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Alumni News
posted 20 November 2011
Greetings, my fellow alumni brothers!
Albeit quite a bit later than originally intended, here is the first issue of the Nu Sigma Alumni Newsletter for the Fall 2011 semester. Enjoy!
RUSH, THE PROBATIONARY MEMBERS, AND RITUAL. The Chapter had a very successful Rush this semester and has extended probationary membership to seven men: David Geroski, Eric Son, James Chesnut, Tim Planert, Joseph Wilkins, II, Joseph Stief, and Scott Klein. This probationary member class includes four freshmen, two sophomores, and one transfer student. The Chapter has not had a probationary member class of this size in just over a decade. The last probationary member class of this size occurred in the Spring 2001 semester, when seven men were also inducted.
This large probationary member class came together despite a delayed Rush schedule this semester, since campus was evacuated for several days in late August when Hurricane Irene struck. Rush included the usual events, such as a poker night, a movie night, and dinner at Paul's Deli.
The probationary members have just begun Clue Week, which is the surest indicator that Ritual is upon us. Ritual will be held at 5 p.m. this Sunday, November 13 in the Great Hall of the Wren Building, with Big Brother Dinner immediately following. All alumni brothers are invited. Please contact me if you will be in attendance.
OTHER CHAPTER EVENTS.
Sinfonicron has announced its show for the upcoming year: Thoroughly Modern Millie. Set in 1920s New York City, this musical tells the story of a young woman who is seeking a wealthy husband but unexpectedly finds love instead. Although Sinfonicron's website has not yet been updated with information about this year's show, please visit http://web.wm.edu/so/sinfonicron/upcoming.php in the coming months for more information as to show dates and times, ticket prices, and the like.
The annual Alumni Reception took place during the morning of Saturday, October 22. The reception included the usual pleasant banter and, in the case of one of the family lines, an impromptu family gathering of five brothers spanning thirteen generations. The reception was open to both alumni and collegiate members of Phi Mu Alpha, Nu Kappa Epsilon, and, for the first time in recent memory, Delta Omicron. I counted about fifty or sixty persons in attendance. Thank you to everyone who attended.
Brothers from the Chapter volunteered at the VBODA marching band competition at Warhill High School in Williamsburg on October 29, 2011. This was part of an effort to raise awareness of Phi Mu Alpha among musical students who will soon be entering college.
UPCOMING CHAPTER EVENTS.
Normal Formal will be held from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday, November 12 in UC Tidewater. Ritual will take place at 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 13 in the Great Hall of the Wren Building; Big Brother Dinner will immediately follow. Finally, a brother retreat will be held during the weekend of December 9 near Clarksville, Virginia.
ALUMNI NEWS.
Brother Bob Miller (W&M '69) was named the Associate Dean of the School of Fine Arts at the University of Connecticut earlier this semester. A member of the Music Department faculty at UConn for 29 years, Brother Miller primarily teaches in the areas of audio engineering and digital media. He will also begin offering classes at UConn's new Center for Digital Media next semester. The Center for Digital Media focuses on research in visualization and imaging for the sciences, as well as animation and sound design for for Connecticut's newly burgeoning film and animation industries.
While at UConn last year, Brother Miller reports that he was able to serve as the producer of the world premiere of The Wooden Sword, an opera commissioned by the university. He had been heavily involved in Sinfonicron during college, but, as he writes: "This is really the first full-on theater experience I have had since leaving W&M and I found it really rewarding. I certainly never expected that the ancient skill set picked up through my membership in Sinfonia would become important again. Well, we have great singers here, including some seasoned professionals returning for doctorates, great professional directors, designers, and techs. The production was a success. That great feeling we all got when a Sinfonicron production finally hit the boards came flooding back. What a kick to re-live that."
He has previously served as the Head of the Music Department at UConn and has held teaching positions at the University of Maryland, the University of Illinois, and Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He is also a former Director of Volunteer Programs for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a camp facility founded by Paul Newman to serve children with cancer and serious blood diseases.
Brother Derek Power (W&M '05) remains focused on various music and film projects. He has recently released a physical (CD) edition of The Singles Volume 1, a compilation of the digital singles that he has released over the past five years under the project name of "The Spangle Maker." A digital version is already available through iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and various other digital music vendors. More information can be found at http://www.thespanglemaker.com. Brother Power has also finished three feature-length screenplays. Titled On Nights Like This, All That We Are, and Walk in Silence, they are all romantic dramas centering on a couple living in the Boston area. His contemporaneous account of the creation of these three films can be found on his blog at http://relate3.com.
Brother Will May (W&M '07) joined the Board of Directors of the National Music Festival in Floyd, Virginia this past summer. The National Music Festival is a nonprofit organization devoted to providing a two-week-long period of intensive study each summer for college- and graduate-level musicians. It focuses not only on musical education but also on stress management and other issues facing those who will soon be entering the world of professional musicianship. Aside from a small application fee, the two-week course is free for the musicians who attend. More information about the National Music Festival may be found at http://www.nationalmusic.us/.
