Psi Delta’s alumni drop-in program

Last month, the men of Alpha Psi Delta (Colorado) had a special visitor: Andrew Holliday, MΔ ’14, flew in from New York City to Boulder to meet the actives at Psi Delta and talk about his app, Ostrich.

Holliday is the co-founder of Ostrich, which describes its mission as one “to improve global financial wellbeing.” The Ostrich team has been targeting college students specifically because it’s such a crucial time to understand financial literacy and to start building a nest egg.

According to Psi Delta’s #4, Ryne Mohrman, ’25, he was approached by Holliday on a LinkedIn message about making a presentation to the Alpha. With several Business and Finance majors in the Alpha, Mohrman was quick to get the drop-in set up.

“We do this weekly alumni drop-in every Wednesday where an alumnus will come to the Lodge, hang out in the library, and talk a bit about who he is and what he does,” says Mohrman. “Brothers get to ask questions and get to know the alumnus a little better. Andrew’s visit was unique in that he was flying in from New York.”

Holliday did a financial trivia for the Brothers of Psi Delta and gave out prizes to those who answer questions correctly. He also taught them how to use a few investment apps and encouraged those who joined to split the joining bonus with the Fraternity.

“We actually invited three Sigma Nu execs from our campus to the presentation,” says Mohrman. “They loved it so much that a few weeks ago, Andrew flew back out to Boulder to talk to Sigma Nu and SAE, too.”

According to Mohrman, Holliday spent some time after his presentation at the Lodge answering questions about his time in investment banking and getting to know the actives who were planning to follow similar career paths.

“I would definitely recommend a program like this to all Chi Psi Alphas,” says Mohrman. “If they have a lot of Business or Finance majors like us, or if they are just an Alpha that maybe struggles with finances, it would be beneficial to have someone like Andrew give a presentation.”

He also mentioned that it was a great networking opportunity for the men at Alpha Psi Delta.

“Connections play a huge part in these alumni drop-ins,” he says. “Andrew reached out to me on LinkedIn because I had my position as Treasurer for our Alpha on there. Now, he has helped out our Alpha and we developed relationships with him that may help us in the future land internships, improve our resumes, or even just network within his network.”

Holliday’s presentation, though unique, was not the only one that took place at the Lodge in Boulder. Alumni in the area are invited to join the men of Psi Delta for about an hour each week and talk about their careers and experiences as Chi Psis. Then, the actives’ relations with alumni are strengthened, too.

“The cool thing is that those who show up at the Lodge for the drop-ins often also come to initiations or to alumni events, so we all get to re-connect with them,” says Mohrman. “We also invite each of them to dinner before their presentation and they often stay after to take one-on-one questions. All told, they probably spend a few hours with us each week!”

One thing Mohrman really wants other Alphas to take away from the Psi Delta program is that there is a vast, powerful network of Chi Psi alumni to utilize.

“We’re part of an organization that has been around for hundreds of years,” he says. “There are people out there who want to help. They were in your position in one of these Lodges at one point, not knowing what they were going to do with their lives. They figured it out and I guarantee they want to share that knowledge with current actives.”

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Alpha Iota Delta men bond building new deck at Lodge

There’s nothing like a hard day’s work to bring people closer together. Some of the actives of Alpha Iota Delta (Georgia Tech) worked this semester on a project at the Lodge to reinvigorate the back deck just in time for hosting Annual Convention this summer.

“The alumni approached us about wanting to spruce up the deck before Convention,” says Steven Davidoff, IΔ ’23. “They wanted to sand down the wood, replace rotting boards, and give the whole thing a fresh stain.”

Each January, after winter break, the men of Iota Delta will do a work week to make any necessary repairs to their Lodge. They started on the deck project immediately and had it mostly finished by the end of March.

“We ended up adding some tables and a small extension, as well as re-doing the stairs,” says Davidoff, who was the VP at the time. “Part of it became a New Member project, and much of it was led by our alumni.”

Davidoff says alumni like Andrew Smith (’79), Drew Clarke (’82), and Adrian Gibson (’81) were in charge of the day-to-day efforts and assigning jobs to actives who were there to help.

The deck area also now boasts a lookout bar on one end and new strand lighting overhead. At this point, all that is left to complete is a stain over the deck when the wood has fully dried out.

“The main driver of this project was to have a new feature of the Lodge to show off at Convention,” says Davidoff. “We couldn’t have done it without Brother Smith’s expertise and willingness to keep coming to town with his tools. He graduated from Georgia Tech with an Architecture degree, so it was cool to learn from someone like him.”

