognition for top 25, top 12, best ACE Project™, and most of all The Grand Sage Cup. After having a successful summer at convocation the chapter is excited to get back into action and keep up with the good work. With rush beginning; Theta-Chi is looking forward to meeting potentials and explaining to them how great of a fraternity Sigma Pi is. The chapter is also making plans to keep up on their successful ACE Project™s and philanthropy projects. All in all the chapter is planning on doing their best to keep up the good work and maintain the possibility of being in contention for a repeat win of the Grand Sage Cup.
Seton Hall University Delta-Epsilon Chapter m i:335 q:1
Movember! During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo’s, these men raise vital awareness and funds for men’s health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives. http://us.movember.com
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Starting the year off our chapter is preparing for the fall rush and the large freshman class Seton Hall has this year. This class is one of the largest in recent years at the university which will be turned into a successful rush. Besides rush we are hosting the New Jersey Province workshop at our universities’ campus. This event is to give a chance for New Jersey Sigma Pi chapters to come as one to discuss new ideas and current fraternity topics. Overall it’s always nice meeting new brothers.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Delta-Omega Chapter
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The Delta-Omega chapter kicked off the semester by participating in the “Frats with Bats” All-Greek softball tournament on Labor Day. Our chapter placed 3rd overall with the help of many nonaffiliated fans cheering our brothers on. We are very excited for the upcoming Rush this week where we hope to bring in many new worthy members. Following Rush, we will have our A.C.E. Project, the Annual Pig Roast on September 20th.
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Top: Theta-Iota Chapter at Penn State - Altoona tailgating Lower: Gamma-Gamma Chapter, the Central Missouri Intramural Champions
Southern Polytechnic State University Epsilon-Alpha Chapter
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Its Fall again, and the Epsilon-Alpha chapter has big plans in mind. To make up for a lack in fundraising over the spring, we’re setting four mandatory Falcons games for all our guys to “work.” With the money we’ll make, we will be able to finance the many socials we’ve already planned along with brotherhood events. Our pledge class has already developed a very strong bond between them, and our new member educator is doing an excellent job with them so far. Academically, our guys are more motivated than ever. An improved,
j clear-cut scholarship plan has been implemented to help us forward the progress we’ve been making lately in the classroom. As a whole, our brotherhood is the strongest its ever been in a while. We can’t wait to establish ourselves as the top fraternity on campus this year.
The College of New Jersey Theta-Delta Chapter
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Since the end of the last semester, the Theta-Delta chapter has continued to grow and develop. Over the summer, we have had a number of brothers working internships for prestigious firms and organizations including Price Waterhouse Coopers and Bristol Myers Squibb. A number of brothers volunteered their time to staff the Bamboozle event in Asbury as well. Our newest members from the spring have already begun embedding themselves in the TCNJ campus by joining many leadership organizations including the student finance board, student government, and the IFC. Our chapter has been planning out the semester in order to continue our excellence and enjoy our success in winning this year’s Grand Sage Cup.
The Ohio State University Gamma Chapter
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Gamma chapter is off to an early start this year as a result of Ohio State now being on semesters. This past spring we initiated four members, and have pinned six more already this fall semester. In August, Gamma chapter alumni hosted a golf outing for Sigma Pi alumni in Ohio. The event saw a great turnout from not only alumni, but many actives as well, more so than at any time in the past. Earlier this semester, our chapter hosted BuckFest, an outdoor concert hosted by one of Columbus’ premiere DJ’s. The most promising aspect of this event was that it was alcohol free, and despite that, this event saw roughly one thousand students come out. This coming fall Gamma chapter will be looking forward to homecoming with Chi Omega sorority, weekly football tailgates before games, a brotherhood trip across the border in Windsor, Ontario and much more.
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The Eta-Nu Chapter of Sigma Pi demonstrates chivalry as they cook and serve dinner for sorority ladies at their semi-annual ACE Project™.
University of California, Los Angeles Upsilon Chapter
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The brothers of the Upsilon chapter are growing stronger and stronger after having the largest recruiting class on the row. As our brotherhood continues to grow, we continue to put our minds together and work with the common goal of being the top house at UCLA. We continue to excel in academia and we are looking forward to starting our new philanthropy in raising money to find a cure for the rare disease known as Ewing’s Sarcoma, and to support one of our brothers’ who has been fighting this disease for many years. We plan on establishing and maintaining this philanthropy for years to come. Shout out to Jason Carpenter for teaching kids how to do basic programming and make video games this summer.
University of California, Santa Barbara Alpha-Omicron chapter
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The upcoming school-year is looking very promising for the Alpha-Omicron Chapter at UCSB. Along with constant house improvements, we are very busy planning our recruitment, as well as a new rodeo-themed philanthropy event. We ended the last school year completing our annual ACE Project™ at UCSB’s Spring Insight, hosting events such as an Alumni Weekend and a Family Weekend, taking our annual Vegas Trip, and dominating in athletics, by winning our Intramural Indoor Soccer division, as well as winning the Mu Delta Dodgeball Tournament Philanthropy. Our house maintains an image of leadership in our community through our involvement, and our academic social excellence persevere.
University of Central Florida Iota-Kappa Chapter
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Iota-Kappa is excited for another great semester. We held several events leading up to fall rush in an effort to recruit the
best pledge class possible. We held a BBQ and played several football games together to meet potential new members. We ended the week with a relaxing evening at a Cigarz, a classy lounge in a local shopping plaza. Rush ended quite successfully, with 27 pledges in which would now be Eta class, and is on track to exceed our year-long goal. Homecoming this year with Delta-Zeta has all of us, including the girls, very excited. Our brothers stayed up together all night to secure our homecoming theme. This shows our unity and dedication to each other throughout the entire fall semester. We are also getting ready for Family Weekend on September 15th, which is also our first home football game. Iota-Kappa is anticipating an excellent semester!
University of Delaware Iota-Beta Chapter
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This summer was very successful for the brothers of Iota-Beta chapter. After a very successful spring rush, in which we achieved a record chapter roll of nearly 100 brothers, we came in second for the Grand Sage Cup at Convocation. Our congratulations go out to the brothers of Beta Pi chapter at the University of Virginia, and we look forward to making a run for our 2nd Grand Sage Cup in 2014. We also had a successful angler, which attracted brothers and alumni alike, and remain very confident in the strength of our brotherhood and our relationship with our chapter’s alumni.
University of Detroit Mercy Gamma-Alpha Chapter
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Right before the school year ended, we accomplished placing new purple and white letters up on the front of the house. Unfortunately, summer came along and brothers moved back home. Even though some brothers lived farther away than others, we still managed to stay close. Throughout the summer, brothers came together and participated in a variety of events. Some examples and memories of this summer were spending time out on the lake, playing 18 holes of golf at a neutral location, or meeting up at the fraternity house, where we would hang out for the day. The school year is back now and we have new brothers on Executive Board. This year will bring new tasks and an expectation of a big rush coming this fall. continued... winter 2012
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Undergrad
j chapter & colony reports University of Houston Theta-Nu Chapter
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The Theta-Nu chapter is looking forward to the upcoming fall semester, improving our chapter, and expanding our membership. Recently, we had four actives go to convocation this summer in San Antonio; with one new member that was initiated during convocation. For our Philanthropy, we will be holding a Ping Pong Tournament. For our Brotherhood event, we will be going on a fishing charter in Galveston. For our Fundraiser, our chapter will be helping out with the Beach Dash, which will also be in Galveston. We will be tailgating every home football game for the last season at Robertson Stadium. We are extremely excited to move forward with all of our projects for this semester. If there are any alumni in the area who would be willing to help, feel free to contact our First Counselor.
University of Iowa ffghm i:608 q:1
Things are going very well here in Iowa City! Our chapter graduated nineteen brothers in the Spring of 2012, our largest pledge class since rechartering in 2006. Over the summer we focused heavily on recruitment as we needed a great pledge class in order to continue our fraternal success while not having a chapter structure. We bidded 39 excellent young gentlemen with a 90% bid acceptance rate. This is by far our biggest pledge class since rechartering, fifteen bigger than any other pledge class. We had the third largest fraternity pledge class out of 20 fraternities at Iowa and we did it all while lacking a fraternity structure. After having the third highest GPA last semester on campus, we hope that our new pledge class will help spring us to number one! We look forward to several events this fall like parents weekend, alumni weekend, brotherhood golf tournament, tailgating, skydiving, semi-formal, and winning Homecoming again! Everything is going well and our brotherhood is closer than ever. We are working very hard to build on our recent successes and we WILL win the Grand Sage’s Cup in 2014!
University of Kansas Beta-Delta Colony
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University of Louisville Iota-Omicron Chapter g i:7 q:1
Xi Chapter
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Kappa Sorority, Xi Chapter. We had a delectable Mexican meal, at which the housemother, Ms. Norine Neff, invited us to a future event where we could learn about dinner etiquette. Sigma Pi International Colony Development Consultant Robert Zinger came in from October 31-November 4 to visit and meet with all the Executive Committee members and Committee Chairs. We are still in the process of working out the kinks in our blog. AJ Patterson will be heading this up. We also started up the new Facebook page where we uploaded all of our pictures. We also took individual pictures at our last chapter meeting and posted them to the page. This new page is much better than the old one we have and we have received more likes on the page. We will also be working on getting a new updated group photo of everyone currently in the fraternity at our next chapter meeting.
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The newest chapter to Sigma Pi has had a busy start to the Fall Semester. We have welcomed our first Alpha class of 12 new members and are working diligently to show them what Sigma Pi is all about and turn them into strong leaders capable of leading us into the future. We will be participating in intramural football and ultimate frisbee this semester, as well as looking forward to planned socials with the lovely ladies of Pi Beta Phi and Alpha Omicron Pi. As our chapter grows, we look forward to strengthening our bonds of brotherhood as we initiate our first class this November.
University of Michigan Alpha-Beta Chapter
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The brothers of Alpha-Beta enjoyed summer break, which ended with our chapter’s annual camping trip. We look forward to returning to campus and having a strong recruitment period.
University of Minnesota Iota-Zeta Chapter
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The Iota-Zeta Chapter here at the University of Minnesota is primed for its greatest school year ever! Rush week has gotten off to a great start and we are looking to have a record sized pledge class. Several important upcoming events
on our calendar include our annual foam party; one of the largest parties on campus that is a fundraiser for the Amazing Day foundation for suicide prevention. We are paired with the lovely women of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority for homecoming this fall and hope to sweep the competition! Member Vincent Phan is up for homecoming royalty as well.
