Welcome Alpha Beta Class:

First, we had the honor and privilege of initiating the Alpha Beta Class into our chapter. On Sunday, November 23rd, seven musicianly men successfully completed their initiation and became true Sinfonians. Following this, one additional musicianly man completed his initiation on November 30th with the Iota Alpha Chapter at Alma College.

Let hear form Class President Luke Boyd about his process and excitement of being a Sinfonian:

My time as the Alpha Beta Class President was very fun. I got to organize, coordinate, and lead the PM service project -- which was fixing the wheels in the choir risers and ushering the choir concert. I loved working with my fellow PMs and growing with them over our probationary process. Joining a fraternity was never something I explicitly planned on doing when getting to college, but I have found to really enjoy everyone and everything that comes with PMA life. There’s so much more time involved than I ever thought, but I don’t regret it at all!

Brotherhood Beyond the Chapter:

The chapter has continued to build brotherhood beyond the walls of chapter meetings and events. During our Third Degree, the Baby Hands fam line reunited with the other half of their family at the Iota Omicron Chapter at BGSU. They also started a group chat, which we hope will help strengthen their connection and foster lasting brotherly bonds.

It has become a tradition each semester to host a PowerPoint Night focused on building strong relationships between the current PMs and the collegiates they will soon be joining. Following the Second Degree Night 3 ceremony, there were once again plenty of laughs and moments of brotherhood as brothers presented their PowerPoints on topics of their choice. Presentations covered everything from water and drag queens to food classification—and much more!

Finally, as is tradition, our annual Minecraft server launched at the end of the semester. Somehow, someway, after opening the server on Wednesday night, the Ender Dragon was defeated by Sunday night during a scheduled group battle.

The server will remain active throughout break and most of the spring semester. Its main goal is to keep brothers connected over the break—giving everyone a space to talk, collaborate, and build together. Let’s see what gets created this time around!

Epsilon Alpha in the Community:

EA has been looking to get involved with the Toledo community more. The brothers were invited to sing holiday songs, along with a few classics, at the Doctorate of Occupational Therapy students’ holiday party in the Health and Human Services Building. We had a great time spreading music and holiday cheer across UT’s campus beyond the Center for Performing Arts. We look forward to continuing to grow our presence and share our music throughout campus!

This year, the chapter partnered with The Believe Center Inc., a nonprofit community development center based here in Toledo. We organized a canned food drive on campus to support their annual Turkey Giveaway and matched donations as they came in. Through these efforts, we were able to raise $250 worth of food and help serve 100 community members.

Individuals formed a line and were provided with a turkey along with a bag of food items such as mac and cheese, granola bars, canned goods, and more. The chapter could not be happier to have the opportunity to serve our community in new ways this year, and we hope to continue and expand these efforts moving forward.

Introducing our new initiative | Alumni of the week/Collegiate of the Month:

Moving forward, we will be fostering stronger connections between our Alumni and Collegiate brothers. I believe the first step in building those relationships is simply getting to know one another. With that in mind, I will be introducing an “Alumni of the Week” to the chapter and a “Collegiate of the Month” to you all here in these newsletters.

Of course, this initiative depends on your participation. I kindly ask that you take a few moments to complete a brief form about yourself, which will be compiled and shared with the chapter. I look forward to learning more about each of you and sharing those stories with our brothers.

Alumni of the Week Form

A Reflection of Gratitude:

This ability to place a stronger focus on building personal relationships with all of you would not be possible without your continued support. The presence and encouragement of our alumni have been deeply felt and truly appreciated. Over the past few months alone, alumni attendance at events has grown more consistent and has been filled with genuine brotherhood. Your passion does not go unnoticed, and we are committed to matching that energy by continuing to invite you to experience Phi Mu Alpha with us at every opportunity.

This gratitude is not just from me, but from the chapter as a whole. Our Chapter President, Brandon Esquivel, would also like to share his appreciation.

“It has been great to see many of faces that have built the chapter that we are a part of today. It is always very cool for us to see who was here before us and learn about the people who paved the road for us to enjoy this amazing brotherhood in this Epsilon Alpha Chapter. Thank you for putting in the time and effort to come and support the chapter, we appreciate it a lot.”

The chapter you see today exists because of the work you did as collegiates and continue to do as alumni. No matter what Epsilon Alpha looked like during your time at the University of Toledo, I hope you can look at the chapter now and say, “That is my chapter—I helped build that.” For that, we are eternally grateful.

Newest Alumni: Dylan Shearer

I would like to take a moment to introduce our newest alumni brother, Dylan Shearer. Dylan was initiated as a member of the Chi Class on November 19th, 2023. During his time as a collegiate brother, he welcomed three littles: Brendan Frey (Alumnus), Caleb Wendel (Collegiate), and Bryce Tabor (Collegiate).

Dylan’s collegiate career was filled with joy, dedication, and passion, and I could not be prouder of him as a Sinfonian—especially in my role as his FEO. We are excited to welcome him into the alumni ranks.

Dylan says,

“PMA was one of the first communities I experienced at the college level. When I was very cautious about it because I sill didn’t know anyone and didn’t know what to expect. But once I was in the process I had a great time. I met most of my closest friends that I still have today in the fraternity. I am very grateful and proud of the fraternity and where it has become today. To end off my most memorable experience was my first MMM when we performed at a senior citizen home and sang to them then played games with them. This was when I really knew that Phi Mu Alpha was the place for me.”

I hope you all hear this and remember what Phi Mu Alpha has meant to you, and that you can resonate with the power that music and brotherhood hold in our lives. May it also serve as a reminder of the support the chapter gave you—and continues to give—to this day and in the years to come.

Dylan received his Associate’s degree in General Studies this fall semester and plans to attend EMT school while pursuing a career as a firefighter. The chapter wishes him the best of luck in all his future endeavors, and we hope he enjoys his time as an alumnus of Epsilon Alpha.

Please join us in warmly welcoming Brother Dylan Shearer to Alumni membership!

The Break Hiatus:

Now, we look forward to a restful break before the Spring Semester begins. While the chapter may not be meeting on campus during this time, our work and brotherhood continue. Please keep an eye out for announcements regarding upcoming events, including degrees, Chapter Day, graduation ceremonies, and any other activities that may arise.

2025-2026 Events

I hope you all find comfort and pride in the work and brotherhood highlighted throughout this newsletter. Wishing each of you a safe, joyful, and happy holiday season!

OASAASLLS,

Shundrick Parker
Epsilon Alpha ARO
Shundrick2021@gmail.com
(937) 204-8510

It is good to return to the October edition of the Rocket Sinfonian Encore as the year has officially hit full swing. This edition will largely focus on updates and reminders.

Summer Months:

During the summer we took a hiatus to rest and reset for the year. The main event during this time was the National Convention, which was held online, giving us a new National President and other officers. Most notably, Province 2 Governor Dave Friday was elected.

Fall 2025 Begins:

In the beginning of our semester, as always, we begin with band camp and have 20 brothers in the RMB, 3 of whom are on Team 1, this year. As we wrapped up our first month of the semester, we hosted our biannual Music Org Info Night with Kappa Kappa Psi and Sigma Alpha Iota to kick off our Rush class. We had a largely successful Rush Week, which led to us giving out 14 bids for membership. After we awaited acceptances, we are happy to announce that on September 21st, 10 musicianly men and manly musicians went through the First Degree!

Probationary Member Education Program:

Now our PM process is in full swing, and we are excited to introduce our FEO and the Alpha Beta class. That’s right, after 16 years the EA chapter has hit double-letter class names!!! Meet the PMs of the Epsilon Alpha Chapter of Fall 2025, the Alpha Betas!!!

Joaquin Hernandez | Education Major | Baby Hands Fam

Luke Boyd | Pharmacy Major | House of Mit

Alex Eward | Music Education Major | Baby Hands Fam

Devin Ostrowski | Environmental Science Major | Baby Hands Fam

Keaton Weschke | Music Performance (Percussion) Major | House of Mit

Armando Rodriguez | Special Education Major | House of Mit

Josiah Iles | Major | House of the Mystic Cat

Johnny Cohers | Major | House of Boards

Evan Binette | Media Communications Major | Baby Hands Fam

Luke Siefert | Informational Systems Major | House of Mit

Let’s also hear a few brief words from the FEO, Logan Ostrowski.