With Convention coming up in Atlanta this July, the men of Iota Delta – actives and alumni alike – really wanted to ensure that the Lodge and its new deck would shine for all Brothers who come into town this summer.

And, on top of that, the actives had a chance to bond with several of the alumni who showed up to help with the construction.

“That was one of the best parts,” says Davidoff. “We would order pizza for our breaks and just sit and chat and hear the alumni stories. What has changed, what the Lodge used to look like, what their Chi Psi experiences have been like.”

Davidoff says he and the rest of the men at Iota Delta are excited to host Convention this summer and are especially proud of the work done on the Lodge deck.

“It’s such a rare occurrence to host Convention,” he says. “So I’m excited to show this off and how much effort was put into it.”

One of the #2’s responsibilities at Iota Delta is taking care of the Lodge. Davidoff says that’s something he and #2’s before him have really taken to heart.

“We have such a unique Alpha, in my opinion,” he says. “Everybody here strives to be the best at all times. Not just socially, but academically, and we really have a great balance of those things. We take extra good care of our Lodge because of that. It’s a reflection of our strong leadership.”

As Georgia Tech continues to grow (in both size and prominence), Davidoff is also excited for Brothers visiting for Convention to see the new construction and incredible resources the school has. He hopes that a good experience at Convention will inspire Brothers to get a Master’s degree at Georgia Tech or send their kids there someday – maybe even to become a Chi Psi!

“I’m really inspired by the growth at both Georgia Tech and Alpha Iota Delta,” says Davidoff. “We’re in a great place. And our Lodge is looking absolutely pristine!”

To learn more about the 182nd Annual Convention and begin planning your trip to Atlanta, click here.

Alpha Rho’s amazing charity streak

The men of Alpha Rho at Rutgers University have a streak of success so old that it has out-lived most of the active Brothers in the Alpha. For 23 straight years, they have been the top-raising fraternity organization for the Rutgers University Dance Marathon (RUDM), which benefits the Embrace Kids Foundation.

In 2023, they are looking to extend that streak to a 24^th year (technically, Alpha Rho was dormant briefly in the early 2000s, so they are trying to extend the 17-year streak to 18, but it would be their 24th straight year as an active Alpha).

“Everyone joins a fraternity for many reasons,” says Philanthropy Chair Tanay Mehta, P ’24. “But it’s not just a fun social life for us. We want to leave an enduring legacy. We treasure the opportunity to make this difference. We strive to keep this streak going.”

The Embrace Kids Foundation provides for the non-medical needs of children with cancer and other blood disorders in the New Jersey/New York area. To support these efforts, the men at Rutgers have already raised more than $30,000 and hope to meet or exceed their previous high-water mark of $70,000.

To help them reach that goal and extend their streak, the men of Alpha Rho are hitting the phones for an alumni phone-a-thon. They are also tabling by the Lodge and reaching out via social media and email to prospective donors.

“We have consistent tabling events all throughout the semester,” says Mehta. “Usually we do it at least once a week and sometimes combine with other Greek organizations. We’ve also talked to state officials in New Jersey to secure locations where we can do canning to fundraise. We also do some fun events like live jam sessions, car washes, and more.”

Mehta says it is an honor to continue providing funds for such a wonderful organization that the men of Alpha Rho care deeply for.

“Last year they raised about $2 million for the tri-state area in total,” says Mehta. “Apart from raising money, we also are members of the RU4Kids program. We “adopted” two kids in the program, Ryan and Edwin, and hang out with them and take them to the movies, or painting pumpkins, or to theme parks. We can see how impactful this work is when we talk to the kids and their families. We really treasure that aspect.”

Doing philanthropy and service work is an important tenet of being a Chi Psi. That’s a responsibility that Mehta says the men of his Alpha take very seriously.

“I think here at Alpha Rho, we really strive to excel in whatever we do, but we emphasize philanthropy even as New Members,” says Mehta. “A mother came up to me and my Co-Philanthropy Chair at least year’s Dance Marathon and she was crying. She told us how much it meant to her and her family. It is something that really makes us all emotional.”

The Alpha also does events for the American Cancer Society, donated $1,500 to a Polish family taking in refugees from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, led a campus-wide effort to support those affected by the earthquake in Syria and Turkey earlier this semester, and is planning a fundraiser for domestic violence prevention.

“We try to be a well-rounded group when it comes to philanthropy and service,” says Mehta. “The Dance Marathon is our biggest event, but we try to raise money for other causes that are important to us, too.”