University of Missouri Gamma-Sigma Chapter
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Gamma-Sigma is proud to announce that we have pinned 24 young men into our fall pledge class. We are very excited to be joining the Southeastern Conference (S.E.C.), and to see all the brothers from southern houses visiting us on game days. We hope to complete a couple more house improvements this year, including redoing our back porch and the third floor bathroom. During Convocation we were awarded a 900 Club Efficiency Award for reporting most efficiently to the national office. The brothers are working hard to create a philanthropy and begin our homecoming preparations with the women of Gamma Phi Beta and the men of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
University of Missouri - St. Louis Delta-Zeta Chapter
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Delta-Zeta chapter is well underway for a great fall semester and academic year. We currently have five members on our student government senate as well as three of the six IFC executive positions including President and Vice President. We are also in the process of moving into a new house on campus. We also had the highest fraternity GPA for the third straight semester. Things are well on their way to a great year.
University of Southern Indiana Theta-Psi Chapter
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The Theta-Psi chapter of Sigma Pi had our first chapter retreat over the summer on July 20 through July 22 at New Harmony Park in New Harmony, Indiana. Had a great turnout and achieved a lot of our goals that we wanted to achieve. Our Rush was last week starting on August 27 and ending on August 30. The Theta-Psi chapter rushed 5 new pledges and their New Member Education program starts this week. continued...
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For Freshman Move-In Day, Zeta-Omicron Chapter at Lawrence Tech teamed up with Campus Housing to host a Move-In Barbecue which was open to all freshmen and their families winter 2012
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j chapter & colony reports University of Texas Gamma-Theta Chapter
Excellent!
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The Brothers of the Gamma-Theta Chapter have had an eventful summer. Several of our brothers attended convocation in San Antonio, while the rest were busy working on rush, handing out flyers and meeting potential new members at orientation. The fall is shaping up to be a great semester. We’ve recently inducted our fall pledge class and have many fun events planned throughout the semester. We will be helping out our Austin community more by giving more of our time to community service. Our fall ACE Project™ is also coming along. We will be helping the UT Police Department with their Shattered Dreams program once again. We look forward to having a fun and productive semester.
University of Texas at San Antonio Iota-Delta Chapter
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Having had a successful summer with the culmination of our Fraternity’s Biennial Convocation in our city, we now move into fall semester with confidence and high
Brothers Ben Atkinson (IM, Gerogia Tech ’13) and Patrick Pittaluga (IM, Gerogia Tech ’13) started Habor Point Clothing Company in August of this year with the goal of offering high quality clothes at a realistic and reasonable price. “Both Ben and I enjoy clothing and dressing well, but clothing companies that market mainly towards Greek organizations such as Southern Tide and Vineyard Vines are outrageously expensive with prices around $70 for a polo or $100 plus for a button down which is not feasible for most people to afford, and even then most people can only purchase one shirt,” said Patrick Pittaluga. “Our goal is to offer clothing of similar style, quality, look, and feel, but at about 60% of the price so that its is more affordable.” Habor Point is solely an online company. SIGMA PI SPECIAL: Habor Point is currently offering a Sigma Pi discount for purchases and will also give 5% of your purchase value to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation. Visit harborpointapparel.com and use coupon code: HPsigmapi
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The Delta Society is an honorary membership society recognizing undergraduate members who have begun a tradition of financial support for the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation. Their generosity helps provide grants for educational and leadership programs like Mid-Year Leadership Conference and Sigma Pi University, as well as helps to fund individual scholarships. For a one-time contribution of $20, you will receive a unique Delta Society lapel pin and recognition in Sigma Pi Educational Foundation publication materials as a Delta Society member. sigmapiedfund.org
aspirations into making our chapter a greater one in all scopes possible. We will be holding Rush Week from September 10th through the 14th and needless to say, we are excited to meet the new set of guys that will become part of our Kappa pledge class! We are also enjoying our football season by coordinating properly with the university, campus police, and friends to ensure that everyone has an exceptionally great time at our tailgates so we can be voted “No. 1 Tailgating Spot” again. Furthermore, we would like to wish good luck to everyone in this Biennial to come and extend a reminder of safety at events to ensure everyone’s well-rounded college experience.
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Our executive council has been working hard to prepare for fall recruitment with a wide range events including attending a Major League Baseball game. We would like to recognize alumni Julian Soriano who made the Seneca Sting Cross Country Team. Thanks again to everyone who made San Antonio a great experience.
j University of Virginia
towards initiation and a revamped new member education system.
Wounded Warrior Project.
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University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Alpha Chapter
Beta-Pi Chapter
As the school year has begun the brotherhood is very excited to get this next year rolling. We have many fun events planned for the coming semester including sporting events to meet new potential members as well as community service events for the brotherhood to participate in. The brotherhood is also in high spirits as our football team has started out to a strong 2-0 start with high brotherhood attendance at both games. We hope to share this good fortune as our intramural seasons start up over the next week. The news over the summer of winning the Grand Sage Cup has also caused for much exaltation amongst the brothers of Beta-Pi. This award makes our fifth Grand Sage Cup which brings much pride to our chapter. We are currently looking for more and better ways to continue this tradition of excellence that we call Sigma Pi.
University of West Alabama Theta-Gamma Chapter
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After enjoying the accomplishment of the Grand Council and the Grand Chapter awards, the Theta-Gamma chapter held a much expected rush in early August. Twenty young men accepted bids and pledged to be a Sigma Pi, giving us almost two times more the amount of pledges than any other fraternity. After winning the Highest GPA Award last year, we would like to keep up this success by having an even higher GPA and also continue past success and have a strong year with philanthropy.
University of Wisconsin - Madison Tau Chapter
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Fall recruitment yielded fourteen pledges, the largest number obtained by Tau chapter since its rechartering in 2005. With this, our house size has grown to just under forty members, the largest the chapter has been in over five years. Housing has also been upgraded since last semester, the brotherhood has moved into a larger house accommodating many more tenants. On top of a successful Fall pledge class, Tau Chapter has also completed its ACE Project™ providing volunteers for the Brittany Zimmerman charity 5K, promoting neighborhood security. The brotherhood now looks eagerly forward
Delta-Iota Chapter
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After a relatively quiet spring semester and three months of summer vacation apart, the Delta-Iota chapter is excited to come into the fall semester full steam ahead. As always, we continue to help at Race Day Events runs, and we have philanthropy and fundraising ideas just waiting to be acted on. Fall Rush is also moving right along, with frozen-turkey bowling garnering quite some attention. With a bright future ahead, all of us in Platteville are looking forward to a great school year.
Ursinus College Theta-Sigma Chapter
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The Theta-Sigma chapter has had a good beginning of the semester. We are currently in our rush season and preparing for the New Member Education process. Recruitment has gone very well and our estimated incoming class is currently 50% over the required number by nationals. We are also getting ready for another successful year of community service. Last year the chapter accumulated 426 hours and we hope to surpass this year. Overall, we are looking forward to have another good year.
Valparaiso University Beta-Tau Chapter
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The Beta-Tau Chapter of Sigma Pi is looking to get off to another great start to the academic year. We had a strong spring pledge class in which we initiated 9 new members. Many of those members are already taking leadership positions and we are very excited to see their contributions to the chapter. We hope to continue to recruit strong and our brothers are working hard to do so. This past summer we have made extensive repairs to both of our houses in effort to preserve them for future generations of brothers. Our chapter has been thoroughly involved in philanthropy and community service. We recently ran security for one of our campuses biggest concerts of the year. Additionally, we will soon be hosting our annual volleyball tournament an event that we have had great success with in the past. The tournament will benefit the
Vincennes University ffgh i:912 q:3
We here at Alpha Chapter have had a busy and bright beginning to our year. We are proud to say we sent six men to Convocation where we were honored to receive a Top 12 Chapter Award. We have been extremely busy with recruitment and we are proud to say that we have pledged 21 men. We recently had a housing corporation meeting where we had 10 alumni from 1967-68 come down and we enjoyed the hospitality of Alan Hutchins. After the meeting we enjoyed food and drinks. We have the great honor to say that John Gregg an alumni and Founders Award recipient as well as former speaker of the house is currently running for governor of Indiana and we are all supporting him in his endeavors.
William Paterson University Theta-Tau Chapter
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This summer, we held a summer retreat where we worked on our committees and planned events for the upcoming school year. During the summer, we also held a few brotherhood events such as cliff diving and brotherhood cookouts. We are planning on having a basketball tournament this semester where we will become more friendly with the other fraternities on campus and raise money for our chapter. Also we will be having teams for five different intramural sports on our campus. High Hopes for Fall 2012. We’d like to wish all our brothers a successful semester as well.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Gamma-Iota Chapter
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The Gamma-Iota chapter started classes on the 23rd of August. We are already planning a guitar-a-thon along with the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity as well. It will be held at the end of September. We participated in a fundraising tug-of-war contest held by the Alpha Xi Delta sorority and the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. We are also preparing for a large community service event called Work on Worcester. We will go to a certain area of Worcester, yet to be determined, and help fix that area up. a
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a united stance:
Hazing Prevention by Michael R. Ayalon, Executive Director
Hazing has existed within our culture for hundreds of years. We have seen instances of hazing at Harvard back in 1684 when a student was expelled for engaging in this practice. In 1873, an article surfaced in the New York Times that discussed hazing at West Point, the United States Military Academy. There are examples of hazing all throughout the world, not just in the United States. It’s also clear that hazing doesn’t just start in college. Nearly half of college students (47%) now experience hazing prior to coming to college, usually in high school when joining clubs and sports teams. Some of the recent news articles that I have read concerning hazing have been alarming. The New York Times reported cases of hazing at SUNY Binghamton that involved students who were hazed nightly until just before their classes started the next day. “I was hosed, waterboarded, force-fed disgusting mixtures of food, went through physical exercises until I passed out, and crawled around outside in my boxers to the point where my stomach, elbows, thighs and knees are filled with cuts, scrapes and bruises.” Last year, SUNY Binghamton was forced to suspend all pledging and initiation for all of their fraternities and sororities.
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The Los Angeles Times recently reported that a Fresno State freshman drank himself to death after the leaders of his fraternity told 15 pledges that they couldn’t leave the room until multiple bottles of liquor were completely consumed. “The coroner said Dhanens had swelling of the brain due to acute alcohol consumption. Dhanens’ blood-alcohol level was 0.36 at the time of his death.” The University of Alabama recently suspended all pledging activities after hazing allegations were made against ten different fraternities. It’s not just the fraternities anymore. We’re approaching the one year anniversary of the death of a Florida A&M drum major who died during a hazing ritual aboard a Florida A&M band bus. At a high school in Chicago, two football coaches and four players were sued by the father of a 15-year-old that was beaten with belts in a hazing event that was videotaped by an assistant coach. David Westol of Limberlost Consulting has been leading the way in hazing prevention for many years, both as a former Executive Director at Theta Chi Fraternity, and as an independent consultant that speaks to many fraternities and sororities every year. I admire his work, and he is right to put so much focus on this area. There is no room for hazing in our organizations. Not in 2012, and not ever. That’s why I’ve hit the road to discuss this topic for the fraternities, sororities, and sports teams at Ferris State University, Long Beach, Cal Poly, and Old Dominion over the last few months. “If you think hazing is about earning your way into a fraternity or sorority, you’re wrong. It’s all about control, domination, and bullying.”