So far as EA's FEO, I have had my eyes opened! At the very beginning of the semester, I learned how much work and communication goes into every lesson. I found it very helpful to communicate with other eboard officers and get their input on some decisions! For this fall class, I am most excited to see how they figure out our hidden secrets and what that means to them!

Homecoming 2025: Rocky’s Rodeo

It was great to see so many familiar faces at our RMB Alumni reunion. It was a true sight to see active RMB with the alumni band that filled the Glass Bowl with SOUND. There is no doubt we were heard all through the campus of UToledo. Even better, we got to sing together once more as alumni, collegiates, and PMs. I hope you all hold dear the power of music that we as an organization champion as the means to uniting all men to harmony. On a personal note, it was a privilege to spend my time with the alumni band this year, besides the Friday night truck fiasco…

Big shout-out to Kyle Kissner for making this happen once again and being such a strong representation of a manly musician and a musicianly man.

Alumni Relations Moving Forward:

Due to the conversations had with some of our alumni in the past week. I will be aiming to diversify and balance the means of communication for you all so you can choose between your preferred method of how you get this information. More to come on this in the coming months.

Upcoming Events:

As a reminder, any and all events can be found in the “2025-2026 Events” tab on the Substack. You can also click the button below for this list. You can also find and RSVP for events on the Facebook Group, and I will send out updates to you all about these events as they draw near. Everything up to 3rd degree is already scheduled and posted!!

2025-2026 Events

I hope this update finds you well. As always, remember the deep love and passion Sinfonia brought to your college years, and carry that with you as you continue to make an impact in your communities.

OASAASLLS,

Shundrick Parker
Epsilon Alpha ARO
Shundrick2021@gmail.com
(937) 204-8510

It is once again a pleasure to bring you the May edition of the Rocket Sinfonian Encore. This issue will focus on you—our esteemed alumni—and on fostering meaningful relationships between you, the active chapter, and myself.

Quick Chapter Updates:

Chapter Day Celebration

With the semester now concluded, the chapter is on a short hiatus. We ended on a high note by celebrating our 16th Chapter Day. A heartfelt thank-you to all the alumni who joined us for the ceremony and the brotherhood event that followed. Special shoutout to Brother Edgar Duenas for lending his voice to a portion of the ceremony!

Phi Mu Athlon Games

This semester featured a series of competitive events designed to strengthen brotherhood and our family house bonds. After an exciting semester, here’s how the leaderboard ended:

1. House of MIT - 31

2. Baby Hands Fam - 26

3. House of Boards - 18

4. House of Beards - 18

5. House of the Mystic Cat - 15

6. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - 12

Alumni Resources/Involvement

As your Alumni Relations Officer (ARO), my goal is to help provide the alumni experience you're looking for—whether that means occasional updates or deep involvement. Here’s how you can stay connected at different levels:

Level 1: The Rocket Sinfonian Encore Newsletter
This monthly newsletter offers a comprehensive view of chapter life. It also links to living pages featuring event calendars and current leadership—your one-stop shop for chapter info.

Subscribe now

Level 2: Alumni Facebook Group
Join us on Facebook to engage more actively. I post each newsletter there, along with regular updates and event info. It's also a space for you to connect with fellow alumni.

Alumni Facebook Group

Level 3: Chapter Discord Server
Looking for full access to chapter happenings? Our Discord is where all the action is—from business discussions to event announcements. Join us, introduce yourself with your name and alumni status, and we’ll get you set up with the right role.

Join the Chapter Server

Alumni Call to Action

Family Tree

One of the most important traditions in our chapter is the preservation of our lineage. To that end, I’ve been working on documenting our family tree—but I need your help to ensure its accuracy. Our chapter is split into 6 active families:

House of Beards

• Origin: Founded by Brother Justin Kelley.

• Legacy: Spanned through several generations down to Brother Jack Schmidt.

• Expansion: Jack Schmidt had four Littles, each of whom went on to found a new family, while one retained the original name:

  • Ben Doepker kept the House of Beards name and continues its legacy.

  • Kodi Albright established the House of MIT.

  • Xavier Robida started the House of Boards.

  • DJ Loyer created the House of the Mystic Cat.

Each of these families maintained the "House of" naming convention to honor their shared origin in the original House of Beards.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

• Origin: Founded by Brother Robert Rhine.

• Legacy: Continues through to its most recent alumni member, Brother Caleb Johnson.

• This family remains distinct in name and tradition

Baby Hands Fam

• Origin: Started by Brother Natalie Ward, whose lineage began in the Iota Omicron chapter.

• Epsilon Alpha Legacy: Continued through to the most recent alumni, Brother Nate Byers.

• This family remains distinct in name and tradition

This living history is something we want to preserve for future generations. I’ve attached our current draft of the family tree. If you see missing links, inaccuracies, or know of lines that may have died out or changed, please reach out so we can keep our story alive and complete.

Epsilon Alpha Family Tree Fall 24

52.6KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Alumni Information Form

Province 2 is collecting updated alumni info as part of several initiatives—particularly to distribute owed membership materials from the past few years. I've created a form to gather important (and quick!) details. Please take five minutes to fill it out—your help is truly appreciated. It appears to be long but should mostly be information off the top of your head.

Alumni Information Form

I hope this update finds you well. As always, remember the deep love and passion Sinfonia brought to your college years, and carry that with you as you continue to make an impact in your communities.

OASAASLLS,

Shundrick Parker
Epsilon Alpha ARO
Shundrick2021@gmail.com
(937) 204-8510

It’s a pleasure to reconnect and bring the alumni newsletter back to life. Recently, the chapter held elections, and for the first time in several years, a collegiate brother has been elected to the position of ARO.

New ARO:

I am honored to introduce myself as the newly elected ARO of Epsilon Alpha. My name is Shundrick Parker, and I was initiated into the chapter in the Fall of 2022 under the guidance of Jack Schmidt as my FEO. In the past years, I served as FEO (2023-2024) and Vice President (2024-2025). I am currently a Music Education major with a focus on instrumental music, particularly saxophone. Additionally, I am involved with OCMEA and Kappa Kappa Psi, having held several leadership roles. I am excited to serve as your ARO this coming year and to strengthen the connection between alumni and collegiate brothers.

Chapter Updates:

During the hiatus of this newsletter, many changes have taken place within the chapter. The most notable achievement was the initiation of our largest class to date in Fall 2024, with 14 new PMs. This class, the Omicron Class, was the first to undergo the new national education program, Etudes, which presented some challenges but also valuable learning opportunities.

As we reflected on our identity as Sinfonians, the chapter entered a period of introspection, seeking clarity about who we are as a brotherhood. In this time of uncertainty, we made the conscious decision not to hold a spring class, choosing instead to focus on strengthening our brotherhood and chapter as a whole. Although the search for our path forward continues, we have made significant progress. Our goals are to give back through music, grow as brothers, and deepen our understanding of Sinfonia beyond the initiation process.

Alongside this growth, we’ve revamped our operations. We’ve re-established committees, now led by dedicated committee heads and supported by the Vice President. Most recently, we introduced a fourth standing committee: Ritual and Ceremonies, dedicated to ensuring the proper preparation and execution of our rituals. Our current focus is on developing each position within the chapter to foster active, contributing officers.

New Initiatives:

In light of these changes, I’m adjusting the way I communicate with you all. Moving forward, this newsletter will serve as a monthly update on the chapter’s progress. Additionally, I’m launching an Epsilon Alpha Alumni Facebook group to provide more consistent, real-time updates and to foster greater engagement between alumni and collegiate brothers. You can find the link to join the group [here], and it’s also available on the homepage under our social media section.

Moreover, I will be compiling an alumni list for the chapter, which will require some input from you. This will be an opportunity to contribute to filling in historical gaps and to share updates about your current life. More information about this will be shared in next month’s (May) update. In the meantime, if you know of any alumni who are not yet part of this mailing list or the Facebook group, please invite them to join!

I hope this update finds you well. As always, remember the deep love and passion Sinfonia brought to your college years, and carry that with you as you continue to make an impact in your communities.

