BUILDINGMENOFCLASSSINCE2008…

THESTARSHIELD

THETA SIGMA CHAPTER OF PI KAPPA PHI

VolumeIII:Spring2011

CELEBRATINGTHREEYEARSOFBROTHERHOODATCSULB.

GREETINGS FROM THE PRESIDENT

Brothers, Alumni and Family, I hope this newsletter finds you well. The Theta Sigma chapter of Pi Kappa Phi has reached an important milestone in our time here at Cal State University Long Beach. We have been an active chapter now for three years and we are proud of everything we have accomplished in such short time. This semester a theme that resonated across our chapter was dedication to service and philanthropy. Theta Sigma is now one of the leading chapters nationally in dollars raised for our philanthropy, Push America. In addition, we continue to lead in hours served alongside people who have disabilities. We continue to strengthen our local partnership with AbilityFirst, which is an organization that provides an enriching and positive atmosphere for those that have mental and physical disabilities. This semester we held our first annual Push Olympics, which brought relay-style activities to our campus for fundraising efforts geared towards Push America. Moreover, we made huge strides towards establishing our leadership on campus this past semester. We participated with huge turnouts in sorority philanthropy events where we won awards in Alpha Phi’s Heartthrob pageant as well as Gamma Phi Beta’s basketball tournament. As members of Pi Kappa Phi we are proud to be the champions of Greek Week this year, which is a weeklong event that raised over $20,000 for people who live with HIV/AIDS. As members of Pi Kappa Phi, we are proud that we choose to lead in philanthropy and continue to live up to the virtues that guide us in our day-to-day lives. With over sixty active members this past semester, our chapter has grown to be the second largest on campus. We enjoy an eventful social life, which includes mixers with other sororities or BBQs before sporting events. After three years on campus we have just initiated our Zeta pledge class. It is humbling, to say the least, when reflecting on the progress that our chapter has made and continues to make. It is exciting to see an environment where true friendships thrive. Please take the time to read through this newsletter to better understand the accomplishments and activities that the brothers of Pi Kappa Phi, Theta Sigma, have achieved over the past semester. In the Star and Lamp, Abtin Hashemian

“Thehorizonleansforward,offeringyouspacetoplacenewstepsofchange.” ‐MayaAngelou

ALUMNI

NewAlumniBrothers,

WelcomeClassof2011!Younowstandatthethresholdofgreatadjustmentandadventure,ofinestimablepotential.Holdyourbreathandsavorthismoment.Itisatimeyouwillalwaysremember.

Youhavebecomeapartofawhollybizarreandintoxicatinglegacy.Ownit.AsaFoundingFatherofThetaSigma,IpromiseyouIwasmischievousandrevolutionary,spiritedandtrail‐blazing,connectedandcompetitiveinthesamewaysyouarebecausewesharethecommonbondofbrotherhood.Asalumni,weshareasecretgrip,andthemeaningofourletters,whichresidesdeepinourhearts.Oursecretletterswillforeverbringfamilyandbrotherhoodtousthroughoutourlives.

Remembertoalsoownthechallengesyouhavetraversedsofar.YoucarrywithyoutheexperienceofbeingaFoundingFatherorofAssociateBrotherhoodthatfedyourheartwithauniquewisdom.Learnfromthoseexperiences,andalwayskeepthemwithyou.

Knowthatweareheretohelpyou.Weareheretochampionyouintheworld.Calluswithyourideas.Askforhelp.StayconnectedtoPiKappaPhiasanAlumniAssociationMembersoyoucaneasilytrackdownyourpeers,locatealumnimentors,findcareerassistance,postsocialandcreativeevents,andotherwisestayconnectedtoourchapter.

Finally,thinkgrassroots,owntheresponsibilityofshapingthecommunitiesyouinhabit.Castyourvoteforwhatisimportanttoyoubycontributingannuallytothechapter.WithouttheAnnualFund,therewouldbenogeneralchapter,andyouoweyourexperiencetothegenerosityofthosewhocamebeforeyou.Stepupandhelpthenextgeneration.Even$5ayeardemonstratesanengagedyoungalumnipresence,which,amongotherachievements,enhancesourreputationandstrengthenstheweightofthenamePiKappaPhiatCaliforniaStateUniversityLongBeach.Itcreatesmoreopportunitiesforstrugglingincomingstudentsandinspiresmorecircumstancesinwhichtocelebratealumni.