Why should we care? I believe that Greek organizations provide students with resources that are just not available anywhere else. It certainly did for me, and that is the main reason why I volunteered for my fraternity over three years in the Northeast and then eventually decided to assist on a much bigger level. Without the leadership and communication skills that I developed as an undergraduate on a chapter level, I wouldn’t have achieved the level of success that I’ve had over the last twenty years. The Fraternity provided an advocate, someone who would watch over me and advise me from the moment I arrived on campus as a freshman to the time that I would graduate four years later. Which classes should I take? How should I get involved in leadership roles on campus? How can I successfully integrate into this university with 30,000 students? All of these questions were answered for me, and it didn’t come from the university. It came from my big brother in the fraternity. Our universities all have a career center, but there needs to be additional assistance to justify the financial commitment our kids are making to the university. According to the Associated Press, about 1.5 million, or 53.6 percent, of bachelor’s degreeholders under the age of 25 last year were jobless or underemployed— the highest share in at least 11 years. By leveraging the alumni of our Greek organizations, we are able to give our undergraduates
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the additional support they need by allowing our alumni access to the recent graduates, and by allowing the recent graduates the ability to search through the jobs available at our alumni’s places of employment. Our recent graduates can learn of job opportunities available not just from alumni from their local chapter, but from the thousands of alumni all over the world that want to hire them because they share our values. There is a clear need for fraternities and sororities today. I wouldn’t have a college degree without having that wonderful experience in my chapter. The Greek experience kept me anchored at my university despite being so far away from my family and having to endure the brutal winters at a place where lake effect snow meant that digging out my car from five feet of snow could be a full day endeavor. It taught me about the importance of community service, philanthropy, and diversity. These are all key components of my life as it exists today. So, what needs to be done to protect our organizations so that more undergraduates get the same advantages that I had? The important aspects of our Greek organizations are the ritual of our organizations, as well as the common values and ideals that bond us together as Greeks. The specific hazing behaviors such as greetings and wearing certain items raises these trivial matters and brings them up to the same level as our ritual, values, and ideals. This couldn’t be further from what our founders had intended. I often wonder what our founders would think, and if they were alive today, what they would make of our organizations today. Scholarship was one of the primary functions of the fraternity, and we need to make sure that it remains a cornerstone of our organizations. I’m sure that when you recite the creed of your Greek organization, there is nothing in there about hazing or any ideas on how hazing encourages those values in the creed. I can tell you certain characteristics of the people that haze and those who want to see hazing intensified on your campus. If you think hazing is about earning your way into a fraternity or sorority, you’re wrong. It’s all about control, domination, and bullying. You’ll find that the people who haze are typically those with low self-esteem, and the hazing becomes the way they justify their place in the group. The hazers are almost always the worst members of the chapter by any objective standard. The reason for going to college is to get a higher paying job, otherwise our students would have gone directly from high school and enter the workforce at that juncture. The end results of hazing can lead you to either a misdemeanor or felony conviction, and having that on your record will not allow you to get that higher paying job. It’s time to make a change. There is no room for hazing in our organization. You can put an end to it. Don’t be a bystander. Stand up, speak out. a
I believe in Sigma Pi, a Fellowship of kindred minds, united in Brotherhood to advance Truth and Justice, to promote Scholarship, to encourage Chivalry, to diffuse Culture, and to develop Character, in the Service of God and Man; and I will strive to make real the Fraternity’s ideals in my own daily life.
a quest for excellence Moving Sigma Pi forward, the Grand Council took action in October to update the Mission and Vision for Sigma Pi incorporating the values and beliefs of our Creed. We have updated our branding motto to reflect our new emphasis.
Our Mission: To advance man’s quest for excellence
Our Vision: Our men will strive for excellence by living our core values.
Our Core Values: • Promote fellowship • Develop character and leadership • Advance heightened moral awareness • Enable academic achievement • Inspire service
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A Quest for Excellence
d chapter chartering
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Gamma-EtaRutgers Gamma-Eta Chapter charters at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey by Zach Spillner
The men of
the newly installed GammaEta Chapter at Rutgers University have, since colonizing last fall, grown to become a force on the RU campus. A 3.0 GPA put them above the all IFC average, they grew to be one of the top fraternities in size on the campus and with a successful fall recruitment will enter 2013 with more than 70 members. They did all this while not having a house on a campus where housing is king. None of these things are the reason I am so proud of all their hard work.
The entire chartering team was made up of Grand Sages from current Grand Sage Ed Levesque to PGS Frank “Pythagoras” Fryburg. This is a truly amazing feat considering the almost 116 year history of our fraternity. Additionally, current Grand Council members GSC Andrew Morris, GFC Craig Donnelly and GH Rob Pankau travelled to New Jersey for the event. There is one member of the new re-founding of Gamma-Eta who is the first ever father-son legacy of the chapter, Nick Seney. His father, Frank Seney, having attended Rutgers and joining Sigma Pi as an undergraduate had the opportunity to initiate his own son. Also in attendance for the chartering ceremonies were Gamma-Eta alumni Richard Gallagher, Patrick Forker, Christopher Pinzone and Gregory Farbanish, who were all thrilled to support the return of their chapter to Rutgers University.
Listening to the chapter director Paul Gorman speak about how this group of men came about more than a year ago at the chartering banquet was fantastic. He talked about how when he met these young men they talked with him about their desire to start a new fraternity, not because they couldn’t get in to the current fraternities on campus or because they thought it would be a good way to meet women. They wanted to start a fraternity because they thought they could help shape an organization that can teach them how to help create the best version of themselves and they A grand gathering of Grand knew they didn’t want to do it alone.
The chartering banquet was a fanastic event of family and friends. The evening kicked off with a welcome from Gamma-Eta alumnus PGS Chris Brown. Other speakers included Grand Sage Ed Levesque, Faculty Advisor Lynee Agre, Chapter Director Paul Gorman, New Jersey Sages: front- Cox, Fryburg, Beyer; He knew, as I know now, that this Province Archon Joe Palazzolo, back- Williams, Levesque, Brown is something special. In a time of Chapter President and Vice President fraternities when many groups are Jordan Zuber and Ethan Arbuthnot. in the spotlight for hazing, binge The evening included a dance with drinking and causing universities and all mothers in attendance as well communities PR problems, this group of men helped as a great selection of foods including traditional out at soup kitchens. They provided help to day care Italian chicken scampi, vodka rigatoni, roast beef and centers by building jungle gyms, landscaping and chicken marsala. painting walls with children. All this and more from a Speaking with the many parents that attended the group of men who had been part of Sigma Pi for less banquet, it became very obvious that they all were than 3 months! Since that first semester as a colony, very impressed with the amount of hard work and the group has grown stronger, closer and has done dedication that their sons had put in. It was great to more to develop their identity on the campus. Though talk with many of them and see the loving support they have barely been on the campus a year, no-one that they all had for their sons. views them as the “new” fraternity on campus. From Congratulations to Gamma-Eta. We are all very raising money for wounded veterans, to hosting an proud of the men you have become and are excited to appreciation day for their on campus dining staff, see what lies ahead for you. You may congratulate the to working with sororities to raise money for the chapter at gammaeta@sigmapi.org. a Embrace Kids Foundation, this group has recognized that they have the opportunity to help others and make a difference in their community.
Chartering Officers: Sage:
Jordan Zuber
Second Counselor:
Ethan Arbuthnot
Third Counselor:
Will Lichtenburger Fourth Counselor:
Ian Wolfe
First Counselor:
Theo Vlahmos Herald:
Mike Cordisco
Installation Team: Grand Sage:
Ed Levesque, Grand Sage (HH, Bridgewater State ’89)
Grand Second Counselor:
Don Cox, PGS (K, Temple ’55)
Grand Third Counselor:
Frank Fryburg, PGS (Q, Penn State ’49)
Grand Fourth Counselor:
John Williams, PGS (EY, Widener ’71)
Grand First Counselor:
Howard Beyer, PGS (AM, NJIT ’56) Grand Herald:
Christopher R. Brown, PGS (GH, Rutgers ’81)
There is also some historical significance for Sigma Pi that took place during this chartering banquet. This was the first ever all Grand Sage chartering. winter 2012
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Upon Further Review:
good in theory bad in practice? designated-driver programs by Dave Westol, contributing writer
Dave Westol, an alumnus of Theta Chi, has spoken to thousands of students on college campuses and at national fraternity and sorority events. Dave is principal and owner of Limberlost Consulting, Inc., in Carmel, Indiana. He can be reached at David.Westol@gmail.com or via Limberlostconsulting.com
The
concept of a designated-driver (DD) program is a good example of first-echelon logic. The logic: Most chapter members will consume alcohol — that consumption will often occur at venues outside of the chapter house — that consumption will exceed what might be termed safe limits — and therefore, it is an act of brotherhood to provide those individuals who consume alcohol and especially those who choose to consume to excess with a safe ride. The intoxicated member is transported to home, wherever that may be, by a sober driver, in a safe manner. Everyone wins, and the concept of members helping members is reinforced in a practical way.
In theory. winter 2012
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Risk Management
e Upon further review
In practice, a number of concerns have arisen regarding DD programs. They include some of the following categories:
The Intern Effect Who gets the coffee? Who runs to the FedEx or UPS station at 4:59 p.m.? It is usually the intern — the person who is least experienced in company or office culture and has the smallest amount of political capital, much less the moxie to say, “A failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” Application to fraternities relating to DD programs? Pledges or new members are usually saddled with DD duties, even if the original plan calls for all members to participate as DDs. Pledges will not protest the inequity or unfairness of the system because they believe it is part of “earning” their membership. Members will gladly assign away their responsibilities as designated drivers for the usual reasons, including laziness, scheduling and “too tired/busy/involved/don’t have time/I want to party tonight.” Result: The least experienced and mature members of the chapter are dispatched to gather up drunken members and transport them to another location.
Mission Creep Theoretically, DDs pick up members who have consumed alcohol and transport them home. However, members can be expanded to include friends of members, sometimes without any members being present, and transporting them to other venues. It is another example of the Field of Dreams syndrome — in this case, “If you make free on-call transportation available, people will take advantage of it” and the classic “I can impress this woman by offering her a ride on my command!”
