PKF News The Official Alumni Newsletter of the Alpha Omega Chapter University of Oregon
Dec 10, 2012
Volume:1 Issue: 1
1456 East 19th Avenue Eugene, OR 97403
Letter from the Archon zachCURTIS Dear Parents, Alumni, and Families, Just 108 years ago today, a few students at the College of Charleston came together to found a group whose impact would become magnified across the nation, reaching more young men than they could ever imagine. These men, Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Simon Fogarty, Jr., and Lawrence Harry Mixson sought an opportunity to positively impact their university by creating their own fraternity, named Pi Kappa Phi. Now, the leadership of these men has lasted over a century; reaching even the always lush, rainy town of Eugene, Oregon. It is because of our founders that we have the opportunity to re-found the Alpha Omega Chapter and establish a lasting legacy on the campus of the University of Oregon. It has been over a year since our installment as
an associate chapter, and we are excited to announce that we are inching ever so close to receiving our charter this winter quarter. The last year has been one of many necessary stumbling blocks, but even more encouraging growth. As our chapter continues to grow in numbers, its vision for the university and the Greek Community has become more apparent. In the most recent quarters, we were given recognition for “Chapter Excellence and Effective Leadership” by the Fraternity and Sorority Excellence Awards. This fall, paired with the women of Kappa Alpha Theta and the men of Alpha Epsilon Pi, we took the campus by storm as we brought home the trophy as Greek Week Champions. This is only to name a few of our successes. I cannot understate how much this chapter has grown as brothers, students, and leaders at the University of Oregon. Now, our brotherhood sets its eyes on not just chartering, but success beyond. As the newly installed President of the chapter, I have great hopes for each and every one of our brothers. We will continue to better each other as successful students by establishing high academic standards and by providing plenty of support to reach such goals. We all will embrace our respon-
sibility as citizens by spreading awareness for those with disabilities, raising money for Push America, and interacting with the community through service. We will not give up efforts to redefine the image of what it is to be a “fraternity man”. My vision for this fraternity is one which makes each man who experiences the brotherhood one who aspires for excellence both in and beyond his time at the University of Oregon. I hope all of you can support us knowing that, with this vision of leadership, we can further the impact that the Founders of Pi Kappa Phi created in 1904. In the coming months, we will provide you all with more information on our official date for our chartering ceremony, upcoming alumni and parent events, and fundraisers or service opportunities with Push America. On behalf of the entire brotherhood, I wish you all a Happy Founder’s Day and a Holiday Season filled with safe travels and joy. Fraternally Yours, Zach Curtis Archon Alpha Omega Chapter Pi Kappa Phi
The Brothers of Alpha Omega chapter cordially invite you to...
The UO Pi Kappa Phi- Alpha Omega Chapter Chartering Banquet
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Dec 8, 2012
UO Pi Kapps win Greek Week
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n front of a packed Morse Event Center, the brothers of Pi Kappa Phi won their first Greek Week championship. Grouped with the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity and Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, the Pi Kapp brothers worked throughout the week, competing in various competitions such as Float building, Twitter trivia competition, and dance competition. The theme of this years Greek Week was “We Run This Town”, and each fraternity/ sorority grouping was given a city. Pi Kappa Phi’s group was given Miami. With it being their first year competing in the Greek Week competition, the win was definitely a statement. “Greek week was a great experience for our chapter. It allowed us to get involved in the Greek community as well as make friends within two other fantastic houses. We also were able to show the Greek community how
our chapter is committed to excellence,” senior Kevin Wade said. After an entire week of hard work and “Miami” pride, it all came down to the dance competition. In a dead heat for first place, the Miami group’s second place finish in the dance competition was enough to give them the Greek Week championship. The entire “Miami” group stormed the court in excitement, ready to take the trophy. “Participating in Greek Week was a lot of fun. It taught us how much you can accomplish when you work together as a team, and winning the whole thing was pretty awesome,” sophomore Tyler Johnson said. The Pi Kappa Phi brothers embraced eachother in congratulations, realizing that their win was a statement to the rest of the greek community.
-Chris Jones
Brother, and former Archon, Dan Smith poses with the Greek Week trophy after Pi Kappa Phi claimed first place.
