VOLUME 5: ISSUE 1 THE PI SIGMA CHAPTER OF PHI GAMMA DELTA SPRING NEWSLETTER TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE Spring 2023 Recruitment Meet our newest members Service & Philanthropy Check out the great events we held and participated in this spring! Greek Week & Greek Sing Partnered with KD and ASR THE FORCES THAT HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST IN MY LIFE HAVE BEEN GOD AND THE COLLEGE FRATERNITY THAT MOLDED ME." -THOMAS RILEY MARSHALL (WABASH 1873) 2023 Frank Norris Pig Dinner Connecting with brothers near and far BCA and Purple Legionnaire An introduction to our volunteers Looking Forward What's next featuring statements from our cabinet 1 \r\nSpring 2023 Recruitment Featuring a new approach to recruitment, assimilation, and member development! FIJI's New Model to Build Courageous Leaders: New Members: Spring Class of 2023 Robert Conti Introduced this semester, the program aims to: Extend New Member Education beyond the first 6-8 weeks of membership via the Built to Lead Program Reinforce our values-based recruitment system The Pi Sigma Chapter is an early adopter of the program Major: Biology Maxwell D. Groller Major: Pre-Physical Therapy Track Austin M. Hance Major: Political Science Benefits Received as Early Adopters $5,000 in Courageous Leader Scholarships $5,000 in Built to Lead implementation grants Up to 50% reduction in liability insurance fees Kevin Lewitt Major: Finance Jullian Lorenzo Major: Global and Supply Chain Management Henry T. Scardina Major: Politics, Philosophy, and Communications Andrew Wendling Major: Biology \r\nService & Philanthropy Soccer Tournament Our chapter hosted a soccer tournament on April 16th. Brothers, sororities, and fraternities participated in a competitive match to raise money for charity. The event was a success thanks to the support of numerous participating organizations. We extend a special thank you to Brother Trey Fahrenbach, our Philanthropy chair, for organizing such an engaging event. Blood Drive Our chapter collaborated with the American Red Cross on February 21st, to host a campus wide blood drive. We are excited to share that 26 units of blood were donated during the drive. Each unit of blood can help up to three people, meaning the collected donations can potentially aid up to 78 patients. Thank you to everyone who supported this effort. \r\nGreek Week & Greek Sing Participating Brothers: Riley Bender ’25 Robert Bilodeau ’23 Brendan Ford ’24 Rohan Gosh ’24 Luke Joynt ’24 Jared Kinneer ’24 Khristian Miller ’25 John-Michael Yurisic ’24 Joao Barrichello ’25 Brian Hand Jr. ’23 Neel Patel ’23 Trey Fehrenbach III ’23 Team Grandpa Joe Paired with sororities Kappa Delta and Alpha Sigma Rho, the Pi Sigma brothers took over the big stage on April 1st, as they dressed up as Oompa Loompas following the team's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" theme. Our brothers put up a performance worthy of a South Oak basement. However, it was not sufficient to win. Although we may not have secured a place, our brothers emerged from the event with cherished memories and an everlasting FIJI pride! \r\n2023 Frank Norris Pig Dinner THANK YOU For Your Donations: Zachary Andrews ’20 Zachary Canali ’19 Jordan El-Sabeh ’14 Jonathan K Goodman ’19 Michael Graham ’89 Cayton Hornberger ’20 Harry Ingram ’70 Larry Pansino ’74 W. "Wayne" W Pile ’71 Arthur Pressley ’72 Robert W. Sobol ’82 Raymmond Stelzer ’92 Bruce Stubbs ’84 Gregory R Vallano ’15 John Van Cleve ’78 Donald L Wickerham ’72 Michael Wild ’82 Pi and Pi Sigma Collaboration Our chapter was honored to share a Pig Dinner with our fellow brothers from the Pi Chapter of Allegheny College on April 15th. With over 60 attending graduate brothers, our undergrads received valuable advice and guidance from those who set the foundation of the Pi Sigma chapter. We are proud to celebrate 175 years of Phi Gamma Delta and look forward to seeing everyone at 2024’s Frank Norris Pig Dinner! \r\nBCA & Purple Legionnaire Newly Appointed BCA Board Our Chapter is excited to work with a new Board of Chapter Advisors, composed of graduates and volunteers selected by our Section Leader, Matthew Bocchi. The Board is Composed of: President: Wisam Berry Treasurer: Jack Goodman Membership Development: Samuel Kelly Communications: Megan Kelly-Thomas Volunteering Opportunities For those interested in