Category: Chapter History (Page 1 of 2)

ZPAA Annual Report 2025

December 31, 2025 / Michael Hoskins

The Zeta Pi Alumni Association (ZPAA) experienced an active and transitional year in 2025, successfully managing its core alumni engagement events while contributing to the Active Chapter’s financial health, rush efforts, academic focus, and chapter housing.

Key Highlights :

Membership: Began 2025 with 31 paid members via PayPal and ZPAA records. Ended 2025 with 29 members paying dues from records via Square and cash payments.
- Net decrease of 6.45% year-to-year from 2024, accounting for past ZPAA members not retained and with current dues unpaid in 2025.
- This was a 21.62% decrease in membership from the 37 members reported during the org’s first official full year in 2023.
- ZPAA membership at EOY = 7.65% of total possible living alumni
Successful Events: The Association successfully hosted its major annual events:
- Poker Night: A poker event was held on February 1 at Masonic Lodge in Rochester.
  - Attendance: 30 RSVP’d, 20 played.
  - Buy in: $50 per person with $35 to the prize fund; $15 toward food and drink. This was in response to prior year’s suggestion of increasing the pot to attract more people or those who did not play last year. Optional one-time buy back which will either be $35 for another full rack of chips or $25 for a lower amount. This is still TBD as we will only do it one way. All of this money goes directly into the pot.
  - Next year’s event is planned for January 31, 2026.
- Baseball Outing: The 2025 outing was held on June 20.
  - Attendance: 20 paid, same as year prior.
  - Price is $35 for active chapter members. $35 for ZPAA members; $65 non-ZPAA members
    - Vs 2024 —> $15 for $ZPAA and $40 for all else
  - Secured contract for the June 19, 2026 outing at the same cost.
- Golf Outing: Held on October 4 at Pine Knob.
  - Attendance: 23 golfers paid
  - Costs set at $65.00 for dues-paying members and $125 for non-members.

Scholarships: The Scholarship Committee received 1 scholarship and awarded $500 scholarship to Active Jack Kinneson. Committee received 4 applications from Actives in the Fall 2025 cycle, with anticipated review and expected amount(s) decision by the scholarship committee in new year 2026.

Alumni Gifts: Provided financial support for alumni gifts:
- 20-can cooler backpacks at the golf outing in October.
- 30th anniversary commemorative hats for the active’s Pig Roast during Welcome Week in September 2025. Alumni attendance: 38
Future Events: Progress was made for the 40th Anniversary Orchid Ball scheduled for March 13, 2026.
- This included securing the San Marino Club venue, sending a $1,000 deposit, and approving a budget expenditure of up to $7,800.
- Initial save the dates were finalized by Communications Chair Mike Hoskins, prior to finalization of event ticket prices ($199 per couple/$110 single).

Financial Picture:
- Ended year with savings balance of $8,013.15 (11/25 mtg); $883.39 checking (11/25 mtg).
- Transitioned treasurers from Cory Heck to Ted Maier by mid-year.
- There was ongoing delay in access to and finalizing the transfer of the Housing Corporation accounts, a process that was still incomplete as of the final meeting in November.
- Square payment portal added for ZPAA payments (discussion on adding recurring payment option for 2026)
- Masonic Lodge contract renewed for 12 events in Fall 2025-Fall 2026

Organizational Structure: Discussions were held regarding the possibility of converting the ZPAA and Housing Corporation into a charitable organization for tax purposes, which would require a new name.
- The year concluded with the successful election of the 2026 ZPAA Officer slate, including:
  - Mike Szettella (President)
  - Jeff Waite (Vice President)
  - Ted Maier (Treasurer)
  - Mike Hoskins (Secretary)
Active Chapter Support: The ZPAA provided financial assistance, approving up to $2,000 for rush events, which contributed to the Active Chapter initiating 7 new members in the Fall 2025 pledge class.
Active Chapter progress: Heard updates through the year from the undergraduate chapter. This included:
- Membership Growth: The Active Chapter saw positive growth, reporting 7 new members initiated in November. Active membership was reported at 22 by year-end. 10 alumni attended the Nov 9 initiation.
- Housing Concerns: Active Chapter highlighted a risk of losing the house due to low occupancy, with an estimated $1,200/month in rent not coming in as of summer. They addressed this and put into place plans to ensure future occupancy requirements are met.
- Dues Structure: The Active Chapter implemented a new dues structure of $475 per semester, an increase from the old $375 structure.
- Debt Reduction: The chapter paid its full debt owed to National, which was reported to be $1,100 as of May.
- Brotherhood Lines: With addition of a transfer brother from another Michigan chapter, our chapter decided as a first-ever to resurrect Founding Brother Chuck Surinck’s line and assign Chuck as big bro to Active Jordan Keil.

