Your gifts help fund our new Chapter Relations Campaign to Locate, Unite, and Engage all our brothers

Undergrads are Making Greatness Happen with Our Support!

New initiatives and support from Alumni have given the undergrads the strength to move forward!

The launch of our new and improved website has seen a flurry of alumni and undergraduate activity.  More than 300 Brothers have visited our site and continue to do so each and every day. The site is the centerpiece of our communications and fundraising program and I’m hoping you will visit often. Keep on the look-out for event updates, new articles and photos from the undergrads, requests for annual fund support, and everything regarding our beloved Old Gal.

The undergraduates will now have more access to alumni involvement with the newly created Chapter Advisory Council. This council will be headed by Shawn Smith ’99 and will hopefully provide an increase in alumni presence at the house as well as provide needed support for the undergrads. The Chapter Advisory Council will assist with Rush, rituals, house meetings and events, and the overall day-to-day operation of the house. This council will be a great asset to the undergrads! At the end of each school year, 3 seniors will be chosen by the current Chapter Advisory Council to join the council and continue the councils focus. The council will also be the breeding ground for future Upsilon Corporation members.

Your gifts help fund special projects like our new Rush Brochure and Rush Events as we recruit our new brothers

Page 2 of our new Rush Brochure - great job Eric Musser ‘09 & Martin Gutmann ‘08

The undergrads are focused on recruiting 20 new freshman each and every year to hopefully fulfill our occupancy standards. The house currently holds 33 undergraduate brothers and we need to fill the house each and every year in order to have a positive cash flow.  To help with recruitment, Eric Musser ‘09 – HSP and Martin Gutmann ‘08 – Director of Communications, have created a Rush Brochure to hand out to qualified freshman. With the new website, rush brochure, and increased interest by the alumni, we should have no problem reaching our goal of 20.

This fall semester, all brothers who live in the house will receive $100 to help pay for textbooks. In the spring semester, all in-house brothers who have a GPA at or above the all men’s’ gpa will receive $100 to help pay for textbooks. And, if the increase of annual fund allows, we will continue to increase the amount up to $300 per brother per semester. It’s a way for the alumni to say ‘thank you’ for being such stand-up men and representing Alpha Sigma Phi at PSU.

The Brothers posing in front of the Old Gal in 1985 Your gifts help fund our History Project as we collect and organize priceless photos and memorabilia from the proud history of Alpha Sig at Penn State

We are planning on a ‘record’ Homecoming celebration! (see article on website) This will be a perfect opportunity for our alumni to see the excellent progress the undergrads have made over the past year. There will be several events held at the house so please check the website for details. Hope to see you there!

Every year, we ask the brotherhood to help the Upsilon Chapter by making an Annual Fund gift. Or focus this fiscal year will be:

1. You gifts help fund the many capital improvements required to restore the Old Gal to her former glory

   Capital Improvements – the kitchen appliances are in much need of repair and our landlord has reached his improvement limit. The Alumni Corporation is responsible for the additional costs of repairing the kitchen. There are other major renovations to the house that need to be completed and we are working on prioritizing each one.
2. Educational Foundation – as mentioned above, the Alumni Corporation is awarding each undergraduate brother with a textbook allowance each semester. We would love to have the Educational Foundation contribute to more scholarships, academic reimbursements, etc

3. Your gifts help fund all the great things happening at our chapter Thanks for your support!

   Lease Subsidy – the cost to live in the ‘Old Gal’ is approximately $5400…and rising. With the use of a landlord who collects the rent, pays bills, etc, the cost of living in the house has gotten increasingly more expensive. The Alumni Corporation would like to help defray some of these costs using Operational Support.
4. Communications – our new website is a great tool to have, but this costs money too! Please help by making a gift to the Annual Fund today.

Please consider joining one of our giving societies today and helping to improve the lives of our current undergraduate brothers.

Brotherhood for life,

Matt Campbell ‘00
Director of Communications and Fundraising