IamexceedinglyproudofyouandIamhonoredtowelcomeyouintothiscommunityofalumni.YoujoiningourranksmakeusstrongerandIhopeyouwillcontinuetobringcredittoourFraternity.Nowgoget‘emPiKapp.

InBrotherhood,

GregoryRangelFoundingFather#4Classof2009,B.A.inPoliticalScienceAlumniPresident

Alumni President

Spring 2011 Graduates

Brent Freeman #7

Major: BA in Business Administration; emphasis in Business Management & Operations Plans on pursuing a career in management with future aspirations of becoming a CEO, CFO, or COO. Ryan Richardson #8

Major: BA in Civil Engineering Plans on working for the California Department of Transportation as a transit engineer. Jeff Delaunay #13

Major: BA in Communication Studies Plans on applying for a California fire academy so he can eventually become a firefighter.

Chris Wolf #22

Major: BA in Criminal Justice Plans on pursuing a career in criminal law so he can work for a district attorney’s office. Derek Watts #25

Major: BA in Political Science; Minor in Communication Studies Plans on furthering his education by attaining his masters in sports management. After graduate school, he wants to do various things in sports like work as an agent or work for the Lakers or NCAA. Garrett Nyberg #26

Major: BS in Accountancy Plans on becoming a certified public accountant in order to open his own accounting firm.

Eric Kim #28

Major: BA in Criminal Justice Plans on pursuing a career in local law enforcement.

“Daretoreachoutyourhandintothedarkness,topullanotherhandintothelight.”

‐NormanB.Rice

Pi Kappa Philanthropy Santa Anita 5K Derby Day with AbilityFirst William James once said, “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” On April 16, 2011, 16 members of Pi Kappa Phi and three sorority members of Delta Zeta and Alpha Phi, contributed to making a difference for those with disabilities at the Santa Anita 5k Derby Day. The race was held at the Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The favorable weather made running a 5k at 7A.M. a lot more enjoyable, along with the fact that everyone was running to raise awareness for people with disabilities. The race began in the parking lot of the racetrack, which then led to a mile of running in the park itself, which was full of small rivers accompanied by wildlife like peacocks. Finally the entire team finished with a half-mile run on the horse track of the park. Following the race, the venue was filled with live music and food vendors such as CLIFbar. Overall the event was entertaining. The brothers and friends who participated by helping raise awareness for people with disabilities are truly grateful for the opportunity to continue to make a difference. AbilityFirst provides programs and services to help children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities reach their full potential throughout their lives. Pi Kappa Phi has had close ties to AbilityFirst since Spring 2010. They have given our members numerous opportunities to volunteer a couple of hours a week all with the hope of raising awareness by creating and strengthening bonds between our brothers and people with disabilities.

-Ty Gates

Family Day 2011

On April 23, 2011 Theta Sigma held their third annual Family Day at the Pi Kappa Phi House. This year the event name was changed from “Parents Day” to “Family Day” in order to encourage more relatives like sisters, brothers or grandparents to attend. Over twenty families attended and they all had the privilege of touring the house and meeting many brothers. They also participated in a silent auction, which included Angels tickets, a private cigar poker tournament courtesy of Big Daddy’s Cigar, a nail spa treatment, and Sea World and Lego Land tickets. The event raised over $900, which was distributed towards Push America, AbilityFirst and the Theta Sigma chapter fund. The chapter would like to thank all the family members who attended the event. Your support towards our organization plays an integral role in our development. We continue to thrive as one of the strongest chapters in California and the nationally because of you! Thank you!