Mission Creep II In theory, members who have consumed alcohol and need a ride receive a quick one-way ride from where they are located to “home.” In practice, DDs find themselves transporting members to other venues, including emporiums of festive beverages or parties, playing the role of a taxi driver by waiting patiently for an intoxicated member who called for a ride but doesn’t really want to leave wherever she or he is. Things like running errands for members prior to or during the ride, including stops at fast food restaurants and bifurcated missions that include taking intoxicated members to another locale and then retrieving them and taking them home. “I didn’t send my son to Old Siwash to be a taxi driver.”
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Parents are weighing in on the expense of DD programs, especially when they involve the use of an automobile owned by or entrusted to the son. The complaints range from the upkeep of the vehicle to the cost of fuel to damage to the vehicle incurred at night on crowded, busy campus streets to the fact that intoxicated people sometimes regurgitate inside the automobile.
Is a DD program hazing? It certainly can be perceived as hazing if pledges assume anything more than a pro rata share of the responsibilities. Why require the least experienced and mature members of the chapter to undertake a disproportionately large role in the transportation of older members? Response: Because they will do it, albeit reluctantly, compared to members. And please withhold the “It’s optional” or “They are encouraged” arguments along with “Err…ahh…some bros take part, too.” “Some” is not “all.”
Whose car is used? If the automobile used for rides is not owned or operated by the driver, several scenarios arise that may place the chapter, not to mention the national organization, in jeopardy of litigation. Is the driver familiar with controls and the driving characteristics of the vehicle? Which liability insurance policy applies? Is this transportation for hire?
Consider the Context What policies, rules and procedures are in place to safeguard passengers as well as drivers? What if the passenger claims that she or he was subjected to inappropriate behavior by the driver during the ride? And, is the driver prepared to deal with two or more intoxicated persons whose behavior may place all parties involved at risk? In one case, a fraternity chapter utilized a 15-passenger van to transport people to and from a social event. The driver lost
e
Is the driver competent? A Fairfax County, Virginia jury awarded an undergraduate woman $575,000 in damages after hearing a case involving a “shuttle driver” for a fraternity chapter. The woman was seriously injured after being thrown from an automobile that rolled over while it was being driven by a member of the fraternity in February of 2009. The driver allegedly drove in a reckless manner and was speeding. The rides were provided by the fraternity to and from a social event.
Are the drivers checked for sobriety?
control of the van, and it crashed. One person died, and others were injured. The crash reportedly occurred because the driver was distracted by the behavior of passengers. Is there a prohibition in place regarding the use of hand-held phones and text messaging by drivers while driving? While this concern is a rapidly developing area of the law, it can be argued that the use of a cell phone and/or text messaging while driving is another form of impaired driving.
That is “sober” as in “no consumption of alcohol or other substances that might affect the ability of the driver to safely operate the vehicle regardless of the amount.” When someone places his or her life in your hands, even one beer becomes significant. The definition of “sober” by a 19-year old may well differ from the legal definition. Designated-driver programs have long been characterized as a reflection of brotherhood — that we are preventing drinking and driving, minor in possession, public intoxication and the other issues that go along with the use of alcohol by undergraduates. Upon further review, the unintended consequences of a DD program may outweigh the benefits. a
I Believe...
Sigma Pi Historical Society presented the Creed at the 51st Convocation for the International Executive Office and now it is available for members. Creed of Sigma Pi Fraternity a great gift for your chapter home Black Frame: Double Matted in Purple & Gold with Foil Crest, Size 19”x26”; $195 plus shipping and box Burlwood Walnut Frame: Double Matted in Purple & Gold with Foil Crest, Size 20”x27”; $245 plus shipping and box
Goose Creek Publishing Co. (417) 864-5664
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ďƒ?
Ed with Founders’ Award recipient Jeff Arnett
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A Grand
honor At Convocation in San Antonio this summer, Ed Levesque (HH, Bridgewater State ’89) was elected the 44th Grand Sage. The Emerald was fortunate to have a conversation with him about the emotions of being elected to the highest position in the Fraternity, his life as a Sigma Pi, his family and professional life. So you were just elected the Grand Sage of Sigma Pi, briefly describe to me the many thoughts I am sure you have running through your head about this moment. Where to start? I want to try and stay balanced and not burn myself out, but I also see the clock is ticking… We have to honor the past and move toward the future...I am now not just a council member, but I am now the face and main voice of the organization… I hope we can meet some pre-election expectations… Looking back to your undergraduate days, how did you become a Sigma Pi? What influenced you? Any friends rush with you? Any funny (or serious) stories about your choice that you can relay? I was a junior at Bridgewater and felt like there was more to college than just going to class, studying and then going home. I felt I could make a difference somehow. I asked a close friend of mine, who happened to be in a sorority, what she thought. She recommended I talk to the guys in the Sigma Pi colony. I knew the two gentlemen manning the information table were on student council; as the biology club president, I had gone in front of them to get funding. They recognized me immediately, and asked if I wanted to meet some other
campus leaders who were looking to get more involved around campus and the community- that was a great hook. I took their offer and went to an informational meeting. I didn’t know anyone else there. My first rush event after that information meeting was at a Mexican restaurant off campus. We had a function room all to ourselves, no restaurant staff. Somehow I got behind the unattended bar and turned on the tap. Needless to say, we were not very exemplary prospects that night… so much for recruiting “leaders” like us. As an undergrad or even young alumnus, who within Sigma Pi was a great influence on you? As an undergrad and getting into the fraternity, I spent a lot of time with my Big Brother Mark Miller. He was patient, even keeled and was respected by everyone in the colony. He lived with Cosimo and Paul at the small ‘dollhouse’, a garage converted into an apartment just off campus. Those guys were diverse, fun and had a lot of heart. They really embodied a lot of what I’ve learned about what it means to be a Sigma Pi. I also spent time with Wayne, Guy, Dave and Pat. They were very different from Mark and his roommates, but they also had a lot of heart and I had many good times with them, too. winter 2012
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Ed (center) with chapter brothers Scott Moulton and Cosimo D’Elia
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Top line
j Bottom Line
Ed joined by his wife Jannene and children Megan, Sean and Kirk
Today, who within Sigma Pi is a great influence on you? I’m influenced by several past grand officers as well as some alumni volunteers. I try to seek out alumni that have more skills or experience than me and listen to their opinion. I know I’m not the smartest guy in the room and am always trying to challenge myself to learn something new or hear a different point of view. Did you aspire to the Grand Sage position or not? I didn’t aspire to be a Grand Officer, let alone the Grand Sage. Past Grand Sage Don Cox talked me into running for council, telling me that the time commitment was about the same as it was as for a Chapter Director, and that there was a just few extra days of meetings a year… another great hook! I stayed on council because, just like that 20 year old college kid, I felt I could make a difference for others. Please briefly describe your professional life. I work for Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company in Cambridge, MA. I’ve been in the pharmaceutical industry for 18 years, most of that with Millennium. I’m an Associate Director of Environmental Health and Safety, which includes employee occupational health, safety, toxicology, engineering, and environmental protection. Please tell me about your family. I’ve been married for 14 years to Jannene, a Radiologist at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Boston. We have three children: Sean is a seventh grader who captains his club soccer team, Megan is a fifth grader that takes dances lessons in more styles than I’ve ever heard of, and Kirk is our first grader who is very social and is referred to as “The Mayor” when we vacation at a lake in Maine. How do you feel about the state (or progress) of Sigma Pi through the years? How about the current state? I see a real change in how we view philanthropy. We no longer see it as a box to check off on an
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efficiency form, but now an obligation as citizens; we take it to a higher level. Our leadership programs (such as SPU and our Mid-Year Leadership Conference) have grown over the last decade and offer leadership skills that rival or best other fraternities. I also think we have opportunities to improve. We need to ensure each undergraduate member is given opportunities to gain leadership and personal development skills to ensure success throughout college. We want our chapters to be competitive in size and operational health. We want our chapters to be known as campus and community leaders. We don’t want to continue to close chapters due to low membership, large debt, or a lack of adherence to our Creed and Gold Standard. What would you like to see for Sigma Pi during the next two years? Further into the future? In short, I want to see our members display an increased competitive drive to be leaders on campus (in and out of class), their community, and within Sigma Pi. I hope to see a dramatic increase of attendance at our workshops and leadership conferences. I’d like to see more chapters be competitive for (and gain) positive recognition at their college and in Sigma Pi. I want to see more attention on getting more alumni events regionally and more alumni involved in local chapters as advisors. We will provide as many opportunities as possible to achieve these. Council will govern by developing a vision for our future. We’ll start with the basics, asking “what is our mission?”, reviewing our operating practices, enhancing our self evaluation process and closely evaluating the Executive. This may sound very boring to some folks, but I can assure you that revisiting the basics and shoring up these fundamentals take time, but is worth the effort. a
Giving Matters
A tribute to sigma pi q
Givingmatters
The flower of Sigma Pi is the lavender orchid.
The Emerald is now working with the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation to publish a list each issue of gifts made In Honor or In Memory of an individual, chapter or group. If you would like your gift included in this listing, please note the tribute at the time of giving. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the Foundation at 615.921.2300 or by email at lpearson@sigmapi.org.
IN HONOR: Gifts have been received by the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation In honor of Michael R. Ayalon by Todd Shelton In honor of Duane Cunningham by Zach Spillner In honor of Jason Dix by Gilligan Walker
In honor of Chrissy Matney, Nadine Mills, Lisa Pearson & Jen Wyatt by Todd Shelton In honor of Josh Singleton by Zach Spillner
— Ed Levesque
Bridgewater State 1989 Grand Sage Emerald Society member
In honor of Theta-Omega Chapter by Todd Shelton
IN MEMORY: Gifts have been received by the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation In memory of Mike “Sparky” Bushaw by Gilligan Walker
In honor of John Kitch by Todd Shelton
“ I give to the Foundation because I know programs such as Sigma Pi University and Mid-Year Leadership Conference will give our members a competitive edge, and will help them become the leaders we envisioned them becoming the day we welcomed them into Sigma Pi.”
In honor of SPEF Board of Trustees by Lisa Pearson
In honor of Robert Zinger by Zach Spillner In honor of Alpha-Phi Chapter by Gilligan Walker
In memory of Thomas H. McCord by Michael R. Ayalon by Todd Shelton by Gilligan Walker In memory of Chris Andrew Mejia by Michael R. Ayalon by Todd Shelton by Gilligan Walker In memory of Mason Sumnicht by Michael R. Ayalon by Todd Shelton by Gilligan Walker
In honor of Alpha-Phi’s Beta-Mu Fall ’12 Pledge Class by Gilligan Walker In honor of the Grand Council by Todd Shelton
You may make a gift in honor or in memory of brothers to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation at www.sigmapiedfund.org.