A Founding Brother’s Line Reborn

October 22, 2025 / Michael Hoskins

For the first time in our chapter’s 40-year history, the Zeta Pi Chapter has resurrected a long-ended line of the Brotherhood Tree.

The undergraduate chapter decided in October 2025 to resurrect Founding Brother Chuck Surinck’s line, which hasn’t been active in three decades.

This is a big moment for our chapter, which is marking a milestone four decades with ~450 initiated men in our chapter’s ranks.

Brother Surinck is one of 19 original men who are considered founding fathers, first becoming a Sigma Pi Fraternity colony in October 1985 and eventually chartering with 28 recognized members on March 15, 1986.

Of the initial founding brothers’ lines, only a few have remained alive for much of the past 20 years.

Now, Brother Surinck’s line is reborn with a young brother transferring to Oakland University and joining Zeta Pi.

That undergraduate is Brother Jordan Keil, who’s transferred from Grand Valley State University where he initiated in 2024 as part of that Theta Rho Chapter.

He lives in Waterford and is majoring in finance, with hopes of eventually becoming a financial advisor. Jordan is serving as the undergraduate chapter’s social chair in the Fall 2025 semester.

As a sophomore and new transfer to OU, Jordan was not an official part of the incoming and current Beta Xi pledge class and didn’t need to go through initiation again.

Instead, he’s gone through a truncated new member education where he’s learning specifics of our Zeta Pi Chapter history.

Because he also has an existing Little Brother from GVSU that he keeps in touch with, it didn’t seem appropriate to just place Jordan into our Brotherhood Tree and give him with a Big Brother at random.

Instead, Brother Keil is placed directly as Chuck’s little brother. A “grand-little,” you might say.

“I am very appreciative for the opportunity to resurrect my fraternal line. I’m really pleased to see men like Jordan as brothers, and I can only assume they represent the quality of the Brotherhood that Zeta Pi is. If this is true, I am extremely pleased to have this caliber of man as a member of our chapter.”

– Founding Brother Chuck Surinck

While we’ve had a few other transferring brothers join our Chapter through the years, they were not granted Big Brothers. They pretty much are “floaters” in our Brotherhood Tree, not attached to any existing line.

Given Chuck’s historical presence and influence in our chapter, the Active Chapter consulted with alumni and made this decision to resurrect the line, which had ended with Brother Andrew Rosinski in 1993.

After being a founding brother, Chuck stayed involved through the years after graduation and would go on to serve as our local Chapter Director from 1996 to 2009.

Chuck’s line is one of 4 from the 12 original lines that remain alive as of Fall 2025, along with Founding Brothers Michael Hess, Mike Martin, and John Pearson.

Both Brothers Surinck and Keil had a chance to meetup for the first time and chat at length at the Third Tuesday Brotherhood Night on Oct. 21, 2025.

“I think it’s awesome I get to have a big that is a founder of our chapter, and it gives a me a unique perspective and opportunity to what the the future of the chapter should look like,” Jordan said. “It’s also great hearing stories and the history of our chapter directly from the source!”

– Brother Jordan Keil

[Editor’s Note: wink wink, smirk… ]

In looking at the current undergraduate chapter, Brother Surinck added this.

“I am grateful for the past and more importantly grateful, optimistic and excited for the future. I look forward to enriching, establishing, strengthening, and redefining friendships and our Brotherhood in the years to come!”

Remembering Brother Alan Scott

August 1, 2025 / Michael Hoskins

If royalty existed within our ranks of Sigma Pi at Oakland University, you wouldn’t have to look beyond Brother Alan Scott as an embodiment of all that it should be.

A consummate gentleman. A mentor, advisor, and friend whose personality always made you feel important and brought a measure of respect and admiration wherever he went.