The RUDM is one of Rutgers’ longest-running traditions of service, leadership, community, spirit, and pride! Over $10 million in funds have been raised to support the Embrace Kids Foundation over the history of RUDM.

“This event is instilled deeply in the Alpha,” says Mehta. “We are honored to take part in it and continue to be one of the most successful groups on campus in giving back to people in need.”

This year’s RUDM will take place on Saturday, April 1.

To help support Alpha Rho in its quest to be the highest-raising fraternity organization on campus for a 24^th straight year, and in its efforts to aid the Embrace Kids Foundation, give a gift HERE by March 25.

Alpha Omega Delta gets creative with service projects

The men of Alpha Omega Delta at George Mason University have been hard at work on their philanthropy this spring. With a handful of highly creative service projects on the slate for this semester, they hope to raise money and awareness for several different causes.

“Philanthropy is something our Alpha has been working hard to improve on,” says Philanthropy Chair Alex Ramirez, ΩΔ ’23. “When I came in as the Philanthropy Chair, I wanted to show the Brothers that we could do different things that are fun and engaging for us while still making a difference. Community service shouldn’t be a chore!”

Their ongoing effort to raise funds for an incoming George Mason student scholarship is the most unique of their projects. After a week of posting on social media and soliciting donations, the men plan to keep their donation link live until early April.

Source: https://eip.gmu.edu/

George Mason’s Early Identification Program (EIP) is the University’s college preparatory program. Omega Delta is trying to provide an incoming student with a scholarship, and ideally one who really needs the financial assistance and/or is a first-generation college student. The EIP will help prospective college students in the Northern Virginia area with their applications, resumes, and more.

Ramirez worked with the EIP through an Honors College class, which was service-based. He realized he could pair the Alpha’s desire to make an impact both on campus and in the surrounding community by furnishing part of a scholarship.

“There are several barriers to entry for prospective college students,” says Ramirez. “Finances is just one of them, but we wanted to ease that burden for someone and show them that they could come to George Mason and be welcomed with open arms.”

There are similar barriers to entry for men interested in joining a fraternity, so the project hit close to home for the men of Omega Delta. They felt they had the means to contribute significantly to one student’s journey.

“This will be someone who is welcomed into the George Mason community by a group of men who have been through the process here,” says Ramirez. “It will hopefully be a really impactful experience for the scholarship recipient, while also showing that George Mason and its Greek Life community are open, diverse, and inviting to people of any background.”

Earlier in the spring, the men put together a few other great philanthropy projects. For example, on Valentine’s Day, they raised money for the Travis Valentine Fund by delivering candy grams and walking students to class in suits. They also came up with some clever marketing content to get the word out. Check out their promo video here:

Travis Valentine, ΩΔ ’05, was a founding member of the Alpha and former Birge Award recipient who passed away from a ruptured brain aneurysm on Valentine’s Day in 2017. The Travis Valentine Fund at George Mason seeks to raise money for research into cures for aneurysms. The men made just over $300 doing “V-Day Thang,” as they coined it, which exceeded the previous two semesters’ entire combined fundraising total.

“Besides the obvious Chi Psi and Omega Delta connection, doing philanthropy for the Travis Valentine Fund is a great example of how we changed our service mindset,” says Ramirez. “We don’t just raise money for the Travis Valentine Fund because he was a prominent member of our Alpha or Fraternity. We don’t just do it because it’s our organization’s designated philanthropy. It’s because someone close to us was affected by a brain aneurysm, and we want to make sure nobody else goes through that.”

A couple weeks after the V-Day Thang, about half of the Alpha donated to or volunteered at The Lamb Center, a local homeless shelter and soup kitchen. They provided items needed by the shelter like detergent, Gatorade, and cleaning supplies, and served breakfast and lunch. The Lamb Center has dedicated caseworkers, a mail service, AA meetings, a dental clinic, an in-house nurse, and two rooms full of donated clothing that unhoused clients can take for free. They are also in the process of building affordable housing units down the block.

According to Ramirez, the Brothers who took part in this activity really benefitted from the experience. So much so, that they plan to join a campus sorority (Zeta Tau Alpha) for another event at The Lamb Center later this month.

“I knew a little bit about The Lamb Center, but was still blown away by the services they offer to the unhoused population in our area,” says Ramirez. “They look at the person as a whole and help them wherever there are gaps. That was really important for us to see, as college students are typically having a different, more sheltered life experience than those searching for a path and for resources, meals, and shelter each night. It was moving to help a population that is relatively ignored.”

