Sweet Happenings from Your Sweetheart – Issue Eight

September 9, 2011 · Michelle Rodio

Eta Iota Starts Fall 2011 with a Bang!

Monday, August 29th began a new school year for Eta Iota. Some brothers attended Grand Chapter 2011 (electing a new Grand Council and crowning a new International Sweetheart), while others attended Horizons and BLTW, meeting Sigma Chis from across the U.S. and Canada. To welcome everyone back, I made each guy a Back to School gift: popcorn, peppermints, pens, gum, a condom, a photo magnet from last spring's Spaghetti Dinner, and a wallet card with the Jordan Standard and Eta Iota's vision statement.

This semester brings Mission 365 training (Sept. 10th) ahead of recruitment starting the 19th, followed by the chapter's biggest philanthropic event, Derby Days.

Labor Day BBQ

Eta Iota hosted a Labor Day BBQ (also celebrating Brother Trevor Simms' birthday) — hot dogs, hamburgers, cornhole, and pool time with a sorority social and plenty of recruitment potentials in attendance.

Meet the 32nd International Sweetheart — Sydney Binnington

Our Consul Taylor Quackenbush represented Eta Iota at Grand Chapter this summer, where Sydney Binnington of the University of Western Ontario was crowned the Fraternity's 32nd International Sweetheart — and the first international one. Sydney wrote a letter introducing herself: born in Toronto, entering her final year at Western studying History (with plans for law school or broadcast journalism), active in her sorority Pi Beta Phi and Western's Sigma Chi chapter, Epsilon Omicron. She hopes to encourage every chapter to raise $5,000 for a brick on the Huntsman Foundation's Wall of Hope, something she accomplished herself earlier this year. "Get ready for a great two years, I really cannot wait to come down and meet all of you!"

Hypnosis at Eta Iota

Touch-N-Go Productions brought hypnotist CJ Johnson to campus for the annual first-day-of-school show, with Brothers Pedro Pinero, Daniel Duquette, and Tim Englehardt volunteering to be hypnotized on stage.

Summer Adventures — Grand Chapter, Horizons, and BLTW

Consul Taylor Quackenbush and Josh Chancey attended Horizons this summer; Taylor also served as Eta Iota's Grand Chapter delegate. Quaestor Jeremiah Poff joined Taylor at Grand Chapter (with an executive suite upgrade courtesy of the outgoing Grand Consul) and later attended BLTW — the largest ever, with over 2,000 brothers — alongside Josh Chancey, Andres Villalobos, Pedro Pinero, and Tim Englehardt. At both events, Central Florida Praetor PJ Stephens and Chapter Advisor Brian Lojko were present; at BLTW, the chapter received eight executive chairs donated by Grand Pro Consul Michael Greenburg for the new conference room. Eta Iota won the Henning Award for the 10th year running (highest percentage of Life Loyal Sigs), and House Corp won an award for outstanding operations.

Derek Pizzo attended BLTW as chapter advisor alternate to Florida Southern College, participating in the Cornerstone alumni-to-advisor transition program, which he found especially valuable. FSC's chapter house was condemned to build tennis courts, but a billionaire alumnus is funding a rebuild. Derek was also appointed to Florida State's chapter advisory board.

Ryan Wakefield, who trained as a Horizons guide in 2010 alongside fellow Eta Iota Sig Ramano Sprueil, returned to guide his own group at Snowbird in summer 2011. Horizons — a values-based leadership academy centered on mountain "missions" and small-group teaching — runs four sessions of 48 undergrads each summer. Eta Iota has 14 undergraduate Horizons graduates plus Ryan and Ramano as trained guides; Taylor Quackenbush and Josh Chancey also attended this year.

Bringing Back the '80s

The chapter threw an '80s-themed night to celebrate the new semester, with visiting alumni joining in the costumes and fun.

Enhance Your Business with Keith Ferrazzi and Dylan Conroy

Dylan Conroy, a Sigma Chi from UC Santa Barbara (Assistant Grand Praetor for LA Coastal Province, Choices Program facilitator since 2008), works as Head of West Coast Sales for Significant Sig Keith Ferrazzi's Relationship Masters Academy — a training/consulting program for corporate professionals and entrepreneurs. Interested brothers could use code SIGMACHI for a discount.

Eta Iota's Fall 2011 Recruitment Schedule

Surfing with the Sigs/Beach Day — Monday, Sept. 19th, 6:00 PM
Bowling at Ormond Lanes — Tuesday, Sept. 20th, 6:00 PM
Go-Karts, Mini-Golf & Batting Cages — Wednesday, Sept. 21st, 6:00 PM
Buffalo Wild Wings at the House — Thursday, Sept. 22nd, 6:00 PM
Spaghetti Dinner at the COA Atrium — Friday, Sept. 23rd, 7:00 PM

For more information, contact Recruitment Chair Pedro Pinero.

It was a nice long summer, and I was so happy to be back at ERAU with all the guys — looking forward to a new and exciting semester! Email me anytime at sweetheart@etaiota.org.