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San Antonio remembering
51st biennial convocation
Available at EMERALD.sigmapi.org
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All Convocation photographs for download Convocation minutes Complete list of chapter awards
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2012-2014 Grand Council (L to R): Grand Herald Rob Pankau, Grand Fourth Counselor Craig Donnelly, Grand Second Counselor Andy Morris, Grand Sage Ed Levesque, Grand Third Counselor Brian Devot, Grand First Counselor Jim Wisherd and Past Grand Sage Chris Brown
From August 8 through August 12 Sigma Pi Fraternity, International celebrated its 51st Biennial Convocation at the Hyatt Regency in San Antonio, Texas, on the historic San Antonio Riverwalk. Over three hundred alumni and undergraduates congregated just steps away from The Alamo, enjoying the weather and the fellowship of kindred minds. Most of our brothers know that our Biennial Convocation provides brotherhood, entertainment, awards and excitement, but its principal purpose is to conduct the business of our Fraternity. Delegates from our undergraduate chapters, representatives of alumni clubs, and Grand Officers, both past and present, meet in formal business sessions to chart Sigma Pi’s course for the coming two years. This forum provides the brotherhood with the knowledge to enable its members to review the past biennium’s activities and to consider the next biennium’s challenges so that thoughtful consideration can lead to an action plan for future success. The committees at Convocation labored long and hard to ensure that the Grand Chapter used the limited time it had to make wellconceived, thoughtful and appropriate decisions for the long-term benefit of Sigma Pi. Tuesday, August 7, registration and the first formal activity began. The Grand Council gathered in its last meeting of the Biennium to conduct the necessary
business of the Grand Chapter. The Nominating Committee, chaired by Chris Landers (H, Purdue ’84), also began to organize. Educational Foundation Trustees began to arrive, ready to present scholarships and awards to deserving undergraduate brothers, to discuss the important task of raising funds and, as importantly, to decide how those funds were to be distributed for the benefit of the Grand Chapter. By Wednesday, most of the delegates and alumni had settled in and the 51st Biennial Convocation kicked off with the Lone Star Welcome Party at the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum. The Grand Sage reception followed at the Lone Star Palace rooftop overlooking The Alamo. On Thursday the first business session began with the procession of Honorary Grand Sages, Past Grand Sages, Founders’ Award recipients and the Grand Council. The 51st Biennial Convocation had officially begun with the ritual opening of the Grand Chapter meeting. New Province Archons and Chapter Directors were recognized and the Executive Director and members of the Grand Council delivered their Convocation reports, updating the assembly on their activities during the Biennium.
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began with the election of the Grand Council for the 2012-2014 Biennium. The following men were elected: Grand Sage: Edward R. Levesque, Eta-Eta Chapter, Bridgewater State University. Brother Levesque is Senior Environmental Health and Safety Manager with Millenium, The Takeda Oncology Company. Grand Second Counselor: E. Andrew Morris, Gamma-Upsilon Chapter, Murray State University. Brother Morris is the owner of Collegiate Regalia, Inc., in Wakefield, Rhode Island. Everyone enjoyed the Grand Chapter Awards Luncheon and after lunch the Grand Council performed a model initiation. The Sigma Pi Education Foundation held their board meeting and colony/interest groups met with expansion staff. Thursday evening everyone attended a Sigma Pi Brotherhood Fiesta at the Rio Rio Cantina on the historic Riverwalk. On Friday morning Grand Sage Chris Brown hosted a breakfast for the Top Twelve Chapters at the Lone Star Palace. Many of those in attendance took advantage of the opportunity for photos with The Alamo in the background and on chance were treated to a military ceremony being conducted. The business session then began with the report of the Nominating Committee and then continued with the business of the Grand Chapter. The Educational Foundation hosted its Awards Luncheon and presented many scholarships to deserving undergraduate Brothers, after which the next business session continued. Also during the afternoon the Educational Foundation conducted its corporate meeting, at which elections were held (see page 4). Saturday’s business session
Grand Sage Award, Tier One: Beta-Pi Chapter, Virginia
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Grand Third Counselor: Brian M. Devot, Beta-Omicron Chapter, California State University, Long Beach. Brother Devot is a Vice President and Priority Banking Manager with Union Bank in Orange, California. Grand Fourth Counselor: Craig E. Donnelly, Beta-Chi Chapter, Loyola University of Chicago. Brother Donnelly is a senior associate with the law firm of Connelly Roberts & McGivney in Chicago. Grand First Counselor: James M. Wisherd, Alpha-Phi Chapter, University of Georgia. Brother Wisherd is a Licensed Financial Specialist at Wachovia Bank in Atlanta, Georgia. Grand Herald: Robert D. Pankau, III, Zeta-Pi Chapter, Oakland University. He is an Enterprise Consultant with Coretek Services in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Past Grand Sage: Christopher R. Brown, Gamma-Eta Chapter, Rutgers University. Brother Brown is a senior trial attorney with Drazin and Warshaw with offices in Hazlet and Red Bank, New Jersey. Next came the approval of the Budget and Finance Committee report, as well as several other reports. The last business session concluded with the installation of the new Grand Council, followed by the formal closing of the meeting of the Grand Chapter. The Grand Chapter Awards Banquet was the finale of the week. The Founders’ Award, the highest individual honor the Fraternity bestows, was presented to Jeff Arnett, Don Cox and George Sisler (postumously). These men epitomize the ideals of Sigma Pi and all are deserving of the honor. A complete list of awards presented can be viewed at EMERALD.SIGMAPI.ORG. a
Grand Sage Award, Tier Two: Theta-Omega Chapter, Middle Tennessee
Lone Star Welcome Party at the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum
Grand Sage Award, Tier Three: Theta-Delta Chapter, TCNJ
Grand Sage Award, Tier Four: Theta-Chi Chapter, Saint Joseph’s winter 2012
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Top 12: Alpha Chapter, Vincennes
Top 12: Xi Chapter, Iowa
Top 12: Alpha-Mu Chapter, NJIT
Top 12: Beta-Pi Chapter, Virginia
Top 12: Gamma-Iota Chapter, Worcester Polytech
Top 12: Theta-Gamma Chapter, West Alabama
Top 12: Theta-Delta Chapter, TCNJ
Top 12: Theta-Eta Chapter, Old Dominion
Top 12: Theta-Chi Chapter, Sain Joseph’s
Top 12: Theta-Omega Chapter, Middle Tennessee
Top 12: Iota-Beta Chapter, Delaware
Top 12: Iota-Zeta Chapter, Minnesota
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Obituaries
Adytum on High d Arkansas State University, Alpha-Pi Chapter Francis D. Modlin ’55 William C. Wyatt ’63 Auburn University, Alpha-Delta Chapter William R. Parish ’54 Willie E. Thomas ’58 Barton College, Beta-Rho Chapter Raymond D. Neeland ’76
Jim Goessling (DZ, Missouri - St. Louis ’77): Jim was well known in the St. Louis community thanks to his involvement with many academic and professional sports teams. Learn more at: EMERALD.SIGMAPI.ORG
Beloit College, Alpha-Theta Chapter John B. Brown ’66 California State University-Chico, Theta-Mu Chapter Mason Sumnicht
The Emerald Sports Review, Winter 1976
California State University-Fresno Alpha-Xi Chapter Harvey R. Baumann ’52 California State University-Fullerton Epsilon-Nu Chapter Timothy S. Bauer ’82 California State University - Long Beach Beta-Omicron Chapter John G. Dobbs ’78 Peter C. Swift ’56 Heinz W. Wahlers ’55 College of William & Mary, Alpha-Eta Chapter Louis A. Fort ’66 George B. Holmes ’43 John W. McCrary ’49 George B. McLaughlin ’47 DePaul University, Eta-Chi Chapter Mark T. Kotwica ’96 Drexel University, Beta-Theta Chapter Paul A. Gwinner ’58 Walter G. Robbins ’51 East Carolina University, Eta-Kappa Chapter Stephen G. Eikenberry ’93 Eastern Illinois University, Beta-Gamma Chapter Joseph R. Chmeleck ’72 Franklin & Marshall College, Nu Chapter George L. Mirick ’42 Philip B. Schaeffer ’35 Indiana University, Beta Chapter Lynn D. Gaylord ’60 Franklin H. Smith ’41 Kansas State, Iota-Alpha Chapter Thomas H. McCord Kenyon College, Lambda Chapter John A. Horner ’50 James W. Jarrett ’66 Jack W. Knudson ’57 Robert P. Snowberger ’47 Lycoming College, Beta-Lambda Chapter Thomas J. Bakley ’72 Missouri State University, Alpha-Rho Chapter Kevin J. Berra ’90 Harold D. Ezell ’53 Richard A. Harman ’61 Missouri University of Science & Technology, Alpha-Iota Chapter Robert E. Carnahan ’49 Gilbert H. LaPiere ’47 Andrew J. Polcyn ’69
Monmouth University, Delta-Beta Chapter Chris Andrew Mejia ’12
Tulane University, Omicron Chapter Douglas J. Joubert ’52
Morehead State University, Delta-Rho Chapter George A. Flora ’80
University of Akron, Gamma-Nu Chapter Michael D. McLaughlin ’72 Edward L. Stillwell ’68
Murray State University, Gamma-Upsilon Chapter Walter S. Hilton ’99 New Jersey Institute of Technology, Alpha-Mu Chapter John W. Carton ’60 Raymond S. Graule ’54 Thomas J. Liddy ’64 Edward C. Oswandel ’61 North Carolina State University, Rho Chapter Louis A. Corning ’50 Earl H. Jackson ’55 Ohio Northern University, Zeta Chapter Robert E. Mabee ’48 Ronald J. Stauffer ’66 Pennsylvania State University, Theta Chapter Matthew S. Hoffman 2008 Purdue University, Eta Chapter Stephen W. Burres ’65 John R. Koons ’54 Jack K. Lewis ’45 William R. Mishler ’76 Rutgers State University of New Jersey Gamma-Eta Chapter Abram H. Southard ’66 San Jose State University, Beta-Eta Chapter Allyn L. Bartholomew ’54 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale Beta-Nu Chapter Roger C. Hake ’56 Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville Delta-Omega Chapter Michael F. Meurer ’73 St. Lawrence University, Alpha-Zeta Chapter Burchard Thomsen ’73 Jack W. Weith ’52 Temple University, Kappa Chapter Henry F. Conrad ’50 H. Donald D. Schersten ’41 The Ohio State University, Gamma Chapter John C. Redman ’53 Troy University, Delta-Psi Chapter David M. Stidnick ’79
University of California - Los Angeles Upsilon Chapter Ned R. Ash ’50 Donald W. Bullock ’53 Allen E. Freeman ’50 University of Georgia, Alpha-Phi Chapter Frank Van Haltern ’50 University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign Phi Chapter Nickolas P. Janos ’51 Mark A. Marasco ’85 Joseph P. Ramsay ’45 University of Iowa, Xi Chapter Marlyn W. Oltrogge ’61 University of Kansas, Beta-Delta Chapter Joerg Roth ’60 University of Mississippi, Beta-Mu Chapter George B. Taylor ’55 University of Missouri-St. Louis, Delta-Zeta Chapter Robert J. Ceriotti ’79 James R. Goessling ’77 University of Utah, Pi Chapter Robert E. Kelly ’51 University of Wisconsin-Stout Delta-Sigma Chapter Perry M. Savage ’66 Utah State University, Alpha-Psi Chapter James H. Day ’50 Albin M. Kowalewski ’58 Merlin A. Orton ’56 Valparaiso University, Beta-Tau Chapter William H. Dauberman Vincennes University, Alpha Chapter Scott D. Parker Michael E. Schenbeck ’70 Wake Forest University, Alpha-Nu Chapter Jimmy D. Reeves ’70 Western Illinois University, Epsilon-Zeta Chapter Ralph I. Bernardi ’81
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Alumni
i Notebook
Eric Ingram
East Coast Cripplers ‘are athletes first’
Quad Rugby
Eric Ingram (QH, Old Dominion ’12) gives persons with quadriplegia a bad name – and likes it that way. A Stickum-smeared, cheerful menace, Ingram is an East Coast Crippler, looking to stick it to the guy whose spine was snapped in a car accident or the war veteran whose injuries made her a triple amputee, should they block his way to the goal.