volunteering and taking an active role within the chapter, feel free to reach out to fill out the following form: Volunteering Form Our Chapter is excited and looking forward to working alongside our Graduate Volunteers, Board, and Leadership to ensure the prosperity of our fraternity To our retiring Purple Legionnaire: On behalf of the entire chapter, we extend our deepest gratitude to David Wissinger for his exceptional contributions to the Pi Sigma Chapter. David's influence on us has been immeasurable, not only as a brother but also as a dear friend of the chapter. We thank him for his unwavering support and dedication towards our growth and success. Newly Elected Purple Legionnaire, AJ Yarborough It is an honor and a privilege to join the Pitt chapter as the new Purple Legionnaire! My undergraduate time in the Pi chapter was filled with warm friendships, new opportunities, and, most importantly, growth. It is my goal to help facilitate the same level of growth in the Pitt chapter as I had during my undergraduate experience. With the recent adoption of new recruitment, brotherhood, and professional development programming from our International Headquarters, the rest of the Board of Chapter Advisors is fully prepared to help the Pi Sigma chapter grow, not only in terms of the number of brothers in our fraternity but to develop these young men into successful gentlemen of Phi Gamma Delta. Please do not hesitate to contact me in regards to inquiries about the chapter or volunteering to help facilitate its growth. \r\nLooking Forward Cabinet Goals President Brendan Ford "Create strong community and campus outreach initiatives" Treasurer Luke Joynt "Host one fundraising event in order to increase the financial health of the chapter" Recording Secretary Aaron Waxman "Have a bigger philanthropy event and continue our relationship with the American Red Cross" Corresponding Secretary Joao Barrichello "Grow our relationships with our graduate brothers” Historian Rohan Ghosh "Initiate another strong class and continue to grow and strengthen our brotherhood” State of the Chapter With change comes opportunity. The undergraduates of the Pi Sigma chapter of FIJI have been adjusting to the new membership and recruitment model brought forward by our International Headquarters, but change is always challenging. Through trials and tribulations this semester, the brothers have learned what did and did not work for the chapter and what we need to accomplish for future success. Like many Pi Sigmas who have come before us, the brothers went through adversity this year; however, the desire to continuously improve the chapter and live by our values has remained strong. Serving the community, developing enduring friendships, and growing as leaders brought each member into the fold of this Fraternity, and our undergraduate chapter only wishes to continue that legacy. Creating better scholarship habits, increasing the number of service hours and philanthropy events, and developing stronger bonds are only a few of this chapter's goals for the upcoming school year. Because of this chapter's fierce ambitions, we have the opportunity this year to lay a lasting foundation of Fraternity processes and practices, which will lead to Pi Sigma becoming stronger and larger than ever before. And as long as we are supported by our esteemed graduates, live by the mission of this Fraternity, and remain persistent, there are only bright futures ahead. -President Brendan Ford \r\nUpcoming Events Stay Tuned! Fall 2023: Graduate Tailgate Graduate Cookout Spring 2024: 2024 Pig Dinner Keep an Eye Out for: Bi-Monthly Newsletters beginning in October Information about how you can support the chapter A Google Form Regarding our Graduate Tailgate, Pig Dinner, and more! Follow Us on Social Media by Clicking Here! Pi Sigma Chapter Fundraising Campaign The Chapter would like to extend our deepest thanks to the continued generosity of our graduate brothers. Because of your support, we are able to continue our deeply-rooted history of brotherhood, philanthropy, and scholarship at the University of Pittsburgh. Because of your support, we are able to continue our deeply-rooted history of brotherhood, philanthropy, and scholarship at the University of Pittsburgh If you are capable and interested in contributing to the Pi Sigma Chapter, please explore the link below: Donate Here