He was a kind and gentle soul who made our Sigma Pi chapter at Oakland University shine from the very start.

“If I needed to provide an example of what the royal family would be like, it would be him: reserved, resolved, well-spoken, driven, determined, classy, and cool all at once,” said former chapter director and Founding Brother Chuck Surinck.

An alumnus of William & Mary College in Virginia, where he joined our fraternity as a young man, Alan made an indelible mark on our lives in Southeast Michigan during his professional life and more than 40 years in OU’s career placement services.

For many of us in Zeta Pi, he served as a mentor, advisor, friend, and fraternity brother from the early chapter days to long after his retirement in 2004.

We said goodbye to Alan on May 8, 2025, as our brother entered the Adytum on High at 83 years old.

A Founding Advisor

Alan was born and raised in the Boston area before becoming a nearly 60-year transplant to Michigan. Known by the affectionate nickname “Scotty” to many family and friends, he was a proud U.S. Army veteran who served his country in domestic intelligence.

He had graduated from The College of William & Mary (ROTC), where he initiated as part of Sigma Pi’s Alpha-Eta Chapter on May 9, 1960. He later earned his MBA at Indiana University.

“Scotty was a gentle soul who was as thoughtful as he was polite. He could strike up a conversation with strangers anywhere in Michigan or the world, for that matter, finding new friends along every step of life. Scotty’s remarkable life was characterized by his humble, patient nature, quick wit, and kind words.”

Of course, he spent many years as our Zeta Pi faculty advisor, having first joined Sigma Pi at William & Mary.

“Alan played a significant role in the establishment of the fraternity,” Surinck said, recalling the early formative years in 1985 when the colony was first known as Omega Nu Pi (aka Oakland’s New Pioneers). But when the original national fraternity didn’t pan out, Sigma Pi became the fraternity of choice.

“That’s where Alan came into the picture. We needed a faculty advisor, and that was a perfect fit for Alan, who worked in Career Services and was happy to take on the role of Faculty Advisor for our fledgling chapter,” he said.

“The bonus with Alan was that he was a Sigma Pi, as well,” Surinck said. “He stepped forward when he heard we were on campus as Omega Nu Pi and were going Sigma Pi.”

Surinck added, “Understand the luck of that. It was all before the Internet, computers, and cell phones. He most likely saw a rush flyer posted in Van Wagner and put 2-and-2 together and stepped up for us. Alan’s quiet, regal presence gave Zeta Pi some class and clout on the campus.”

His personal attention

Brother Mike Grant of the Tau pledge class in 1994 recalls Alan making a point of meeting every new member each semester and getting to know each person. If you add up the hours spent with new pledges alone over his many years as our Chapter Advisor, Grant says you’d just begin to understand Alan’s commitment to Sigma Pi.

Grant said, “Every time you met Alan, after initial pleasantries were over, the very first thing he would ask was, ‘How is the Chapter?’ He didn’t say it in a way that it was just a conversation starter. He really meant it. He wanted to know. The health of our Chapter meant so much to him. Every conversation also ended the same way. ‘Tell the Chapter that they have to rush.’ He loved Sigma Pi deeply.”

Brother Matt Karrandja from the Pi pledge class in the mid-1990s, said Alan was one of the men who inspired him to join our brotherhood. Alan got Matt his first OU job and eventually mentored him in career services.

“You could talk with him for hours, and I truly mean hours each day,” Karrandja said. Humble, professional, dedicated, and helpful are just a few words that describe Alan.”

Brother Alex Zurawsky remembers being on the fence about Sigma Pi in Fall 2002. But when he attended that year’s Pig Roast, he struck up a conversation while in line for pulled pork. That chat was with a “soft-spoken, eloquent older man with a bright purple jacket and hat that was emblazoned with the letters ΣΠ.

“I asked him if he was there to support his grandson, to which he smiled and politely said, “No.” He explained that he was a member of the Alpha Chapter and had graduated long ago, but lived locally and came to support his fraternity.”

After Zurawsky pledged our fraternity, he recalls Alan attending meetings and telling stories of his younger days, saying, “He had made lifelong friends and had a network upon which he could always rely. That was a determining factor for me in deciding to initiate. Lifelong friends and a commitment to an organization and its ideals.”

