Sigma Chi Summer Playlist by Decade 

With summer getting into full swing, it’s giving us flashbacks of summer during our Sigma Chi days. Do you remember the most popular songs that were on EVERY playlist at parties? Don’t worry, we got you! 

 

Click the links below to view the top songs of every decade starting with the ‘50s! 

 

Cut a rug to these 50s crooners! 

50s playlist 
 

Twist and shout to these 60s bops! 

‘60s playlist 
 

Boogie down to these groovy 70s hits! 

‘70s playlist 
 

Jam out to the flyest beats of the 80s! 

‘80s playlist 

 

Jump around to these 90s hits! 

‘90s playlist 
 

Throw it back to these hits from the 00s! 

‘00s playlist 

 

Relive the memories with these 10s hits! 

‘10s playlist 

The Benefits of Brotherhood

As you know, being a part of a fraternity offers more than just a social experience—as Brothers, we gained a sense of community, a place to call home, preparation for post-grad life, and the life-changing, lifelong benefits of friendship, leadership, and shared values.  

  • What do 85% of the executives of Fortune 500 companies and 80% of United States Presidents since 1900 have in common? According to Fraternity Advisor, they were all members of Greek organizations during college. 
  • Fraternity and sorority membership helps young men and women cultivate leadership skills, gain a sense of social identity, and learn to work well with others. Fraternities and sororities not only offer the context to develop these skills but, just as importantly, can often help students work toward future internships and job opportunities. Employers like seeing the documented leadership experience that fraternity life can provide.   
  • Networking is an integral part of the college experience and Greek life provides one of the strongest foundations for social interfacing with a network of peers. Greek organizations help build networks that often prove beneficial to students when looking for internships, employment, recommendations, or employees.   

“Sigma Chi takes young men and shapes them into functioning adults through leadership in the fraternity, charity work within the community, and networking for post-grad life. Greek life is an essential part of any collegiate system.”  

Collecting personal testimonials about the fraternity experience is important to our legacy. CLICK HERE and let us know how the benefits of Sigma Chi impacted your life. 

Sigma Chi Penn Hijinks: read your brothers’ stories and share your own

What were the best nicknames you called your brothers and how did they come about?  

When’s the last time you saw a Phi Phi Chapter brother in person? Who were you with, where were you, and what was the occasion? Do you have a photo from that day? 

What do you remember about the top social event the year you graduated? Do you remember your date? Did you happen to marry them? 

What was Sigma Chi known for during your time at Penn? 

Read on to find out how other Phi Phi Chapter of Sigma Chi alumni answered these questions.  

David Fleshman ‘61

Nicknames: It was not unusual if a brother had a last (or first) name of two or more syllables to pick one of the syllables as a nickname. Hence, Hunts for Jon Huntsman ‘59, Glease for Bob Gleason ‘61(not commonly used), Jake for Don Jacobsen ‘61, Gones for John Gonas ‘61, Rams for Ramsey Demir ‘60, Flesh for David Fleshman ‘61, Tim for R. Timmis Ware ‘58 (not unusual), Catman for George Katttermann ‘59, Angie or Busch for Angelo Buoscio ‘63 (not unusual), Rick for Richard Cuthbert ‘60 (not unusual), Dick for  W. Richard Shope ‘60 (not unusual), Greens for Jon Greenawalt ‘61, Ed for James E. Voris ‘61 (his middle name), Eben or Eban for Thomas E. Hobbins ‘61 (his middle name), Brad for Bradford Parker ‘62 (not unusual), Ernie for Ernest Preate ‘62 (not unusual), Bill for William Kenney ‘62 (not unusual), Bob for Robert Danish ‘62 (not unusual), Larry for Lawrence Van Deusen ‘62  (not unusual), Hicky for H. Hickman Rowland ‘62, Gordy for Gordon Simmonds.

Others good nicknames were Spike for Alvin Shoemaker ‘60, The Fox for Ron Smith ‘59, Howie for Howard C.  McLaren ‘61 (not unusual), Sack for Silas Schultz, Dutch for Kenneth Shutler ‘60, Careful For Clifford Currier ‘61 (rare) assigned by John Gonas ‘61, Chet for David Hauck ‘59 assigned by Hunts… Sorry, but I could not tell you the origin or background of all those above.

Last time you saw a classmate: Attended a luncheon at the Penn Club in NYC, June of 2019. Saw Jon Greenawalt ‘61, Bob Gleason ‘61, Murray McComas ‘58, a few others I have forgotten plus several undergrads whom I did not know. It was to commentate Jon Huntsman ‘59, who would have been 80 on 6/20/19. Jon was my big brother during pledging and a close, dear friend as well as a mentor until he died.

Top social event: Did not graduate from Penn. Moved to the West Coast and graduated from USC. Huntsman was there at the same time for an MBA. 

What Sigma Chi was known for: High-quality members many of whom were involved in extracurricular activities.

