Editor’s Note As the Omicronicle and it’s staff members prepared for its very first issue, we faced unprecedented circumstances that seemed to change everything. The introduction of coronavirus into our professional and personal lives created a ‘new normal’ for students at Indiana University, and Pi Sigma Epsilon’s brothers were no exception. As we assimilated into a daily routine of social distancing and virtual education, recent incidents across the US also contributed to overall feelings of sadness, frustration, and isolation for our brothers and their wider communities.For some of us, the past few months meant not getting a proper goodbye to the place you called home for four years. For others, it was feeling dissatisfaction with the lack of awareness and accountability present in their professional and personal circles. To this end, the writers at the Omnicronicle all reached a unanimous decision to celebrate the brothers at Pi Sigma Epsilon for their display of unity. As the past few months prepared hurdle after hurdle for them to face, our members worked hard to keep the chapter united and moving forward; whether it was through Zoom movie nights involving members all across the country or direct action through the creation of a new Diversity chair. The stories in our first issue highlight the true meaning of brotherhood that our members upheld during these trying times. As the editor, I could not be prouder. With this first issue, we look forward to the future and encourage all of you to explore the possibilities.
THE UNITY ISSUE: BROTHERHOOD IN THE ZOOM ERA
UNITED BY DIVERSITY: PSE INTRODUCES NEW DIRECTOR By Angela Lee
As a new academic year begins, the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion starts off a fresh chapter at Pi Sigma Epsilon at Indiana University. On July 14th, Pi Sigma Epsilon took to Instagram (@pse_iu) to announce Rishika Singh as the new Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the upcoming fall semester. The new leadership position aspires to incorporate initiatives, programming, and decisions focused on recognizing the importance of embracing each other’s differences. “It is really important to be actively curious and actively pursuing the goals that we have right now: making PSE more inclusive [and] educating our members” Hannah Miller, current president of the Epsilon Omicron chapter of Pi Sigma Epsilon said. “We should be determined and never give up that determination to keep pushing forward”. Prior to this announcement, Trent McGee, director of the Kelley Student Life, strongly encouraged the business fraternities’ presidents to incorporate this new position. According to Miller, it was the right time to take these next steps. She took the suggestions of McGee, the Professional Fraternity Council (PFC), and the chapter’s Executive Board to start the process of interviews for the new role. “In the past we have verbally committed to supporting and including everyone, but having this position we can really take actions and measurable steps to achieve our goals of achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion in every aspect of PSE,” Miller said. “It is a big role, but it is definitely really important.” As Miller mentioned, currently Pi Sigma Epsilon doesn’t have anything specifically about harassment and discrimination in their bylaws. Consequently, Singh has been working over the summer to have the changes implemented and ready for the fall semester. Miller and Singh agreed that the main concern is to create a solid process based on the new clauses added to the bylaws and to assist in working through a reporting form that allows members to step forward when something inappropriate is witnessed. “At this point we are really early in the process, but as right now we are mainly focusing on the bylaws.
I added several clauses in regard to non-discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, reporting an incident, and retaliation,” Singh said. “I’m trying to see all those put in place and as the days are going by, I’m continuously trying to find ways that we can include our members. So, it’s not something that the board is doing, it’s something that the whole fraternity is doing.” The new director position is intended to help hold people accountable on their behavior. According to Singh, it is important that the chapter is represented by people who understand the concepts of accountability and diversity. She highlights that change is not an individualized process. She followed up by saying that it is important to respect individuals for their existence and to not put people down in any way, shape, or form. “My commitment to diversity is by changing the ways in which we operate as a fraternity and that also includes encouraging other people to see that prioritization as well. To value the concept of diversity and inclusion as well,” Singh said. “I’m in a position in which I can influence, but it is really up to our fraternity to enact everything and
show enthusiasm about the changes that are being made. There is only so little that I can do, so my commitment is to ensure that I can create those plans and those visions, really bring them to light and make sure that our fraternity sees them too. Because my job is not something that I can only do, it’s something that we all have to do. It’s something that needs support from everyone in order to be accomplished.”
Singh gives the following advice for getting started with diversity and inclusion: “Make sure that you are including people because they have value beyond what you see from the outside. That’s not to say [that] you don’t see color- you don’t want to do that. You want to acknowledge them and their experiences, but you want to create an environment in which they are growing,” Singh said. “You want to create an environment in which the people who are from a diverse background don’t feel like they are the representative for their unique quality of characteristics. Instead you want to create an environment in which everyone can come in and grow and find value with whatever differences they made have, whether that being race, sexuality, or socioeconomic background.”