Many of us can credit Alan for taking a personal interest in our lives and careers.

When I graduated in 2001, Alan’s many hours of mentorship, along with a personal connection to the then-owner of a nearby newspaper, landed me my first and definitive job at the Spinal Column Newsweekly.

He was a key part of my career development in those early years after college, and I wouldn’t be where I am without his presence in my life.

Lasting legacy

Brother John Zielke of the Alpha pledge class agrees that Alan’s legacy is long and profound.

“He had a rare gift: he was always easy to talk with and had a remarkable way of guiding brothers, even future spouses, toward their paths in life. He listened quietly, thoughtfully, and when the moment called for it, he would circle back with words of wisdom that carried real weight. That kind of presence is rare, and it made a deep impact on so many of us.”

Since 2004, our chapter has awarded the Alan R. Scott Scholarship Award to an undergraduate brother each year, typically during the Orchid Ball event each spring. This award goes to a young brother who exemplifies service to the college, community, and fraternity.

As we mark our Chapter’s 40th anniversary in 2026, and the first without Alan here, this recognition will likely carry even more weight and symbolism as we move forward.

Alan’s family shared this beautiful obituary that is worth checking out.

Rest in peace, Brother Scotty.

Serving the Community in Law Enforcement

April 8, 2025 / Michael Hoskins

Brother Jason Murdock is serving his community in law enforcement as a member of the Lansing Police Department.

Photo Credit: LPD on Facebook

In a February 2025 post recognizing Brother Murdock (aka Officer Murdock for those with the LPD and in that community), the police department highlighted his career in law enforcement since his time at Oakland University.

He began with the Detroit Police Department in 2008, then the City of Wyoming (in Kent County), before joining the Lansing department in 2020.

Brother Murdock is currently assigned to the Community Services Unit, and in its post the LPD describes him as being a “recruiter, mentor, and “GREAT instructor. His passion for law enforcement stems from a deep commitment to giving back and being part of the change he wants to see in the community.”

As a member of the Alpha-Tau pledge class in 2007, Brother Murdock hails from the Michael Martin line of our chapter’s brother tree — down the line from Mike Szettella, Jason Dodge, & Matt Shipes, and his big bro Nick Myziuk.

How much of his police career does Brother Murdock credit to his time at OU and being a part of our Sigma Pi chapter?

Well, here’s what he has to say about that.

“I do give a lot of credit to the values and leadership skills I gained,” Murdock said in a social media message. “Especially during the time I spent as (our chapter’s) recruitment chair. Having the support of my bros during that time also helped reinforce my confidence and drive to pursue my goals. Because of that, I have always held on to a love for my fraternity and for my brothers.”

Brother Murdock added that even though he hasn’t been as active as he’d like in recent years due to his focus on his police career, he hopes that other brothers may find inspiration in what he’s done.

“I hope that my accomplishments will serve as motivation to our younger and even older brothers to pursue their goals and never stop doing their part to be a positive influence for others,” he said.

Brother Murdock is not alone in his police service, as we have other Zeta Pi Chapter men who’ve taken on law enforcement roles:

Brother Bob Van Acker (Psi pledge class ’96) in Troy, an auxiliary officer with the Birmingham Police Department since 2023.
Brother Rob Charlton (Alpha pledge class ’87) in Oxford, who retired in 2024 after a 35-year career as a forensic science lab specialist with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department and who’s received many awards through the years and a Distinguished Unit Citation in 2024.

Remembering Founding Brother Vasile Nagy

January 15, 2025 / Michael Hoskins

The Zeta Pi Chapter is saying goodbye to Vasile Nagy, one of our Sigma Pi chapter’s founding fathers.

Brother Nagy began his journey to the Adytum On High on January 14, 2025, at age 59. He lives on through his daughter, family, friends, and fraternity brothers.

As the loving son of Elisabeta and the late Alexandru, he grew up in Rochester and graduated from Rochester High School in 1984.

After college, he remained in Michigan before eventually moving to Arizona and living there for over a decade. He is survived by his mother, brother Alex, and daughter Becca.

Vasile and his daughter Becca

As a founding Zeta Pi brother, Nagy helped form the chapter at Oakland University in 1985.