OASAASLLS,

Shundrick Parker
Epsilon Alpha ARO
Shundrick2021@gmail.com
(937) 204-8510

Hello fellow brothers from Epsilon Alpha,

Jack and I hope you have all been well so far in 2024! We know we haven’t posted in a while, but we hope to change the tide on that soon. For Jack? He’s been busy with his graduate program at Clemson and that has been his focus. For me? I’ve had some personal Sinfonian conflicts I’ll be happy to go over perhaps in a future post.

We’re not here to talk about us though, we want to share some big news to you about Epsilon Alpha and how you can help. In case if you’re not aware, the National Fraternity’s Commission on Standards placed a moratorium on all initiations for every chapter across the country. If this is the first time you’ve heard about this, we completely understand since it was not shared too heavily with alumni.

This impacts our chapter because there are 4 probationary and 1 honorary member that will soon be ready for initiation into our beloved fraternity. Because of this moratorium, they are not allowed to initiate them without meeting some requirements! Here are the requirements from Chapter President Ben Doepker received that he shared with the brothers:

In order for the PM process to continue in regards to nationals a couple of things need to be done.

Firstly, every collegiate brother must complete the RMA with a PASSING SCORE, I will attach a link to the end of this.

Secondly, EA needs to be in good standing with the national fraternity (we currently are, yay!), but our chapter report is currently stuck at ‘Waiting for FA approval’ and I’ll be communicating to Dr. Stumbo to get this completed.

Lastly, [Dave Friday] needs to meet with the current probationary class to insure that they are all eligible for membership, this will be happening at our next PM meeting on Friday (so long as that works for him).

WHAT I NEED FROM YOU: If you have not passed the RMA you must complete it again and send me a screenshot that you have passed it (It must have the part that says that you passed or a score of 90% and above).

What is RMA?

The RMA, or Risk Management Assessment, is brand new training for all collegiate brothers of the fraternity. The goal of this training is to reduce all risk within the organization and help protect it as a whole. This will educate and ensure that all brothers know what they can and cannot do.

The sooner the chapter completes this step, the more likely they are to be able to initiate the 5 gentlemen into our fraternity. They are being pushed to finish this step as soon as possible!

Where do you come in?

This is our call to action from alumni! Show your support for the Epsilon Alpha chapter to encourage all collegiate brothers to complete this step! Alumni brothers are being asked to match $50 if the brothers can complete this step by the end of the week! So far, we have 4 brothers pledging to donate at least up to the match to encourage the brothers! Can we add your name?

If you contribute, this will be part of the award given to the chapter once they complete the RMA. Your name will also be included at the bottom of future alumni newsletters. Thank you for reading, and we appreciate your support!

Email Jack Schmidt to pledge!

• Epsilon Alpha Ritual

• Sounds of the Stadium

• MAC Championship

• Tuba Christmas

• Brothers of the Black & Red Podcast

Happy late Thanksgiving, Brothers!

Sorry for the delay on sending this out. This time of year can be hectic for all, but we're happy to send this newsletter and for you to read it.

Today, I was reminiscing about the end of my collegiate days in the Epsilon Alpha Chapter. My senior year was an interesting one in this fraternity, as that was when I was the FEO and Province 2 CPR. That year was a transformative one for me. Anyone that was a collegiate brother in the Fall of 2018 knows how strict I was about our procedures and how much of a downer I could be. My fraternal flame was all but extinguished, and I took it out on everyone around me. To all the brothers that dealt with me in those times, I am sorry. Thankfully, I had a few things change that. First, I was FEO to an amazing PM class with brothers like Jack Schmidt that reminded me what Sinfonia was all about. Second, I was able to attend the CPR convocation and meet brothers from across the country all with their own perspectives. It was these events I learned what brotherhood meant and it changed who I was and how I should act.

To sum up, I'm thankful for Brother Jack for being the best brother and friend I could ask for and this fraternity for all it has given me. Lastly, thank you to all the readers of this newsletter. The Epsilon Alpha Chapter has flourished and it is great to know alumni want to hear about it!

Ryan Smith, EA 2016

Another Hello to you my Brothers!

Normally, we only have one introduction message, but something has come up we really would like to talk about as well. As many of you know, one of the best parts of being a member of the RMB at Toledo is the idea of going to a Bowl Game. This year, Toledo got their 6 wins and eligibility extremely early in the season. This means that last Sunday on Bowl Selection Sunday Toledo was chosen to go to a pretty big bowl, The Arizona Bowl against Wyoming.

In my total 5 years in the RMB I was lucky enough to go to 3 bowl games. However, every time I got to go, only a portion of the band was selected to go. This portion ranged from 30 members to over 120. The great thing about this year is the Toledo and their Athletic Department decided that they wanted the entire RMB to go, every single member. Of course, this is not a cheap endeavor and the RMB will appreciate any financial support that anyone can provide.

As stated later in this article 20 members of the RMB are in the EA chapter (That’s nearly a sixth of the entire band). I know that each and everyone of them would appreciate all the help in going. I also believe Bowl Game Trips are one of the best and most pivotal points in collegiate marching band, and I personally am asking for your help as well. I’ve included two links bellow, one is a video that shows just how excited the RMB was to find out they are going to Arizona. The other link takes you to the official site where you can help offset travel costs for the RMB and help support every members dream (including the 20 EA brothers in the band).

Check out the RMB learning they are all going to Arizona!

Support the RMB financially here!

I appreciate all of you my brothers,

Jack Schmidt, EA 2018

Ritual

On November 19th, the EA chapter held a combined Ritual with the IO chapter at Bowling Green. At this combined Ritual the EA chapter initiated 10 new brothers and the IO chapter initiated 6 collegiate and 2 faculty brothers! This was a great event that helped to continue to strengthen the bond between both chapters and to encourage further province level interaction.

Sounds of the Stadium

The Rocket Marching Band is an iconic staple of the University of Toledo. This year the EA Chapter had 20 brothers (new and old) in the RMB. This is the largest population percentage the EA Chapter has had in the RMB in a long time. Along with this, at the end of each Football season the RMB puts on their Sounds of the Stadium concert at the Valentine Theater in downtown Toledo. This concert is a culmination of all of the hard work the members of the RMB have put in throughout the year. It is also a final recognition of the graduating seniors of the RMB.

MAC Championship

The Toledo Football program this year has been absolutely stellar, finishing the regular season with an 11-1 record. After a tough and close loss to the University Illinois (a Big 10 school) Toledo flared back to life and went on an 11 game winning streak through the rest of the regular season. This placed them as the undisputed MAC West Champions and paved their way to a second straight MAC Championship game in Detroit, this time against Miami of Ohio. This miraculous and powerful season brought the city of Toledo together more than ever and truly rallied the community around the University.

Sadly, Toledo was unable to pull out the win against Miami. The final score ended at a heartbreaking 14-23 with Miami taking home the MAC Championship trophy. However, The EA Brothers that were in attendance in the RMB still managed to have a fun and electric time. They also put on an amazing halftime performance and combined with the Miami Marching Band to perform as well.

Tuba Christmas

The Sunday after Thanksgiving had a newer Toledo tradition at the Franklin Park Mall. Tuba Christmas is an event that happens in multiple cities across the country where Tuba and Euphonium players get together to play their own renditions of holiday classics. This year, Tuba Christmas was in the food court as the precursor to Santa arriving for the first time. They played classics like Jingle Bells, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. There was a decent showing of Epsilon Alpha brothers playing this year. There were collegiate brothers like Eric Thomas, Noah Driehorst, Xavier Robida, and DJ Loyer, but there was also Ryan Smith who visited from Minnesota. It even made the local news!

Brothers of the Black & Red Podcast

In the past, there have been a few different Sinfonian podcasts (shout out to Sinfonicast), but a new one has been launched by two members of the National Executive Committee. These two members are Reno Ruiz, National Collegiate Representative, and Levi Frazier, Collegiate Province Representative Council Chairman. The name of this new podcast is the Brothers of the Black & Red Podcast and is meant to host honest conversations about Sinfonia. We encourage you to check in and listen!

• Mills Music Mission

• Sinfonian Sausages

• T-Shirt Contest

• The Psi-Phi Halloween Party

• A New Outreach Flyer

• Official Alumni Events Fall 2023

Greetings Alumni Brothers!

