Difference between revisions of "2015 Delta Chi Chapter History"

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<i>Main article: [[Delta Chi Chapter]]</i>
 +
 
 +
= Spring =
 +
=== Recruitment: Alpha Deltas ===
 +
Recruitment was a huge success this
 +
semester! We started the semester
 +
with 3 information sessions, each with
 +
a great turn out. We kicked off the
 +
week of rush events with a Superbowl
 +
Party! This was held in the living
 +
room of House 104. We had
 +
pizza and drinks and had an
 +
attendance of more than 40 people!
 +
The next events that week were
 +
Random Acts of Kindness, where we
 +
plastered the campus with sticky-
 +
notes that had nice compliments on
 +
them. There were also customized stickers that
 +
were passed out for people’s notebooks! We split
 +
into five or six groups and each group was
 +
assigned an academic building to spread kindness!
 +
Four weeks later, I still see them around campus
 +
and they always make me smile! There was also
 +
Trivia Games, which was fun and competitive and
 +
definitely challenged people’s knowledge of
 +
random information. The last event was speed
 +
dating which was a great opportunity for the
 +
rushes to talk to brothers more one-on-one. All
 +
events went off without a hitch and ultimately we
 +
had a total of 37 people who registered for rush!
 +
We had a wide range of students, from freshman to
 +
even seniors who were staying a fifth year. I think
 +
brothers had a fun time meeting the perspective
 +
rushes and it definitely lead to a great discussion
 +
for Pref Vote.
 +
 
 +
Pref week kicked off the next
 +
Tuesday when we made
 +
Valentine’s Day packages for
 +
patients in the pediatric wing at St.
 +
Luke’s Hospital. Each person was
 +
responsible for filling a cellophane
 +
bag with candy, stickers, a
 +
Valentine’s Day card, bracelets, and
 +
pencils! The bags looked great and
 +
were able to be dropped off on the
 +
Friday right before Valentine’s Day
 +
to be handed out! The following
 +
Thursday, we had dinner together at Upper and
 +
then all went to the Lehigh Men’s Basketball Basketball Game! This was a fun casual way to get
 +
off the main campus and support our school! On
 +
Friday, was one of the events with the biggest
 +
turnout, BUNKO! Bunko is a really competitive,
 +
exciting, and fun game of dice. We had customized
 +
score sheets for the night and I think a lot of people
 +
had fun. It was an easy way to meet new people
 +
and see their competitive side! Traditionally, the
 +
last event was Team Builders. We had three rooms
 +
of different activities. Tank was of course an oldie,
 +
but goodie. For the other two rooms, one was an
 +
improvisation game and the last consisted of
 +
people splitting into groups to plan an event from
 +
each of the tripods. After overseeing the events
 +
throughout the two weeks, I thought it was
 +
amazing to see so many people laugh and have a
 +
good time. Everybody I had met was so excited to
 +
be rushing and all had a great time meeting all of
 +
the brothers. 22 bids were
 +
handed out the next week!
 +
It was a lot of fun to go
 +
around in groups handing
 +
out the bids and spraying
 +
them with silly string at
 +
their doors! I honestly
 +
think that this initiate class
 +
is filled with so many
 +
wonderful students who
 +
will make an excellent addition to our chapter!
 +
Pinning went smoothly as always on Wednesday,
 +
with all 22 initiates being pinned. Cake and
 +
pictures followed with many congratulations!
 +
 
 +
<i>-Written by [[Sammi Warner]]</i>
 +
 
 +
=== Bro Retreat ===
 +
Bro Retreat this semester was held at a house
 +
in the Poconos on March 21st and 22nd. The
 +
theme was “Adventure is
 +
Out There” based on
 +
the movie Up. Colored
 +
teams battled the wild
 +
and competed to earn
 +
wilderness badges. The
 +
day started off with
 +
teams creating their
 +
own wilderness badges
 +
and team chants. Teams
 +
then moved outside to
 +
compete in a capture
 +
the flag tournament. As
 +
there was snow on the ground,
 +
many of the games turned into
 +
spontaneous snowball fights! To
 +
warm up after being in the cold,
 +
we all moved in doors for the
 +
scholarship event. We learned
 +
about the history of coffee and
 +
how it is made and then
 +
decorated mugs, which brothers
 +
took home with them at the end
 +
of the retreat. After lunch, teams
 +
competed in a Trashion Fashion
 +
Show. Each team had to create a runway
 +
ready outfit using only recycled materials.
 +
Hilariousness ensued as models showed
 +
off their team’s creation on the runway.
 +
 
 +
Now no adventure themed event could be
 +
complete without a hike through the
 +
wilderness! Brothers braved the
 +
cold and the snow and hiked to a
 +
stream where plenty of pictures
 +
were taken. Once everyone
 +
returned to the house it was time
 +
for the leadership event. We
 +
made pillowcases for ConKerr
 +
Cancer (a charity that donates
 +
bright and colorful pillowcase to
 +
children with cancer to use
 +
during hospital visits). After
 +
dinner, teams competed in trivia
 +
where they tested the knowledge
 +
of Girl Scout cookies, the Boy
 +
Scouts, and the BALs and
 +
Corresponding Secretary. The
 +
day wrapped up with smores
 +
and a bonfire where people
 +
shared their fears, regrets, and
 +
hopes. The entire day was so
 +
much fun and filled with
 +
fellowship and brother
 +
bonding!
 +
 
 +
<i>-Written by [[Lauren Thompson]]</i>
 +
 
 +
=== Fellowship: Lip-Sync Battle ===
 +
This semester featured a very special
 +
fellowship event: The Lip-Sync Battle!
 +
Several brothers competed against each other
 +
in teams. All the competitors put in a valiant
 +
effort but in the end, the winning team of
 +
Hilmon and Harry (featured) stole the show
 +
with their renditions of I’m on a Boat, Love is
 +
an Open Door, and A Whole New World. They
 +
came with costumes, rehearsed
 +
choreography, and everything needed to win
 +
the battle!
 +
 