If you would like to get involved with the Association, please contact us at arizonaalumni@sigmapi.org.
Beta Alumni Club
The Beta Chapter house underwent extensive renovations this summer. We hired an outside contractor to make the facility more presentable to alumni, students and parents. This project, at an expenditure of close to $100,000 resulted in upgrades to the restrooms, showers, repairs to the brother’s living quarters, repaving and stripping of the parking lot, interior/exterior painting, replacement of damaged exterior shingles and enhanced landscaping. The entire project took approximately ten weeks to complete.
“People need to know that we are athletes first,” said Ingram, 22. “This is a sport.” Read more at EMERALD. SIGMAPI.ORG by Irene Bowers, Virginian-Pilot
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The Arizona Alumni Association continues to build itself up in its early years of existence. Since founding in 2010, the Association has grown from a handful of eager alumni to a large following of mostly former members of Beta-Kappa chapter. The Association, which bases its activities out of Tempe, recently organized its second annual Beta-Kappa Homecoming Tailgate. A big thanks to all of those who turned out to make it a great event. We plan on continuing the tradition in 2013. The Association would also like to congratulate Beta-Kappa alumnus Matt Thompson (BK ’10) on his recent engagement.
Quad rugby is an unforgiving sport, and Ingram, whose Internet moniker is Murderball, lives for it. So, too, do his East Coast Crippler teammates, all of whom have found the rough and tumble game a counterpoint to the negative perceptions of disabilities.
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When you drive up, you will notice new landscaping, recoated parking lot, stone wall washing, painting of exterior, replaced shingles and a totally new look to Sigma Pi. Upon entry, you will discover the carpets have been cleaned, the floors stripped and waxed, the hallways painted and the restrooms updated. We would like to thank Dan Wilcox ’71 for crafting a new pin light for the front of the house. It looks fantastic. Photos of Dan’s pin light and all of the other renovations can be seen at www. betachaptersigmapi.org under the photos section. This is just a start. Our goal next summer is to renovate the common areas on the first floor. We want to make Sigma Pi “first class”. This will require alumni financial support. In order to accomplish this amount of work, while increasing the food budget 40%, the Chapter Budget 5%, with fewer members, we had to deplete the “rainy day fund”. However, we did receive several donations from alumni that allowed us to do more than was originally planned. We are most grateful for their generosity. We would like to thank the following individuals for donating to the funds for the new landscaping (and thanks to Mike Scott ’72 for organizing this effort): Dave Baldwin ’73, Dave Rust ’69, Pat Carr ’73, Roger Robison ’58, Jeff Webster ’71, Ken Kesler ’75, Shaun McGovern ’90, Gil
i Mascher ’67, Jeff Wright ’03, James Davies ’89, Bob Meiser ’57, Jerry Schaaf ’58 and Mike Scott ’72.
Columbus Alumni Club
Over the summer, the Sigma Pi Columbus Alumni Club hosted its seventh annual golf outing at Blackhawk Golf Course in Galena, Ohio. This year’s event was attended by 16 alumni and 9 active brothers. As always, the event went off without a hitch and many new friendships were formed! Next year’s golf outing is tentatively scheduled for Friday, August 16, 2013. The course and times are still to be determined More recently the club hosted its annual homecoming event. This year we held our banquet at the new Ohio Union in the Traditions Room. There were over 45 alumni members, actives, and guests in attendance. The food was served buffet style which allowed everyone to mingle and have time to meet some of the active brothers and even get to know some fellow alumni a bit better. The event culminated with a special appearance from the OSU Alumni Band. Following the banquet, everyone was invited back to the chapter house for tours and then were again invited back on Saturday to watch the Buckeye game versus Purdue. Next years fall alumni event will be held over the weekend of the Ohio State vs. Wisconsin game, with the banquet being held on Friday September 27, 2013, more information will follow. If you are a Gamma alumni or live in the Columbus Area and would like to be added to the mailing list please contact Aaron Winkel at winkel.aaron@gmail.com.
Gamma-Zeta Alumni Association
The Brothers of Sigma Pi, Gamma Zeta Chapter of Parsons College Alumni Association gathered for our 12th reunion at the Caravelle Resort, Myrtle Beach, S.C. September 21st -25th, 2011 hosted by Charter brother, Bob Payne. On Wednesday arrival, there was a get together at the #1 Hospitality suite. The #2 Hospitality suite was dedicated to photo albums, memorabilia, and presentation of Adytum on High in remembrance of departed brothers. Thursday saw the same schedule as more brothers from around the country arrived. Friday was a mix of golf, shopping for the ladies, sunning and fishing. The ladies were treated to a tour and lunch at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville! The hardy went to the ocean for a deep-sea
fishing experience (rough seas!!!) but most enjoyed themselves. The golfers went to Myrtlewood Golf Club for five hours of the “beach” experience. The afternoon featured cocktails on the sixth floor deck followed by dinner and the Gamma Zeta auction. Many items from our days in the 60”s were auctioned to raise funds for the 13th reunion being planned for St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. Entertainment during the evening at dinner and during post dinner cocktails in the Hospitality suite featured English troubadour, Toby Thorne. Saturday featured the golf tournament at the premier Tidewater Country Club. Brother, Ken Crofoot, was heard to say, “Arnold Palmer couldn’t break par at this place”. All had a great time. Saturday evening found us at the Hospitality suite with hors d’oeuvres catered by the Carrabbas Italian Grill. The Orchid Ball, A Sigma Pi tradition, followed this. The No Limit Band played hits from the sixties and seventies until midnight. During the evening prizes were awarded for golf achievement and the Lt. Robert Falkenau award was presented in honor of our Brother who died in Vietnam to Brother Cal Hill. Sunday morning saw us gather for coffee, pastries and Good-byes for now. But we will meet again!
Kentucky Thoroughbred Alumni Club We held a meeting at our annual Summer Reunion in Murray this July. Since 2013 will be our forty-fifth year in Murray it was decided that we will hold a larger event next summer, much like what was held on our fortieth anniversary. A committee was formed to oversee the setup of this event. The committee currently includes Carl Oros as chair, with Joe Lyons and Terry Griffin. If you would like to help the committee please contact Carl or the alumni club at SigmaPiAlumni@hotmail.com. Elections were also held. All officers of the alumni club and Housing Corp were re-elected except for the Housing Corp Treasurer. Paul Hetrick stepped down from the position and Terry Griffin took his place. We want to thank Paul for all of the hard work he put in to the corp to get our books in order and oversee the sale of the house. Our Chapter Director, Wyatt Alverson, has open positions on our alumni advisory board. You can see a description of the board and its duties at www.scribd.com/
Alpha-Upsilon Alumnus awarded Distinguished Achievement Award Carl Engle, ‘65 was inducted to the College of Engineering Hall of Fame at the University of Rhode Island’s Seventh Annual Distinguished Achievement Awards Gala held in Newport, RI on October 27, 2012. The vice president and chief engineer of the Cardi Corporation has proven his worth and professional excellence as the leading authority on all company construction matters. Carl Engle has had direct responsibility for bidding, building and constructing over $1.9 billion worth of infrastructure projects in New England, including the Interstate 95/195 interchange in downtown Providence. His insight and can-do attitude made national news when he had this project’s signature bridge built off site, floated up Narragansett Bay and up river, and hoisted into place. Admired for his accuracy, honesty and innovative approach, Carl Engle is highly regarded in the civil engineering profession and is an invaluable mentor to scores of young and old engineers alike. He joins fellow Sigma Pi Brother Ron Laime ’66 who was inducted into the URI College of Engineering Hall of Fame earlier. On the Friday evening prior to the Homecoming Weekend the alumni hosted the Third Annual Roast at the chapter house on the URI campus. Brother Engle was the honored by alumni from all over the northeast and the undergraduate members from the chapter. The roast included a dinner with an audio-visual of the life and comments by alumni about the career of Brother Engle while at URI. The Alpha-Upsilon alumni attending the roast were: Carl Engle, Jim Reynolds, Frank Burgess, Ray Conforti, Joe D’Ambra, Will Oakes, George Gray, Jerry Nault, John Panagako, Tom Conboy, Dave Bascom, Dave Jacobs, Dave Smith, Bruce Smith and Doug Simpson by Facetime Call-in.
od news, hear your go We want to sigmapi.org t emerald@ email us a thanks,
Todd
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Chris Ruth (DZ, Missouri - St. Louis ’06) was recently featured in AAM Magazine which is published by American Auto-Matrix and distributed in the United States, Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, the Middle East and United Kingdom/Europe.