PUSH OLYMPICS This year Pi Kappa Phi held their inaugural Push Olympics. Push Olympics is a competitive relay-style event thrown by many Pi Kappa Phi chapters around the nation. The event took place on Sunday, May 1, 2011 on the CSULB Track and Field. Theta Sigma was able to raise approximately $1,000 by selling food from the “White Rabbit” truck, charging an entry fee per team, and t-shirt sales. All the proceeds go to Push America, a non-profit organization that raises money and awareness for people with disabilities. The competition was split up into two segments and each competition had two heats per race. On the men’s side there were two fraternities that turned out, which included Zeta Beta Tau and Tau Kappa Epsilon. After competing in several track relays, a pie eating contest, a crutch race, and tug-of-war, TKE took the victory. The women’s side of the competition consisted of Delta Delta Delta, Delta Zeta and Sigma Kappa. Throughout the day, the female teams fought hard to defeat one another. It turned out to be a close win with Tri Delta just edging out Delta Zeta in the end. Overall, this year’s competition exceeded everyone’s expectations. The chapter would like to thank The Pharmaceutical Club for participating in the competition as well as Delta Gamma for donating towards Push America. Pi Kappa Phi plans to continue raising awareness and funds for people with disabilities by hosting Push Olympics again next spring. To find out more about Push America, visit www.pushamerica.org.

-Kyle Johnson

Reading plays an imperative role in helping young students succeed academically. Therefore, in order to motivate and bring awareness to the importance of reading, five Pi Kappa Phi brothers and five Delta Zetas attended Mark Twain Elementary School in Long Beach for the annual Read Across America event. The National Education Association created this reading program on

March 2, 1998 in honor of the author, Dr. Seuss. This national reading day is meant to bring thousands of inspiring people together like actors, athletes, politicians, teachers, and college students in order to develop exciting reading activities for young students. Efrain Plascencia, Emir Aydogan, Garrett Higginbotham, Alex Wiktor, and Derek Watts got the opportunity to dress up as characters from various Dr. Seuss stories. In their costumes, they were able to read to different classrooms across the elementary school. Their pursuit for academic excellence as college students was an inspiration for many children, especially for those who live in inadequate households.

Semester total donated to Push America:

$2,000 Semester total of chapter volunteer hours:

600

Greek Community at2011 GREEK WEEK 1st Place Winners!

Pi Kappa Phi, which was in Team One, kicked off Greek Week in a big way. On Saturday, April 15, 2011 CSULB officially marked the beginning of Greek Week with the Greek Sing competition in the Walter Pyramid. Pi Kappa Phi was teamed up with Sigma Kappa, Tau Kappa Epsilon, and Phi Kappa Psi to take on the story of Thor. With late night practices and weekend prop building, the entire team put in countless hours of work for more than a month. Although the team did not place for Greek Sing, the event raised $18,146 for the charity, One Heartland. The first competition during the actual Greek Week was a fundraiser at both California Pizza Kitchen and Ruby’s restaurant. Team One had a strong turnout at both restaurants. On Tuesday, each team competed in a castle competition. There were two categories: the amount of cans raised and the design. Team One placed in both, getting second for raising more than 800 cans and placing third in the castle design. On Wednesday, every team participated in Greek Feud. In this jeopardy-style competition, Team One dominated their rivalries by having a high level of participation and clever responses. That day Pi Kappa Phi contributed greatly to Team One’s first place Greek Feud title. On Thursday, there was a guest speaker appearance by David Stollman. Again, Team One had a great turn out for this event at Long Beach Wilson High School. Greek Week concluded on Friday with the Greek Games. Despite the talented competition, Team One was able to win the games due to an excellent turnout and strong teamwork amongst all Team One houses. Throughout the week, Team One showed great spirit and hard work, which ultimately granted them the First place spot in the overall competition.

-Kyle Johnson

ZetaClass:Dedication,Desire,Discipline,Sacrifice.SpringsemestermarkedtheentryoftheZetapledgeclass.WiththediligentworkoftheRecruitmentChair,BlaineWaymire,ThetaSigmawasabletopre‐initiate17outofthe19potentialmemberswhorushed.OnMay28,2011,14associatememberswereinitiatedintothebrotherhood.Theirstrongbond,passionforthevirtuesandabilitytofundraiseover$1000,makesthemoneofthemostsuccessfulpledgeclassesinthehistoryofThetaSigma.ClassRepresentative,KyleJohnsondidanexcellentjobastheliaisonbetweenthepledgeclassandtheactivechapter.Heconstantlysentouttextmessagesandcoordinatedmeetingsamongsthisclasstoensurealltheireventsransmoothly.OnemajoreventtheycoordinatedwastheZetaPledgeAuction,whichbroughtin$800.TheyalsosetahighprecedentintheirMemberEducationProgrambyhavingeverymemberpasseachchapterexamwithhighscores.TheirZetaClassGoldmemberisNickAndrade.“Gold”isamemberwhoexceededthemosttheentiresemester.Andrade’sloveforthefraternityandhispassionforreachingouttoothersinspireseverybrother,congratulationsZetaGold!