 +
=== [[Alpha Beta]] Volleyball ===
 +
The famous, weekend-long festivity known as
 +
Alpha Beta Volleyball occurred on April 17th
 +
to the 19th with a theme of the Wild, Wild
 +
West. As per tradition, we stay at the Howard
 +
Johnson Inn. All Friday afternoon and
 +
evening, brothers trickled into their hotel
 +
rooms and began preparing for the classic
 +
kick-off event: the highlighter party. Clad
 +
in old, new, and seasoned white shirts,
 +
brothers marched down to the hotel
 +
where all of the parties took place. The
 +
highlighter party was its usual buzz of
 +
energy and excitement, where all of the
 +
brothers from different chapters would
 +
meet for presumably the first time on the
 +
dance floor. All of the brothers, not just from
 +
Delta Chi, ensured that everyone was properly
 +
covered in highlighter graffiti while, quite
 +
literally, dancing the night away. After the
 +
night ended, brothers
 +
went back to their hotel
 +
rooms to rally for the
 +
main event: the volleyball
 +
tournament. Preparing
 +
for the ensuing athletic
 +
activity for some meant a
 +
classic exercise of
 +
standing in a circle and
 +
passing a volleyball to
 +
one another. To other
 +
brothers, it meant group
 +
meditation and yoga to
 +
get in the zone. Unfortunately, our teams
 +
preformed pretty poorly regardless of the
 +
warm up, and no one made it particularly far
 +
in the bracket. That did, however, leave plenty
 +
of time for bathing in the much-needed sunlight that an arduously long winter had
 +
deprived us of, good old brother bonding, and
 +
a cat nap or two. Finally, after watching the
 +
volleyball play itself out, it was time for the
 +
storming the field to the river.
 +
This year, our vessel would
 +
not be Marty the Duck, as he,
 +
regrettably, had to be retired,
 +
but we did have an inflatable
 +
Nom Nom to guide our
 +
aquatic journey. After
 +
sprinting to the banks of the
 +
river, with a timeless cry of,
 +
"to the river," we found that
 +
the water level was much lower than previous
 +
years. This did not diminish the treacherous
 +
nature of our journey, as brothers helped each
 +
other navigate the rocky water. Eventually, we
 +
made it to the stopping point where the water
 +
deepened enough for a good
 +
swim, and we gathered for a
 +
group photo. Our commitment
 +
to the river fulfilled, we started
 +
to make our way to Rita's, and
 +
then back to the hotel to rest,
 +
have dinner, and get ready for
 +
the western-themed party. The
 +
second party, while devoid of
 +
the same spirit as the first, was
 +
an excellent way to end a
 +
weekend of merriment. The
 +
following morning was a
 +
mildly zombie-like exodus from the hotel. It
 +
was a fantastic weekend full of fellowship and
 +
fond memories.
 +
 
 +
<i>-Written by [[Alexandra Gordon]]</i>
 +
 
 +
=== Formal ===
 +
After weeks of planning and hyping up this
 +
years spring formal, on
 +
Friday May 1st, it
 +
actually
 +
happened. Brothers,
 +
Alumni, and dates
 +
boarded buses in front
 +
of Alumni Memorial
 +
Building and were
 +
swept off to the
 +
Waterfalls in Emmaus,
 +
PA. There they
 +
entered a beautifully
 +
decorated room, one decked out
 +
in black and gold. The theme for
 +
the evening was Midnight in
 +
Monte Carlo, and everything
 +
about the ballroom from the
 +
many chandeliers to the
 +
waterfall in the middle of the
 +
room, echoed the class,
 +
sophistication, and energy that
 +
one gets when one thinks of the
 +
world's classiest casino in Monte Carlo.
 +
Brothers immediately flocked to the DIY photo
 +
booth where we had set up
 +
fake mustaches and
 +
accessories for brothers to
 +
pose with in front a gold
 +
sparkly background, and
 +
where a Polaroid camera
 +
could snap a picture of
 +
them that they could keep
 +
and take with them. Dinner was fantastic and everyone was able to
 +
eat their fill while watching a
 +
slideshow prepared by the
 +
Fellowship committee that had
 +
pictures of every brother from
 +
different moments throughout the
 +
year. After dinner, dancing and high
 +
stakes poker ensued, followed by the
 +
much-anticipated consumption of
 +
customized cupcakes that had been
 +
sitting on a table, tempting brothers
 +
all night long. For every brother
 +
currently in our chapter there was a
 +
cupcake for them with his
 +
or her class on it, and all
 +
in different combination
 +
of Purple, Gold, and
 +
White, and all laid out in
 +
the shape of a giant Phi
 +
Sigma Pi. The evening
 +
concluded, as it always
 +
does, with everyone
 +
coming together to sing
 +
Brother, before leaving for the buses, taking
 +
their assorted glassware that had been used as
 +
the table's center pieces and were
 +
filled with chocolate poker
 +
chips. Overall the nights frivolities
 +
were a success, and I could not
 +
have been more proud of how they
 +
turned out!
 +
 
 +
<i>-Written by [[Sabina Gudmundsson]]</i>
 +
 
 +
= Fall =
 +
=== Recruitment: Alpha Epsilons ===
 +
Recruitment this fall turned out to be a great
 +
success! To further get our name out across
 +
campus and promote for recruitment it was
 +
exciting to see many brothers around
 +
campus in our new rush tank tops.
 +
That’s right! This semester we
 +
brought back recruitment shirts! It’s
 +
always fun walking around campus
 +
and seeing brothers proudly wear
 +
their Phi Sigma Pi letters. This
 +
semester we also made a new
 +
recruitment video, which you should
 +
check out if you haven’t seen! I
 +
couldn’t be happier with the end
 +
result and I think it accurately
 +
portrays our chapter and what we
 +
stand for.
 +
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM3ii9Glzwo)
 +
 