Frank Hadden ‘80

Nicknames: The best nicknames were Stinky for John Frazer ‘80, Wazzo for Jerry Knott, Wally for Ben Mitchell ‘83, finally L cubed for Larry Lessig ‘83.

Last time you saw a classmate: I saw Bob Isaacs ‘80 and Drew Mannes ‘81 2 years ago.

Top social event: The big social events were Homecoming, Skimmer, and Sweetheart.

What Sigma Chi was known for: Sigma Chi was known as a preppy fraternity in the late 70s. We wore button-down shirts, crew neck sweaters, and tweed jackets.

Charles Epp ‘85

Nicknames: Psycho-Weiny, because the song he was most associated with was Psycho-Killer by the Talking Heads.

Last time you saw a classmate: I can not recall.

Top social event: Spring formal because I attended with the sister of another brother who was also a good friend.

What Sigma Chi was known for:  Sigma Chi was known for competitive fraternity league athletics and community service.

Want to share your own stories? Click here to submit your answers to the questions above. We’ll publish your response in a future alumni e-letter! If you have a picture to share, email it to [email protected] with the subject line “Sigma Chi Penn Photos.” 

2021 is the Year of Connection

Each of us had our own unique experience of 2020… But even as we all manage the disruptions—homeschooling our kids on the side, welcoming our college students home early, helping our parents order groceries online—we were fortunate to be on the frontlines for one of the brightest silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic: connection. 

In spite of all the obstacles, people connected more than ever this year; groups of alumni are holding Zoom reunions not every few years, but every month! Though we may have all breathed a sigh of relief when the new year began, our hope is that 2021 carries this same spirit of community and connection. 

We look forward to continuing to connect you with your fellow Sigma Chi Penn alumni in 2021, but in order to do this, we need your help. We have 133 brothers who we’ve lost touch with since they graduated and you can help us get back in contact. 

Take a look at our lost mailing list and lost email list to see if an alum from your initiation class is on the list and email your updates to [email protected]Help our Phi Phi Chapter of Sigma Chi alumni community thrive this year. 

Thank you to those of you who wrote in with contact information when last we asked; we need even wider participation to bring everyone back into the fold. No Sigma Chi brother should be left behind. 

A Holiday Challenge from Sigma Chi Penn: Help us make the 2020-21 Giving Year Strong!

Hey, guys. It’s been a heck of a year, but it’s not over yet. Are you ready for your 2020 holiday challenge? You know the drill by now, so I’ll get right to it. Without all of us, Phi Phi Chapter of Sigma Chi does not exist. Our giving year began again on September 1, 2020, and we need to make this year our strongest one yet. I need YOU to step up to the challenge. 

Why should you give? First of all, because we lost undergraduate housing revenue thanks to COVID. Now that we can’t rely on that critical income source, alumni support is even more essential. We also need to step up to protect the chapter house. We all know firsthand what fraternity-style wear-and-tear does to a place, and we want Phi Phi Chapter’s home to stay beautiful so we can be competitive during recruitment, perpetuating our brotherhood for future generations of Sigma Chi men. 

Yes, meeting our fundraising goal each year is a challenge. But since when do Sigma Chi brothers shy away from a challenge? We don’t. We meet challenges head-on, together. 

So step up. Be a leader for your pledge class. Be the first guy from your grad year to add your name to the honor roll of donors. Be the alumnus who calls the brothers he knew at the house to give as well. Our alumni communications, events, and support for the chapter all rely on our support. Don’t miss the chance to give back to the organization that defined our Penn experience. Even if it’s just $10—just $10 to let your alumni brothers know you’re out there and you still care. 

Help us make this giving year the strongest one yet for Sigma Chi at Penn. To give to the 2020-21 annual fund today, use any of these methods: 

  • Click here to donate.
  • Call our toll-free donation hotline at 1-800-975-6699
  • Mail a check to our donation processing center:

Sigma Chi
University of Pennsylvania 
Alumni Relations Processing Center
P.O. Box 7007
Albert Lea, MN 56007-8007

And let’s all give an enthusiastic round of clicks to those brothers who’re leading the charge and have already shown their support this year! Click here to see who’s on the 2020-21 Honor Roll of Donors. Thanks to these fine men for their ongoing support.

 
 

For Tom Farrell ’68, Pledge Brothers Became Friends for Life

Recently, Tom Farrell ’68 was part of a Zoom call to talk about Sigma Chi and how the Phi Phi Chapter influenced his life.  

“The truth of the matter is that during my freshman year, Sigma Chi was more interested in my roommate Axel Berg than they were interested in me,” Tom said. “I just came along for the ride.” As it turned out, Axel left Penn for the Vietnam War, and it was Tom who joined Sigma Chi.  

And a ride it turned out to be. He soon found himself in a pledge class with a group of men like John Dickerson ’69 and Charlie O’Neill who would become lifelong friends, and the Sigma Chi sweetheart Nancy Larsen became his sweetheart. They married after graduation in 1969 and celebrated their 50th-anniversary last year. 