Ramirez also organized a Super Smash Brothers tournament with the George Mason e-Sports team to benefit Gamers Outreach, which brings the power of play to hospitalized children. Gamers Outreach asks volunteers to be “Player 2” to the child’s Player 1. With several gamers in the Alpha, this was a service project the Brothers are really looking forward to taking part in on April 1.

“Super Smash Brothers is our game of choice as an Alpha,” says Ramirez. “Some guys watch sports, but for us, we will hang out and play Smash for hours. That’s our thing. That was another way we could make philanthropy fun while still benefitting a great cause.”

Finally, the men are planning to adopt a highway in the Fairfax, Virginia area near campus. As part of the Adopt-A-Highway program, Alpha Omega Delta will commit to a twice-yearly trash pick-up on that stretch of the highway. This was conceived as a way for Brothers to help keep their school community clean and livable, with their first clean-up slated for mid-April. Ramirez hopes to make that (and V-Day Thang) a recurring event for future Philanthropy Chairs, as he is set to graduate this spring.

It has been an eventful semester of philanthropy for the men of Omega Delta already. They raised money for the Travis Valentine Fund and grew closer as a group while volunteering at The Lamb Center.

Right now, though, Ramirez says the focus is strictly on the EIP scholarship and raising as much money as possible to support that still-to-be-determined future George Mason student. Family, friends, and alumni can contribute to that effort through early April by giving HERE or by sending to their Venmo at @AlexERamirez.

“You get to be part of something bigger than yourself,” says Ramirez. “It’s a Chi Psi thing, right? We are trying to give someone in need access to higher education, which is such a powerful thing. I look back on my college experience and I remember the things outside the classroom more than what I learned inside them. We want to give someone access to those same experiences that they might otherwise not have been able to afford.”

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Alpha Alpha Delta works with City of Refuge Athens

Alpha Alpha Delta’s (Georgia) Philanthropy Chair and #36, Ethan Joyce, AΔ ’26, was pleased with the event’s turnout. Nearly half of the Alpha’s members had showed up for a community service event in late January to help pack family grocery boxes, children’s food bags, and children’s lunches.

“Having 13 to 15 guys showing up consistently is a huge help to City of Refuge,” says Joyce. “Last year, they moved 42,000 children’s food bags with just 8 to 12 people showing up. So we can really make a significant impact on their productive capabilities with that kind of turnout.”

City of Refuge Athens is a charity that helps underserved members of the local community. The men of Alpha Alpha Delta felt compelled to not only up the ante of their semesterly service efforts, but to do so with an organization they felt would make a big impact where they live.

“We started working with City of Refuge last semester,” says Joyce. “It has been really nice to work with a local group to ensure the most direct impact into our own community. It’s nice to make a positive change in the place we call home.”

As with any college, many of the men have adopted Athens as their new home – at least while they are students. They each feel connected to Athens, Georgia and the University in a very special way.

“For the past few years, we’ve been living here, making friends here,” Joyce says. “It’s a special place for us. In the same way that we take from Athens, we have this robust community on and off campus that we feel the need to give back to. We want to help improve the awesome community that has contributed so much to our college experience.”

The University of Georgia’s Interfraternity Council (IFC) has mandated all fraternity Brothers give at least five hours of community service. The men of Alpha Alpha Delta have used that as a springboard to set an expectation that their members not only meet, but exceed, the required time.

“We’ve really tried to make an effort to be engaged in philanthropy this semester,” says Joyce. “By the end of the first week of February, we will already have exceeded the total time spent working with City of Refuge from last semester. And we’re planning to do at least four or five different events as the semester progresses, giving all our men time to pitch in and exceed the five-hour goal.”

As men of Chi Psi, Joyce says it is imperative that they uphold the expectations of a gentleman. He says those Chi Psi standards are something they strive to uphold and that they seek to maintain a good image on campus by holding dear the Fraternity’s values.

It is also a fulfilling task, allowing for good deeds and Brotherly bonding. Being able to meet a need of City of Refuge’s with extra manpower is something the men of Alpha Alpha Delta don’t take for granted.

“Coordinating a distribution, which will be our next event with City of Refuge, is challenging,” says Joyce. “It requires a lot of people, which we can offer. We’ve had great success and have found a new way to bond with each other and enjoy doing something good while we’re at it.”

Joyce says that, on a personal note, he enjoys making change in Athens and doing something good for a portion of the community that seeks help.

“We have created this really great relationship with City of Refuge,” he says. “We all have this shared interest in improving our surroundings and using our size and motivation as an Alpha to make a real difference.”