Historical chapter records show he joined as a sophomore majoring in engineering. That was before the colony found the national Sigma Pi Fraternity and decided to become a new chapter, Omega Nu Pi (aka Oakland’s New Pioneers).

Brother Nagy became the founding Herald when our chapter was incorporated in March 1986.

“As an immigrant from Romania, he had certainly experienced more in his 18 or 19 years than most of us, and it seemed to give him an admirable swagger,” said Brother Rob Waters, who joined in that chartering year. “When I first met Vasile, I was most struck by his confidence. Although we were in the same class and had graduated high school in the same year, he always presented himself as somehow more worldly and experienced than his peers. Looking back, I suspect he was.”

Those who remember Brother Nagy fondly recall him as always being fun, carefree, and full of mischief.

Brother Waters recalls that mischievousness in a memory about 9 South Hamlin, the dorm room where Brother Nagy and others lived at the time. They had converted that corner room into a sort of nightclub, with a platform hiding the beds underneath so the entire room could be used for entertainment. Of course, the stereo system was nearly always in use.

One night, crates of vinyl records appeared in the dorm when OU’s radio station, WOUX, was purging its collection. Each album was given a 5-10 second spin on the turntable before being discarded if it “didn’t pass muster.”

Or as Brother Waters tells it: flung at high velocity out the window, where they smashed spectacularly against the opposing brick wall Probably not an activity that the university would have sanctioned, but it sure was fun.”

Fellow Founding Brother Chuck Surinck has fond memories of traveling together, as their families made trips through the years to Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, and Nevada.

“All trips were made special by his cooking, organizing, and spirit,” Surinck said.

Brother John Zielke, who was in the Alpha pledge class in 1987, also shared good memories and described Brother Nagy as an excellent family man. The two had been friends in college and later worked together in the construction industry on projects that included restaurants, nightclubs, and new homes.

“We, of course, had many shenanigan moments (boy many),” Zielke said. “When I initiated, he was the Herald. In those early fraternity times, we spent much time together. Of course, we all did. He was always a loyal brother.”

Reflecting back on their college days, Waters thinks of Brother Nagy’s spirit and personality more than anything.

“It was his audacity that I admired most. There are always a million reasons not to act. Most of them based around your own fears and insecurities. Vasile was always ready to act and his ‘damn the torpedoes’ spirit was infectious,” Waters said.

“Young men and young organizations, like our nascent chapter, needed doers. Vasile was always ready to push forward. His audacity helped establish a new fraternity at Oakland, and for that, we are certainly grateful. Rest in peace, Brother Nagy.”

You can read an online obituary and share memories on the virtual tribute wall.

Cornhole Tournament 2024

August 12, 2024 / Michael Hoskins

The Sigma Pi undergraduate chapter will be hosting a fun cornhole tournament on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024.

This event will be held at the Chapter House, located at 2491 Grant Road in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

Event starts at 1 p.m.

Entry fee: $10 per person (or $40 per team)

50% of the proceeds will go to the Sigma Pi Chapter at Oakland University.

Great opportunity to meet the Active chapter & check out the house, play some cornhole, enjoy some alcohol-free drinsk and pizza, and Brotherhood.

If you have any questions our concerns please reach out to Alumni Laison Mike Szettella.

Meet Zeta Pi’s First-Ever Legacy Sage: Ethan Tosolt

May 20, 2024 / Michael Hoskins

New chapter president is son of Beta pledge class Brother Jeffrey Tosolt in 1987

Say hello to Brother Ethan Tosolt, the undergraduate chapter’s new sage who happens to be our first-ever to rise to that top position and be a legacy of another Brother.

A senior majoring in management information systems (MIS), Ethan joined the Zeta Pi Chapter in 2021. His dad is Jeffrey Tosolt, a Beta pledge class brother who joined the fraternity in 1987 as little brother to Founding Father James Lambouris.

Ethan was the 2nd father-son legacy, following Lamda pledge class Brother Jeff Waite’s son, Drew, who joined in 2019 as the first-ever legacy within our chapter.

Ethan’s term runs from spring 2024 to spring 2025. While he appreciates being a legacy, he said that doesn’t ultimately have much impact on what he does in the fraternity and how he goes about his undergraduate or fraternity life, nor will it impact how he serves as sage.