 +
We kicked off the week of rush events with
 +
Trivia Games! This was a fun, competitive, and
 +
interactive game, which definitely challenged
 +
people’s knowledge of random information. Again,
 +
we had speed friending, which was a great
 +
opportunity for the rushes to talk to brothers more
 +
one-on-one. Lastly, due to rain we canceled our
 +
field day, but ending up having an
 +
impromptu Bunko event! This was
 +
a lot of fun and I can honestly say I
 +
have never seen brothers so worked
 +
up and competitive! All events went
 +
well and ultimately we had a total
 +
of 17 people who registered for
 +
rush! I think brothers had a fun time
 +
meeting the perspective rushes and
 +
it definitely lead to a great
 +
discussion for Pref Vote. Pref week
 +
began the next Thursday with
 +
“Sammi’s Legendary Campus Quest!” This was a
 +
campus wide adventure in the dark! Teams of four or five split up around campus and
 +
had glow sticks! Each team was given a beginning
 +
clue that they had to decipher and figure out
 +
where it led! A
 +
total of 10 clues
 +
were hidden
 +
around campus
 +
and each team
 +
had to race to
 +
figure them all
 +
out! The next
 +
event was
 +
“Egg-streme
 +
Challenge”
 +
which really
 +
tested
 +
everybody’s physics skills! Each team was given
 +
certain materials and an egg and was given 30
 +
minutes to design a contraption that would
 +
prevent the egg from cracking when dropped from
 +
the roof of Zoellner! We had a great time watching
 +
the eggs drop, and out of six teams, three of them
 +
survived! Traditionally, the last event was Team
 +
Builders. We had three rooms of different
 +
activities. Tank was of course an oldie, but goodie.
 +
For the other two rooms, one was a game of
 +
Scategories and the last was a room for
 +
charades. After overseeing the events
 +
throughout the two weeks, It was so much fun
 +
to see people laugh and have a good time.
 +
Everybody I had met was so excited to be
 +
rushing and all had a great time meeting all of
 +
the brothers. 14 bids were handed out the next
 +
week! I’m so excited to get to know this
 +
initiate class better because I am confident it is
 +
filled with so many wonderful students who
 +
will make an excellent addition to our chapter!
 +
 
 +
<i>-Written by [[Sammi Warner]]</i>
 +
 
 +
=== BAL Event: Pancake Brunch ===
 +
On the first weekend back to school, the Brothers At Large decided
 +
to host a pancake brunch at the off-campus home of a few of our
 +
Brothers. While a number of us were at Lehigh over the summer
 +
and were able to get together regularly, most Brothers had not
 +
seen one another since the spring semester ended in May. The
 +
BALs thought it would be great to give Bros a chance to casually
 +
catch up before the busy-ness of the semester took over, and what
 +
better way to do that than over pancakes? With the promise of
 +
chocolate chip, banana, and old-fashioned flapjacks in a variety of
 +
shapes and sizes, the brunch was enthusiastically attended. Bros
 +
came, requested oddly-shaped pancakes (Mickey Mouse, the
 +
Deathly Hallows symbol, a cube...), and hung out while the BALs
 +
served them up hot. There was good food and fellowship all around. It was
 +
a pleasure to host such a great event to kick off the semester!
 +
 
 +
<i>-Written by [[Emily Heckman]]</i>
 +
 
 +
=== Fellowship and Scholarship: Culture Night ===
 +
Our fellowship-scholarship culture night was a
 +
blast. We started the event by sampling foods
 +
from five cultures: samosas from India, sesame
 +
noodles from Korea, uzvar (a fruity drink) from
 +
Ukraine, thyme bread from Lebanon, and
 +
temblique (a creamy dessert pie) from Puerto
 +
Rico. The chefs - all members of PSP - explained
 +
how each dish was used in its respective
 +
culture. For example, thyme bread, characterized
 +
by its thick thyme leaf spread, is often eaten for
 +
breakfast in Lebanon. Once our connoisseurs
 +
were finished with our tastes of the world, we
 +
proceeded to learn customs for greetings in
 +
different cultures. Volunteers were recruited
 +
without knowing what they'd be asked to
 +
do. After a bit of culture shock, everyone enjoyed
 +
being thrown into these greetings, which were
 +
quite different from American customs. Finally,
 +
we learned two different cultural dances. The
 +
first was a high-energy Indian dance. The
 +
lessons had us doing steps new to most of us, but we caught on quickly. I think we were
 +
impressed by how coordinated we looked by the
 +
end. Then, we also learned a Lebanese dance
 +
popular among the country's youth. It was an
 +
interesting group dance where we linked hands in
 +
a circle, stamping, kicking, and stepping in rhythm
 +
together. All in all, brothers had a great time at
 +
culture night. We were able to learn about many
 +
cultures through fun experiences that we won't
 +
soon forget.
 +
 
 +
<i>-Written by [[Ryan Herbert]]</i>
 +
 
 +
=== Fundraising: Iron Chef Night ===
 +
When good food is involved, any night
 +
will inevitably transform into a great
 +
one, and the Iron Chef: Potluck Edition
 +
event hosted by PSP’s Fundraising
 +
committee was no exception. Brothers
 +
from all around gathered together over
 +
home-cooked meals provided by our
 +
very own PSP chefs. Various cuisines
 +
across a potpourri of menu items filled
 +
the room as hungry bons vivants tasted
 +
samples from each plate. Gourmet
 +
viands ranging from tacos to crepes to
 +
pasta were displayed as brothers
 +
entered the room. Vivid aromas
 +
permeated through every inch of the
 +
hall, stomachs filled with the enrapturing flavors
 +
of each tantalizing bite, and spellbinding scents
 +
wafted under the noses of every indulging
 +
customer. Appetizers, main courses, and desserts
 +
were presented and sold simultaneously
 +
and dessert favorites like Sammi Warner’s
 +
Mound Bar Brownies or Kyra Feuer’s Oreo
 +
Truffles kept the night alive with a
 +
magnetic lure that overcame nearly every
 +
taster in the room. Entrées and appetizer
 +
items like Frank Grossi’s Home-made Stir-
 +
fry or my very own Tex-Mex style
 +
Breakfast Tacos contributed to a diverse
 +
array of savor to counteract some of the
 +
more saccharine options on the dessert
 +
menu. As this was Fundraising’s first
 +
attempt at an event like this, I think that
 +
the night can be declared a great success at
 +
every level. We hope that in the future we will be
 +
able to throw events like this more often, perhaps
 +
even several times a year.
 +
 