From the Historian: Alumni support needed
adityaNATHAN Dear Alumni of Alpha Omega Chapter, My name is Aditya Nathan and I am the newly instated Historian of the Alpha Omega chapter. As you may or may not know, the Alpha Omega chapter is back on the University of Oregon campus and we are preparing to regain our charter and once again become a full-fledged fraternity. I understand that as the third iteration of the Alpha Omega chapter and I fear that many of you may feel distant from this chapter and no longer wish to associate yourselves with Pi Kappa Phi. I hope this is not the case for I have some high hopes for this chapter and it all begins with re-establishing the sense of brotherhood that exists between this chapter and your-
selves. I strongly urge you all to hear me out before you dismiss ever associating yourself with this chapter once again. The word fraternity bears numerous connotations, both positive and negative. Those who openly embraced it know all too well its true nature. Fraternity is salvation from the monotony of a normal life and once established, follows us all until the grave and beyond. Fraternity draws the line between being a child and being a man, witnessing the difference and participating in the difference, and chasing our dreams and achieving our dreams. Fraternity is what every man searches for, whether he cares to admit it or not. For who could turn away the boon of brotherhood and the sense of belonging and purpose that accompany it. The purpose of this letter is to remind you all what good fraternity can provide for you, and how you can become involved to assist our growth. A brotherhood cannot hope to stand strong if its foundation and pillars continually vanish. It is evident that support from alumni is an integral component to the success of any fraternity. Support manifests
itself in numerous ways and is in no way limited to financial. The mere acknowledgment of the re-establishment of the Alpha Omega chapter is an excellent start. If you find the time and will to do so, nothing would make us happier than to see you attend our hopeful initiation and subsequent chartering banquet, as well as Alumni/Student softball game, a BBQ, or events hosted by our Push America Philanthropy. The active members of this chapter are eagerly awaiting your attendance and the prospect of bolstering this brotherhood. I urge all of you to reignite the flames of brotherhood in your heart and to those that have not forgotten to keep the fire going. The Alpha Omega chapter lives and dies on the power of our brotherhood. Treat these words as food for thought. Thank you for your time and consideration. I wish you all happy holidays. Fraternally Yours, Aditya Nathan Historian Pi Kappa Phi Alpha Omega Chapter
Dec 8, 2012
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UO Pi Kapps in Photos
After winning the Greek Week championship, the brothers of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity ,Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, and the sisters of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority pose with the Greek Week trophy. This was the first year that Pi Kappa Phi competed in Greek Week
Brothers Shaun Resseguie (Left) and Zach Curtis (Right) pose in front of the Pi Kapp flag
At Supreme chapter in Washington D.C, brothers Zach Curtis (second to left) and AJ Bell (second to right) pose with some of the Pi Kappa Phi brothers from Mississippi State. (Left to Right) Brothers Grant Simington, Austin Kennedy, Eric Dawson, and Blake Verhaleen take in the Cvil War game at Reser Stadium in Corvallis. The Ducks beat the beavers 48-24.
PKF News The Official Alumni Newsletter of the Alpha Omega Chapter University of Oregon
Alpha Omega Chapter Completes first War of the Roses philanthropy event (pg. 4-5) December 10, 2013
Volume:1 Issue: 2
1473 E 20th Avenue Eugene, OR 97403
Pi Kapp Profiles
Letter from the Archon A
s my time as an undergraduate member of Pi Kappa Phi comes to a close, I write to you as an unbelievably proud brother of the Alpha Omega Chapter. Just over two years ago, I was a lost, unmotivated, and unconfident sophomore student. If you had told me then that I would soon become the president of an organization, thrive in school, and feel eager to take on whatever challenges the world has in store for me, I likely would have considered the prediction to be unfeasible. The disbelief I had in myself was quickly erased when I chose fraternity. Pi Kappa Phi saw a potential in me that I had never seen in myself. Over the last two years, I have seen this transformation even more remarkably in each and every one of my brothers and in the fraternity as a whole. To see them grow along with the chapter we have worked so hard to build has been the most rewarding and meaningful experience of my undergraduate career. That in itself is why we have chosen fraternity. It has the ability to mold and transform men into leaders who make meaningful contributions to their campus and their community. The Alpha Omega chapter of Pi Kappa Phi has only just begun to do just that. This year, our mission has been to use our newly earned charter as motivation to build a name for our chapter. That name is to be defined by our commitment to academic excellence and service to the community, to build men of quality character, and to develop leaders who are driven by integrity in order to better ourselves and those we encounter. Much has been accomplished just in this fall. Most notably, we held our first ever War of the Roses philanthropy event, which was a competition between sororities with the aims to raise both awareness and money for Push America, our national philanthropy serving people with disabilities. The event was a huge success: we received over 800 signatures from students and campus faculty pledging to rid of the “r-word” from their vocabulary, raised around $1,000 for the cause, and crowned the first ever “Rose Queen”, Brooke Painter of Kappa Alpha Theta, who was selected as the woman who best represents our values and the pillars of Push America: integrity, empathy, teamwork, and abilities. For the next year, she will work with the brothers of Pi Kappa Phi to continue to build awareness, fund-
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This year, our mission has been to use our newly earned charter as motivation to build a name for our chapter.
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Dec 8, 2012
Archon Zach Curtis accepts a member pin from Pi Kappa Phi CEO Mark Timmes during the Alpha Omega chartering banquet.
raise, and give service to people with disabilities. Although it will be difficult for me to leave my chapter physically, I am profoundly confident in the leadership that will guide this chapter towards becoming the ideal chapter. These men will continue to strive for great things, and will build greatly upon the foundation that has been built. None of this would have been possible without the support of the parents, alumni, campus faculty, and all others who have guided us in any way, and for that we sincerely thank you. I could not be more proud of my brothers and more excited for the accomplishments that are to come both at the undergraduate level and beyond. All My Best, Zach Curtis Archon of the Alpha Omega Chapter
Pi Kappa Phi Brother Profile Junior Derek Papke Major: Business Administration Minor: Computer and Information Technology Position: Archon-Elect Future Career Aspirations?
