Phi Kappa Psi - University of Michigan

THE SOPHON Michigan Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Psi University of Michigan Spring 2021 T his semester has been interesting due to COVID-19, but nevertheless, we have been successful in maintaining the strength of our brotherhood while following state and county regulations. We are also sad that Michigan Basketball didn't make it to the Final Four, but it is safe to say that Michigan is most definitely a basketball school. This winter, we happily welcomed 25 new members despite not being allowed to have recruitment events in person. It has been great getting to know them and seeing them realize what it means to be a Phi Psi. As we prepare for the 2021-22 academic year, there have been recent talks about a reinstatement of fall recruitment, which we are all very excited in hearing more about. Michigan also released a statement regarding the fall semester, and it sounds like life may be getting back to normal. This is no doubt great news for the chapter. Even though COVID-19 regulations have prevented us to seeing each other in large groups very often, we are trying to communicate between different member classes as much as possible to further strengthen our brotherhood. The upperclassmen have been doing an incredible job of helping the underclassmen with tutoring, networking, and finding internships. The benefit of the Phi Psi professional network is astounding. We've done our best to make small upgrades to the chapter house here and there to improve its condition. We are planning to repaint the main room next fall as a brotherhood bonding event. We also recently hired a catering service, which has also proven to be helpful. In philanthropy, we had a very successful semester. Mazeed Oluewu '21 founded a charity organization, MyTown Support, after graduating high school and has implemented it on campus. "After nearly dropping out of college due to financial challenges, my community stood next to me and helped me raise money to stay in school, which led me to transferring to U of M. Now over a year later we have raised $20,000 for students to stay in school," Mazeed said. "In this campaign, Michigan Alpha raised more than $2,100 for a student. MyTown Support serves students of color in the Chicago area attending independent schools, but we hope to grow across the nation in the future." MyTown Support is an awesome organization, and we are all so proud of Mazeed. In other philanthropic efforts, we joined Kappa Kappa Gamma in raising $2,480 for children in need of school supplies in the Detroit area. We also raised $2,768 for Dance Marathon at U of M, which benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. We raised an additional $250 for St. Jude through our interfraternity March Madness bracket challenge. While the past year has featured numerous challenges, we realize that we have a lot to be thankful for and hope all of you are safe and doing well. In the bond, Drew MacCagnone '20 Vice President Michigan Alpha Maintains a Strong Sense of Brotherhood Undergraduate Brothers Remain Committed to Philanthropic Efforts W hen going through rush at the University of Michigan in the fall of 1988, the brothers at Phi Psi were "down-to-earth and a fun bunch, which really stood out" to Andrew Fang '88. Alongside Jamie Plaisted '88 and Andy Beaudry '88, who lived in West Quad with him, Andrew happily accepted a bid from Michigan Alpha Chapter. Through Phi Kappa Psi, he was afforded leadership opportunities that prepared him for his career as a doctor, and the brotherhood provided lifelong friendships. "The connections and the network you build in college will serve you well for the rest of your life. Joining Phi Psi is a great head start!" he said. "It's always great to hear about the things going on with my brothers on social media (Facebook and LinkedIn). Most everyone has had great success, and I can say I knew them when we were all just having fun getting through Michigan." While at Michigan Alpha, Andrew found that there was always someone to hangout with, whether you wanted to go out and party or to hunker down and study hard. He took advantage of the leadership opportunities within Phi Psi, serving as Chapter President and Corresponding Secretary, which were formative learning experiences. His father was an engineer, and Andrew considered engineering as a potential major when he was in high school, but with a love of biology and the sciences, pre-med at the University of Michigan was his calling. Following his graduation from UM, he attended medical school at Loyola University in Chicago and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery, as well as a fellowship in orthopedic oncology at UCSF (University of California San Francisco). The STrong BoneS of The Phi PSi BroTherhood Michigan Alpha Prepared Dr. Andrew Fang '88 for Success as Orthopedic Oncologist (Continued on page 2)

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