Gamma Upsilon. If you are interested in serving please e-mail Wyatt or the alumni club. We were well represented at Convocation this year. Wyatt Alverson was our representative and Les Wright was our alternate. Andy Morris, Louis Junkerman, and James Jennings also attended. There were many alumni who attended Homecoming and stopped by our tent in Tent City. A special thank you goes to Brian Rickard who volunteered his time to grill a lot of good hamburgers, hotdogs, and brats. At Homecoming our Chapter Educational Fund (CEF) awarded its first scholarships. Undergraduates Adam David and Corey Stephens both received $500 scholarships. We would like to thank all of our brothers who have made donations to our CEF over the past year. Anyone can donate to the fund by going to www. sigmapiedfund.org and selecting the Murray State CEF under the donation tab. You can also donate by check, just make the check to Sigma Pi Educational Foundation and remember to write Murray State CEF in the memo section. All donations are tax deductible and the foundation’s mailing address is on their website. If you haven’t paid your alumni club dues please do so. Dues are $25 per year. Please make checks out to Kentucky Thoroughbred Alumni Club and mail them to the club at 609 Bailey Road, Murray, KY 42071. To pay by PayPal, send money to the address SigmaPiAlumni@hotmail. com. The alumni club pays for Summer
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Reunion and Homecoming events, as well as newsletters. We also assist the active chapter when we can by paying for rush functions.
New York City Alumni Club With a 23-yard throw to Dez Bryant with 11:18 left in the third quarter, Tony Romo (BG, Eastern Illinois ’02) became the Dallas Cowboys’ all-time leader in touchdown passes on December 2, 2012. That gave Romo 166 career touchdown passes, one more than Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, who had 165 touchdown passes from 1989-2000.
Brant Pearson (QQ, Ferris State ’07) met President Obama at the gym today. And in true Sigma Pi fashion, he is wearing a rush shirt.
The Co-Ed Softball game in Central Park for the ASPCA was a big success over the summer. It’s of our many regular events ranging from sporting events, alumni networking, happy hours, dinners, and family friendly gatherings. With at least one event per month in the five boroughs of New York City, there’s something for everyone. For more information on the New York City Alumni Club events please visit www.SigmaPiNYC.com or call Sal at 718-285-5199.
River City Alumni Association
The RCAA recently held it’s Annual Alumni/Active Softball Game and BBQ, our annual event every fall. Alumni have enjoyed a multi-year winning streak! Six years in a row! Next spring, we will hold our Annual Founder’s Day BBQ and Football Game. We are planning other events throughout the year for our alumni and actives to participate in. Year after year, we continue raising money from alumni dues to give scholarships to the active chapter.
Walter H. Lemmond Jr. Alumni Association
If you were not able to make the 35th Anniversary it was EPIC! Over 195 brothers returned to Elon to tell stories and relive the past. You should have seen all of the orange hats walking around on campus.
i On Friday night there was a gathering at the house with the actives. During the gathering Tim Moore presented a memorial plaque to be hung in the house.
Photographer Jimmy Steinfeldt (AO, San Diego State ’81) released a new book and his work has been included in the major photo exhibit: Who Shot Rock & Roll. He was featured in The Emerald in 1982 for a road trip he took to 20 chapters capturing the trip in photographs.
On Saturday morning Epsilon Theta Chapter Founding Father Chris Martin was honored at the 2012 Elon Alumni Association Awards Ceremony, which is Elon’s premier recognition of alumni achievement as the 2012 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year! Chris, who is a 1978 graduate of Elon and majored in accounting, is a 28-year veteran of the banking industry, is the president of Provident Financial Services and chief executive of the Provident Bank, the oldest bank in New Jersey and second largest state-chartered bank in the state. Chris was also recognized at half time of the football game. After an alumni meeting we all headed out to a catered tailgate before the game. Brothers from all ages gathered, reconnected and told great stories from the past.
Winston-Salem Alumni Club Capt. Jim Hyde (AF, Georgia ’66) spent more time in the air than on the ground during his career as a commercial pilot. Finally retired, Hyde recently received one of the aviation world’s top honors — the Wright Brothers’ Master Pilot Award — honoring his 50 years of safe flying.
The Winston-Salem Alumni Club continues to support financially both Alpha-Nu Chapter at Wake Forest University and the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation’s Dr. John F. Dimmick Scholarship Fund honoring Alpha-Nu Chapter’s Faculty Advisor from 1963 to 1986 with Homecoming contributions this fall in the amounts of $300 and $250 respectively.
In addition to Homecoming in the fall, the Winston-Salem Alumni Club also sponsors a Spring Alumni Club weekend each year in Winston-Salem, as well as satellite events in Charlotte, North Carolina, and in Washington, DC, that include golf outings, cocktail receptions and dinners. Among future projects for the WinstonSalem Alumni Club is the up-fitting of the Alpha-Nu Chapter Library and the adjoining study room, both of which include displays of chapter and alumni club memorabilia. We also hope to increase the Alumni Club’s membership by appointing a class agent from each graduating class to encourage members of the class to join and be active in the Winston-Salem Alumni Club. Membership in the Alumni Club is open to all graduates of Alpha-Nu Chapter regardless of where they currently reside, as well as to all Sigma Pi Alumni who reside in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina area. We are currently striving to complete our collection of small composites of Alpha-Nu Chapter for years from 1940 through 1960. Alumni who would be willing to donate one or two such composites during their four years in college are encouraged to contact PGS Gary Tash at garytash@aol.com. a
The New York City Alumni Club Co-Ed Softball game in Central Park for the ASPCA was a big success over the summer.
Photo: Jim Hyde stands with his wife, Michele (Mike Dirks/Times-News, Blueridgenow.com) Kevin P. Ostendorf (EH, Illinois State ’80) was hired as the Vice President of Lending at the Niles Township Schools Credit Union.
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alumniservices,
Boston, Massacusetts
For all alumni inquires, please contact Brett Nichols, Alumni Services Consultant, bnichols@ sigmapi.org.
Alumni Services has been working diligently to extend our community of active alumni volunteers.
Chapter Director appointments: Ryan Hardy (QQ) Ferris State, Theta-Theta Chapter
Chad Rollins (AR) Missouri State, Alpha-Rho Colony
Dan Kotek (H) Province Archon appointments: Purdue, Eta Chapter Anthony Manjone (QF) Richard Lowman (EO) NE Penn/Long Island Hofstra, Eta-Gamma Chapter Brad Ferguson (A) Kevin Mumma (DZ) Indiana Missouri- St. Louis, Delta-Zeta Chapter Kyle Koelbel (BK) Brett Bruner (GG) Colorado (CO) Kansas State, Iota-Alpha Chapter Steve Gyurindak (EO) Trip Roberts (QB) North Carolina William and Mary, Alpha-Eta Chapter Adam Dibble (QQ) Jim Ryan (HH) Wisconsin Cal, Berkeley, Iota Chapter Dwayne Harris (DE) Andrew Schneider New Jersey Colorado, Zeta-Delta Chapter Jon Gallez (DW) SIU-Edwardsville, Delta-Omega Chapter Juan Alberto Casa del Valle (GU) Louisville, Iota-Omicron Chapter Rhett Larose (ID) UT-San Antonio, Iota-Delta Chapter Richard Leonhardt (EA) Southern Tech, Epsilon-Alpha Chapter Steven Sylvester (QM) Kansas, Beta-Delta Colony Kelly Cummins SIU-Carbondale, Beta-Nu Colony
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be involved. Regional Alumni Clubs
This fall, the Sphinx Alumni club chartered with Ryan C. Dexter, President. Alumni Services is working to develop metropolitan alumni clubs in cities with the highest population density of alumni membership. The primary function of a club will be to drive the recruitment of alumni membership with social interaction. The club will serve as the cross point of communication for all incoming college graduates, alumni who are transferring between jobs, and travelers looking to interact with fellow Sigma Pi alumni within a new city. Cities targeted for Regional Alumni Club expansion: Gateway Alumni Club St. Louis, MO Dave Powers, President, davempowers@ gmail.com Joesph Turck, Central Missouri Province Archon, cmopa@sigmapi.org
Greater Atlanta Area Alumni Club Lawrence Darmstedter, Primary Contact, Lawrence@darmy.com Chris Sands, Primary Contact, sandschris@ gmail.com Dave Hartman, Primary Contact, dave. hartman@ymail.com Jamaal Stewart, South Atlantic Province Archon, sapa@sigmapi.org Birmingham Alumni Club Chris Womack, Primary Contact, cwomack@cbs42.com Donald Kennedy, Primary Contact, djkennedy.64@gmail.com
Bob England, Alabama Province Archon, alpa@sigmapi.org
Greater Boston Area Alumni Club Brian Callahan, New England Province Archon, newpa@sigmapi.org So-Cal Alumni Club, Los Angeles, CA Brett Nichols, Alumni Services Consultant, bnichols@sigmapi.org Greater Chicago Alumni Club John Geahan, Primary Contact, john. geahan@gmail.com Brent Smith, Chicago Land Province Archon, chlpa@sigmapi.org Greater Indianapolis Alumni Club John Thomas, Theta-Psi Chapter Director, thetapsi@sigmapi.org Brad Ferguson, Indiana Province Archon, inpa@sigmapi.org San Antonio, Texas Alumni Club Rhett Larose, Primary Contact, Iota-Delta Chapter Director, iotadeltacd@sigmapi.org Jack Coley, Primary Contact, jcoley1897@ gmail.com, Chris Chesney, Texas Province Archon, txpa@sigmapi.org
Upcoming Alumni Project The Sigma Pi Executive Office is working to add an alumni focus landing page to sigmapi.org. Similar to the structure of a university alumni association website, the alumni section of the Sigma Pi homepage will be used to coordinate and highlight alumni activities occurring throughout the world. Features of the website will include:
Potential Career Services portal Locations, contacts, and profiles of Alumni Clubs
Independent Alumni Club portals
MySigmaPi secure log-in access
Resourcing for Sigma Pi Alumni Clubs, such as manuals and procedures of operations, licensed vendors, and partnerships Discussion board to share best practices and event listings a
Minneapolis Alumni Club Brandon Schroeder, Primary Contact, schro884@umn.edu Paul Dolan, Primary Contact, pauldolanj@ gmail.com Steve Lawler, Heartland Province Archon, hlpa@sigmapi.org
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Sigma Pi
RoadWarriors Road Warriors is a new column with stories from the road by our Sigma Pi Consultants...
NICK “WOODY” LORENZINI graduate University of Oregon
Interested in becoming a Consultant after graduation?
l Learn more at: elc.sigmapi.org
As I started at my trip schedule prior to beginning my two and a half month trip through six states and 16 Sigma Pi chapters, I really had no idea what to expect. I had heard the stories throughout training and from past ELCs, but it couldn’t do the experience justice. I had been warned of the interesting sleeping conditions, which were true, and had been told about the necessity to stay away from McDonald’s as much as possible. Other than that it was tough to understand exactly what I would experience and exactly what I had signed up for. The traveling was amazing and seeing areas of the country I would never see, such as Manhattan and Emporia, Kansas. The food was delicious.