 +
<i>-Written by [[Julian Traphagan]]</i>
 +
 
 +
=== Ad Hoc: Murder Mystery Night ===
 +
Ad Hoc was an outstanding success this year! Our
 +
Ad Hoc event this year was a "Murder Mystery"
 +
Dinner Party and everyone was DYING from fun.
 +
The event took place on Halloween night in UC
 +
303, where a 1920's themed ambience of class,
 +
excitement, and fear welcomed our brothers. A
 +
buffet of the finest hors devours awaited our
 +
brothers, and elegant tables set the mood for an
 +
unforgettable night. A uniquely
 +
adorned "Phi Sigma Pi" cake and
 +
freshly baked cookies added extra
 +
sweetness to the event. Prior to the
 +
event, the brothers received
 +
handcrafted dinner invitations
 +
personally inviting them to the event.
 +
Shortly after, the brothers each
 +
received their very own character role
 +
to assume for the party, with each
 +
character have a very specific role in
 +
the murder. Along with the
 +
description of the character, three important clues
 +
were given to each brother that would be useful in
 +
solving the mystery. Through collaboration and
 +
conversation with other characters, the brothers
 +
could gather all the clues and use them to
 +
determine the murderer. To incentivize creativity,
 +
prizes were given out to the brother who was
 +
"most-in-character" and the brother
 +
who was "best-dressed." It was a
 +
tough and close competition, but
 +
ultimately Ms. Daisy Buchanan aka
 +
[[Alex Adamski]] rose to the top as best
 +
dressed, and Mr. Charles Packer aka
 +
[[Andrew Shapiro]] won "most in
 +
character."
 +
 
 +
The scholarship portion of this event
 +
included a Swing Dance lesson,
 +
headed by [[Rachel Moyer]] and [[Jason
 +
Sadler]]. During this one-hour session,
 +
brothers got to learn some of the basic moves in
 +
swing dance and practice with a partner. By the
 +
end of the lesson, brothers were able perform basic
 +
side steps and fun turns, and show off their moves
 +
in a free style event. Dancing to some classic 1920's
 +
tunes, this was surely an enjoyable experience.
 +
 
 +
Going along with our murder and crime theme,
 +
the leadership aspect of Ad Hoc included
 +
donations to the "Prison Fellowship" charity,
 +
which provides support for children whose
 +
parents are in jail. A minimum two-dollar
 +
donation was required by all brothers, and
 +
brothers could purchase extra clues throughout the
 +
night to help them solve the event, all of which
 +
went towards fundraising for the
 +
charity. As an extra incentive to
 +
fundraise, there was a "best
 +
fundraiser" award at the end of
 +
the night to whoever fundraised
 +
the most money for the charity.
 +
All in all, over $100 dollars was
 +
raised for the Prison Fellow
 +
philanthropy!
 +
 
 +
Throughout the night, brothers
 +
had ample time to mingle and
 +
converse with one another to unearth the
 +
mysteries regarding the murder. The murder
 +
revolved around Ms. Catherine Belle Packer, rich
 +
heiress and wife to Mr. Harry Eldrid Packer. As
 +
the evening commenced, Ms. Packer played by
 +
[[Mikaila Skaroff]], gave her opening welcoming
 +
remarks before she was cruelly poisoned by
 +
something she ate. For the rest of the
 +
night, the brothers of Delta Chi worked
 +
hard to solve the mystery. Amidst many
 +
laughs, suspicions, and frustration, only
 +
a few were able to solve the murder, and
 +
they were rewarded with copious
 +
amounts of candy. It turns out the Ms.
 +
Irene Torti, the family Psychologist
 +
played by [[Kathryn Ortolf]], murdered Ms.
 +
Packer after having a vendetta against
 +
her for murdering her daughter. It was a
 +
shocking revelation, no doubt, but the
 +
brothers were relieved to finally solve the mystery.
 +
The Murder Mystery Dinner Party was a huge
 +
success, wherein more than 50 brothers attended,
 +
and we hope that this event can continue on in the
 +
Delta Chi chapter!
 +
 
 +
<i>-Written by [[Michelle Juarez]]</i>
 +
 
 +
=== Leadership: Papel Picado ===
 +
The weekend before Halloween, the brothers sat
 +
down for over 3 hours and made more than 150
 +
pieces of papel picado to donate to the
 +
South Bethlehem Project for their Día de
 +
los Muertos community dinner.
 +
As for what the brothers made, papel
 +
picado is a colorful craft made of tissue
 +
paper with designs cut in; Its purpose in
 +
Día de los Muertos festivals is to mock the
 +
traditionally dark colors associated with
 +
death and remind family and friends to
 +
rejoice on this day of remembrance: focusing on all
 +
the joy and good deeds those who have passed
 +
brought to the world.
 +
As for why the brothers made
 +
it: The South Bethlehem Project
 +
community dinner is a free
 +
monthly dinner for all in South
 +
Bethlehem. It is modeled (in
 +
thought) after a soup kitchen, but
 +
drastically differs in offering the
 +
full dining experience. Residents are seated at a table and given a menu with
 +
options--getting to decide their 3
 +
course meal as opposed to
 +
standing in line waiting for a
 +
label of soup and some bread.
 +
The dinner's two main goals are
 +
to feed South Bethlehem
 +
residents who may be
 +
undergoing hard times, and
 +
give a humanizing,
 +
dignifying experience to those
 +
who may be treated otherwise due to their
 +
circumstances.
 +
The contribution the brothers made for this dinner
 +
did not stop at just craft making, a small
 +
group (including two initiates) also helped out
 +
with preparing the food for the dinner.
 +
The dinner was a complete success and the
 +
South Bethlehem Project is excited to work
 +
with our brothers more in the future.
 +
 