Cal State Long BeachCrescent Classics was held at the outdoor CSULB basketball courts on April 21, 2011. Jovani Tejada, Gamma #71, said he felt the event was successful because it was held outside for the first time. “The weather was great and I’m glad the ladies of Gamma Phi Beta changed it up this year and made it outdoors,” he said. The first game was against Kappa Sigma and although it was an intense game, Pi Kapp came out victorious with a substantial lead. Miles Boyer, Alpha #52, kept Pi Kapp in the lead throughout the game, scoring the majority of points. The next game was against Sigma Alpha Epsilon and it was by far the most challenging game as Pi Kapp and SAE kept switching the lead and even running overtime. Eventually, Pi Kapp took the win with a three-point lead. Pi Kapp played Delta Chi in the final round and came out with another victory ending their record at 3 and 0. In the championship game, Pi Kapp played Delta Chi and they once again swept the competition ultimately taking the championship title. Brandon Mundy, Beta #65, said he was extremely proud of the teamwork Pi Kapp demonstrated. “We played fantastic…we played as a team and one unit and remained on the same page to achieve the same goal: winning Crescent Classics." Pi Kapp thanks Carly Anderson for being such an amazing coach!

-Ty Gates

On May 7, 2011 Delta Gamma held their annual competitive swimming event called Anchor Splash at the CSULB pool. This sorority event brought 12 houses together for a day of relay races, food, music and intense competition. With approximately eight different relay races like “Save the mermaid” and “the seal ball race,” Pi Kappa Phi was able to maintain the second place spot in the majority of the relays. Every house also had to rehearse a synchronized-swim routine and Pi Kappa Phi did not fail to impress the judges with a humorous number. In the end, Pi Kappa Phi won the penny war and banner contest as well as placing third for the overall competition. A major factor contributing to the overall score was the relay races and the member attendance of the event. Pi Kappa Phi is proud to be one of the houses with excellent member participation. The event could not have gone smoothly without the contribution of every brother in attendance especially Jaime Varela, Eddie Kelly, Brandon Mundy, Joe Petorella, Scott Snider, Ben Davidson, Kyle Johnson, Matt Nickel, and Danny Hernandez. Pi Kapp also thanks Kaylin Coleman, Dakota Sandras, and Terri Nour for being excellent coaches!

DELTA ZETA Matt Cutaia, Epsilon Class was awarded the title of “Bud Man” for Delta Zeta on March 17, 2011. This honorary position is awarded to one prestigious fraternity member, who dedicates time helping Delta Zeta with renovation projects, who attends all of their events and who goes out of his way to meet and socialize with every active sorority member. Cutaia holds the title for one year. His commitment to Pi Kappa Phi and Delta Zeta is an inspiration to our chapter and his sister Kathryn Cutaia, a member of Delta Zeta and Rose of Pi Kappa Phi.

ALPHA PHI Joey Buss, Founding Father was crowned “Ivy Man” for Alpha Phi. His dedication to Pi Kappa Phi and Alpha Phi inspired many women to select him to represent their house. Buss has held several positions for Pi Kapp in the past including Chaplain. He has also actively participated in many Alpha Phi events like, Mr. Heartthrob. In fact, Buss was crowned Mr. Heartthrob in 2010 for his outstanding performance done with his Barbershop quartet. Theta Sigma is proud of Buss’ continued contribution to our Greek Community! Congrats!