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But the best part was the interactions I had with the individual brothers of each chapter I visited. I truly believe the time spent with the brothers outside of my meetings and presentation served just as strong of a purpose, as I was able to connect with the brothers and encourage them to work with me to help improve their chapter. This manner enabled me to work and motivate them. Moments such as playing a pick up basketball game at 12:30 am at night with the brothers of Zeta-Delta at University of Colorado will always stick out; mainly because I am still trying to catch my breath. Or body surfing in the Pacific Ocean with the brothers at Eta-Upsilon, UC Irvine. These small moments
enabled me to break down the relationship of consultant and undergrad and connect simply as brothers of Sigma Pi, which was an invaluable experience. These are the moments I will always remember, the connections and interactions with brothers across the country.
ryan Armstrong graduate university of iowa
After just a semester on the road, I’m already overwhelmed with not only a new understanding of what our Fraternity looks like to the rest of the country, but also a refreshed sense of what it means to
l me. I’ve witnessed how some of our most successful and long-lasting chapters operate, and also seen what happens when a chapter forgets their purpose. Most importantly, I can now say that after a semester of traveling across the southeast and meeting so many outstanding individuals, Sigma Pi is ready for a comeback. Armstrong photo of Clemson Clock Tower
The leaders of today’s Sigma Pi know that change is no longer an option for their chapter, it is a necessity. I can say with full confidence that every chapter I worked with this year knows exactly where their weaknesses lie, and already had a few ways to improve before I arrived on campus. My job as a consultant is now to be a continuing source of inspiration, motivation, and support for every one of our
undergraduates, and provide help and guidance however I can. Whether that means assisting in setting up a regional leadership conference this spring, or chasing local wildlife out of a chapter house (again), I am ready to hit the ground running and make every one of our chapters as successful as possible.
ryan Khuri graduate university of louisville
As an expansion consultant, I get the opportunity to experience Sigma Pi in a very unique way. I have the opportunity to seek out men and shepherd them into not only forming some of our most efficient chapters, but of forming chapters with
a serious commitment to our values as an organization. Not only did I get to see those chapters, but I also got to visit some of our oldest single-letter chapters. There is a huge spectrum in regard to the fulfillment of the oaths we have taken. My father once told me that if you don’t ask yourself what kind of man you are once in a while, then you probably aren’t yet a man. If I learned anything from my experience on the road, I learned that no matter how good a chapter is -- no matter what else we may do -- without a strong foundation of morality and a dedication to our Ritual everything else is worthless. continued...
Armstrong at Florida State stadium
Armstrong photo at Harbor Town in South Carolina
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robert Zinger graduate grand valley state university
My first semester has been more memorable than I could have imagined. Not only did I get to visit each of our colonies, but I was able to help re-establish a colony (Alpha Rho at Missouri State) and visit some of our chapters in the Midwest! Both present different challenges, but working with our chapters better equipped me to prepare our colonies for their futures.
View our Sigma Pi Road Warriors tribute at youtube.com/ sigmapifraternity
It also taught me a lot about the fraternity. One of the greatest things I was able to do this semester was visiting our two oldest chapters (Alpha at Vincennes University and Phi at University of Illinois) and get a first-hand look at our history. I was able to see most of the sites in Vincennes that we read about in the I Believe manual and explain the shenanigans of why our Phi Chapter is not our Beta Chapter to the Fraternity & Sorority Life Advisor at UIUC. She was both enlightened and surprised! I then ended my
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semester visiting my own chapter (ThetaRho at Grand Valley State) for homecoming and doing a second round of colony visits. Homecoming alongside doing a Million Meals service project with our Missouri State colony really reenergized me and reminded me of why I love our fraternity so much. Thanks to everyone for their fellowship and hospitality so far!
Cory Bosco graduate southern illinois edwardsville
This being my second year on the road I, once again, had the unique opportunity of observing and assisting chapters across the U.S. and Canada in better developing themselves as chapters, members, and men of integrity. It was great to once again see brothers I met last year in their various chapters in the Northeast. What was even more enjoyable was seeing some of those members step forward from roles in their chapters to take up the reigns of leadership and assist each of their chapters in achieving that which we hold in our motto:
Training visit at Alpha-Phi Chapter at Georgia
progress. Helping chapters develop and progress is why I do what I do. My chapters will attest to something I have said in each of my presentations which holds true to every chapter and member: The moment we stop trying to improve ourselves is the moment we give in to failure. The task to improve and progress is never an easy one and I take pride in being able to assist each chapter in working toward those ends. I look forward to Mid-Year and the chance to see more of our brotherhood in the spring.
Khuri meeting the challenge at the Dog Pit in Grand Rapids, Michigan
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Erik Brody graduate university of oregon
scott courter graduate university of detroit mercy
Being a part of the Gamma-Alpha chapter, I got to know the men of Sigma Pi in Southeast Michigan as our chapters are all fairly close together. On the road this year, I was excited to be able to visit chapters from the Midwest, Northeast, and Southern regions of the country. Traveling to the chapters in the Mid-Atlantic region was very exciting
for me as there are chapters that chartered this year, through chapters that have celebrated their 100th year! I have consistently heard about how much help the Educational Leadership Consultants are to the chapters, but I hope chapters know how much they help us to grow also. I am so thankful to all of my chapters that have
helped me to grow into my job. This was done through meeting brothers from all over the country, my late night conversations, learning to tie a bowtie, and meeting all of the wonderful alumni volunteers that make Sigma Pi such an amazing organization. I have been challenged on the road this year, I have seen how amazing our chapters are, and I have seen what an impact Sigma Pi has on the communities surrounding the campuses that we are a part of. I look forward to the challenges that next semester provides to me!
As I wind down month 17 with our international organization I reflect on the past semester that was Fall 2012 in the Midwest. We were able to truly move forward as brothers together realizing our faults and how to better ourselves as individuals and as a team. I came out of this semester with many goals in mind; creating the mindset that complacency is the root of all demise, professionalism and brotherhood can coexist, making
sure that our chapter brothers continue to document their policies in their local bylaws, and that we as an organization are challenging ourselves to righteously lead our campuses into the future. I’m always blessed to meet new individuals on the campuses that I travel to, we have an incredible array of diversity in this fraternity and we have to cherish our creed to diffuse culture. No matter how far we live from each other whether it be the corn belt of Iowa, to the Twin Cities, the cheese heads of Wisconsin, the “yoopers” north of the mitten, through the D, past Chi town, down to the Wabash, across to the heartland of Indiana… we all are finally pulling together as a Midwest region to push each other for more. Communication between our chapters, now more than ever is imperative to our organizations success.
My moments of clarity are the two hour meetings with the entire chapter and individual brothers come together and discuss their faults and how they are going to work to construct stronger policies for their brothers to abide by. The few moments I get for relaxation I’ve been treated to football games at Iowa, Iowa State, the hockey game at Michigan, or a Valparaiso basketball game. Not to mention my top food stops: Lambeau Field with the beer cheese soup and bratwurst burger (Green Bay), Blimpie Burger (Ann Arbor), Lou Malnati’s deep dish (Chicago), and Mother Bears (Bloomington, IN). Here’s to progress, man’s distinctive mark on the next chapter in Sigma Pi’s history. a
Bosco (fourth from right) playing hockey with Eta-Rho Chapter at Carleton winter 2012
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Sigma Pi Licensed
e Swag
Look what we found...
Did you know?
As an initiated member of Sigma Pi, you appreciate the significance of the name and symbols of Sigma Pi. To protect the integrity of our name, Sigma Pi registered our marks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. These marks include the names “Sigma Pi,” Greek letters of Organization, crest and badge.
The Emerald wants to help you find some hot new Sigma Pi products. We found some great things just in time for the spring semester including some great new wearables from Spirit Recognition with the new Sigma Pi “Owl” branding. Get Some Greek has a great dry fit T and the “United in Brotherhood” wristband from Collegiate Regalia is a steal at five bucks! You can pre-order and be one of the first to sport the Sigma Pi shorts from Blaze-In Sportswear.
Protecting our name is our right and our responsibility. We have an alliance with Affinity Consultants, experts in administering comprehensive licensing programs for Greek organizations. Their goal is to license a variety of companies who provide quality licensed Sigma Pi products at reasonable prices and with exceptional service.
Purchase any of these products through links available at: EMERALD.SIGMAPI.ORG
To preserve our symbols, and stop companies who misuse them for personal profit because they are not familiar with the true meaning of Sigma Pi and our mission, we must take a stand. By refusing to purchase products that do not carry the Official Licensed Product seal, we can ensure “Sigma Pi” always stands for quality.
Just like a Dri-Fit, you are going to love this sports shirt for Sigma Pi from Get Some Greek! $25.50
Silicone “United in Brotherhood” wristband by Collegiate Regalia. $5. 00
If you have questions about licensing, or want more information on how to get your local vendor and campus bookstore licensed, please contact info@affinity-consultants.com or call 760.734.6764. a Sigma Pi Owl Jacket 040-993149 Color: Black S, M, L, XL, XXL $50.00 (XXL +$5)
Also: 2. Sigma Pi Owl Polo 040-841549, White $29.95 3. Sigma Pi Owl 1/4 Zip Sweatshirt 040-253049, Black $39.95 4. Sigma Pi Owl Hooded Sweatshirt 040-027049, Gray $40.00 All from Spirit Recognition
2.
3.
4.
Pre-order Sigma Pi Shorts for the Spring from BlazeIn Sportswear! Made of fast drying micro fiber with mesh pocket lining and a waterproof pouch in the back pocket. Totally versatile, your valuables will be complete safe even while swimming. $65.00 (Get a group order together and we’ll get the price down as low as $49.00)
For a complete list of Sigma Pi licensed vendors, visit vendors.sigmapi.org 56 |
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The Emerald
Photo finish e While most are a long way from warm weather, this photo from Eta-Tau Chapter at Fitchburg State reminds us of the summer brotherhood activities to which we can look forward. Pictured Kenneth Andrea and Zac Sawtelle.
Photo Finish is an opportunity to feature unique, high quality photographs of Sigma Pi in the lives our brothers — not just the normal group shots. Clear, high resolution photos may be submitted to Emerald@sigmapi.org. winter 2012
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Sigma Pi Fraternity P. O. Box 1897 Brentwood, TN 37024
Prsrt Std Non-Profit U. S. Postage PAID Lebanon Junction, KY Permit No. 441
change service requested
The sky is the limit?
in a quest for excellence
There is no limit.
Mid-Year Leadership Conference moving us forward • midyear.sigmapi.org
St. Louis · February 1-3, 2013