 +
<i>-Written by [[Jason Sadler]]</i>
 +
 
 +
=== Bethlehem Bro Retreat ===
 +
Bro Retreat this semester was held throughout
 +
north Bethlehem on Sunday November 8th. The
 +
theme was “Settling Bethlehem.” Colored
 +
“colonies” raced to be the first to settle north
 +
Bethlehem. The day started off with teams
 +
making the journey over to the north side and
 +
creating team chants and flags for their colonies.
 +
As a group we then ventured over to the Sun Inn,
 +
where brothers learned about the historical
 +
significance of the inn. The leadership component
 +
of the day was also completed while at the Sun
 +
Inn, as brothers helped the volunteers at the inn
 +
with various jobs that needed to get done. Before
 +
leaving the inn, brothers enjoyed a well-deserved
 +
lunch. The afternoon was spent with each team racing around north Bethlehem gathering stars for
 +
their flags, which were hidden at various historical
 +
sites in the area. Each team had to follow a series of
 +
clues they were given to find each piece for their
 +
flag and be the first to return to a designated
 +
meeting spot. Brothers participated in scholarship
 +
by learning about the history of the community
 +
with which they live along the way. The entire day
 +
was so much fun and filled with fellowship and
 +
brother bonding!
 +
 
 +
<i>-Written by [[Lauren Thompson]]</i>
 +
 
 +
=== Semi-Formal ===
 +
Semi formal was an
 +
amazing and
 +
magical
 +
night. Brothers
 +
began arriving at
 +
7pm, and many
 +
gasped when they
 +
saw the beautifully decorated Gander
 +
Room. What was normally just a nice room
 +
above the beloved Goose, had been
 +
transformed into a cozy, winter wonderland
 +
room, perfect for escaping the cold
 +
outdoors! Music was playing while Brothers
 +
and guests grazed on appetizers, chatted, and
 +
began taking pictures at
 +
the photo booth. Dinner
 +
was served at 8 and all ate
 +
their fill of delicious
 +
Italian food. The theme of
 +
this year's semi formal
 +
was Dinner & a Show, so
 +
while we all chowed
 +
down as Lehigh’s own Improv
 +
troupe, the Hobo Army, came in to
 +
entertain us with wit, laughter, and
 +
all around hilariousness! After
 +
dinner and the show, we turned the
 +
tunes all the way up and Brothers danced, laughed, and had an amazing time
 +
dancing the night away. As all good
 +
evenings must do, ours sadly came to an
 +
end, but we gathered together for one last
 +
rendition of Brother before 2015 was
 +
over. Swaying in the circle, singing very off
 +
key, I couldn’t
 +
help but feel an
 +
overwhelming
 +
sense of joy as I
 +
looked around at
 +
all the smiling
 +
and happy faces
 +
of the people who
 +
I hold so dearly in
 +
my heart. I’ve been fellowship chair for the
 +
past year and I can honestly say that it has
 +
been an amazing, albeit stressful,
 +
experience. At the end of the day I do it all
 +
for the people in this circle. It means so
 +
much to know that everyone who came had
 +
such a great time, and it’s always so nice to
 +
see alumni there. Stay
 +
tuned for the awesome
 +
stuff the next Fellowship
 +
chair will be doing this
 +
spring. Stay classy PSP.
 +
 
 +
<i>-Written by [[Sabina Gudmundsson]]</i>

Revision as of 15:37, 1 November 2017

Main article: Delta Chi Chapter

Spring

Recruitment: Alpha Deltas

Recruitment was a huge success this semester! We started the semester with 3 information sessions, each with a great turn out. We kicked off the week of rush events with a Superbowl Party! This was held in the living room of House 104. We had pizza and drinks and had an attendance of more than 40 people! The next events that week were Random Acts of Kindness, where we plastered the campus with sticky- notes that had nice compliments on them. There were also customized stickers that were passed out for people’s notebooks! We split into five or six groups and each group was assigned an academic building to spread kindness! Four weeks later, I still see them around campus and they always make me smile! There was also Trivia Games, which was fun and competitive and definitely challenged people’s knowledge of random information. The last event was speed dating which was a great opportunity for the rushes to talk to brothers more one-on-one. All events went off without a hitch and ultimately we had a total of 37 people who registered for rush! We had a wide range of students, from freshman to even seniors who were staying a fifth year. I think brothers had a fun time meeting the perspective rushes and it definitely lead to a great discussion for Pref Vote.

Pref week kicked off the next Tuesday when we made Valentine’s Day packages for patients in the pediatric wing at St. Luke’s Hospital. Each person was responsible for filling a cellophane bag with candy, stickers, a Valentine’s Day card, bracelets, and pencils! The bags looked great and were able to be dropped off on the Friday right before Valentine’s Day to be handed out! The following Thursday, we had dinner together at Upper and then all went to the Lehigh Men’s Basketball Basketball Game! This was a fun casual way to get off the main campus and support our school! On Friday, was one of the events with the biggest turnout, BUNKO! Bunko is a really competitive, exciting, and fun game of dice. We had customized score sheets for the night and I think a lot of people had fun. It was an easy way to meet new people and see their competitive side! Traditionally, the last event was Team Builders. We had three rooms of different activities. Tank was of course an oldie, but goodie. For the other two rooms, one was an improvisation game and the last consisted of people splitting into groups to plan an event from each of the tripods. After overseeing the events throughout the two weeks, I thought it was amazing to see so many people laugh and have a good time. Everybody I had met was so excited to be rushing and all had a great time meeting all of the brothers. 22 bids were handed out the next week! It was a lot of fun to go around in groups handing out the bids and spraying them with silly string at their doors! I honestly think that this initiate class is filled with so many wonderful students who will make an excellent addition to our chapter! Pinning went smoothly as always on Wednesday, with all 22 initiates being pinned. Cake and pictures followed with many congratulations!

