e-Omegalite THE • PI • KAPPA • PHI • FRATERNITY
DECEMBER 2018
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
New IFC president comes from Omega
Making an impact in college can be a challenge, but for one Pi Kappa Phi member that opportunity will be as the leader of the Purdue fraternity system in 2019. Nathan Longo (Omega 2042), chapter archon in 2018, will take the reins of the 42-fraternity, 3,500member system at Purdue in January. He will become the Pi Kappa Phi chapter’s first Interfraternity Council President since 2007. Longo worked with IFC in 2017 and wanted to serve in an executive assistant role in 2019. However, he was encouraged by his chapter brothers, fellow fraternity presidents, outgoing IFC officers and Purdue Greek advisers to be president. He was drafted and elected thereafter. “Nathan has had tremendous leadership experiences within Purdue’s fraternity, sorority and cooperative life community that have prepared him to succeed in the role of IFC president,” said Brandon Cutler, associate dean of students. “He understands the system, processes, community and the importance of building collaborative relationships.” Leading such a substantial Greek community does not intimidate him. “I think managing and navigating the larger administrative infrastructure that IFC and Purdue both have will be a unique experience that will more directly relate to something like running a business,” he said. IFC has five executive board members, six directors, five associate board members and the Presidents Council, which is made
Nathan Longo, 2018 archon, will be the 2019 Interfraternity Council president. up of all of the chapters’ top leaders. The group works on new member recruitment as well as chapter development, scholarship, philanthropy, community service, member education, risk management and public relations, according to its website. Longo has a vision for building upon a Greek system richly entrenched into the Purdue community. “My goals for IFC as president are encompassed by three aspects: Improving implementation of health and safety policy, improving the way Purdue fraternities approach recruitment and fostering a culture of leadership in several areas within our community,” he said. The health and safety issues – aka risk management – are at the forefront of nationwide discussions about the roles Greeks play in university communities. Challenges range from binge drinking to mental health as well as hazing and life and death issues. “The areas I want to focus on
with this are building a culture of leadership and understanding among our general population,” Longo said. Furthermore, he wants to work with the other Greek councils to implement health and safety policies. As far as improving new member recruitment, Longo said he’s in favor of providing prospective new members an overview of the Greek community and explain that not all chapters focus on the same things. For example, there are fraternities that recruit men with specific academic majors, some that are religious-based, and others that focus on athletics, social, philanthropy or academics. Still others do not recruit for a specific emphasis at all. Accordingly, he wants to expand upon the traditional “Meet the Greeks” event, where all chapters man booths in a large open forum. “I think giving an opportunity for potential new members to quickly see every chapter will benefit both the chapters and the new members,” he said. Continued on Page 2
E-OMEGALITE Omega of Pi Kappa Phi, Inc. Housing Corporation P.O. Box 2700 West Lafayette, IN 47996-2700 Chapter Web address: http://www. purduepikapps.com Corporation Officers
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DECEMBER 2018 From Page 1 His final major goal involves building a community of leaders across the Greek system. He hopes to do this by “promoting collaboration among chapter presidents as well as with the Council,” he said. “This can be accomplished through more conversations and events in non-formal settings” that will foster “a culture of trust.” Furthermore, he hopes to push organizations to be true to their foundings. “If we make even just a small change building ‘grassroots’ leadership, our community will be much better off,” he said. After his term is over, he wants to be cognizant of where Greek organizations stand with administrators and university communities alike. “Fraternity life and culture are changing rapidly,” he said, “and I hope to make Purdue fraternities prepared to move into the future with a solid foundation of excellence.” Longo, a Columbus, Ohio, area native majoring in electrical engineering, will become Pi Kappa Phi’s first IFC president in more than a decade. Steve Holtsclaw (Omega 1666) held the position in 2007. His work with the US Department of Education on strategies to reduce risk issues for incoming freshmen as they encountered the Greek system brought him significant recognition. He received multiple honors including the Greek Man of the Year at Purdue and the Pi Kappa Phi Student of the Year nationally. Early in his chapter experience, he developed mentors who helped push him. “It’s difficult to put into words just how much Pi Kappa Phi and IFC prepared me for my professional career, as so much stems from my experience in these groups,” Holtsclaw said. “As an example, I was terrified of public speaking when I became IFC president and that fear disappeared pretty quickly given how many times I was asked to be the face and spokesman.” While on campus, he sought to learn what made other the top chapters successful and make that relevant to Pi Kappa Phi. “One of the non-obvious things I learned
