East Stroudsburg alumni drive recolonization efforts

East Stroudsburg (ESU) alumni from the 80s and 90s are a tight knit group who have stayed close long after graduation and have openly supported their university. 

Though the chapter closed in 2006, Pilam alumni return to campus every year for Homecoming, arranging well-attended events that welcome brothers, undergrads, alumni, and fellow Greeks. They host an annual golf outing, tailgate, all-Greek reunion happy hour, and an 80s party.

Alumni involvement opened the door for re-opening Pilam

ESU president, Ken Long, took notice of the enthusiasm shown by Pilam alumni and how it consistently drew a groundswell of ESU alumni to homecoming. He wanted to know more.

At a couple of ESU events, Pat Lincoln ’88, got some face-time with the university president. He helped him understand how a closed chapter could still have such an impact on alumni school spirit. In a few words, the commitment to Pilam is “not four years, but a lifetime.” And that extended to the college.

Pat said, “every year alumni brothers asked during homecoming ‘can we ever get our chapter back on campus?’ It wasn’t a passing question; it was a passionate question. That question became our rally point and eventually a stated goal.”

Posed with the idea of Pilam returning to campus, President Long embraced bringing the chapter back.

The path to rebuilding

Pilam ESU alumni approached the IHQ in 2022 with the prospect of re-opening and learned the process. They established and funded a Pilam alumni association to put some structure around the efforts. Their first president was Phill LaPorta ’89 who said, “We all worked together toward the same goal. We have a solid group.”

Pat Lincoln added, “we went to work, set goals, celebrated some milestones and kept working toward re-starting the chapter. We leveraged our relationships with both ESU and Pilam to begin to explore the possibilities. Both Pilam and ESU were very open and a lot easier to work with than we thought.”

By chance, an ambitious ESU undergraduate named Gannon McGinley contacted Jim Fogler ’88 (current AA president) through a LinkedIn connection. Initially, Gannon wanted to learn more about sales and marketing. The conversation evolved from there as they spoke about college life. 

Fogler shared how many ESU Pilam alumni were successful professionals and how they still network and stay in touch. McGinley, a junior, was eager for the prospect of another challenge, and could relate to Pilam ideals.

McGinley, who founded the ESU ski club, was involved in student government, and played on the volleyball team, had many like-minded friends and rallied them to create a group interested in re-founding the chapter. They met with IHQ reps over the summer for vetting and passed with flying “purple and gold” colors. 

The group formally petitioned the university to establish a Pi Lambda Phi chapter at ESU and are awaiting final university approval. The alumni are optimistic about colonizing in the spring and bringing in a class of new members!

Phill LaPorta said, “It’s a great feeling to go back home.” 

Jim Fogler said of the new founding fathers, “they seem to be really diverse: a mix of upperclassmen and sophomores, introverts and extroverts, jocks and academics. They all seem to know each other and are coming together as a group. They show up for every meeting or event and are enthusiastic about ‘not four years, but a lifetime’ and what happens after.”

Then and now

The alumni are embracing the positive prospects of the re-established chapter. Jim Fogler said, “In the 80s it was a party culture. Today it’s more about leadership, collaboration, and brotherhood networking. Undergrads are seeking a really good fit with like-minded students who they can trust and form strong bonds with. It’s about courage and the essence of what we stand for.”

Strong alumni groups make a difference

The ESU chapter started as a local called BYZ. Within three years they bought a house and were chartered in 1980. The active chapter was the strongest in the 80s and 90s. 

Alumni have stayed in touch through social media and personal contact. The alumni association meets regularly and they host annual events including homecoming, Wildcard weekend in Philly, and a Florida trip in March. 

Alumni associations are the backbone of the Pi Lambda Phi motto. They provide and project the positive experiences and spirit of lifelong friendships to new generations.

Snaps to the ESU alumni board (and other ESU Pilam alumni) for keeping the Pilam spirit afloat for many years and seeing their goals come to fruition: Jim Fogler (President), Pat Henderson (Vice President), Pat McHugh (Treasurer), Shawn Spaventa (Secretary), Henry Sands (Multi-media and Technology), Dave Miko (Historian), and Phill LaPorta (Past President).

Interested in restarting an inactive chapter?

The IHQ has dedicated, professional staff focused on Pi Lambda Phi expansion, and is particularly interested in inactive chapters with strong alumni support. Recent successful expansions include Lehigh and the University of Iowa. 

Contact the IHQ to learn more about chapter expansion support.

ESU alumni have also offered their support to alumni looking to return a Pilam chapter to their alma matter. Please contact Pat Lincoln.