October Recap
SOCIAL
Events: 4
Fright Night, October 2
Masquerade, October 3
Late Night Stack'd, October 20
Deep Creek, October 23-25
October was another great month of social events for brothers to enjoy. On top of weekly intramural sports games and brotherhood study hours, our social committee planned a great social calendar for the month of October. Most notably was a our annual retreat to Deep Creek, Maryland.
Deep Creek is by far one of the most popular events that the Brotherhood takes part in. Ask any of us, our favorite event in the Pi is the lake-side bonding that occurs just a few hours away from our main campus. As a matter of fact, a mere 92% of brothers responded to a survey and exclaimed that their favorite social event in the month of October was in fact this 1920’s themed getaway.
The greatest fun at Deep Creek came from the second night, as the living room and kitchen was flipped into a “Roaring 20’s” themed dinner! Brothers had a buffet catered to the household, as well as called for us to dress up in our most fitting attire. It was great to see ladies in their finest flapper get-ups, and guys with bow-tie and suspenders.
“This was my first time at Deep Creek and it was amazing! The house was beautiful and everyone was having such a good time. It was a great bonding experience for my class as well as for the whole brotherhood.”
“It’s a great way to get out of Oakland and get to hang out with brothers. It’s a break from college and work and responsibilities and focus on Phi Sigma Pi.”
SCHOLARSHIP
Events: 16
Unblurred: First Fridays on Penn, Ocotber 2
Pitt Arts Fest, October 3
BOM - Zenith, October 4
Pitt Choirs Showcase, October 4
Pitt Symphony Orchestra, October 7
Escape the Room Pittsburgh, October 9
HypeNite: Acapella performance by Pitches and Tones, October 11
Pittsburgh Zoo Trip, October 11
Talk About It, October 13
Democrat vs. Republican Debate, October 15
Red Eye Theater Project, October 17
Holocaust Center Grand Opening, October 18
Lecture Series, October 19
Hotel Rwanda movie Screening, October 20
Artful Wednesday's, October 21
An Evening with Paul Jones, October 22
As usual, our scholarship committee filled the calendar with counless opportunities for the brotherhood, some of the favorites this month were: Escape the Room Pittsburgh and Red Eye Theater Project.
A team of our brothers tested their wits at Escape the Room, similar to the video game and popularized television show, they had to work together as a team, using a series of clues to unlock the door and escape the room.
"Escape Room was definitely challenging and we didn't make it out in time but it was fun cause we all had to solve the clues together."
Another popular event this semester was the Red Eye Theater Project, which is a 24 hour theater festival at the University of Pittsburgh. Participants can sign up to either write, direct, act, or stage manage and the festival is open to students of all skill levels and previous experiences. On Friday night actors audition, then writers stay up all night writing a completely original play. On Saurday morning, actors and directors come in and reherse all day to perform a brand new play for the first and last time ever.
Thanks to one of our initiates, Sierra Smith (the artisitic director of the festival), for bringing this event to our attention. We had one brother participate and several there to support.
"One of our initiates ran the event (go Sierra!) and Brother Dylan even performed! It's nice to participate in events that our own members are passionate about."
"This event was so fun! I laughed the whole time & got to see some great original works..."
SERVICE
Events: 12
Run Shadyside, October 3
Arthritis Expo, October 3
Global Links, October 3
Donut Dash, October 4
Boys and Girls Club, October 8
Pumpkinfest, October 10
Oakland Community Food Pantry, October 14
Tree Planting in West Penn Park, October 15
Zoo Boo! October 17
Jubilee Soup Kitchen, October 18
Ice Cream Social & Movie Night at Family House, October 21
PMADD (Pitt Make a Difference Day), October 24 Brothers were all over the Pittsburgh community this month to volunteer their time in service of others. Some of our events this month included volunteering at Global Links, a medical relief and development organization striving to support health improvement initiatives in resource-poor communities, lending a hand at the local Boys and Girls Club, handing out candy at the Pittsburgh Zoo's Zoo Boo! event, and hosting an Ice Cream Social and Movie Night at Family House.
"We got to tour and learn about the facility and all the great work they do sending medical supplies to developing countries, and it was fun helping sort through the donated scrubs."
PHILANTHROPY
Events: 4
Donut Dash, October 4
Taste for Pace, October 11
March in Her Shoes, October 13
Bail Out or Bust, October 11 To kick off a philanthropy filled month, the brothers of Phi Sigma Pi Alpha Omega Chapter participated in Donut Dash, a sweet way to support the LiveLikeLou research center for ALS research. Participants ran the first leg of the course through Schenley Plaza and then proceeded to eat a half a dozen donuts before embarking on the second mile of the race. The event raised over $104,000 for the cause.
“It was a fun event for a wonderful cause. Attempting to eat six donuts after running one mile was agonizing, especially in the face of another mile. However, it was worth it to run with the brothers and be a part of the event!”
Brothers also attend Gamma Sigma Sigma’s March in Her Shoes, a male pageant in which members of University of Pittsburgh student organizations compete in various competitions whilst wearing heels. All proceeds went to March of Dimes, an organization that supports premature babies and their mothers. The event raised over $1000 for the cause. After attending this event, one brother remarked,
“[March in Her Shoes] was a great way to see other clubs on campus [participate in philanthropy] as well as a nice way to support our fellow brother Sarah Pomfret with her work in GSS.”
Lastly, brothers attended another Gamma Sigma Sigma sponsored an event called Bail Out or Bust. This philanthropy event involved brothers being handcuffed together while they scoured the streets of Oakland, hoping to raise their $10 bail! The event is designed to raise awareness about drunk driving and to raise money for a local family who lost their six-year-old daughter to a drunk driving incident earlier this ear. The event raised over $2000 for the family. Brother Erica Watson, oen of the cuffed participants, said, "I thought the event was fun and well-recieved by everyone on campus. People were really interested in what we were doing which is great for reaising awareness to stop drunk driving."
The brothers are all looking forward to another fun, philanthropic month in November. Spoiler Alert: Alpha Omega will be sponsoring their own philanthropy event next month!
That’s a wrap! To see more photos from this month's events check out our Facebook page: Phi Sigma Pi Pitt! For more updates on our events keep up with our blog or follow us on social media @PSP_Pitt.
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