-Written by Sammi Warner

Bro Retreat

Bro Retreat this semester was held at a house in the Poconos on March 21st and 22nd. The theme was “Adventure is Out There” based on the movie Up. Colored teams battled the wild and competed to earn wilderness badges. The day started off with teams creating their own wilderness badges and team chants. Teams then moved outside to compete in a capture the flag tournament. As there was snow on the ground, many of the games turned into spontaneous snowball fights! To warm up after being in the cold, we all moved in doors for the scholarship event. We learned about the history of coffee and how it is made and then decorated mugs, which brothers took home with them at the end of the retreat. After lunch, teams competed in a Trashion Fashion Show. Each team had to create a runway ready outfit using only recycled materials. Hilariousness ensued as models showed off their team’s creation on the runway.

Now no adventure themed event could be complete without a hike through the wilderness! Brothers braved the cold and the snow and hiked to a stream where plenty of pictures were taken. Once everyone returned to the house it was time for the leadership event. We made pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer (a charity that donates bright and colorful pillowcase to children with cancer to use during hospital visits). After dinner, teams competed in trivia where they tested the knowledge of Girl Scout cookies, the Boy Scouts, and the BALs and Corresponding Secretary. The day wrapped up with smores and a bonfire where people shared their fears, regrets, and hopes. The entire day was so much fun and filled with fellowship and brother bonding!

-Written by Lauren Thompson

Fellowship: Lip-Sync Battle

This semester featured a very special fellowship event: The Lip-Sync Battle! Several brothers competed against each other in teams. All the competitors put in a valiant effort but in the end, the winning team of Hilmon and Harry (featured) stole the show with their renditions of I’m on a Boat, Love is an Open Door, and A Whole New World. They came with costumes, rehearsed choreography, and everything needed to win the battle!

Alpha Beta Volleyball

The famous, weekend-long festivity known as Alpha Beta Volleyball occurred on April 17th to the 19th with a theme of the Wild, Wild West. As per tradition, we stay at the Howard Johnson Inn. All Friday afternoon and evening, brothers trickled into their hotel rooms and began preparing for the classic kick-off event: the highlighter party. Clad in old, new, and seasoned white shirts, brothers marched down to the hotel where all of the parties took place. The highlighter party was its usual buzz of energy and excitement, where all of the brothers from different chapters would meet for presumably the first time on the dance floor. All of the brothers, not just from Delta Chi, ensured that everyone was properly covered in highlighter graffiti while, quite literally, dancing the night away. After the night ended, brothers went back to their hotel rooms to rally for the main event: the volleyball tournament. Preparing for the ensuing athletic activity for some meant a classic exercise of standing in a circle and passing a volleyball to one another. To other brothers, it meant group meditation and yoga to get in the zone. Unfortunately, our teams preformed pretty poorly regardless of the warm up, and no one made it particularly far in the bracket. That did, however, leave plenty of time for bathing in the much-needed sunlight that an arduously long winter had deprived us of, good old brother bonding, and a cat nap or two. Finally, after watching the volleyball play itself out, it was time for the storming the field to the river. This year, our vessel would not be Marty the Duck, as he, regrettably, had to be retired, but we did have an inflatable Nom Nom to guide our aquatic journey. After sprinting to the banks of the river, with a timeless cry of, "to the river," we found that the water level was much lower than previous years. This did not diminish the treacherous nature of our journey, as brothers helped each other navigate the rocky water. Eventually, we made it to the stopping point where the water deepened enough for a good swim, and we gathered for a group photo. Our commitment to the river fulfilled, we started to make our way to Rita's, and then back to the hotel to rest, have dinner, and get ready for the western-themed party. The second party, while devoid of the same spirit as the first, was an excellent way to end a weekend of merriment. The following morning was a mildly zombie-like exodus from the hotel. It was a fantastic weekend full of fellowship and fond memories.

-Written by Alexandra Gordon

Formal

After weeks of planning and hyping up this years spring formal, on Friday May 1st, it actually happened. Brothers, Alumni, and dates boarded buses in front of Alumni Memorial Building and were swept off to the Waterfalls in Emmaus, PA. There they entered a beautifully decorated room, one decked out in black and gold. The theme for the evening was Midnight in Monte Carlo, and everything about the ballroom from the many chandeliers to the waterfall in the middle of the room, echoed the class, sophistication, and energy that one gets when one thinks of the world's classiest casino in Monte Carlo. Brothers immediately flocked to the DIY photo booth where we had set up fake mustaches and accessories for brothers to pose with in front a gold sparkly background, and where a Polaroid camera could snap a picture of them that they could keep and take with them. Dinner was fantastic and everyone was able to eat their fill while watching a slideshow prepared by the Fellowship committee that had pictures of every brother from different moments throughout the year. After dinner, dancing and high stakes poker ensued, followed by the much-anticipated consumption of customized cupcakes that had been sitting on a table, tempting brothers all night long. For every brother currently in our chapter there was a cupcake for them with his or her class on it, and all in different combination of Purple, Gold, and White, and all laid out in the shape of a giant Phi Sigma Pi. The evening concluded, as it always does, with everyone coming together to sing Brother, before leaving for the buses, taking their assorted glassware that had been used as the table's center pieces and were filled with chocolate poker chips. Overall the nights frivolities were a success, and I could not have been more proud of how they turned out!