Brother Will Taylor (W&M '11) became engaged to Megan Grady (W&M '11) in June of this year. Megan previously served as the Chapter's sweetheart. We congratulate them on their engagement.
NATIONAL NEWS.
Registration for the 54th National Convention is now open! The National Convention will be held from July 11-15, 2012 in Orlando, Florida. The theme is "The Power of Music." Please visit http://convention.sinfonia.org/ or follow @phimualpha on Twitter for more details.
Highlights from the December 2011 edition of the Sinfonian are now available online at http://www.sinfonia.org/TheSinfonian/issues/2011-12-highlights.pdf. The November / December 2011 edition of the Red & Black is available at http://www.sinfonia.org/TheRed&Black/issues/2011-11-12.pdf.
A WORD OF INSPIRATION.
"The principle that the development of manly qualities need not be stunted in the enthusiasm for one's art has found a fine exemplification in the progress of the Sinfonia. It is a truism that as long as man loves but himself and his art he can never attain to the full measure of manhood or reach the sublimest heights of his art. He must seek to love men as brothers and art, not for the sake of art itself, but art as a means toward bringing all men up to that verdant plateau where their souls may be fed in very rejoicing in all that is true, beautiful, abiding."
--- Percy Jewett Burrell, "The President's Message," Year Book, Sinfonia Fraternity of America (1908).
IN CONCLUSION.
I would like to conclude with a personal vignette. This past Saturday, I drove back to Williamsburg for reasons completely unrelated to Phi Mu Alpha, but I somehow ended up spending most of my day with my fellow brothers. I started off by attending a student concert featuring two of Mozart's works. This concert was spearheaded by two of our collegiate brothers, who had assembled a chamber orchestra to play these pieces, not to satisfy any academic requirements, but merely for the love of the music. Yet, the pieces were played no less well than if the concert had been a senior recital.
Afterwards, a large group of us went out for pizza. Several of the probationary members wisely took advantage of this time to conduct brother interviews with us en masse. As my progeny and I were regaling the probationary members with the details of our family line between bites of pizza, it struck me just how intensely I could feel the brotherly affection in the group. Although I am now nearly a decade older than most of the probationary members, and although I am able to attend Chapter events only occasionally, I felt completely welcome there.
To me, these experiences encapsulated the core of what it means to be a Sinfonian, at least in large part---and reminded me that "once a Sinfonian, always a Sinfonian." As Percy Jewett Burrell aptly phrased it in the 1908 Year Book: "He has failed utterly to catch the truest fraternal spirit who in the world beyond the college door slinks away from his fellows and shrinks up in some dark corner." I encourage you to take a minute to reach out to one of your brothers that you have not contacted in a while. Rekindle that fraternal spirit. Once a Sinfonian, always a Sinfonian.
Until next time, my brothers.
OAS AAS LLS,
Derrick P. Fellows,
Alumni Relations Officer, Nu Sigma Chapter
posted 01 August 2011
Greetings, my fellow brothers!
This is the second issue of the Nu Sigma Alumni Newsletter for the Spring 2011 semester. Enjoy!
CHAPTER NEWS.
Five collegiate brothers from Nu Sigma graduated in May: Jerome Golden, Levent Kiran, Vince Yannello, Wes Ruwisch, and Will Taylor. We congratulate these men on their accomplishments. Brother Yannello, our worthy Treasurer, will remain with the Chapter for another year as he pursues a master's degree.
Ritual was held on Sunday, April 17 in the Great Hall of the Wren Building. We initiated four new brothers: Mike Goetjen (W&M '13), Will Langley (W&M '13), Greg Salino (W&M '14), and John Savino (W&M '14). Big Brother Dinner was held afterwards. Unfortunately, there were no seats available upon our arrival at Second Street Restaurant, the traditional location of Big Brother Dinner. We instead chose to relocate the dinner to Buffalo Wild Wings in New Town. Good times were had by all regardless.
Nu Sigma has been making an effort in recent years to engage in the Mills Music Mission to use music to uplift those around us. In keeping with this goal, we visited and sang at Spring Arbor of Williamsburg, an assisted-living facility, on Sunday, May 8, which was also Mother's Day. Our repertoire ranged from patriotic songs (such as the "Star-Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful") to the more traditional Sinfonian songs (such as "Serenade to a Girl"). We followed this with an afternoon of bowling at AMF Williamsburg Lanes and dinner at Second Street Restaurant.
In other news, Nu Sigma's annual American music recital took place on Saturday, April 9. Roughly seven or eight collegiate brothers performed. Abnormal Formal was also held on Saturday, April 9; the theme for this year was "Spies." Finally, Nu Sigma sponsored the W&M Brass Quintet's end-of-the-year concert on Wednesday, May 4 by providing funds to purchase refreshments for the reception held afterwards. ALUMNI NEWS.
