Theta Xi - Bradley University

THE TAXI NEWS PAGE 3 C oming from New York, Peter Pirro '96 was unsure about what college life would bring him and, although uninterested at first, decided to go through recruitment to get a better grasp on life at Bradley. On the final day of recruitment, Peter was walking back to Univer- sity Hall when he saw Tim Glubaskas '93 and Steve Oberlie '94 relaxing in the back of Tim's pickup truck with a bed full of water. "I knew that this was the camaraderie that I was looking for in my new home," he said. "The young men I met at Theta Xi were genuine and welcoming and put a priority on good people above money or social standing." At the time, Peter recognized Theta Xi had more weaknesses than strengths. The brothers were active philanthropically, but the efforts of oth- er chapters were more publicized. They were active socially, but events were internal and open events were quiet and subdued. They were brilliant scholars, but the GPA did not show it among the leaders. "But, there were good peo- ple. And I knew that with good people, we could do great things," he said. "I took that as my quest for Theta Xi." To assist the fraternity, Peter served the chapter in a number of rewarding capacities, but he is most proud of his time as recruitment chairman and his ability to bring talented men togeth- er and push Theta Xi to new heights. Looking back, winning Sig Delt Dude is a reminder he could be bold and fearless, and writing the final verse for Sweetheart of Theta Xi put an excla- mation point on his college life. "I am indebted for the opportunities and blessings that I've been given in this life," he shared. However, the true highlight of his undergraduate experience was the friendships made. "I am very proud to have made friends for life. People like Sean Davis '96 don't come along every day." Upon graduation, Peter worked as an intern for the Rochester Red Wings, the AAA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles at the time. He worked 40 hours a week for the team while also working full-time for the CitiBank Student Loan Corpo- ration and then Xerox in Rochester, N.Y. After his internship (and a nice championship ring), he looked to continue working in baseball, but to no avail. In 1998, Peter joined American Appraisal Associates in Milwaukee, Wis., with Alpha Sigma brothers Sean and Steve Sax '94. He worked for the company in Wisconsin and later Los Angeles until 2001, until continuing re- motely in Rochester for two more years. At that time, he joined the University of Rochester's IT department to work on publications and train- ing and worked there until 2011. The same year marked his completion of the MBA program and Peter has since been a project manager at Eagle Productivity Solutions, Nimble User, and now Bio-Optronics. Though he did not continue working in baseball after his internship, Peter did return to the field for another reason. After 25 years of sending in tapes, CDs, DVDs, and video links, on February 1, he got the call he would be singing the Na- tional Anthem at Wrigley on August 14 for the afternoon game against the Brewers. "I choked back a few tears, called my wife and took a 10- minute walk… in the snow… on a cold Roch- ester day. Anticipating the eventual performance was tough because I had the logistics of bringing my family to Chicago for the performance. Plus, there was the idea of making sure that some of my Theta Xi brothers and Bradley alumni would be able to share the experience," he said. "Step- ping on that field was an experience like no oth- er, though. The ivy was greener than anything I'd seen, the crowd was packed in and the field was drenched in sunshine. It was straight out of a poem and I did my best to represent 25 years of waiting. For a minute and a half, I lived a dream. Peter Pirro '96 Shares His Alpha Sigma Journey I can't compare it to anything I've ever done in school or work. To find out that it was televised and on the radio was a bonus as brothers and loved ones called and let me know they heard a familiar voice and saw a familiar face. I am hum- bled at how kind people can be and, yet again, at how blessed I truly am." Singing at Wrigley Field was Peter's 60th per- formance of his career, including 16 other MLB games. He's also performed for the Red Wings, Cape Cod Baseball League, American Hockey League, Minor League Lacrosse, NAPB, USL, and a few turns at the Monster Jam events. "I do it for my country and for those that serve and protect us all. So it's not ALL about baseball, but it certainly helps that I love the sport so much!" Peter and his wife, Bridgette, have three sons, Cooper, Paxton, and Camden. The family lives in Fairport, N.Y. E-mail: petermpirro@gmail.com THE QUEST FOR THETA XI Peter Pirro '96 sings the national anthem at Wrigley Field. Courtesy of Steve Green of the Chicago Cubs. Jacob Brodner '22 Lake Zurich, Ill. Chase Hoge '22 Lima, Ohio Alex Kuphal '22 Lake in the Hills, Ill. Trystan Maricle '22 Canton, Ill. Allen McClean '22 Goodfield, Ill. Jon Mueth '22 Waterloo, Ill. John Pokorn '22 Lombard, Ill. Nathan Wagner '21 Peoria, Ill. 2018 NEW MEMBERS

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