Upsilon Alumni Association - Upsilon Chapter - UCLA
Founded February 24, 1923
March 3, 2023
Brothers,
Thank you for attending a once-in-a-lifetime gathering, our 100th Founders Day, with more than 300 of our best friends. If you missed it, join us next year for the 101st!
First thing: click here to visit the 100th Founders’ Day Celebration event website to see photos, upload your photos, sign up to help organize future events, and donate to our Joseph Marsalek Educational Foundation.
Many people thanked me for the event, and I appreciate the award you bestowed on me.
But there is much more to the story.
We started organizing the event in June 2022 and solicited input from dozens of you brothers – this shows what happens when a group of dedicated brothers focuses on a goal to make something big happen.
One dozen alumni and actives started the organizing committee, and we sent surveys and solicited input through surveys that received more than 90 responses sharing ideas about the event people wanted. Marketing was put in place, and email began to spread the word of the event, and then word-of-mouth took over.
The crux of the work was done by Matt Sumrow, David Finkel, Chase Hay, Brad Reichard, Mack McGonagill, Nick Rackauckas, and Won Park.
Matt negotiated the contract with UCLA for use of the ballroom, and put down a large deposit when we were unsure how ticket sales would be. He arranged for the dinner menu and a big, tasty meal! He managed the alcohol vendor and made sure all brothers had drink tickets in hand as soon as the event started.
David and Matt arranged for numerous improvements to House. You saw the new high-quality vinyl flooring that was installed over the old wood floor, new carpet, painting and numerous other upgrades.
Chase accepted his nomination by a dozen brothers to be the event’s Master of Ceremony Chase spent hours honing a program designed to recognize the contributions Brothers made across the generations. He looked dapper in his tuxedo in his debut at Sigma Pi Manor and wooed the crowd with the grace of Billy Crystal and Ryan Seacrest.
By responding to input from alumni, Brad helped the committee shape an event that was as much about Sigma Pi Upsilon Chapter’s future as it was a reflection of our first hundred years.
Brad attended several Monday Night Meetings to rally the actives when no one else could and inspired them to take ownership and be intricately involved in the organizing and setup. You saw the results –the cleanest house ever, nice appetizers in the warming trays, the purple embossed cocktail napkins, and a bold new 100th Year Centennial banner hanging on the front balcony that bears the slogan “100 Years of Brotherhood” that was developed by the active chapter.
Mack stepped forward to organize the Doin' it for Ducky 5K Fun Run on a rainy Saturday morning before the Founders’ Day Celebration. Thanks to all who attended and bought the t-shirt 5k t-shirt that commemorated this event.
Nick, the youngest Housing Board member, rallied his classmates to generate a strong word-of-mouth buzz about the event, and he, together with Adam “Mr. AXO Dream Guy” Griffin, spun tunes as the DJ for the after-dinner Club SigPi.
Nick also assisted Won, who managed our biggest Founders’ Day bar ever (thanks to Jon Yipp for his assistance securing tents to cover the basketball court) with the grace of a Bar Rescue host. Won makes us feel young every year (or maybe older) with the best bartendresses on fraternity row. We also thank Won for organizing an informal happy hour at a Santa Monica venue the night before the event.
Thank you to the Scholarship Award presentees: Tom Wilson and 1st Counselor Matthew Lombera; Dr. Chris Koutures; Alfred Hernandez; Tim Howell; Princeton Kim Esquire; Sean Bloch and Arturo Martinez Esquire; Trae Smith; Re-Chartering Founding Father James Lipow; Sebastian Perkinson; and Rojen Gharagedaghi (with Garni’s sister Astineh Arakelian).
To all who helped in any way big or small, I thank you for your dedication to the brotherhood – we can do so much more with your continued involvement. Look for future information to help build an even stronger Sigma Pi for the next Century.
See you at our 150th on February 24, 2073!
Fraternally yours,
JayRoss Jay Ross President, Upsilon Alumni Association