Miller anticipates that the changes implemented by the new director will have a big impact in PSE. The position will be intertwined within every aspect of the organization and it is expected to be incorporated in the interview process, the deliberation process, new member education, social events that help bring discussion, and professional development partnerships. Singh affirms that a big focus also relies on making active efforts Despite all the challenges that will to ensure that the whole chapter is on the same page. arise, Singh is excited to be in a position where she can enforce change, hold the members of the organiza“It is really our place to be holding our members tion accountable, and encourage people to speak up. accountable and being really responsible about how our fraternity is being represented when it comes to our re “It is very important to say that this isn’t cruitment and our professional network,” Singh said. just a friend group, this is a professional organization and we are going to hold it to the standards that we are setMiller and Singh both acknowledge that there are ting for it, and if they are not willing to support that, then challenges for every new position. One concern is resis- that’s something we are going to be able to overcome.” tance in the form of questions, and the ability to coordinate with all the other departments to ensure the active “I’m in a position in which I engagement this semester and beyond. “We want to make sure that we have a strong foundation to build off from so can influence, but it is really up to the next executive board in three or four years if they want our fraternity to enact everything to just ignore this or disregard it, they can’t,” Miller said. Although excited for the change, Singh does worry that her true intentions can be misunderstood due to common misconceptions. Inclusion, according to Singh, is more than having an observably diverse brotherhood. The environment, Singh elaborates, must be one of support and care to be truly inclusive.
and show enthusiasm about the changes that are being made.”
T S S T
HE ONE WHO TA R T E D I T A L L : POTLIGHT ON YLER MILLER
Written by Natalie Jackson When Tyler Miller first arrived at Indiana University, his original plans never included starting a business fraternity from the ground up. However, when the opportunity to build a brotherhood presented itself, Miller took action to establish the business-orientated community he felt was missing. Within three years, Tyler Miller and his executive board transformed a newly founded business fraternity into a top Kelley organization, growing exponentially from eight members to 100 by the time they were seniors. “I felt like there wasn’t a business fraternity where I found my fit,” Miller said. “I wanted one where I felt like I could control the narrative.” Miller recalls research led him to choosing to start a chapter of Pi Sigma Epsilon at Indiana University. In the fall of 2017, Miller and friends went all out to recruit enough members for an official chapter. This first recruitment was a success, according to Miller, and they were able to meet the 25 member require
ment. Steven Meyers, recent IU grad and former Vice President of Professional Development at PSE, recounts how Miller’s fraternity, from the get go, set out to be different. “One thing that made PSE successful was they [the founding executive board] were really strategic with their marketing,” Meyers said. “Since PSE was in the starting stages, they had to market the organization in a different way compared to all the other business fraternities at Kelley. They made sure to emphasize that in New Member Ed, PSE doesn’t have pledges. Once you join PSE you are welcome to chapter and a part of this family. They were also really good at keeping people motivated and reiterated the potential growth that PSE has.”
The hard word and dedication displayed by Miller and his executive board paid off. In 2019, PSE won the “Top New Chapter” award at nationals. According to Miller, he was studying abroad in London, England when he found out that PSE won, and to this day is one of Tyler’s proudest moments in his college career. “When we won the Top New Chapter award at nationals, that [felt like] validation for all the hard work that my team put into PSE”, Miller said. As much as he would have loved to celebrate with all his PSE brothers, studying abroad was by far his favorite semester in college. While in Europe, Miller was also able to travel to many other countries such as France, Northern Ire
“Once you join PSE, you are welcome to chapter and a part of this family.”
“It’s okay not to be okay. . . Everything happens for a reason.”
land, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, and Portugal. This allowed him to gain a new cross culture perspective and deeper appreciation for the world around us. “I firmly believe that if you have the financial ability to study abroad, there’s no reason not to go”, Miller said. “Things worth doing are not necessarily easy. Studying abroad was not easy. You’re moving to a new country across the world. And then you have to learn how to go to school in a country with a completely different educational system. There are a lot of new adjustments at once, but the reward is so much greater in the end.”
According to Miller, he graduated from Kelley with a degree in Operations Management, Marketing, and International Business. Miller loved the complexity and creative problem solving aspects of Operations and Marketing. However, Miller is not your stereotypical business student and there’s more to him than case competitions, late study nights at Hodge Hall, and professional business suits. Miller said he always knew that he wanted to work in aviation since freshman year. “[After joining], I learned ROTC was a much bigger commitment than I originally thought”, Miller said. “Once I joined, I really enjoyed my time at ROTC and thought I wanted to become a pilot in the Air Force. However, I realized that being a pilot is not the best thing for my career at the moment. I thought I could be more successful [at] Kelley and I realized I could always get my pilot license later.” Miller was able to take his passion for aviation and travel and combine it with his Kelley skills in Operations and Marketing to obtain a position at American Airlines as a commodity manager at the Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the dramatic toll it caused for the airline industry, American Airlines was forced to let go of all their new hires. Miller, however, adopted a helpful mindset. “Two things that I have learned from this experience is that it’s okay not to be okay. I think people don’t give themselves enough credit. This is a bad time and it’s okay to be upset, that’s valid. Everything happens for a reason.”
