Upsilon Chapter is proud to report another productive and exciting quarter at UCLA. The house capitalized initiated 11 new brothers into the fraternity at the start of winter quarter. Such a successful rush would not have been possible without Rush chair Chase Hay’s diligent efforts and hours of hard work over the summer and at the beginning of the school year.
At Chi Omega’s Tug of War philanthropy, we placed 3rd after upsetting SAE and Sigma Nu. Brothers also participated in Phi Sigma Rho’s Laser tag on the intramural fields. Upsilon is planning two separate philanthropies this year, one with the “Sunshine Kids” (a group of children with cancer) this winter, and the other being a half marathon with proceeds going to the UCLA Rape Treatment Center of Santa Monica. As always, donations to these worthy causes are welcomed.
In sports, a dominant Robert McShane led our volleyball team to 2nd place, and soccer made the playoffs. Strong displays of athleticism were balanced by academic performance. Our house continues to have one of the highest fraternity GPAs and is well above the UCLA average. Brothers scored extremely well on standardized tests. David Lusby, former sage and IFC president posted a 171 on his LSAT, and Albert De Meo earned a 41 out of 45 on is MCAT. Evan Hou passed his actuarial exams, and former Sage Dave Bresler achieved high marks on his graduate record exams. While academics are our first priority, the house also hosted several social events.
While the house held its annual Foam Party (with help from Pablo Rivas and Randall Bass), it is sad to report that this year was likely the last year for this iconic event that attracts so many people through our doors, especially neighboring chapters like UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach St., with whom we are strengthening relationships.
The National Fraternity assembled at Convocation in Long Beach this past summer, where we made new friends from inside California and through out the United States.
Upsilon received an award for a 100-man chapter, and posted the 2nd highest GPA of any chapter (behind UC Berkeley). Delegate Alec Jossens, was part of the budget committee that elected to increase national dues in order to further expansion, and maintain Sigma Pi’s reputation as an efficient and well-principled fraternity. Convocation was an opportune time to build friendships with members of other chapters, specifically Long Beach St. who hosted us every evening after a full day of voting and meetings. David Lusby and Sam Cortina also helped needy damsels carry beer to their hotel rooms, and Jossens helped to pick up the house’s new plates (with Sigma Pi crests) from the glazing shop.
Paralleling the National Chapter, Upsilon has recently elected a new Executive Council: Sage Manuel Gouveia, Vice President Kanishk Tulsyan, Treasurer Stephen Tye, Social Chair Daniel Heriman. We hope to see plenty of alumni on Founder’s Day on Feb. 28th!
?Michael Spiker volunteered in Ghana for three weeks during the summer as a medical lab technician and educator, helping to fulfill the fraternity’s Creed of “service to God and man.” The UAA contributed $150 to his trip, which was organized by Cosmic Volunteers. Spike, an anthropology and pre-med major, developed a curriculum and traveled to villages to teach about disease prevention.
He also tested blood in labs for diseases like malaria and typhoid. In villages, Spiker was welcomed by chiefs and elders and spoke to crowds of 100. Although English is the “official” language, a translator chiefs and elders and spoke to crowds of 100. Although English is the “official” language, a translator was needed for rural areas. The government has sporadic contact with the rural villages, so volunteers like Spiker fill an important need. The government is a democracy, modeled after the United States, but tribal elders still have authority over local domestic disputes, so it’s a mix of modern and tradition.
“There was more freedom than I expected, like for school and career. But, then the women are not treated equally,” he said.
Spiker lived with a Ghanan family with host brothers his own age, and few other American volunteers were around. So, he had the experience of being a minority, but was treated well. The poverty was difficult, and public health is a problem with no running water, poor sanitation and lean-to’s as shelter, but the quiet and peacefulness of the imposing jungle was a memorable experience.
“It was pretty incredible and eye-opening. It was tough to see the conditions there. But it was enlightening to see a new culture,” he said. – Alec Jossens, 1st Counselor.