Instead, he points to Brotherhood as the chapter’s strongest asset, and he hopes to strengthen everything around it and grow the next pledge classes to prepare the chapter for when he graduates.

A longtime baseball player since childhood who played for Lakeview High School in St. Clair Shores, Ethan started his first year at OU playing sports and received a small scholarship. But he soon became involved in fraternity life and opted to spend his extracurricular time in Greek life.

Growing up, Ethan says he and his dad didn’t directly talk about the fraternity too much. Though Jeffrey mentions the good times and lifelong friends he made because of Sigma Pi, he points out the irony that when his son first became involved in the Zeta Pi Chapter, the two weren’t aware of the others’ involvement. It came as a surprise.

“I told him it’s a great idea to join, as I still have lifelong friends from the fraternity that I see on a regular basis,” Jeffrey says, noting that his son sees and hangs out with those other alumni brothers occasionally. “Ethan is an athletic, caring leader and smart kid who cares about others. He gets that from his mom.”

Undergraduate Chapter Updates: Looking Back on 2023

December 28, 2023 / Michael Hoskins

Our Zeta Pi Chapter did well in 2023, with the initiation of 6 brothers in the winter semester (May) and 5 this past Fall (November).

We have attended many events, both educational such as the Engage Chicago Regional Training, and philanthropic endeavors such as Alpha Delta Pi’s corn hole tournament or Phi Sigma Sigma’s 5k, both raising money for charitable causes.

Zeta Pi Chapter also was a champion of school spirit in 2023 and could be seen rooting on the OU basketball team on many occasions.

The 2023 year was successful, both academically and socially for the brothers of Zeta Pi Chapter. We hope to continue this momentum into the new year.

You can read more here about the current Chapter E-Board as well as the new Chapter Advisor Tyler Reynolds, who took on that leading role in November 2023.

Introducing New Chapter Advisor Tyler Reynolds

December 18, 2023 / Michael Hoskins

After holding the volunteer role of Chapter Director for 7 years, Brother Rob Pankau III handed over that position in November 2023 to Brother Tyler Reynolds.

Joining the Zeta Pi Chapter as part of the Beta Omicron pledge class in 2017, Tyler studied human resources development at OU, and had held 3 E-Board terms during his Active years with the Chapter.

“Sigma Pi has, and always will mean a lot to me,” he said. “I was at the house after the first day of classes at Oakland and immediately saw something I wanted to be a part of. And the rest is history.”

Tyler becomes the 12th person to serve in that position since our Chapter’s founding in 1986.

Recently, the undergraduate chapter also voted to change the name of the role from Chapter Director to Chapter Advisor.

In thinking about taking over and continuing the work that Brother Pankau had given during his time as Chapter Advisor, Tyler quotes the Sigma Pi Fireside Song: “The circle changes with each year, brothers come and disappear.”

“I’m fully confident in the Active Chapter, and I, along with everyone else who is behind them, will do what we can to ensure their success. I’m looking forward to helping grow on the foundation Zeta Pi has stood on for nearly 38 years, setting us up for many, many more to come.”

Navigating a pandemic, changing times for Greeks

Rob had become Chapter Director in July 2017, following Bob Van Acker’s four-years in that role.

He reflected on his time, particularly as it required negotiation a challenging relationship with the OU administration and then as the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything.

He notes that the Chapter was divided at the time he started, uncertain about the path forward.

“I am particularly proud of how the chapter functioned and survived through the pandemic. Honestly, I could not have asked for a better outcome with operations essentially shut down for a year plus,” he shared. “The pandemic proved fruitful in a way that I couldn’t have imagined, with a refocusing on academics and the values of the organization as the social aspect was significantly diminished during this time. This has set the tone in the last few years of recruitment.”

Rob says the Chapter is in a place now that needs a different type of mentorship and guidance, someone who is more plugged into the current needs of students as well as how the every day life operates for a student.

Adding to that, Rob notes that the U.S. university system and its relationship with Greek organizations has changed dramatically in the past 10 years. That’s made his role, and the Chapter’s place at OU, more challenging to navigate.

“Greeks are often not welcome or are scrutinized in a manner that is inconsistent compared to other student organizations,” he said. “Oakland University has done away with a specific Greek Advisor at this point in time, which has led to an interesting dichotomy between the Chapter and the university. We are at the point that there is limited oversight by the university, but also limited and challenging to acquire support as well.”

