Our Zeta Pi Chapter did well in 2023, with the initiation of 6 brothers in the winter semester (May) and 5 this past Fall (November).
We have attended many events, both educational such as the Engage Chicago Regional Training, and philanthropic endeavors such as Alpha Delta Pi’s corn hole tournament or Phi Sigma Sigma’s 5k, both raising money for charitable causes.
Zeta Pi Chapter also was a champion of school spirit in 2023 and could be seen rooting on the OU basketball team on many occasions.
The 2023 year was successful, both academically and socially for the brothers of Zeta Pi Chapter. We hope to continue this momentum into the new year.
As a founding father of the Sigma Pi chapter at Oakland University, Brother Jim Lambouris helped pave the way for all the men who would follow.
He played a pivotal part in shaping our Zeta-Pi Chapter’s foundation in the 1980s, with his commitment to friends, family, community and brotherhood shining through to all who knew him and carrying on throughout his life.
Sadly, we said goodbye to Brother Lambouris on Nov. 25, 2020, as he began his journey to the Adytum On High at age 57. He lives on through his daughters and grandchildren, as well as countless other family members, friends, brothers, and online gamers he’s influenced in so many ways.
“Commitment is the word that comes to mind, because when Jim was in, he was all in,” said Brother Rob Waters, a charter pledge class member and close friend of Jim’s starting in those early days of college fraternity life. “It was true for the fraternity, for his daughters, for his family, and for everything in his life.”
Founding a fraternity chapter
One of 19 original founding fathers of what was initially known as Omega Nu Pi (aka “Oakland’s New Pioneers”), and among the first 28 recognized members of this Sigma Pi colony, Jim became a founding e-board member at the time of the chapter’s chartering on March 15, 1986.
It all began with a group of guys gathering in 5 Van Waggoner, the original dorm where several founding members lived at the time in 1985. Jim ended up connecting with that group, and it was through those initial connections that he’d bring Brother Waters into that same orbit.
Both grew up in Waterford and had gone to high school together, though they weren’t friends during those years as Jim was two grade levels ahead. It wasn’t until OU and Sigma Pi, as they became chartering brothers and close friends.
“He was the reason I joined,” Rob said. “And he was the best man at my wedding in 1989. I didn’t know a damn thing about Jim before Sigma Pi, and that’s somewhat remarkable in that we had gone to high school together. Here’s someone who invites me to a fraternity event, and now he’s my only friend that I know in the room. And as it turns out, he’s the person I got to know the best.”
The two spent a lot of time together during the college years, often engaged in late-night conversations, canoe and ski trips, partying, and car trips to EKU, Eastern Michigan and MSU events.
Other brothers also recall how Jim was well-liked and approachable, and always a center of the social scene. He’s also remembered for how reliable he was for those who mattered in his life, no matter the cost.
Brothers also point out Jim never had a bad word to say, and he’d usually have a grin or smirk on his face — even if he didn’t like something, but would barely let that unhappiness be known.
“Jim was always there when you needed him,” Founding Brother Bryan Mahlmeister said. “Whenever you needed him somewhere or to do something… you could count on him. For those of us starting the fraternity, there was such a drive to make this happen. Everyone worked together and supported each other, and Jim played right into that. We all valued his energy.”
Jim attended OU from 1984 to 1988, remaining active with the fraternity during his undergraduate years.
Brother Ross Parpart, who joined in 1988 as part of the Delta pledge class, had a message about Jim’s influence on the chapter — not only on his joining Sigma Pi, but shaping the lives of so many other men.
“Thank you for guiding young men as they embarked on their way to adulthood,” Ross wrote in a Facebook message. “I was one of those young men many years ago. There is no way you could have know how many you helped, guided, and transformed.”
Though some of the guys drifted apart after college, as many brothers do, several note they eventually reconnected as friends and kept in touch — whether it be online fantasy football, casual brotherhood meetups, friends catching up at the Tel-Twelve Mall foodcourt during the workdays, or at Rob’s signature Tiki Nights each July 3 on Wolverine Lake.