-Written by Sabina Gudmundsson

Fall

Recruitment: Alpha Epsilons

Recruitment this fall turned out to be a great success! To further get our name out across campus and promote for recruitment it was exciting to see many brothers around campus in our new rush tank tops. That’s right! This semester we brought back recruitment shirts! It’s always fun walking around campus and seeing brothers proudly wear their Phi Sigma Pi letters. This semester we also made a new recruitment video, which you should check out if you haven’t seen! I couldn’t be happier with the end result and I think it accurately portrays our chapter and what we stand for. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM3ii9Glzwo)

We kicked off the week of rush events with Trivia Games! This was a fun, competitive, and interactive game, which definitely challenged people’s knowledge of random information. Again, we had speed friending, which was a great opportunity for the rushes to talk to brothers more one-on-one. Lastly, due to rain we canceled our field day, but ending up having an impromptu Bunko event! This was a lot of fun and I can honestly say I have never seen brothers so worked up and competitive! All events went well and ultimately we had a total of 17 people who registered for rush! I think brothers had a fun time meeting the perspective rushes and it definitely lead to a great discussion for Pref Vote. Pref week began the next Thursday with “Sammi’s Legendary Campus Quest!” This was a campus wide adventure in the dark! Teams of four or five split up around campus and had glow sticks! Each team was given a beginning clue that they had to decipher and figure out where it led! A total of 10 clues were hidden around campus and each team had to race to figure them all out! The next event was “Egg-streme Challenge” which really tested everybody’s physics skills! Each team was given certain materials and an egg and was given 30 minutes to design a contraption that would prevent the egg from cracking when dropped from the roof of Zoellner! We had a great time watching the eggs drop, and out of six teams, three of them survived! Traditionally, the last event was Team Builders. We had three rooms of different activities. Tank was of course an oldie, but goodie. For the other two rooms, one was a game of Scategories and the last was a room for charades. After overseeing the events throughout the two weeks, It was so much fun to see people laugh and have a good time. Everybody I had met was so excited to be rushing and all had a great time meeting all of the brothers. 14 bids were handed out the next week! I’m so excited to get to know this initiate class better because I am confident it is filled with so many wonderful students who will make an excellent addition to our chapter!

-Written by Sammi Warner

BAL Event: Pancake Brunch

On the first weekend back to school, the Brothers At Large decided to host a pancake brunch at the off-campus home of a few of our Brothers. While a number of us were at Lehigh over the summer and were able to get together regularly, most Brothers had not seen one another since the spring semester ended in May. The BALs thought it would be great to give Bros a chance to casually catch up before the busy-ness of the semester took over, and what better way to do that than over pancakes? With the promise of chocolate chip, banana, and old-fashioned flapjacks in a variety of shapes and sizes, the brunch was enthusiastically attended. Bros came, requested oddly-shaped pancakes (Mickey Mouse, the Deathly Hallows symbol, a cube...), and hung out while the BALs served them up hot. There was good food and fellowship all around. It was a pleasure to host such a great event to kick off the semester!

-Written by Emily Heckman

Fellowship and Scholarship: Culture Night

Our fellowship-scholarship culture night was a blast. We started the event by sampling foods from five cultures: samosas from India, sesame noodles from Korea, uzvar (a fruity drink) from Ukraine, thyme bread from Lebanon, and temblique (a creamy dessert pie) from Puerto Rico. The chefs - all members of PSP - explained how each dish was used in its respective culture. For example, thyme bread, characterized by its thick thyme leaf spread, is often eaten for breakfast in Lebanon. Once our connoisseurs were finished with our tastes of the world, we proceeded to learn customs for greetings in different cultures. Volunteers were recruited without knowing what they'd be asked to do. After a bit of culture shock, everyone enjoyed being thrown into these greetings, which were quite different from American customs. Finally, we learned two different cultural dances. The first was a high-energy Indian dance. The lessons had us doing steps new to most of us, but we caught on quickly. I think we were impressed by how coordinated we looked by the end. Then, we also learned a Lebanese dance popular among the country's youth. It was an interesting group dance where we linked hands in a circle, stamping, kicking, and stepping in rhythm together. All in all, brothers had a great time at culture night. We were able to learn about many cultures through fun experiences that we won't soon forget.

-Written by Ryan Herbert

Fundraising: Iron Chef Night

When good food is involved, any night will inevitably transform into a great one, and the Iron Chef: Potluck Edition event hosted by PSP’s Fundraising committee was no exception. Brothers from all around gathered together over home-cooked meals provided by our very own PSP chefs. Various cuisines across a potpourri of menu items filled the room as hungry bons vivants tasted samples from each plate. Gourmet viands ranging from tacos to crepes to pasta were displayed as brothers entered the room. Vivid aromas permeated through every inch of the hall, stomachs filled with the enrapturing flavors of each tantalizing bite, and spellbinding scents wafted under the noses of every indulging customer. Appetizers, main courses, and desserts were presented and sold simultaneously and dessert favorites like Sammi Warner’s Mound Bar Brownies or Kyra Feuer’s Oreo Truffles kept the night alive with a magnetic lure that overcame nearly every taster in the room. Entrées and appetizer items like Frank Grossi’s Home-made Stir- fry or my very own Tex-Mex style Breakfast Tacos contributed to a diverse array of savor to counteract some of the more saccharine options on the dessert menu. As this was Fundraising’s first attempt at an event like this, I think that the night can be declared a great success at every level. We hope that in the future we will be able to throw events like this more often, perhaps even several times a year.

-Written by Julian Traphagan

Ad Hoc: Murder Mystery Night

Ad Hoc was an outstanding success this year! Our Ad Hoc event this year was a "Murder Mystery" Dinner Party and everyone was DYING from fun. The event took place on Halloween night in UC 303, where a 1920's themed ambience of class, excitement, and fear welcomed our brothers. A buffet of the finest hors devours awaited our brothers, and elegant tables set the mood for an unforgettable night. A uniquely adorned "Phi Sigma Pi" cake and freshly baked cookies added extra sweetness to the event. Prior to the event, the brothers received handcrafted dinner invitations personally inviting them to the event. Shortly after, the brothers each received their very own character role to assume for the party, with each character have a very specific role in the murder. Along with the description of the character, three important clues were given to each brother that would be useful in solving the mystery. Through collaboration and conversation with other characters, the brothers could gather all the clues and use them to determine the murderer. To incentivize creativity, prizes were given out to the brother who was "most-in-character" and the brother who was "best-dressed." It was a tough and close competition, but ultimately Ms. Daisy Buchanan aka Alex Adamski rose to the top as best dressed, and Mr. Charles Packer aka Andrew Shapiro won "most in character."