Recently, the Alumni Affairs Committee of Phi Mu Alpha held a training to inspire and educate new Alumni Relations Officers on resources and tactics available to them. I attended this training and was inspired to start potentially planning an Epsilon Alpha Alumni meet-up. The first and main idea that came to my head was to get a section of a brewery in Toledo reserved and inviting all Alumni and their significant others to join us for reminiscing and drinks. This is a concept but would be a great idea to get many of us Alumni together for some good times. If you would be interested in an event like this, please let us know with the comment button below!

Leave a comment

I can still remember the Fall of 2018, my first year at the University of Toledo. It was the semester I joined the RMB, the semester I started my journey as a chemical engineer, and of course when I joined Phi Mu Alpha. The events of that Fall built a foundation and shaped the entire course of my college career.

My first MMM was that Fall at the Toledo Ronald McDonald House. We sang to a total of 2 kids and a few staff staff members, but we all had a great time. Around the same time, my first Psi-Phi was also my first college party, which was a very interesting and fun way to get introduced to more people around the CPA. Finally, I vividly remember my Initiation Ritual and how awestruck I was at the majesty of it. Now, there are new members of the EA chapter going through the same thing I was, join us as we follow them below.

Onward we Journey!

Jack Schmidt, EA 2018

Mills Music Mission

On October 29th, the Brothers and PMs of the EA chapter ventured out to Tradition at West Park Place to perform a MMM for the residents of the facility. The group began by singing tunes out of the Red Book but grew to sing “For the Longest Time” by Billy Joel. After singing, the Brothers and PMs joined the audience in playing some classic Bingo for over an hour! Overall, the members of the facility greatly enjoyed the concert and loved playing Bingo with the Chapter.

Sinfonian Sausages

Do you remember selling hotdogs in the CPA at around lunch time? I remember unpacking someone's car that had all the supplies and equipment right before we opened, rushing to get the tabletop grill heated up, and being given a pile of cash and coins in transactions.

This is not how things are anymore! The chapter has a cabinet in the CPA that they are able to store most of the equipment in. Plus the fridge, they don't really have to worry about which brother is holding onto everything they need to sell hotdogs.

The chapter also doesn’t have a tabletop grill anymore, they use a propane grill outside. With it they can cook up many hot dogs. It is in pretty poor shape, so they may look to replace it soon.

The biggest advancement they made in the past few years was being able to accept electronic payments like credit cards and Venmo! Before, many people would say they'd be interested in buying but didn't have any cash. The chapter has its own tablet and a card reader so people can pay however is convenient!

“I have yet to be disappointed with the, chip and drink selection, and of course the hot dogs themselves.” - Jillian Micua, frequent customer

The last major difference is they are a real staple in the music building. Every Thursday, people know hot dogs are on the menu and are ready to line up at lunch. EA has grown a consistent and loyal customer base that provide a fun service to the students and faculty at the CPA.

T-Shirt Contest

Because of this loyal fan base from Sinfonian Sausages, the chapter has been organizing t-shirt contests and selling them as a fundraising opportunity. Here was the winner from last year, the first year they started this tradition.

After many submissions and judging, below was the winner for 2023. This design was created by Jillian Micua, a second year baritone player in the RMB, and a frequent and consistent customer of Sinfonian Sausages. If you wish to buy one of these shirts, fill out the form from the QR code BEFORE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH!

The Psi-Phi Halloween Party

Psi-Phi has been a longstanding tradition where the music organizations in the CPA put together a Halloween party. It started with cooperation between Kappa Kappa Psi and Phi Mu Alpha, but these days has expanded to include Sigma Alpha Iota and OCMEA. This year, Psi-Phi was scheduled on Saturday Night October 27. Many of the same staples were there with fun events like pumpkin carving (before throwing them into the Ottawa) and a costume contest. This party is a great way for all the music orgs to work together and build better relationships for other endeavors.

A New Outreach Flyer

One thing we wanted to talk about was how focused the chapter is on sustainable recruitment into the brotherhood. Just this Fall alone, they have 10 probationary members. The best part is that is not an outlier with 4 in the Spring and 7 last Fall. Brother DJ Loyer was sitting in the CPA about to do homework (let’s ignore the procrastination together) when he noticed the bulletin board in the lobby did not include anything about the EA chapter. He designed this flyer to help get the name of Phi Mu Alpha out there and to feel more official. What do you think of this flyer?

Official Alumni Events Fall 2023

If you would like to attend any of the following events please let us know so we can inform the chapter and they can be expecting you!

11/4 Black Night @7pm

• Mystery Walk starts at 7pm with Black Night Ceremony following

• Meet at the CPA to join for the Ceremony around 8pm

11/11 Gold Night @7pm

• Gold Night Ceremony will start around 7pm after the Chapter Gavel Pass

• Meet at the CPA to join the Ceremony around 7pm

11/19 Initiation Ritual @4pm

• Combined Ritual with IO in Bowling Green

• Knock at 4pm with Music Rehearsal at 3pm

• Held in Wood County Masonic Lodge

• 159 N Main Street, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402

Presiding Officer: Benjamin Doepker

Start Time: 07:12pm

End Time: 09:01pm

Attendance:

Approval of Minutes/Agenda:

Officer Reports:

1. President - Benjamin Doepker

   1. Nothing to Report

2. Vice President - Nathan Byers

   1. Music Committee Check-In

      1. Going okay

3. Fraternity Education Officer - Shundrick Parker

   1. Red Night

      1. Update: MMM will be happening at 6:30 at Traditions at West Park Place, Sunday the 29th

      2. Ceremony will be at 5pm, Collegiate Brothers be there at 4:30pm

   2. PM Process Things

      1. Meeting this week is Friday at 6pm due to fall break

      2. Next week, meetings will be back to 4pm on Monday

      3. We are in “ball rolling mode”

      4. Bigs check in on your littles

4. Treasurer - Lucas Flanagan

   1. Reimbursements

      1. DJ for dogs, approved because it’s in the budget

      2. If we go over budget, we will vote on it

   2. Doggies

      1. Dogs are a go for the next two weeks

   3. Chapter Dues

      1. Everyone paid national dues

      2. Not everyone has paid chapter dues, have them in by Sunday

      3. If you do not have them in, you will be suspended until you pay them

   4. Shirts

      1. Jillian’s white T-Shirt design won

      2. We will get a timeline together for this soon

5. Secretary - David Loyer

   1. Attendance

      1. You know the drill

   2. Paper Meeting

      1. Less than half the chapter

6. PCR - Kodi Albright

   1. Anti-Hazing Training

      1. Send Ben the certificate of completion

      2. Have it done by Sunday, if not, suspension

      3. Link to the training will be put in the discord

   2. CMU Trip

      1. November 24th, Toledo plays them if you would like to go

7. Alumni Relations Officer - Jack Schmidt

   1. Nothing to Report

8. Warden - Andrew Steele

   1. Nothing to Report

9. Historian - Thomus Maples

   1. Nothing to Report

10. Music Director - Xavier Robida

    1. Music

       1. Hail Sinfonia

       2. Vive L’Amour

       3. On and Ever Upward

       4. Ode

       5. Red and Black

       6. Sing of Sinfonia

       7. Sing, Sinfonia, Sing

       8. The Longest Time

       9. Hooked on a Feeling

For the Good of the Order:

1. Koki Albright

   1. Tablet

      1. Will begin to look at tablet prices for hot dogs so we don’t have to rely on Xavier.

Adjourn:

1. Meeting adjourned at 09:01pm, 10/18/2023

Paper Meeting (not in person)

Officer Reports:

1. President - Benjamin Doepker

   1. DUES

      1. PAY THEM DUES BY THE 15TH!

         1. Noah Driehorst

         2. Brandon Esquivel

         3. Lucas Flanagan

         4. Greg Goubeaux

         5. Jack Hensley

         6. Caleb Johnson

         7. Thomus Maples

         8. Shundrick Parker

      2. Yes y’all did just get called out

2. Vice President - Nathan Byers

   1. Nothing to Report

3. Fraternity Education Officer - Shundrick Parker

   1. PM Meetings

      1. Please come to PM meetings if you can (they started doing meeting bingo!)

      2. The meeting next week was moved to Friday at 6pm because they cannot do it on Monday

      3. Their first attempt at the Exam will be on the 23rd

   2. Red Night

      1. On the 29th at 6pm

      2. The MMM will be beforehand, but the ceremony is looking to be at 6

      3. Other Color Night dates and times can be found here.

      4. Expect to be there an hour early to every color night for set-up

   3. Power Point Night

      1. Get those presentations ready

      2. More brotherhood events to come

4. Treasurer - Lucas Flanagan

   1. Nothing to Report

5. Secretary - David Loyer

   1. Attendance

      1. Make sure to message me about any attendance inquiries

   2. Paper Meeting

      1. Once you have finished reading these minutes, please send me a cowboy emoji on any platform, that will be your attendance for this meeting