Bud Man Ivy Man

Campus Excellence

Students who are placed on the President’s List each fall and spring term have to meet 12 or more graded course units and obtain a GPA ranging from 3.75 to 4.0. Theta Sigma is proud to have several President scholars this past semester. Congratulations to:

Students who are placed on the Dean’s List each fall and spring term have to meet 12 or more graded course units and obtain a GPA ranging from 3.5 to 3.74. Theta Sigma is proud to have several Dean scholars this past semester. Congratulations to:

President and Dean Scholars

Major Achievements Jaime Varela #42 Department of Journalism & Mass Communications Recipient of the $2,500 Toyota Motor Sports/Shav Glick Award for excellence in the field of Journalism and outstanding cumulative GPA of 3.95. Jaime was also awarded the Professional Promise Award in Literary Journalism.

Kyle Fraser #87 Department of Nursing Accepted into the competitive nursing program. Hundreds of students applied and only 90 were accepted. Each student was selected based on his or her TEAS score and grade point average.

Jeff Wong #97 Department of Engineering, Computer Engineering Inducted into Sigma Alpha Lambda, which is a national Greek society for students who excel in academics and leadership.

Aaron Wong #114 Department of Design, Industrial Design Is one of 22 students who were accepted into the competitive industrial design program. There were 50 applicants and the selection process was based on each student’s portfolio of models and drawings.

CONGRATULATIONS PI KAPPA PHI SCHOLARS!

Dennis Nguyen #41 Jaime Varela #42 Kyle Fraser #87 James Bryan #111 Eric Liwiski ZM Chapter #411

Brandon Waddell #48 Jordan Tsai #90 Cullen Bautch #54 Adam Cooper #95 Loren Albento #62 Chad Broking #105 Pat Magno #77 Irvin Castillo #109 Mike Mireles #84 Aaron Wong #114

Pi Kapp of the Month

Men of CLASS, True Gentlemen

The Student Creed, Ultimate Respect

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February: Blaine Waymire Waymire was Pi Kapp of the month for effectively planning and running rush week. As recruitment chair, he was a diligent liaison between the chapter and all potential members. He made sure to address every concern anyone had, while updating the chapter daily on the progress they were making. His effective communication skills and passion for recruiting men of class paid off by surpassing the chapter goal of 20 bids.

March: Brandon Mundy Mundy was Pi Kapp of the month for structuring an efficient risk management system. As the risk manager, he met his year-goal to prevent any house-related noise violations, while maintaining a fun and safe social environment for the chapter. His dedication to reminding his fellow brothers of the importance of upholding their personal conduct has transpired in a reputable image for Pi Kappa Phi.

Pi Kapp of the Year: Brent Freeman Freeman was last year’s recipient of the Pi Kapp of the year award. As chief justice, he did an excellent job at interpreting the chapter bylaws and code of conduct when hearing chapter-related issues. He was also the first Theta Sigma brother to participate in Journey of Hope. JOH is a cycling event where over 80 brothers journey from San Francisco to Washington D.C. all in hopes of raising awareness and funds for people with disabilities. His dedication to philanthropy

and commitment to upholding the virtues of Pi Kappa Phi earned him the prestigious title. This year’s recipient will be announced and honored in Las Vegas during the Rose Ball ceremony.

April: Sean Pellerin Although Pellerin is an alumnus, he was still Pi Kapp of the month for his tireless work in assisting Bryan Garcia, Push Chair with the Push Olympics event. Pellerin started the planning process in November 2010 and a month later he began the preparation process that lasted until the end of April 2011. The inaugural Push Olympics event, which was held on May 1, 2011, generated nearly $1,000. Much of the success could not be achieved without Pellerin’s courageous work.

Pi Kapp AthleticsBasketball

Spring semester marked the beginning of IFC basketball. After a dismal performance last year, the Pi Kapp basketball team was ready to come out of the gates strong. Pi Kapp opened the season in an amazing fashion defeating Zeta Beta Tau by a score of 83 to 21. Returning starters included Brandon Mundy, Gregory Perea, and Blake Bruenning. These players were assisted by Anthony Samperio, Joe Petorella, Scott Snider, Jon Pederson and Matt Cutaia. Jovani Tejada, Efrain Plascencia, Blaine Waymire, Ty Gates, and Irvin Castillo were also fundamental in playing the wings and the guard positions. Coach Miles Boyer was happy about the team’s first victory and hoped they would be able to perform as well in game two of the season. The basketball team played game two of the season against Phi Gamma Delta, better known as FIJI. The results were the same against our new opponent as Pi Kapp defeated FIJI, 66 to 33. In these two games, the speed and size of Pi Kapp was too much too handle for both teams as Pi Kapp scored many of its points on the fast-break. Defense was also essential in Pi Kapp’s first 2 victories. The season did not end the way Pi Kapp intended as they lost their next three games. “We didn’t take home 1st place but we came out with something even more important than that; brotherhood, unity and love,” said Brandon Mundy.