Now, Tyler is the 12th to serve in that position since our Chapter’s founding in 1986:

Vince Chrisman (Founding Chapter Director in March 15, 1986)
John Pearson
Bryan Mahlmiester
John Zielke (until Feb 95)
Jeff Fox (Feb 95-June 96)
Chuck Surinck (June 96-Jan 09)
Pete Knoll (early 09)
Brett Westen (Early 09-Fall 09)
Rob Pankau III (Fall 09 – Nov 10)
Mike Long (Nov 10 – April 13)
Bob Van Acker (April 13 – July 17)
Rob Pankau III (July 17 – Nov 23 )

With the reestablishment of the ZPAA in 2023, now-former Chapter Director Pankau says that our Zeta Pi Chapter has more of a chance to succeed than ever before.

“The creation and sustaining of the Alumni Association will be a key to long term success for our Chapter,” he said. “With the Alumni Association, this gives the chapter another level of stability from a team of individuals, as long as we as Alumni remember that the undergraduates need us as mentors more than ever. Temper expectations and teach, while reminding ourselves of that the current challenges are different, we were all 19 and trying to figure it out at one point in time.”

Pure Sigma Pi: Michigan Love, Macandog-Style

September 22, 2022 / Michael Hoskins

Scrolling through some Facebook memories recently, Brother Mike Hoskins came across this post from 2009 following the wedding of Mario Macandog and Anna Marie Barnes. Here it is, as written by Brother Hoskins and posted online so many years ago.

The essence of purity. It’s something we measure by a child’s innocence. That natural beauty of a state’s inland lakes or magical Fall colors. Or even the pure fun of friends reuniting for a September wedding.

So was the case on Sept. 19. Pure Michigan magic transcended time and formed again on the campus of Oakland University. When two people — Mario and Anna Marie — joined together in the company of close friends and family to celebrate their everything.

Together, the couple lit up the church and campus just as they’ve always done: rich in flavor and fun, unique in ritual and tradition. They made it their own, simply making it as natural as Games on the Grass. We all hung up our regular lives, locked up, and headed off to do something we truly love. A sign that we’re spending time with those who mean so much and truly deserve it, stepping into the playground of pure happiness.

There was dancing. The movement to the music and changing states of soberness mirrored the dancing trees in a brisk Fall wind, just as the changing hues of the evolving seasons evolve on the dancefloor of Michigan’s landscape. That nature of trees reminds us that there are bigger things in life than just us, but our roots run deep and we can grow together in a Land of Golden Grizzlies and Pioneers.

Like the golden sunrises appearing over Lake St. Clair each morning, a rainbow of colors could be found in the spray paint provided by a man once known as Meat. A band of Brothers journeyed to a familiar spot where Pup + Friends painted the sacred rock once more.

Just like the old days of Sigma Pi, when young and old were just that — young, and not so old. We avoided the controversial coastline of Beer Lake, leaving those memories in the past so only to bring a headshake and chuckle rather than a new emergency room visit.

We laughed and loved in a place upstairs, not far from where we all first met and learned who we were. And who we might become. A campus hub, an Oakland Center that centered our lives.

Now redone, there’s no more office or ping pong tables or Knights of the L downstairs. So much of what we knew back then has moved on, even though 100 years has not passed in our heart and minds.

Still, the OC continues to capture our attention and once again it gave way to a memorable evening where we could find a new center for a new age. All in the spirit of celebrating Mario and Anna Marie.

But nothing gold can stay, and just as the Fall season fades too quickly and the leaves fall from the trees, the night came to an abrupt end as the Bar of Mysterious Mixtures was replaced with a water jug. And oh, the potential of water.

We found ourselves and made due, capitalizing on the energy from a state staying afloat in turbulent economic waters. We wished for Fridays and managed to find refuge there, even when the rest of the night and week had come to a close. We continued on and shared in a night of Macondog Magic, in the company of friends. Of family. Of Brothers.

Collectively, we all showed our Progress, and its distinctive mark in each of our lives. We Believed once more. And we always will. That is the power of Pure Michigan, Macandog-style. It’s the power of Sigma Pi Brotherhood.

Your trip begins here. And ours continues.

#PureSigmaPi