Together, at a Distance. By: Cami Comstock
The last few months-- as we are all well aware by
now-- have set forth an unprecendented landscape for us to navigate as students. Weddings delayed, festivals canceled, school online- the list is endless. The beginning weeks of quarantine were a trying time for us all. Trying to navigate through this pandemic was a learning curve; a story PSE’s brothers were all too familiar with. Fortunately, the fraternity saw an opportunity to get creative and to find ways to stay together, at a distance. During this time of ‘limbo’, the brothers of PSE stepped up to the plate in many different ways. Character, one of the founding pillars of Pi Sigma Epsilon, played an important role in our efforts to stay connected during quarantine. Steven Meyers, an alumni of the fraternity, rose to the occasion and created an ongoing trivia game that he called the “Quick Quarantine Quiz”, also refferred to as “QQQ”. Each quiz consisted of 10 trivia questions and would be scored afterwards. In an interview with Meyers, he stated that the reason for coming up with this idea was that he “suddenly felt somewhat disconnected...and it was a tough time” so, in turn, he “wanted to find a way that was simple with limited interaction to have some involvement and see other people.” The QQQ gained popularity within the
fraternity, with around 30 members being involved. Meyers handed over power to Jacob Crawley, a fellow brother in the fraternity, to continue the legacy of the Quick Quarantine Quizzes. Meyers, Crawley, and the director of social committee, Quinn Rile, all joined forces and orchestrated a live QQQ trivia night hosted over zoom. The trivia night is just one of many things that the social committee-- a committee dedicated to keeping brothers connected-- has planned under direction of Rile. Some other events that the social committee came up with include a yoga session hosted over Zoom, a Netflix Party viewing of the movie 13th, and playing online games together such as scribbl.io. Although we are in uncertain times right now, that hasn’t stopped the social committee and Rile from coming up with events that are able to be done socially distant and following both Indiana University and CDC guidelines. Rile stated that the goal, right now, of social committee is to “to focus on making some safe, outdoor events and if we switch over, we’ll react and switch over to online only events”. Although the next few months may continue to be unpredictable, one thing remains certain: despite challenges thrown at us, our brotherhood adapted and found ways to all stay connected.
OLD AND NEW: BROTHERS WELCOME EPSILONS
F
or Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE) this past semester, welcoming the new member class was anything but typical. The business fraternity, however, managed to overcome the challenges and still create a welcoming environment. On February 9, 2020, the chapter welcomed 21 new Epsilons into their ranks. On March 13, however, the brothers said goodbye indefinitely due to a university-wide
decision to send students home amidst the pandemic (McRobbie). To the new Epsilons, this meant separation from people they were just beginning to know and uncertainty as to what comes next. “I was watching TV with my family, and my mom read the email to me, which caused me to sob,” said Katherine Holman, a member of the new Epsilon class. Her only real interaction with her new peers had been from New Mem
“It didn’t really matter that we were new members. We already felt like we were a part of the group.” -Katherine Holman
ber Education, which occurred weekly. New Member Education, according to Holman, serves as a tool to educate incoming brothers on the history of the organization while encouraging social interactions between the members of their class. To Dylan Gallagher, Vice President of HR, this intensive seven week class proves critical in forming valuable bonds between students. “Finding a balance between professional and social is kind of the whole experience of PSE, and I think [we] wanted to reflect that in the Epsilons [new member education] process,” Gallagher said. Before students were sent home, Epsilons were required to interview older members while also attending fraternity events, such as chapter and professional development. These events, according to Gallagher, play a significant role in integrating members into the organization. “When the [old and new member] classes get along,” Gallagher said, “we did a good job recruiting.” According to Holman, New Member Education was eventually moved online, while the formal initiation ceremony was put on hold. While these events are vital to welcoming incoming brothers, active PSE brothers took the initiative to make sure that new members did not feel the loss of physical gatherings. “Obviously, it’s a lot harder to promote a sense of community
through a GroupMe. But, you know, we’re just trying to do the best we can at keeping people engaged. That’s something we did and we plan on working on a lot this semester.” Gallagher said. The Executive Board and Social Committee planned virtual events in order to keep the brothers connected including Zoom events, like movie sessions, game nights, and more. These events, according to Holman, helped the Epsilon class feel the love from older brothers. “It seemed like it didn’t really matter that we were new members. We already felt like we were a part of the group,” Katherine Holman, a member of the Epsilons, said. Gallagher attributes this welcoming feel to the seniors and the founding class, who graduated this past spring. “I feel like a lot of the older members, like the seniors…were really always doing the most to cheer on the team members and really make a conscious effort to help them out so they can feel welcome,” Gallagher said. After the abrupt ending of the spring semester, Holman was elected to be the next New Member Educator. She plans to bring a welcoming energy and excitement that will prepare the next new members for all that the fraternity entails. “I can’t wait to meet the new Zetas,” Holman said. “I think that’s going to be so fun, to be on the other side of things, be the mom, and help them out.”