-Anthony Samperio

Volleyball

After finishing in third place last year, Pi Kapp had its heart on winning first place this volleyball season. Pi Kapp looked to members, Jeff Delaunay and Matt Cutaia for their height as well as experience. The two received support from brothers Eric Macalalad, Blaine Waymire, and Jon Pederson. Recent initiates, Matt Nickel and Aaron Wong were also key players in this season. Pi Kappa Phi finished with a record of 2 to 3. Although they failed to match the number of wins and losses, Pi Kapp once again finished the season in third place. Although Pi Kapp was not able to win first place for its second consecutive year, they still performed very well because of the supportive fans and the experience from many players. Fans from all sorority houses came out and supported at each game and ultimately encouraged the brotherhood of Pi Kappa Phi to continue to grow, which is what every sport attains to do. Volleyball started in the fall semester but was forced to conclude the season in the spring due to scheduling conflicts as well as the five-week winter break.

-Anthony Samperio

Erik Hayhurst, Epsilon #102 will be one out of 50 Pi Kapps from around the nation attending the newly revamped Pi Kapp College Leadership Institute on June 13 through June 18 in Charleston, South Carolina. This six-day leadership conference was founded 52 years ago by a small group of Pi Kapps that wanted to expand their knowledge on common issues, effective leadership dynamics, and officer training. Last summer, however the program was altered to create an environment where brothers could explore brotherhood through rituals and the values, which distinguish us as true leaders by choice. Bryan Garcia and Jaime Varela were two brothers from Theta Sigma that got to

experience the first-ever new Pi Kapp College Leadership Institute. After providing some feedback on how the national organization can make the successful program even better, both Garcia and Varela believe Erik will have a “powerfully transformative experience.” Both brothers attribute much of their success as Push Chair (Garcia) and Chaplain (Varela) to the Pi Kapp College program. They are positive Erik will come out of this institute knowing exactly what positive change he wants to bring to Theta Sigma. Congratulations on making it through the rigorous application process and welcome to the Pi Kapp College Leadership Institute!

Rose Ball will be held at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on June 6 through June 8. This year, over 120 people will be attending the three-day-two- night event. Jeff Delaunay, Rose Ball Chair has been planning the event since the middle of the fall semester. This event includes, a pool party, mini excursions as well as group dinning around the strip, 21+ clubs, and the actual Rose Ball ceremony. The ceremony will be hosted in the Monte Carlo banquet halls. During the celebration, the Rose Ball Committee as well as President Abtin Hashemian

will announce the new 2011-2012 Roses of Pi Kappa Phi. As tradition has it, all the Roses will be honored with a sash, a rose, and a serenade from the chapter. The tune of choice is the Pi Kapp national song “The Rose,” which was written to honor special women in any Pi Kapp’s life. During the awards ceremony, the president will also present the Pi Kappa Phi of the Year Award as well as several other prestigious chapter awards. The official ceremony will conclude with dancing and DJ Will Gresham, an up and coming Disc Jockey, will provide the music for the night. It is expected to be an amazing event! Rose Ball 2011 here we come!

SUMMER

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Pi Kappa Phi, Theta Sigma Address:

National Website:

PI KAPPA PHI FOUNDATION

124MiraMarAveLongBeach,CA90803

www.pikapp.org

Have any questions or comments? Please contact us:

Jaime A. Varela Newsletter Creator & Editor jvarela15@gmail.com

Ryan WalkerHistorian & Photographer R_walker27@yahoo.com

TheStarshieldStaff:

MattCutaiaPhotographer

TyGatesStaffWriter

KyleJohnson StaffWriter

AnthonySamperioSportsWriter

THESTARSHIELD

THETA SIGMA CHAPTER OF PI KAPPA PHI