6. PCR - Kodi Albright

   1. Anti-Hazing Training

      1. Anti-Hazing Training needs to be completed by October 15th in order to participate as a Collegiate Brotther

7. Alumni Relations Officer - Jack Schmidt

   1. Nothing to Report

8. Warden - Andrew Steele

   1. Nothing to Report

9. Historian - Thomus Maples

   1. Instagram Post

      1. Go like the Instagram post if you have not already

10. Music Director - Xavier Robida

    1. Music

       1. Look over these songs in the Red Book

          1. Hail Sinfonia

          2. Vive L’Amour

          3. On and Ever Upward

          4. Ode

          5. Red and Black

          6. Sing of Sinfonia

          7. Sing, Sinfonia, Sing

       2. PDFs of the songs not in the Red Book will be posted later to look at

Presiding Officer: Benjamin Doepker

Start Time: 07:05pm

End Time: 08:20pm

Attendance:

Approval of Minutes/Agenda:

Officer Reports:

1. President - Benjamin Doepker

   1. Founder’s Day

      1. We need to find a day for Founder’s Day.

      2. Pencil in Wednesday the 18th during meeting.

2. Vice President - Nathan Byers

   1. Committee Check Ins

      1. Things going good.

3. Fraternity Education Officer - Shundrick Parker

   1. Psi Phi

      1. Colin has set the date as the 27th, no time given.

      2. The help sign up sheet is in the Brotherhood channel in the discord.

      3. 1 Person will need to help, PMA is covering dessert, and we need to help clean up.

      4. There is a costume contest.

4. Treasurer - Lucas Flanagan

   1. Dogs

      1. Dogs will run tomorrow as per usual.

      2. Following week is good as well.

   2. T-Shirt Contest

      1. We have 6 submissions.

         1. 1 will not be an option.

      2. The other 5 will be placed on a form for customers to vote on.

   3. Dues

      1. Pay them if you have not

         1. Kodi is the only one who has paid National Dues (whoops).

   4. Reimbursements

      1. 2 Receipts given, both budgeted so they are already approved.

5. Secretary - David Loyer

   1. Attendance

      1. Let me know iif you will not be at a required meeting or event, through text please so I have proof.

   2. Grade Checks

      1. Everyone is good!

   3. Next Week’s Meeting

      1. Wind Ensemble is having their concert next Wednesday at 7pm, what does this mean for our meeting?

      2. We will do a paper meeting, be on the lookout for those and read them.

6. PCR - Kodi Albright

   1. Nothing to Report

7. Alumni Relations Officer - Jack Schmidt

   1. Nothing to Report

8. Warden - Andrew Steele

   1. Nothing to Report

9. Historian - Thomus Maples

   1. Instagram Post

      1. Go like the Instagram post if you have not already

10. Music Director - Xavier Robida

    1. Music Rehearsal

       1. Red and Black

       2. Light Your Pipe

       3. Ode

For the Good of the Order:

1. David Loyer (Rit Director)

   1. Part Auditions

      1. Auditions for roles were had

   2. Part Assignments

      1. Some parts were assigned

      2. See me if you have questions about your part or need to know/forgot what it is

2. Bands of America

   1. Volunteers

      1. We need non-marching volunteers, speak to a marching brother about it

3. Nathan Byers

   1. Power Point Night

      1. Get your presentations ready for next month

4. B&R

   1. B&R was had

Adjourn:

1. Meeting adjourned at 08:20pm, 10/04/2023

• Alumni Return for Homecoming

• A Message from FEO Shundrick Parker

• Rush Week Fall 2023

• Pinning Ceremony

• How You Can Help a Brother

• Alumni Events Fall 2023

Greetings Alumni Brothers!

When this issue of RSE is published, it is officially Founders’ Day! To celebrate, let’s see how our favorite chapter at the University of Toledo is doing. The Epsilon Alpha Chapter has accomplished plenty this month that has been fascinating to see from a distance. The September issue is a long one to reflect all the great work they’re doing, but we are still trying to get our footing to see what the standard length would be. How do feel about the formatting of this issue? Let us know in the comments or reaching out to me directly.

Leave a comment

Quick housekeeping, we are now posting Chapter Minutes onto this website as its own section. By default, you will not receive an email when new minutes are published, but you can subscribe and manage your notifications to make sure you see them right away. The plan is to post the most recently approved minutes the Friday after they were approved. Please check them out below and subscribe in a post!

Epsilon Alpha Minutes

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this latest issue of the Rocket Sinfonian Encore!

Ryan Smith, EA 2016

Alumni Return for Homecoming

This past Saturday was the University of Toledo’s Homecoming! Every other year the Rocket Marching Band invites back their Alumni to join them for Homecoming. This includes marching the Homecoming parade, playing in the stands during the game, and performing at half-time. Many past members of the chapter were members of the RMB during their collegiate years and as such many of them returned this Saturday! All in all, over 140 RMB Alumni members returned and combined with the current RMB members to form a near 300 person band!

A Message from FEO Shundrick Parker

Hi, I’m Shundrick Parker a collegiate brother and current FEO of the Epsilon Alpha. I joined this great fraternity in December of 2022 not even a year ago. It’s so crazy to think about how much Phi Mu Alpha has grown to mean to me in this short time. Being elected as FEO has only elevated this love and passion I have. My main goals are of course to initiate a class each semester but on top of that I want to try to make the process as interactive as possible and start building the brotherhood I hold so dearly early in the process. The best part by far is the new PMs and creating these bonds.

We started recruitment this semester fresh out the gate in week three of classes. By the end of it all, we had a Chi class of 10 outstanding men. I have had the time of my life so far with them. They are such a fun group of guys and I can see each one becoming a great Sinfonian in the near future. The coming months will be quite hectic, but the goal is to hold our Final Ritual on November 19th with Knock being at 12pm. This will allow for at least one chapter meeting with the new Sinfonians before we go on break. I’m looking forward to just enjoying the process with these guys and helping them through, and stay tuned for hopefully another class in the Spring!

Rush Week Fall 2023

Rush Week this semester took place September 11th through the 15th. The week was announced during announcements after Rocket Marching Band practice and people were personally invited by the collegiate brothers as well. Each night was a huge success for the chapter as 5-10 people showed up each night and the events were received extremely well.

On Monday, the collegiate brothers hosted a volleyball game at the Rec Center where they went deep into night playing and having fun!

On Tuesday, everyone came together in the CPA to game out with a mixture of board games and Super Smash Bros.

On Wednesday, brothers met in the CPA again and and a movie night. For this particular event everyone watched Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

On Thursday, the chapter teamed up with Sigma Alpha Iota and played a few games of Sardines in the CPA! For those unaware, Sardines is like a reverse hide and seek. One person hides while the others try to find them, when a seeker finds the hiding person they join them in hiding in that spot. Eventually almost everyone ends up packed together like a can of sardines!

On Friday, the collegiate brothers each brought a dish or item as they hosted a pot luck dinner for their final Rush night! After everyone filled up on food they headed out to the Spirit Rock on campus and painted it up in a true Sinfonian style!

Pinning Ceremony

The Pinning Ceremony for the Chi PM class was held on October 1st at the Center for Performing Arts on campus. During the Ceremony 10 new probationary members were pinned by their Bigs!

How You Can Help a Brother

“Thank you so much! Without you I would not have been able to pay my dues, and I would have lost this opportunity with music.” - Supported Brother

Last Spring, a new program was quietly rolled out by the Collegiate Brothers as a way for Alumni to directly support a brother in need of financial assistance. This was affectionately called the “Sponsor a Brother” Program. The way the program works is that an Alumni brother can donate directly to the chapter and help pay a brother’s dues. When an Alumni brother does donate, the chapter provides a small biography, photo, and statement from the brother that they helped.