The scholarship portion of this event included a Swing Dance lesson, headed by Rachel Moyer and [[Jason Sadler]]. During this one-hour session, brothers got to learn some of the basic moves in swing dance and practice with a partner. By the end of the lesson, brothers were able perform basic side steps and fun turns, and show off their moves in a free style event. Dancing to some classic 1920's tunes, this was surely an enjoyable experience.

Going along with our murder and crime theme, the leadership aspect of Ad Hoc included donations to the "Prison Fellowship" charity, which provides support for children whose parents are in jail. A minimum two-dollar donation was required by all brothers, and brothers could purchase extra clues throughout the night to help them solve the event, all of which went towards fundraising for the charity. As an extra incentive to fundraise, there was a "best fundraiser" award at the end of the night to whoever fundraised the most money for the charity. All in all, over $100 dollars was raised for the Prison Fellow philanthropy!

Throughout the night, brothers had ample time to mingle and converse with one another to unearth the mysteries regarding the murder. The murder revolved around Ms. Catherine Belle Packer, rich heiress and wife to Mr. Harry Eldrid Packer. As the evening commenced, Ms. Packer played by Mikaila Skaroff, gave her opening welcoming remarks before she was cruelly poisoned by something she ate. For the rest of the night, the brothers of Delta Chi worked hard to solve the mystery. Amidst many laughs, suspicions, and frustration, only a few were able to solve the murder, and they were rewarded with copious amounts of candy. It turns out the Ms. Irene Torti, the family Psychologist played by Kathryn Ortolf, murdered Ms. Packer after having a vendetta against her for murdering her daughter. It was a shocking revelation, no doubt, but the brothers were relieved to finally solve the mystery. The Murder Mystery Dinner Party was a huge success, wherein more than 50 brothers attended, and we hope that this event can continue on in the Delta Chi chapter!

-Written by Michelle Juarez

Leadership: Papel Picado

The weekend before Halloween, the brothers sat down for over 3 hours and made more than 150 pieces of papel picado to donate to the South Bethlehem Project for their Día de los Muertos community dinner. As for what the brothers made, papel picado is a colorful craft made of tissue paper with designs cut in; Its purpose in Día de los Muertos festivals is to mock the traditionally dark colors associated with death and remind family and friends to rejoice on this day of remembrance: focusing on all the joy and good deeds those who have passed brought to the world. As for why the brothers made it: The South Bethlehem Project community dinner is a free monthly dinner for all in South Bethlehem. It is modeled (in thought) after a soup kitchen, but drastically differs in offering the full dining experience. Residents are seated at a table and given a menu with options--getting to decide their 3 course meal as opposed to standing in line waiting for a label of soup and some bread. The dinner's two main goals are to feed South Bethlehem residents who may be undergoing hard times, and give a humanizing, dignifying experience to those who may be treated otherwise due to their circumstances. The contribution the brothers made for this dinner did not stop at just craft making, a small group (including two initiates) also helped out with preparing the food for the dinner. The dinner was a complete success and the South Bethlehem Project is excited to work with our brothers more in the future.

-Written by Jason Sadler

Bethlehem Bro Retreat

Bro Retreat this semester was held throughout north Bethlehem on Sunday November 8th. The theme was “Settling Bethlehem.” Colored “colonies” raced to be the first to settle north Bethlehem. The day started off with teams making the journey over to the north side and creating team chants and flags for their colonies. As a group we then ventured over to the Sun Inn, where brothers learned about the historical significance of the inn. The leadership component of the day was also completed while at the Sun Inn, as brothers helped the volunteers at the inn with various jobs that needed to get done. Before leaving the inn, brothers enjoyed a well-deserved lunch. The afternoon was spent with each team racing around north Bethlehem gathering stars for their flags, which were hidden at various historical sites in the area. Each team had to follow a series of clues they were given to find each piece for their flag and be the first to return to a designated meeting spot. Brothers participated in scholarship by learning about the history of the community with which they live along the way. The entire day was so much fun and filled with fellowship and brother bonding!

-Written by Lauren Thompson

Semi-Formal

Semi formal was an amazing and magical night. Brothers began arriving at 7pm, and many gasped when they saw the beautifully decorated Gander Room. What was normally just a nice room above the beloved Goose, had been transformed into a cozy, winter wonderland room, perfect for escaping the cold outdoors! Music was playing while Brothers and guests grazed on appetizers, chatted, and began taking pictures at the photo booth. Dinner was served at 8 and all ate their fill of delicious Italian food. The theme of this year's semi formal was Dinner & a Show, so while we all chowed down as Lehigh’s own Improv troupe, the Hobo Army, came in to entertain us with wit, laughter, and all around hilariousness! After dinner and the show, we turned the tunes all the way up and Brothers danced, laughed, and had an amazing time dancing the night away. As all good evenings must do, ours sadly came to an end, but we gathered together for one last rendition of Brother before 2015 was over. Swaying in the circle, singing very off key, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of joy as I looked around at all the smiling and happy faces of the people who I hold so dearly in my heart. I’ve been fellowship chair for the past year and I can honestly say that it has been an amazing, albeit stressful, experience. At the end of the day I do it all for the people in this circle. It means so much to know that everyone who came had such a great time, and it’s always so nice to see alumni there. Stay tuned for the awesome stuff the next Fellowship chair will be doing this spring. Stay classy PSP.

-Written by Sabina Gudmundsson

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