Pioneer in the online gaming community
Looking back, Rob recalls it wasn’t until years later he’d realize that Jim was actually a “closet introvert.” He was just as happy being in front of a computer as being out in person with a group. That would carry on throughout his life, especially as Jim was an avid gamer and became an influential part of the virtual gaming universe.
Beginning in the early 90s, Jim immersed himself in playing Multi-Users in Middle Earth (MUME), a popular multi-player text-based game based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘Middle Earth’ that has been going since 1991. Out of more than than 700k characters ever created in MUME, Jim’s accolades include the “Ugurz” character that is only 1 of 12 to ever reach the maximum, most-difficult level.
MUME plans to honor Jim by retiring his characters and commemorating him within the game.
A devoted soccer dad
Of course, anyone who knew Jim can attest to the most important part of his life after college: his daughters Jordan, Taylor, and Erin. As a single father, they were his world and many have fond memories watching Jim’s love for them displayed everywhere.
“He was devoted to his daughters,” Brother Waters says, noting that Jordan and Taylor were incredibly involved in soccer through their young lives and Jim was heavily invested as a beloved soccer dad.
“He spent a king’s ransom on traveling soccer for his girls, easily a six figure dollar amount over a six or seven year period. They ran like the wind and both are smart and extremely talented,” Rob said.
Through everything in life, Rob recalls conversations the two shared demonstrating how deeply Jim was in protecting and caring for his daughters and making sure they had the best lives possible.
Taylor shared this with our Zeta-Pi Chapter, to include in this tribute to her father:
“You were the most invested, loving, and selfless father,” she wrote. “You put so much time and effort into Jordan, Erin, and I. Not only were you a great father, but just a great person, too. You were so kind, patient, and giving to others. You always went out of your way to help people, and never expected anything in return.”
Taylor continued, “You tried your best to be at every dance recital, soccer game, track meet, and was always my #1 supporter. You gave me the best advice about life: to try my best and to go out of my comfort zone. I am so happy that I will be able to cherish those memories forever.”
Trees of brotherhood, family, life
Reflecting more on the tree analogy, it’s tough to not sit in awe of Jim’s life: That separate trees can come together at different times and the roots can grow close together and intertwine, no matter how disparate or broken the branches may seem to be growing at different times.
Jim had moved to Arizona in recent years, to reconnect with his mom whom he’d had limited contact with since high school. Growing up Greek Orthodox, family was always a big, influential part of his life. Although he had lost touch with his mom when he was younger, he eventually reconciled with her and left Michigan to be near her and his new step-father there.
“That was a full circle for him, on a personal standpoint,” Brother Waters said. “It really demonstrates how true, how committed to family he was. It had a big impact on him.”
Rob uses that analogy when reflecting on his relationship with Jim, given their beginnings in high school and how that evolved over many years.
“You plant 2 trees next to each other, and even if they were compatible trees to begin with, it’s pretty rare that they’d grow in the same way and direction,” Rob said. “We aren’t the people now that we started out as, or who we’ll end up as. It’s almost a crapshoot people can evolve in the same direction.
“What I’ve always always found remarkable about the fraternity experience, is it throws you into a crucible with people you may not have that much in common with,” he added. “It is remarkable, because there is so much shared experience, so much shared commonality. Trees that don’t make much sense being in the same place end up growing together, changing the direction they’d grow if not for the other.”
We are sad to say goodbye to Brother Lambouris as a founding father and longtime member of our Zeta-Pi Chapter. We send our continued condolences and wishes to Jim’s family, but know he lives on in brotherhood.
Instead of flowers or donations (per the family’s request), our Sigma Pi chapter at Oakland University has planted a tree in Jim’s memory through an American Forests memorial partnership.
The online description says: “When you choose to have a memorial tree planted for James, you are doing more than simply putting a plant in the ground. You are making a long-term commitment to the environment and rooting the memories of James in our planet for countless years to come. A memorial tree is a unique tribute which provides global benefits like no other memorial gift could.”
You never know the lessons that can spring up unexpectedly to tie together thoughts on insects, Greek philosophy and being a fraternity man and better human to those around us.