Brother S. Douglas Bunch (W&M '02, J.D. '06) was recently named a co-recipient of the first annual Taylor Reveley Award. Given by the W&M Law School Association, this award is designed to recognize recent W&M Law School alumni for their commitment to public service. Brother Bunch received this award as a result of his work with the Global Playground, an organization based in New York City that seeks to build schools and libraries for children in developing countries. He is also one of the original founders of the Global Playground. More information about the award can be found on the W&M Law School website at http://law.wm.edu/news/stories/2011/bunch,-b.a.-02,-j.d.-06,-and-smith,-j.d.-06,-honored-with-inaugural-reveley-award.php. Brother Bunch is currently an attorney at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll in Washington, D.C.
Brother Eric Peterson (W&M '85) was selected as a finalist in the community orchestra category of the third annual American Prize in Conducting competition on June 20, 2011. Brother Peterson's entry is a performance by the Queer Urban Orchestra of Jackson Heights, New York. Brother Peterson now advances to the final round, the winners of which will be announced later this month. More information can be found at http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2011/06/american-prize-announces-conductor.html.
Brother Patrick Martin (W&M '03) became a columnist for the Motley Fool in April 2011. After undergoing their six-month writer development program to learn the Motley Fool's specific style requirements, Brother Martin will continue writing about stocks from his home in Fairfax, Virginia. You can read his articles at http://www.fool.com/author/1904/index.aspx (RSS feed available). You can also follow him on Twitter (@TMFpcmart03) to be alerted of his articles are they are published.
Brother Ken Krantz (W&M J.D. '77) will be singing in the chorus for the Virginia Opera production of Verdi's Aida this fall. Performance dates are Oct 1, 5, 7, and 9 in Norfolk, October 14 and 16 in Fairfax, and October 21 and 23 in Richmond. More information can be found at the Virginia Opera's website at http://www.vaopera.org/html/currentoperas/opera1.cfm.
Brother Brian D. Holcomb (W&M '91) completed his Ph.D. in English at Michigan State University in August of 2010. His dissertation, "Between Word and Meaning: Wit, Modernism, and Perverse Narrative," explored authors' use of comic wit during the literary modernist period. An abstract of his dissertation is available at http://gradworks.umi.com/34/35/3435191.html.
Brother Joshua Mickahail (W&M '09) is currently deployed in Afghanistan with a special ops unit of the U.S. Army. His previous assignments include work with the Department of Homeland Security and other posts throughout the world. Brother Mickahail is a First Lieutenant.
Brother Greg Bartholomew (W&M '79) remains active in the world of music as a composer. Upcoming performances of some of his pieces include concerts in New York City on July 31 and Fresno, California on November 5. Please visit http://www.gregbartholomew.com/ for further information.
Finally, I, Derrick P. Fellows (W&M '06, J.D. '11), graduated from the William & Mary School of Law on May 15, 2011. I am returning home to Crewe, Virginia in August and will resume working at the law firm of Hawthorne & Hawthorne, P.C., in Victoria, Virginia, where I worked prior to law school.
NATIONAL NEWS.
The 54th National Convention will be held from July 11-15, 2012 in Orlando, Florida. The theme will be "The Power of Music." Please see the official press release at http://www.sinfonia.org/news/SN-2010-10-14.asp for more details. Highlights from the May 2011 issue of the Sinfonian are available at http://www.sinfonia.org/TheSinfonian/issues/0511-highlight.pdf. The December 2011 issue is now available in full at http://www.sinfonia.org/TheSinfonian/issues/2010-12.pdf. The March / April 2011 issue of the Red & Black is available at http://www.sinfonia.org/TheRed&Black/issues/2011-03-04.pdf.
A WORD OF INSPIRATION.
"I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music."
--- Billy Joel
IN CONCLUSION.
Well, that's it for this issue of the Alumni Newsletter. As you likely already know, Homecoming will be held from October 20 to October 23 this year. I will let you know when the time for the Alumni Reception is finalized---I certainly hope to see many of you there. Until then, I hope that you all have a relaxing and enjoyable summer.
OAS AAS LLS,
Derrick P. Fellows,
Alumni Relations Officer, Nu Sigma Chapter
posted 14 April 2011
ALUMNI NEWS April 14th, 2011 CHAPTER NEWS. SINFONICRON AND WALTZ BALL. NATIONAL NEWS.
posted 07 December 2008
The Nu Sigma chapter would like to warmly welcome its new brothers of the Fall 2008 semester:
We are excited to call such kind and musically active individuals brothers!
posted 07 October 2008
What a great story of the serendipity of alumni connections! Thanks for sharing and good luck with your premieres. |