When the program was quietly rolled out, our very own Ryan Smith donated and helped save a brother from going on financial suspension! The brother had been going through a rough patch and could barely afford rent, he was sadly going to have to go on suspension until he could come up with the money to pay his dues, both National and Chapter. However, Ryan reached out and showed his interest in donating, which eventually led to him fully paying the dues of the struggling brother allowing him to stick with the chapter and not go on suspension!

Our goal now, is to reach out to all of you! As the chapter continues to grow there are more chances of a brother going through financial hardship. We would love for any Alumni out there that are interested in donating to reach out to me, Jack Schmidt, the current Epsilon Alpha Alumni Relations Officer (I’ve included my contact information at the end of this section). Any donation of any size and amount can make the biggest difference to a brother and would be greatly appreciated!

Jack’s ARO Email: alumnirelationsea@gmail.com

Jack’s Phone Number: 513-708-5222

Alumni Events Fall 2023

Mills Music Mission - October 29th, Time: TBD

Red Night - October 29th, Time: TBD

Black Night - November 4th, Time: TBD

Gold Night - November 12th, Time: TBD

Initiation - November 19th, Knock at 12pm, Music Rehearsal at 11am

Be on the lookout for a special edition of the Rocket Sinfonian Encore for finalized times for these Alumni Events once they are decided on by the chapter! We hope to see you all there, our Alumni presence is something we hope to increase at chapter events!

Presiding Officer: Benjamin Doepker

Start Time: 07:09pm

End Time: 08:20pm

Attendance:

Approval of Minutes/Agenda:

Officer Reports:

1. President - Benjamin Doepker

   1. Nothing to Report

2. Vice President - Nathan Byers

   1. Nothing to Report

3. Fraternity Education Officer - Shundrick Parker

   1. PM Meetings

      1. Mondays at 4

      2. Show up if you can

   2. Pinning Ceremony

      1. Sunday at 6, be there at 5:00

      2. In the Recital Hall

      3. Shundrick will be with the children and everyone else will set up

      4. We will run through the ceremony for practice beforehand

   3. Psi Phi

      1. Halloween Party with the music orgs

      2. October 21st or 27th

      3. We would prefer the 27th

      4. Shundrick will get back to Colin (KKPsi VPP)

4. Treasurer - Lucas Flanagan

   1. Dogs

      1. Dogs will run tomorrow as usual

   2. Dues

      1. Deadline for Dues is October 15th

      2. Get Nationals in first because that one is more important

   3. T-Shirt Contest

      1. We are getting a graphic for it

      2. Will start tomorrow

   4. Reimbursements

      1. All reimbursements were in the budget, no need to vote on it

5. Secretary - David Loyer

   1. Attendance

      1. Let me know in advance if you will not be making it to a required event or if you will be late

   2. Grade Checks

      1. If your name is:

         1. Lucas Flanagan (He’s good now)

      2. Please show me your previous semester’s GPA

6. PCR - Kodi Albright

   1. Fall Brawl Feedback

      1. Great time for those that went

      2. Ritual Equipment Needed

         1. BoU

         2. Heavier candlesticks or magnet trick

      3. An IO brother did a presentation about performing for and teaching juveniles at a correction how to sing

         1. Possible MMM?

      4. You cannot have your school email on MySinfonia

      5. We will pay Province Dues ($150) at Province Workshop

7. Alumni Relations Officer - Jack Schmidt

   1. Nothing to Report

8. Warden - Andrew Steele

   1. Nothing to Report

9. Historian - Thomus Maples

   1. Nothing to Report

10. Music Director - Xavier Robida

    1. Music

       1. Practicing music after

       2. Music for MMM

          1. Hail Sinfonia

          2. Sinfonia Hymn

          3. Sing of Sinfonia

          4. The Red and Black

For the Good of the Order:

1. David Loyer (Rit Director)

   1. Part Auditions

      1. Auditions for S of O

         1. Next Wednesday

   2. Part Assignments

      1. We got preferences for parts and will have them decided by next meeting

2. Kodi Albright

   1. Founder’s Day Ceremony

      1. Xavier Berry will be reading the old person part

         1. Not Bum Jack Schmidt

3. Nate Byers

   1. Brotherhood Event

      1. Nov. 4th, do Black Night then a presentation night after

Adjourn:

1. Meeting adjourned at 08:20pm, 09/27/2023

Presiding Officer: Nathan Byers

Start Time: 05:11pm

End Time: 06:15pm

Attendance:

For the Good of the Order:

1. Pinning Ceremony

   1. 10 Gentlemen were Pinned to begin their PM Process

      1. Brendan Ashurst (Big: Xavier)

      2. Thomas Avalos (Big: Kodi)

      3. Logan Elek (Big: Brandino)

      4. Tristan Gassner (Big: Noah)

      5. Merrick Mitchell (Big: Andrew)

      6. Logan Ostrowski (Big: Lucas)

      7. Kush Patel (Big: Jack)

      8. Drake Sans (Big: Xavier)

      9. Dylan Shearer (Big: Andrew)

      10. Eric Thomas (Big: Caleb)

Adjourn:

1. Meeting adjourned at 06:15pm, 10/01/2023

Presiding Officer: Benjamin Doepker

Start Time: 07:08pm

End Time: 08:35pm

Attendance:

Approval of Minutes/Agenda:

Officer Reports:

1. President - Benjamin Doepker

   1. Robert’s Rules (Voting)

      1. Abstentions have been done incorrectly

      2. We need a passing vote of 75% of voting brothers to extend a bid, but abstentions do not count toward this total

      3. Abstentions typically count toward the total, so the vote that orginally passed has 4 in favor and 6 abstentions

      4. The affirmatives should outweigh the abstentions and negatives

      5. Abstentions should only be used if there is a significant bias that would sway you in one direction, not if you simply don’t know how to answer

      6. We have to stop using abstentions to not be the bad guy. Use them sparingly

      7. Use them if there is bias/conflict of interest, or there is not enough information to make an informed decision

2. Vice President - Nathan Byers

   1. Possible Gathering

      1. Nate has a good sized house

      2. Would we be interested in having a gathering?

         1. Game night, Power Point night, etc.

      3. Think of some dates

3. Fraternity Education Officer - Shundrick Parker

   1. Extended Bids

      1. Bids were extended to the following individuals:

         1. Brendan Ashurst

         2. Thomas Avalos

         3. Logan Elek

         4. Tristan Gassner

         5. Merrick Mitchell

         6. Logan Ostrowski

         7. Kush Patel

         8. Drake Sans

         9. Dylan Shearer

         10. Eric Thomas

   2. PM Payment Plans

      1. Lucas show up to PM meeting next week

      2. Have the payment plan forms ready for them so they can get them going

   3. Final Rit (Rit Director)

      1. Start looking at the books to see what part you would like to play

      2. Constitution was suspended to allow for the election of a Ritual Director in the same day as nominations

      3. DJ, Shundrick, and Noah were nominated and accpeted

      4. David Loyer was elected as Ritual Director

   4. Full Probationary Schedule

      1. See schedule in the Discord

4. Treasurer - Lucas Flanagan

   1. Sausages

      1. Tomorrow, Andrew and DJ will be opening and closing at 11:30

   2. T-Shirt Design Contest

      1. New year new shirt

      2. Last year went well

      3. Open the shirt design contest to everyone, due by next Wednesday at 7pm

      4. Customers will vote on the best design starting next Thursday

   3. Last Call for Payment Plan

      1. Last call for them, let Lucas know

      2. National dues are due by October 15th

   4. Reimbursements

      1. Kodi for dogs and rush week supplies

      2. Shundrick sent in a receipt for Music Org Info Night

      3. Caleb for spray paint for the rock

      4. These were budgeted, so no need to vote on them

5. Secretary - David Loyer

   1. Attendance

      1. Make ssure to message me about any attendance inquiries

   2. Grade Checks

      1. If your name is:

         1. Brandon Esquivel

         2. Lucas Flanagan

         3. Jack Hensley

         4. Thomus Maples

         5. Shundrick Parker

         6. Andrew Steele

      2. Please show me your Spring/Summer 2023 GPA

   3. Agenda Stuff

      1. If you hold a position that has a spot on the agenda, please be ready to give a list of what you would on it on Monday