That happened recently for me when reading a book about the
culture politics of disease and healthcare. One passage struck a chord,
grabbing hold of my mind and rekindling memories of college courses, classical
literature, and general life lessons that started with Sigma Pi decades before.
The book author illustrates an experience he had in 2004, walking on a college campus himself and hearing the orchestra of cicada song springing from every tree up above. He noted that to ancient Greek philosophers, these vocal insects represented spiritual ecstasy, rebirth, immortality. Plato, for example, invokes the images of cicadas in Phaedrus to symbolize both restraint and honor, narratively crafting a link between personal control and dignity. Essentially, Plato’s protagonist in the book, Socrates, talks about resisting the cicada song and not succumbing to laziness but instead practicing restraint. A disciplining of the passions, taming temptation and exercising self-control.
Greek philosophy aside, cicadas are remarkable on their own as they only live a short time to sing and mate before hatching eggs and going underground for another stretch of nearly two decades. They pretty much live in the moment, doing their duty while also living out their passions in short order. It only happens once every 17 years, at least for some of the more particular types of cicada, making 2021 the next time this 17-year brood is to return in full force.
Of course, I couldn’t help being fascinated that the book
author here notes this all transpired in 2004 — coincidentally the same year
that I moved to Indiana for my first daily newspaper job and covered that very
same cicada emergence. In another twist, any Sigma Pi man knows our fraternity
history that we began way back in 1897 at a small college in the southern-most
corner of Indiana. The Hoosier State for the win, once again.
This all came full circle when reading that book passage,
flashing back to my college days and all that’s come in the many years
following that period of my life. Much has changed in the world. Personally, I
am grateful to have grown up in a time before social media. When the Internet
(see World Wide Web) was in its infancy and just starting to come into its own
by the time I graduated as an Omega from Oakland University. Our lives weren’t
chronicled online for everyone to see, but more importantly our collective
brains hadn’t yet been rewired by this technology.
For all the good that technology and social media can bring,
there are side effects that have taken years to recognize in culture and
society.
These days, our attention spans are shorter. We don’t read
anything the same way we once did. So much of our interaction happens with the
click of a keyboard, text messaging or even online video. How much of this is
evident when going out for an evening, and seeing those around us not fully
engaged with each other but drawn into the technological screens at our
fingertips? Or those who resort to Google and Internet searches for quick
answers, rather than drawing from information they’ve learned and retained from
long ago?
For too many people, the ability to think critically and
engage in reasonable, rational conversation has been trampled by polarization,
instant-gratification and confirmation bias.
Often, I feel too many of us fall into that trap of being
entranced by the song of the cicada and not exercising necessary restraint or
self-control in how we live our lives.
You can always trust Greek philosophers to bring it home,
with Plato and Pythagoras and Socrates and Aristotle all expounding on themes
that are very in line with cicadas and life itself – and are key parts of how
we’re supposed to live as Sigma Pi men in this world.
I look back to the cicadas and my Sigma Pi teachings, as
lessons in self-restraint and being a better person, when contemplating how
quickly one must respond on social media or (gasp!) in-person discussion. The
need to be right, to persuade others forcefully that they’re viewpoints aren’t
correct, pervades our life to the extent that it often feels too exhausting or
pointless to engage with others for a greater good.
You also may think back on the cicadas when reflecting
fondly on those we’ve lost over the years, whether it be a Brother or family or
friend. Sometimes, special people in our lives are suddenly gone unexpectedly,
while others live full lives before they come to a close. Everything can change
in an instant, and it comes back to balancing everything in how we carry
ourselves through today and tomorrow.
All of this shapes how I interact with people. Sometimes, I
succeed. More often, I fail.
Is this one of the four pillars of brotherhood that
Pythagoras has written about, the Application of Divine Wisdom being brought
into daily life? Who knows. I certainly don’t. I’m not that wise.
But I am trying. I’m a continuing work in progress, which is man and woman’s distinctive mark alone.
For that, I appreciate what I have learned and continue to learn from Sigma Pi.
