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Zeta Psi
Beta Chapter at the University of Virginia
News

Zeta Psi Winter Newsletter

Dear fossils,

On behalf of the brothers of Zeta Psi, I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying a peaceful and joyful holiday season. As we reflect on the past year, we are reminded of the tremendous foundation built by the alumni who came before us. This letter is our way of reconnecting with you and sharing the progress of the chapter you helped shape. We also hope to open the door for continued communication and merriment between our active members and the generations that established our traditions. We hope this update helps strengthen the bond that ties all Zetes together.

Chapter Overview and Membership

We are blessed to share that Zete is continuing to operate strongly here at UVA. We have 70 active members this fall after waving goodbye to the 24 members of the class of 2025 in the spring. Our 70 active members hail from 12 different states: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and, of course, Virginia. As we move into spring, we look forward to welcoming our next great pledge class on January 24, 2026.

Fall 2025 Actives at Crozet for the Back-to-School Bar Tab

Introduction of the 2025 Pledge Class

This spring we opened our doors to 22 fantastic gentlemen. We are pleased to announce that they were all successfully initiated in March, and I would like to introduce them to all of you in alphabetical order by last name:

  • Robert (Taylor) Benson (Col ’28) – Richmond, VA
  • Benjamin (Ben) Brackett (Engr ’28) – Richmond, VA
  • Holden Browning (Com ’28) – Dallas, TX
  • William (Will) Cox (Com ’28) – Richmond, VA
  • Owen Cummings (Col ’28) – Atlanta, GA
  • Joshua (Josh) Haggerty (Col ’28) – Virginia Beach, VA
  • William (Will) Haufrect (Data ’28) – Houston, TX
  • Hardister (Hardy) Johnson (Col ’28) – Fayetteville, NC
  • George Kulp (Col ’28) – Richmond, VA
  • Henry Magdol (Com ’28) – Houston, TX
  • Philip (Ham) Mandell (Col ’28) – Mountain Brook, AL
  • Robert (Jack) Nelson (Col ’28) – Richmond, VA
  • Charles Nolde (Col ’28) – Richmond, VA
  • Ralph (Boss) Oberlin (Engr ’27) – Savannah, GA
  • Shepard (Shep) Pounders (Com ’28) – Richmond, VA
  • Beckett Schofield (Col ’28) – Richmond, VA
  • Alfred (Whitt) Shilling (Col ’28) – Charlottesville, VA
  • Winfield (Field) Sickles (Col ’28) – Greenwich, CT
  • John (Reese) Stepanian (Col ’28) – Houston, TX
  • John (Jack) Trotter (Col ’28) – Atlanta, GA
  • Owen Turnbull (Col ’28) – Winchester, VA
  • William (Liam) Wright (Col ’28) – Richmond, VA

Philanthropy and Service

Over the past year, active Zete members have competed in multiple charitable events, and supported many others. Most notably, Zetes competed in the first annual “Hoo Games” at the Amphitheater, hosted and competed in the “Fratland Classic” basketball tournament, and lead the fundraising campaign for Movember at UVA.

Current IFC president and proud Zete, Ryan Phelan (Col ’26), is to thank for organizing the Hoo Games. The event brought together 13 fraternities battling it out in a series of field day events for the chance to win $5,000 for charity. Unfortunately, Zete did not win the day, but we will be back in full force next year to bring home the trophy.

From left: Ryan Phelan (Col ’26) with Jake Beyer (Com ’25), and David Gosik (Col ’27) celebrating a successfully coordinated event

Shout out to Alex Brackett (Col ’99) for giving us the idea to revitalize the Fratland Classic. As I understand it, the tournament used to be a yearly tradition before going dormant for several years. Once again, Ryan Phelan (Col ’26) is to thank for making this event happen, and it was a great success.

Zete invited seven other fraternities—Sigma Chi, DKE, ELMO, Phi Psi, SAE, Hall, and McCormick Hall (formerly Kappa Sig)—to compete in a 3v3 basketball tournament on our home court on Halloween. Each team competed in costume and put up $125 for the winner to take home $1,000 to send to a charity of their choice. Our team members, Reid Coleman (Com ’26), Thomas Youngkin (Com ’27), and Will Cox (Com ’28), got off to a strong start by taking down a tough Sigma Chi team but ultimately fell to DKE in the semi-finals. With the success of this tournament, we hope that it will continue for years to come.

Finally, Zete has had a strong presence in the Movember fundraising campaign. Throughout the month of November, many Zetes have been seen walking around grounds with full mustaches (or really wispy ones) to support the organization. Along with ELMO, McCormick, DKE, and the Hall, we exceeded our goal of $20,000 for men’s mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and prostate cancer. I would like to extend a special thanks to Michael Connors (Col ’85) for spreading the word to you alumni who helped support the cause and to Reese Stepanian (Col ’28) and Will Cox (Com ’28) for being our primary representatives on Grounds.

Movember representatives at the Trin fundraiser
From left: Max Makover (Col ’28) of ELMO, Will Cox (Com ’28), Reese Stepanian (Col ’28), and George Simonton (Col ’28) of McCormick

Social Highlights

Of course, Zete would not be the special place it is for all of us without copious amounts of fun. Some highlights this year include 2025 graduation, watching the Hoos take down No. 8 Florida State, Mardi Gras, Halloween, multiple snow days, and late nights on the Turret. See pictures below:

Zetes at final exercises 2025
Zete crew on the front lines of UVA v Florida State
Zetes on Bourbon
Skeleton Halloween on the Turret
Zetes enjoying the snow at DKE
Typical crowd for a Turret late night

Alumni Relations

If you have not already, we highly encourage you to join the Zete LinkedIn group. This group is a great way for Zetes to stay connected or to get connected as they move through their professional careers. All inquiries about the LinkedIn group should be directed to our alumni advisor, Bobby Schwartz (Col ’85). Beyond the LinkedIn, Jack Ghegan (incoming Phi), Bobby Schwartz, and I will be working with the head of Introships in the coming months to create a new platform for Zetes to connect professionally and learn from each other. Regarding this endeavor, there will be more updates to come in 2026.

In Closing

As we close out another memorable year at 169 Rugby Road, we want to once again wish each of you a joyful and peaceful holiday season. Please remember that our doors are always open. Whether you want to stop by for a look around, to play a quick game of pool, or simply to meet the new generation of Zetes, we would be thrilled to welcome you back whenever you find yourself in Charlottesville.

Wishing you all the best,
Edward Grinder (Engr ’26)