I hope to pursue a career in the information technology field in a management role. My passion lies in technology and the manipulation of information and I hope to use my concentration in information technology along with my business administration background to work my way into a management position with Google, Microsoft, Intel, etc.
Biggest Accomplishment as a Pi Kapp?
I believe that my biggest accomplishment as a Pi Kappa Phi brother came in the form of all 40 members of our Founding Father class passing the National Exam during our Chartering. My work as Warden was validated that night when I was fortunate enough to be initiated into the brotherhood and see all of my other brothers do the same.
Favorite Moment as a Pi Kapp?
My favorite moment as a Pi Kappa Phi coincides with my biggest accomplishment. To go through all of the work that we did as a chapter since the beginning of my freshman year and see it all come into fruition during Chartering weekend was such a humbling and gratifying experience. We all had worked so hard and come so far together and we finally got to see the result of all that work when we all became initiated and celebrated with our Chartering banquet.
Where do you see the Chapter in 5 years?
I see this chapter growing a lot in the next 5 years. The foundation is being laid down by those of us that are putting in our efforts now, but the real work has not begun yet. When I leave this chapter, I hope to leave it with a strong group of brothers that can truly compete on campus and make a difference. In 5 years, I would love to come back down for a football game or alumni event and see that the chapter has grown above the campus average size and has established itself as a premier chapter on campus for service, scholarship, and brotherhood.
Dec 8, 2012
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Alpha Omega News
War of the R ses
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or their first large-scale philanthropy event since re-chartering at the University of Oregon last spring, the Alpha Omega Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi took on the War of the Roses competition for the first time ever. “It has been proven to be a successful fund-raiser in chapters nation-wide,” Push America Chairmen Sean Gilbert said. The War of the Roses philanthropy competition is one of the most successful events around the nation for Pi Kappa Phi, raising tens of thousands of dollars for Push America from chapters around the nation. Gilbert knew that running this event would help establish the newly chartered Alpha Omega chapter on the University of Oregon Campus as a fraternity that cares about service and philanthropy. “It was a good starting point for us on this campus,” Gilbert said. “It was a foundation to start with, and it helped get our name out to the sororities who participated.” To start of their fundraising efforts, the chapter started selling apparel for the upcoming event. Sorority members around the campus could buy the specially designed War of the Roses shirts to help
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Dec 8, 2012
earn points for their house, and help raise money for Push America. Over 200 shirts were sold over a two week period, and $775 was raised for Push America on apparel alone. For the actual War of the Roses event, that took place from November 21-24, each sorority nominated a “Rose Queen” candidate that would represent their house throughout the competition. The week of events included the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign, where the Alpha Omega brothers went around the Oregon campus getting people to take a pledge to stop using the derogatory word retard, or retarded in their daily language. The event was a success, as over 800 people signed their pledge over a two-day period. “Spread the word to end the word was a great experience that enabled me to meet other students at our school, and explain to them what the cause was for. The work we accomplish gave me an appreciation that no matter who you are, any body can make a difference.” brother Nick Fukuda said. Other events that comprised the sorority competition included a spirit day, where
sorority women would earn points for wearing their War of the Roses apparel, and a flag football tournament which was won by the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. The culminating event was the War of the Roses pageant, which consisted of all Rose Queen candidates competing in a “Miss USA”-type pageant, with categories ranging from toga wear, formal wear, talent, and speech. The question was how they used the five tenants of class in their daily life. The six participating Rose Queen candidates all represented their sororities and themselves with class. In the end, Kappa Alpha Theta candidate Brooke Painter won the pageant competition, earning her the title of Pi Kappa Phi Rose Queen, and earning her sorority enough points to win the house cup for the inaugural War of the Roses competition In all, the first War of the Roses event raised over $1000 for Push America, and established the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity on the University of Oregon campus.
-Chris Jones
Alpha Omega brothers table outside the Erb Memorial Union, collecting pledges for the “Spread the Word to End the Word� campaign. Over 800 pledges were collected.
The Pi Kappa Phi house captains pose with the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, who won the first War of the Roses sorority flag football competition
The Pi Kappa Phi house captains pose with the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, who won the first War of the Roses sorority flag football competition
The Pi Kappa Phi house captains pose with the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, who won the first War of the Roses sorority flag football competition
Brother and Push America chairmen Sean Gilbert addresses the sorority women who attended the inaugural War of the Roses pageant.
The Gamma Phi Beta sorority poses for a picture after the War of the Roses sorority flag football competition
Dec 8, 2012
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UO WAR OF THE ROSES
The brothers of the Pi Kappa Phi- Alpha Omega chapter pose with their first ever Rose Queen, Brooke Painter from the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, after she won the War of the Roses pageant. Painter will be featured on the upcoming composite, as well as at future events.
Pi Kappa Phi brothers entertain the crowd of sorority women who attended the pageant with a “Suit and Tie� dance.
Rose Queen Brooke Painter reacts to being crowned, as well as winning the house cup for the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
The six Rose Queen candidates introduce themselves to the crowd who attended the first ever War of the Roses pageant.