The Year in Review 2023-2024
Hello Brothers, this year has been a testament to our resilience, filled with some highs and lows, but most importantly, a furthering of the brotherhood and God’s Kingdom. I want to take the time to highlight some of these moments from the year.
As our actives returned to campus last fall, we started working on homecoming preparations where the fraternity celebrated its 110th anniversary. Unfortunately, our float chair had to leave campus. Collin Alexander took over the responsibility of building the float. He and the representative from Sigma Theta Chi built the float and placed third in the float competition. The actives also had a dinner banquet for themselves and alums, which more than 150 brothers and wives well attended.
The brotherhood named Sophie Bruce as Sweetheart. Later, James Shafer Jr., ’24, and Sophie got engaged. She was a shoo-in for Sweetheart and has had an active role in the fraternity, from attending events to hanging out in the hall. She has been a staple of the fraternity all year. Similarly, David Wilbur and Leah Sinnamon ’25, former Sweethearts, got engaged, as well as Judd Demers ’26 and Jill Ivory ’25
This rush season was led by David Marsh. It began with a massive turnout at Smokies and Tea: 100 people, including the actives, various sororities, and many rushes. This momentum continued for the first couple of months with lots of interest. We also had an excellent turnout for this year’s Spicy Soup Night (planned by Isaac Nowrasteh). However, our rush season’s momentum was hurt hard by winter break, when the rush numbers dropped significantly.
This year, we handed out five bids, all signed. The fraternity welcomed John Lassiter (Big: Aidan Foos), Christian Dickson (Big: David Marsh), Luke Dieter (Big: Lucas Sanderson), Judd Demers (Big: Collin Alexander), and Ben Forastiere (Big Aidan Findley). Pledge was a great time, filled with lovely memories. It culminated in an Actives versus Pledges football game, where the Actives won 70 to 0 (much like the Dolphins-Broncos game this year). It was a tough showing for the pledges, while the actives remain undefeated. The newest brothers felt right at home in the fraternity and have been working to improve themselves and everyone else.
Our Social Chair, Isaac, planned a wonderful Spring Formal for the fraternity. Formal was a great time to share food and drink and dance the night away. He proved to be an excellent social chair. Aiden Zach led our Greek Sing performance, where we sang “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction. The actives performed their hearts out but sadly fell just short in the end. This shortcoming has inspired everyone to reach higher and win next year.
In the last weeks of the fall semester, the fraternity bid farewell to James Shafer, who graduated, and David Wilbur, who transferred out. Later in the spring semester, the fraternity said farewell to Tim Buonaugurio and Tomas Mueller, who also graduated. With them leaving, a new way of leadership rose up, with President David Marsh ’25, Vice President Lucas Sanderson ’26, Secretary Collin Alexander ’26, Treasurer Aiden Zach ’26, and Chaplain Aidan Findley ’25.
Some actives achieved personal success apart from the fraternity, which merits attention. The highlights started with Tim Buonaugurio, the Senior Head of the Fall Orchesis show. He served humbly and helped pull off a fantastic show. Junior Dane Irvine studied abroad in Scotland, where he enjoyed incredible studies, meeting new cultures, and drinking some fine Scottish drinks. Aidan Foos had several fantastic opportunities as a music major to perform on campus with the college’s concert choir and other groups. Collin Alexander and the Grove City Debate team went to Nashville and claimed another national championship. He placed second to another Grove team, finishing a fantastic sophomore season full of wins and trophies. Isaac Nowrasteh and Chrisitan Dickson had terrific opportunities to work in summer camps to further the Gospel.
Overall, the fraternity is hopeful and determined to bounce back and grow in numbers in the coming year. We ask for your prayers for our rush and leadership and look forward to your continued support.
If you have any questions or want to contact the fraternity, please do so. We would love to hear from the alums. If you want to contact the fraternity, please reach out to Collin at 978-729-8800 or collinareads@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can join the Google Group or follow us @adelphikosfraternity on Instagram.