      2. You are welcome to add anything on it up until meeting

      3. This way we can send it out to the chapter ASAP and they will be able to see what will be talked about at the next meeting

6. PCR - Kodi Albright

   1. Fall Brawl

      1. At Albion College (in Albion, MI)

         1. 1hr 30min drive

      2. Leaving Toledo at 9am

      3. Will end at roughly 5pm

      4. Kodi, Ben, Nate, Shundrick, Andrew, Xavier are all planning to go

      5. Factoring in drives, the day will be roughly 9am-7pm

      6. Dress is casual with PMA merch

   2. Do Chapter Report Pls

   3. Delta Iota

      1. Brothers from Western may be coming to the game

      2. We have not heard back from them

      3. We may meet with them at the food break, so keep your eyes peeled for info

   4. Nu Pi

      1. CMU vs. Toledo game

      2. Friday, November 24th

      3. May be a fun brotherhood event to go to the game and possibly see their chapter

7. Alumni Relations Officer - Jack Schmidt

   1. Nothing to Report

8. Warden - Andrew Steele

   1. Nothing to Report

9. Historian - Thomus Maples

   1. Nothing to Report

10. Music Director - Xavier Robida

    1. Music

       1. Practicing music after

       2. Music for MMM

          1. Hail Sinfonia

          2. Vive L’Amour

          3. On and Ever Upward

          4. Ode

          5. Red and Black

          6. Sing of Sinfonia

          7. Sing, Sinfonia, Sing

          8. The Longest Time

          9. Hooked on a Feeling

For the Good of the Order:

1. Caleb Johnson

   1. Triangle Gift

      1. Triangle gave us a gift

      2. We want to try to do social things

      3. Triangle is trying to include us in more things

      4. In general, the nice response would be a gift around midterm week

      5. There is no requirement for a response, but it would look good for us if we do

2. B&R

   1. B&R was had

Adjourn:

1. Meeting adjourned at 08:35pm, 09/20/2023

Presiding Officer: Benjamin Doepker

Start Time: 07:05pm

End Time: 08:32pm

Attendance:

Approval of Minutes/Agenda:

Officer Reports:

1. President - Benjamin Doepker

   1. Warden Emergency Election

      1. Nate moves to do this in one week, seconded by Caleb and passes

      2. Nominations:

         1. Cale nominates Andrew, seconded by Nate,

            1. Accepted

         2. Noah nominates Jack, seconded by Xavier

            1. Accepted

         3. Noah nominates Brandino, seconded by Nate

            1. Declined (he can’t play piano and guard the door at the same time:\)

         4. The newly elected Warden is Andrew Steele

   2. Treasurer for Next Semester

      1. Lucas is unexpectedly graduating this Fall

      2. We need a new treasurer

      3. Looking for someone to shadow him

         1. Cale

         2. Jack

      4. Talk to Lucas and Kodi about what the Treasurer does

   3. Discord Overhaul

      1. Ben has been working on the Discord

      2. Has announcements, roles, committees, separate chat rooms, etc.

      3. Please make sure your nickname is your actual name

   4. Committee Assignments

      1. Fundraising

         1. Lucas

         2. Kodi

         3. Cale

         4. Greg

      2. Brotherhood

         1. Shundrick

         2. Jack

         3. DJ

         4. Caleb

         5. Andrew

      3. Music

         1. Xavier

         2. Noah

         3. Thomus

         4. Brandino

   5. MMM(s)

      1. We’re fucking doing one finally

      2. Music and Brotherhood committee will work together

      3. Do one with the PMs

      4. Maybe do one with IO?

      5. Music committee pull a few songs

      6. Plan for Red Night

2. Vice President - Nathan Byers

   1. Leadership Workshop

      1. In Ann Arbor, the worst place on the planet

      2. Met up with Presidents and PCRs

      3. Asked Dave Friday about Red Books and Pins

         1. Red Books and Membership Pins are silenced

         2. PM pins are available for order

      4. Themes of Brotherhood is all on PDF copies now

      5. If you have a book, Shundrick may want to use them

      6. “Legally” we are not allowed to get them from anywhere other than the Sinfonia store or handmade

         1. These are trying times, so “it wouldn’t be the worst thing” if you ordered them from another source

      7. Destroy a piano?!

3. Fraternity Education Officer - Shundrick Parker

   1. Rush Week

      1. Starts next week

      2. Monday is volleyball at the Rec (6:30)

      3. Every other night will be at the CPA

      4. No meeting during Rush Week (next Wednesday)

      5. Need times from Shundrick and make flyers

   2. Interviews

      1. Will take place the weekend after Rush

         1. Sunday, September 17th at 1pm

      2. Mandatory for all brothers

      3. Pinnable attire

   3. What to look for in potential PMs

      1. Refresh ourselves on what we look for in a brother and a Sinfonian

      2. Are they musicianlly men? Do they embody the spirit of Sinfonia? Are they someone who will put effort into spreading joy through music?

      3. They must also have a satisfactory GPA

   4. Friday Potluck

      1. Invitational dinner at the end of rush

      2. Mandatory for all members

      3. What is the plan for this?

      4. Potluck at the CPA

      5. We will have a sheet going to sign up for a dish

4. Treasurer - Lucas Flanagan

   1. Reimbursements

      1. DJ is reimbursed $178 for Sinfonian Suasage supplies

         1. Will come out of budget and go towards his dues for the semester

      2. Nate is reimbursed $25 for gas for leadership workshop

   2. Total Money

      1. $485 in cash

      2. More in the bank and Venmo

   3. Dues

      1. $150 for the semester, talk to Lucas for payment plan options

         1. Some discussion about lowering dues and fixing the budget was had

         2. Greg moved to table the discussion for the next meeting, Caleb seconds

            1. Vote passes

   4. Dogs

      1. No dogs tomorrow, Blue and Gold ensemble took some of our workers

   5. Venmo Situation

      1. Talking to Jack about Venmo

      2. Possibly have Jack close the Venmo, then open a new one under the same name

         1. Someone local can put it under their name

5. Secretary - David Loyer

   1. Attendance

      1. Make sure to message me if you are going to be late to or will be missing a meeting

      2. We will be cracking down more on attendance this semester

   2. Grade Checks

      1. Make sure to show me your previous semester’s GPA

      2. In order to stay active, you must have at least a 2.0

   3. Agenda/Minutes

      1. Changing how this works a bit this year

         1. People holding positions will be contacted on Mondays about what they would like on their agenda, or if they have nothing to report

            1. Once those people have given me that information, it will be posted in the Discord under #meeting-text for everyone to look at

         2. Any member is allowed to request something to be put under For the Good of the Order

         3. Minutes will be posted immediately after every meeting or ritual

            1. All previous minutes are accessible in this channel, so you can look back at previous meetings if we had mentioned something you would like a refresher on

         4. Meetings will open with the approval of the previous meeting’s minutes, as well as the current meeting’s agenda, so make sure you have read through them so you know what you are approving

   4. Christian Pieri

      1. Christian is unfortunately not attending UT this semester due to financial reasons

      2. He has completed an active semester and is in good standing with the Fraternity, so he will be put on Alumni status for the time being

      3. If he were to return in the Spring, he would have to work and apply to become a Collegiate member again

6. PCR - Kodi Albright

   1. Fall Brawl

      1. September 24th at Beta Iota (Albion College)

      2. The sooner we know who’s going the better

7. Alumni Relations Officer - Jack Schmidt

   1. Alumni Newsletter

      1. Read it

      2. Should be happening every month

8. Warden - Andrew Steele

   1. Nothing to Report

9. Historian - Thomus Maples

   1. Instagram Logo Change

      1. Shundrick made a logo for the Instagram

      2. Looks good and it is approved

10. Music Director - Xavier Robida

    1. Nothing to Report

For the Good of the Order:

1. Caleb Johnson

   1. Opening Ceremony Memorization

      1. Talk to an old fuck or someone in charge if you need something to read off of

   2. Choir

      1. Not many males in the choir, or old

      2. Those that are able to join do not entirely possess the qualities of Sinfonia

2. Nate Byers

   1. Dave Friday Youtube

      1. If you need help with match, check his YouTube

   2. Local Letters Join

      1. Reach out to Nate for a letters maker

3. Xavier Robida

   1. Music Recommendations

      1. Send him music recs

4. Kodi Albright

   1. Recruitment Fliers

      1. Give them out

Adjourn:

1. Meeting adjourned at 08:32pm, 09/06/2023

A new academic year has started for our collegiate brothers of the Epsilon Alpha chapter, and they are already off to a running start. The majority of the chapter’s collegiate members are in the Rocket Marching Band (RMB) and as such got an earlier start than most other Toledo students.