He says that some of his favorite memories were the parties at the house. “There was a band we liked called Ivory Jim and the Headhunters, who were all Princeton graduates.” 

Tom hasn’t been back to the house, or Penn, in several years, but he’s stayed in touch with the friends he made. “We’ve worked to stay in touch,” he says. 

Working on maintaining the bonds of brotherhood is crucial, he says. “It’s important to participate with each other after graduation. As you start your career, you need to stay in touch and keep up with what your brothers are doing. I am still very much in touch with my best friends from the fraternity.” 

As he looks back on 52 years since he graduated from Penn, he advises today’s active brothers to take advantage of their time at the house. “Participate in anything you can while you can. You are there to study, but that’s not what you’ll remember the most. Participate in all aspects of university life. Go to football games, go to basketball games. Just do it.”  

Would you like to reconnect with your pledge brothers with a Zoom call? Let us host a call with you and your brothers, reminiscing about the time in the house and what’s happened in life since graduation. Email us at [email protected] to get started! 

Notable Alumni

There is a long list of famous Sigma Chis, and that’s not surprising. After all, Sigma Chi is a place where we learned leadership and character, and that attracted men of character. 

Mark DeRosa – retired MLB player (pictured)

Mark played in the MLB from 1998 through 2013, for a number of teams including the Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals, and Toronto Blue Jays. He now works as a studio analyst for the MLB Network and hosts MLB: The Show since 2018.

Jon Huntsman Jr – former Governor of Utah

Jon served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005-2009. He also served as the US Ambassador to Russia from 2017-2019, and as ambassador to China from 2009-2011, and to Singapore from 1992-1993.

Jim Finn – retired NFL player.

Jim played in the NFL from 1999-2007 for the Chicago Bears, the Indianapolis Colts, and the New York Giants.

The list goes on.

We’re proud to call these men Sigma Chi Brothers. 

Do you know a famous Penn Phi Phi? We want to tell his story! Email us at alumni[email protected]. 

Brother Lawrence Lessig ’83 Appears on Podcast with Andrew Yang

Phi Phi chapter alumnus, Lawrence Lessig ‘83, sat down with former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang on his podcast, Yang Speaks. Lessig is the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and an expert on campaign finance reform, and he ran for President in 2016! Check it out HERE, and on all streaming platforms! 

Sigma Chi at Penn Through the Decades!

We are all part of Phi Phi but our time in the house was heavily influenced by the culture and music of our era, making our experience uniquely our own. Find your decade and take a walk down memory lane! If you have any flashback photos from your era, send them our way at [email protected]

 

In the years just after the war, life at Phi Phi in the 1950s had a look and feel that was all its own. We found some sights and sounds of the decade that will make all of the memories come flooding back.

Relive the glory days with this video

And click here to listen to the soundtrack of our underground days!

The sixties at Penn was a time of change, and of course, forging deep friendships at Phi Phi. Check out this video montage and Spotify playlist for some highlights of those years. 

Watch here. 

Listen to the best of the sixties. 

Friendships made in the ’70s at Phi Phi have stood the test of time, making it through the end of the draft, graduation, careers, family and even retirement. What were some of your favorite memories? 

Relive the glory days. 

Do you remember the party where you heard these songs?

The eighties were THE BEST days to be in a fraternity, at least that’s what our decade keeps saying! After all, what’s not to love?

Remember the good old days with this epic look back. 

Play this for a walk down memory lane. 

We were the last decade to graduate without help from Google — and we did just fine. Here’s to the nineties, and Phi Phi where we met some of our very favorite people. 

Look back at the epic decade here. 

It wasn’t all Jagged Little Pill and Bitter Sweet Symphony

This decade of change started with the specter of Y2K and 9/11 and just accelerated from there. Our time at the house was a steady place in the middle of a world in flux, and the friendships have stood the test of time. 

Look back at our buckle-your-seatbelts decade.

Listen to the soundtrack of our undergrad days.  

Penn in the 2010s is rapidly becoming a memory as we build our post-college life, but the memories of Phi Phi and the friendships we made will last a lifetime. 

Watch the moments that made our decade memorable. 

2010s soundtrack? We’ve got an app for that. 

Phi Phi Flag Football Memory

We would like to say thank you to Michael Rosko ‘71 for sending in a flashback memory. We always appreciate hearing from our alumni! If you would like to submit your own update, to be uploaded to the website and featured in the future, you can email our alumni relations partner at [email protected]. You can also post directly by submitting an update on the website; CLICK HERE to do that! 

Here’s what Michael had to say:

“This Fall marks the 50th anniversary of an exciting Phi Phi sports memory! In the Fall of 1971, the Phi Phis won the All-university Intramural Flag Football Championship. They played an undefeated season and took home the championship. At the time, Phi Phi did not win intramural championships very often so this was an unexpected and extra-special delight that bonded the Brothers of that class even closer.”