September, 2006
Dear Phi Chi Member,
As we begin another curricular year here at UT-Memphis, we are all reminded of the many unique experiences the Phi Chi Fraternity has afforded to each of its members. From the legendary parties we have all enjoyed to the deep camaraderie we developed during intense exam preparation, our Phi Chi brothers and sisters have been integral to this journey through medical school. In just a short time, many of us will graduate and move on to residency; while leaving the comfort of welcoming surroundings here in medical school will be difficult, the friendships and memories made while in Phi Chi will never be far away.
The past year at Phi Chi has been a busy one. Last year marked the completion of a brand new weight room and fitness center in the Phi Chi House, a project whose completion had been anticipated for years. We also renovated the Saloon Room, creating a more dignified gathering area and building a full-scale bar complete with kegerator, beer lines, and taps. In striving toward our vision of improving the House, the ceiling was replaced in the upstairs hallway and many of the individual rooms have been refinished. Just in these past few months we have completed a major capital project through the construction of four entirely new shower stalls in a new shower room on the second floor. These showers are for our female residents and are a vast improvement over the single ladies' shower stall we previously had on the first floor. Please visit out "House" page above to see pictures of the house in the house tour.
In addition to developing fraternity resources, Phi Chi has been active in service and philanthropic endeavors. During the holiday season, we purchased clothes and gifts for ‘angels’ from the Salvation Army Angel Tree. Our Super Bowl party was a great success, with proceeds benefiting Habitat for Humanity. Last spring, we spent a day building houses with Habitat here in Memphis, and we look forward to future opportunities to take up hammers and nails in a worthy cause.
Phi Chi is also excited about changes in its membership during this year. This coming October, we are eager to welcome our new members to our numbers, and we look with great anticipation to their future involvement. Among this group of newcomers are some of the brightest and most capable students from the M1 class; their contributions will undoubtedly ensure that the Phi Chi Fraternity maintains and expands its presence on the UT College of Medicine campus in the years to come. We will certainly miss the M4’s who have graduated this past May, but we wish them the best as they begin their internships, and we know that their continued outstanding performance will make the Phi Chi Fraternity proud.
The Phi Chi House remains a prominent fixture in student life at UT-Memphis. All fraternity members now have full access to all facilities here at the house, and many of them make frequent use of our study areas, exercise equipment, and big screen TV. Social events here at the House continue to receive high praise; the biweekly fraternity dinners are always delicious and well-attended, and Phi Chi parties remain the highlight of the UT-Memphis social calendar.
Even as the Phi Chi experience has been exceptional in many ways, we M4’s can all envision a fraternity that could be even more vibrant than the one we enjoyed. Significant projects continue to mark our agenda, as we will soon replace the ceiling in the common area in order to make our community living space as presentable as possible. These goals will all be realized at a price, and it is in this endeavor that we would like to ask for your help.
In support of Phi Chi’s abiding mission to promote the broader development of future physicians, we ask that you consider joining us in making a donation to the Phi Chi Fraternity. Although we invite you to make a donation of $100, we are appreciative of any gift you would deem appropriate. Your checks can be made payable to the Phi Chi Medical Fraternity and mailed to the address listed below. Through these gifts to a fraternity that has become family to all of us, we will enhance the value of the Phi Chi experience, even as we abide by the Hippocratic Oath which requires us to invest in the future of those who follow us in this career path. We thank you so much for your support as we advance toward our goals of building community and pursuing medical excellence. We encourage you to keep in touch with us and invite you to stop by the Phi Chi House here in Memphis whenever the opportunity arises.
Sincerely,
The Officers of Alpha Beta Phi Chi
Mailing Address:
Phi Chi Alumni Support
C/O Chris Conner, Treasurer
687 Jefferson Ave.
Memphis, TN 38105