Band Camp

This year, the chapter has 14 brothers in the Rocket Marching Band spread across drumline, woodwinds, and brass. 6 of these brothers are section leaders within the band. This means that roughly 1/4th of student leadership within the RMB are Sinfonians! On top of looking forward to this brand new marching season, these members have done an amazing job representing Sinfonia during band camp with these accomplishments.

As is tradition within the Rocket Marching Band, on one of the last days of band camp there is always a marching competition to see who the best marcher in the band is. This year Epsilon Alpha showed up in force and had 2 different brothers place in the top 3. Brother Xavier Robida took third place, and winning the entire thing was Thomus Maples taking first!

This year during band camp the collegiate brothers also brought Sinfonian Sausages to the RMB. To accomplish this many brothers sacrificed one of their breaks to help cook, sell, and serve hot dogs to many members of the RMB. This fundraiser was a great success for the chapter not just financially but also in getting the organization more well known within the RMB.

Goals and Efforts from the President

After talking with EA President Ben Doepker, here are his current goals and efforts for the chapter:

Membership

“Kicking off the semester we have a good outlook for recruitment and membership. Since attending the Involvement Fair, Music Organization Info Night, and already kicking off our fundraising with our first week of Sinfonian Sausages, many people not only new to the University of Toledo, but also returning have shown strong interest in the fraternity and coming to our rush events.”

Music

“Even though our academic year only just began this week, we have already performed two songs at the Music Organization Info Night: On and Ever Upward, and (a crowd favorite) Vive L’Amour. I am incredibly impressed with how we sound as a group, especially since this is our first time singing together in months, and the first time for some of our members to sing with us for an audience. On top of that, we have established a committee that will be focused on all aspects of our music, from finding new music to perform, arranging music, or just rehearsing music. With all of this together I believe we will have a great year of singing and performing.”

Fundraising

“As I stated earlier, we have already brought back Sinfonian Sausages once this year and we plan to keep hosting them bi-weekly (or more frequently as we see fit). On top of this, we are once again planning to sell T-Shirts with a new design during this semester.”

Philanthropy

“One of the most important ideals in this fraternity is our commitment to mankind through our Mill’s Music Missions, however, we have not been able to do any of these for the past few years. This year though, we plan to return to the tradition of doing a Mill’s Music Mission with our Probationary Members on their path towards membership. On top of this, I am hopeful that our current active brothers can do a Mill’s Music Mission of our own since we haven’t had the chance in so long.”

Brotherhood

“…I hope to see many of the current brothers in our chapter coming to as many province events and chapter meet-ups as they can…”

“One of my favorite parts about this fraternity is interacting with brothers on a larger scale than just within our own chapter and knowing that we represent more than just ourselves and that our ideals stretch to the lengths of the nation. Along with this, I hope to see many of the current brothers in our chapter coming to as many province events and chapter meet-ups as they can, which some will have their first chance to do so this semester on September 2nd and 3rd as UT’s marching band travels to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which is home to the Alpha Xi Brothers of Phi Mu Alpha.”

So first of all, congratulations on continuing your Sinfonian journey! Whether you have recently graduated from university and have entered the workforce or you have been away from collegiate days for many years, you are still a Sinfonian no matter what path in life you have taken. When we were initiated into Phi Mu Alpha, each brother completed the initiation ritual and shared the exalted experience. No matter where you are in life or what situations come your way, you always have a home at the University of Toledo.

With that said, why does the Rocket Sinfonian Encore have to exist? Is this just another email that will flood your inbox you either ignore or feel obligated to read? We hope to answer those questions below and also give you a chance to be involved in this new publication started by alumni for alumni.

About the writers

Jack Schmidt

If you told me 5 years ago that I would be here writing this newsletter, I would not have believed you. I was always one who shunned the idea of ‘frats’ up until my first year of the Rocket Marching Band back in the Fall of 2018. There I met my soon-to-be big, Ryan Smith (the co-writer of this newsletter!), and he introduced me to the idea of Sinfonia. It took a little convincing, but I started my probationary member process and by the time I went through Black Night I knew this Fraternity was a home for me. This all accumulated into me being initiated into the EA chapter on November 18, 2018. Less than 30 days into my collegiate membership, I was elected to be the Chapter Secretary. 6 months after that, with permission of Province Governor Dave Friday, I was elected to be the Chapter President. Now, I’ve finally wrapped up my 4th consecutive term as Chapter President, and I wish that upon no one else. Over my 4 terms I witnessed the Chapter ebb and flow; during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Chapter decreased to our smallest at 3 collegiate brothers. However, I knew I couldn’t let the EA Chapter die, and rallied my fellow brothers to attempt to save the Chapter. This was not in vain, as in the Fall of 2021 and the Fall of 2022 the chapter managed to initiate 7+ brothers both times! I love the EA Chapter with all my heart and consider it a ‘baby’ of mine and will always look out for it. Currently, I am pursuing my Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and routinely attempt to make it to Province 2 events each semester!

“It is an honor for me to be the ARO of the EA Chapter and I want to support them as much as possible by rallying the Alumni to their aid.”

Rocket Sinfonian Encore is the first of many steps for me to rekindle a stronger connection between the Collegiate Chapter and its Alumni. As I wrapped up my last term as Chapter President, I was nominated and elected by the current collegiate brothers to be their Alumni Relations Officer. It is an honor for me to be the ARO of the EA Chapter and I want to support them as much as possible by rallying the Alumni to their aid. With this newsletter and position, I hope to maintain my connection with my EA brothers, and I hope to create a stronger bond with the Alumni by utilizing consistent contact and creating more Alumni-focused content! I truly hope I can do homage to the Alumni that came before me and assist the brothers that come after me.

Ryan Smith

Wow, Epsilon Alpha has come a long way since I was at U. of Toledo! I was initiated into the EA chapter of PMA on February 16, 2016 in the CPA building. I was introduced to the fraternity my freshman year in the Rocket Marching Band back in the Fall of 2015. I was interested in joining PMA because I wanted to meet people outside of my section. Little did I know that over the years I’d fall in love with what Sinfonia means and the organization as a whole. I was Chapter President for a year, then my senior year I was Fraternity Education Officer; those roles prepared me to be the Collegiate Province Representative of Province 2 for the 2019 term. Since then, I’ve been involved in multiple ways locally and in the National Organization by giving my time when I could. I now live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, so I am now closer to Province 29 in Minnesota/Wisconsin than I am to Province 2!

“… Even though I am multiple states away, I consider the University of Toledo and the Epsilon Alpha Chapter my home I can always return to.”

Rocket Sinfonian Encore gives an opportunity for myself to still be involved with my alma mater and hear what they are up to. I have moved quite far away from Toledo, and even though I am multiple states away, I consider the University of Toledo and the Epsilon Alpha Chapter my home I can always return to. As an alumnus, I have had many opportunities to be involved with the Chapter and the Fraternity that compare or are better than my time as a collegiate brother. I hope this newsletter can share that experience with others so they can have the same feeling.

Get Involved!

Now that you have heard our stories, now is your chance to be involved with the future of the Chapter. If you wish to give your time, we can always use more hands to help in making articles for Rocket Sinfonian Encore! If you are interested in helping to write articles, edit/stylize, or contribute in other ways, please let us know by sending us an email rocketsinfonianencore@substack.com!

If you wish to do more than donate your time, you can donate directly to the Chapter as well. One awesome program that has been started is being able to sponsor a collegiate brother directly! As you may remember from your time at the university, collegiate brothers are obligated to pay semesterly dues to the Fraternity. With your help, you can donate directly to a brother the amount owed in dues for a semester so they can focus on their studies and improving the organization. Click on the link below to learn more!

Epsilon Alpha Donation Form

Leave a Comment!

Since we introduced ourselves, this is your chance to let us know about you! What would you like to know more about regarding Epsilon Alpha? Let us know in the comments for this post and we will ready each one!

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