Sigma Chi - University of Virginia

Not Just a College Town Alumni Perspectives on Retiring in the Hook psiofsigmachi.com 3 As we near the end of the fall semester, I can confidently say that Psi Chapter did not lose its edge over the summer! Between the parties, tailgates, pickup basketball games, and utter dominance in the fraternity flag football league (sorry, SAE!), the 2024-25 year is off to a hot start. This is the first year living in the House for me and nine others from the spring pledge class of 2023. To say it's been a good time would be a massive understatement! We began the year with 19 Brothers in the main House and nine in our satellite House behind us. We held elections for House positions and the House draft for next year and, once again, have filled both the House and satellite! The members from the spring 2024 pledge class are eager to spend the next two years living alongside their Brothers. Last spring, we initiated a pledge class of 21 young men who have earned their place in the Chapter with great enthusiasm. They were a great source of energy and drive for our spring Derby Days, and we are proud to say we raised over $10,000 in just five days! We have our philanthropy chairmen, Joe Hardy '26 and Scott Daley '26, to thank for that great success. Through Joe's personal connection to St. Jude, we found a little extra motivation in achieving our donation goal and were able to send the entirety of our donations to this worthy organization. We officially graduated from the National- imposed enhancement program this fall, ending a four-year process that began in spring 2020. It was a long affair, but we are currently in excellent standing with National, and we look to keep that momentum going. To that end, I would be remiss if I didn't attempt to paint a picture of what Greek life currently looks like at UVA. To put it mildly, last spring was an interesting time to be associated with any of the Greek organizations in Charlottesville. Three fraternities, Kappa Sig, Theta Chi, and Pi Kappa Alpha, were kicked off campus for a minimum of four years, and since both PIKE and Kappa Sig were the Alpha chapters for their respective organizations, that status was terminated, and PIKE lost their house and their charter. Currently, Sigma Alpha Mu and Phi Lambda are also under investigation, and their status is up in the air. The relationship between the UVA administration and Greek life, particularly fraternities, has become extremely strained and frankly, discouraging. However, we assure you that Psi Chapter's status on campus remains excellent. We have a fantastic relationship with the school and National and have had zero complaints associated with our conduct. While some chapters have suffered from lower recruitment numbers, social suspensions, and other issues, we have not. Despite numbers dropping across the board over the past few years, we have continued to not only bid the largest classes, but also the most well-rounded and good- natured. I'm sure this sounds like personal bias (which it most certainly is; I love our guys!), but these facts have been recognized by the greater UVA community. Luke Kielbasa '27 and Max Buono '27 placed first and second, respectively, at this year's "Mr. Heartthrob Competition," a talent show hosted by Alpha Phi. Every fraternity sends two pledges to participate, and ours won by nearly unanimous decision! Our philanthropy also goes beyond the one week of Derby Days in the spring, as Brothers Ryan Poplawski '26, Charlie Katzen '26, Shahmeer Danish '26, Corey Park '25, and many others are leaders at the Madison House, a charity organization managed by UVA that allows students to create their own charity projects in the Charlottesville community. As we look forward to closing out this fall semester and returning to campus in 2025, I can speak for the entirety of the House when I say I am proud to be a Psi and am excited for what the future will bring! In Hoc, Luke Lustig '26 Consul Bret Holden '83 I sold a business in Europe in 2006 and had the opportunity to relocate to the U.S. I had spent a lot of time in Charlottesville with my wife, Jeanne Marie, a UVA Zeta who graduated in 1984. It was close to both our parents, and many friends of our era regularly passed through for sporting events, so it made a lot of sense. It has been a great decision, and having several other Sigs close by has made it all the better! Kevin Long '83 After graduating in 1983, returning to Charlottesville infrequently over the years, and then visiting our three sons who also graduated from UVA, my wife and I thought we knew the community well. This led us to move here in 2023 after retirement and spending a few years abroad and in Northern Virginia. Charlotteville's quality and pace of life really appealed to us. After a year, we realized that we only knew our new hometown superficially—there is so much more to experience and enjoy. The music and arts scene, restaurants, history, policy think tanks, UVA academics and activities, outdoor opportunities, and most importantly, the chances to meet a lot of interesting people, confirmed that we made the right decision to move here. It's a lot more than a great college town! The Long family hikes at Ragged Mountain Reservoir. From left: Patrick Fox '26, Ryan Poplawski '26, Walker Beck '26, Krish Patel '26, and Luke Lustig '26 celebrating the first day of fall classes. Jeff Ward '81 and his wife, Karen Ward, enjoy a home game at JPJ with coach Tony Bennett! A Light on a Hill Psi Undergraduates Continue to Excel Continued from page 1

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