PURDUE UNIVERSITY was to consider creative sources for solutions,” he said. “Another lesson was simply to listen, ask questions and observe before developing strategies and executing on them.” As IFC president he thought his biggest accomplishments were “creating a sense of community across all Greek organizations and improving chapter safety and risk management.” Holtsclaw has used his finance undergraduate degree, alongside a Northwestern University MBA, to assist clinical drug trials for Eli Lilly, an Indianapolis-based international pharmaceutical company. As such, he oversees data analysis to inform future domestic and international drug trials. Longo has a very supporting family, too. His dad, Greg, was a fraternity member in college and was very supportive of his son joining a fraternity. His mom, Michelle, not so much. “As a mom, I was more hesitant,” she said. “The qualities of personal responsibility and caring for others that were enhanced through my husband’s fraternity bond were his most attractive qualities. However, the news headlines seem to be skewed toward the negative and a mom’s radar is always on full alert.” Mom eventually warmed to the idea, but she didn’t know anything about Pi Kappa Phi. “Nathan shared all the statistics regarding its esteemed position on campus, but more importantly his gut feeling he was sensing about the men he had met during the recruitment and indoctrination process,” she said. “We trusted his judgment. “We later learned of many people in our lives that are Pi Kappa Phi alumni. Each year we have learned so much more and continue to be impressed with the philanthropy, brotherhood and leadership experiences.” Now, she’s overwhelmingly proud of him being IFC president. “Fraternities are competitive with one another,” said Greg Longo, Nathan’s dad. “This role requires someone who is respected across those lines and this speaks to the type of person Nathan is. He thrives to find common ground and help everyone find win-win alternatives.”
E-OMEGALITE
DECEMBER 2018
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Fraternity presents check to Lafayette School Board The simplicity of a grin can affect fraternity members forever when working with students with special needs. That’s the measure of the effect students at a local high school have upon Omega chapter members. A smile, a hug, a high five, a song – they make a difference on college students who volunteer in classes serving high schoolers with moderate cognitive intelligence. The fraternity celebrated those joys along with financial support from Circle of Giving grants from the Ability Experience on Nov. 12 at a local school board meeting. School board members recognized fraternity members who presented a check for $11,500, which represented grants from the Ability Experience, Pi Kappa Phi’s national philanthropic effort supporting people with disabilities. A portion of the chapter’s annual philanthropic fund-raising plus some extra cash support was given to the school to support programming efforts in special needs classes at Lafayette Jefferson High School. Archon Nathan Longo (Omega 2042) told the school board of all the things chapter members do to support people with disabilities in the classroom and in the community. He said the emphasis is on setting a standard of servant leadership at Purdue. But it’s the interaction with students in the local high school classroom that has a lasting impact.
Jack Russell works with a special needs student at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
Members of the Lafayette School Board pose with chapter members after recognizing $11,500 in gifts during the year through Circle of Giving Grants from The Ability Experience. “What makes all the work, the Kappa Phi brothers it continues to event planning, the fund-raising be a blessing,” said Alyssa hours all worth it for the Ability Montgomery, special education Experience is seeing the smiles on teacher. “It’s a truly wonderful the faces of all the students at experience for my students to interLafayette Jefferson and knowing act and learn from each of your what we do truly makes an brothers. They definitely get excited impact,” Longo told the board. when they come into the room.” Jack Russell (Omega 2082), who The fraternity has volunteered in regularly volunteers at the school, the classroom since 2007. agreed. “Because of your donation, my “Just seeing those smiles on those students participated in several kids’ faces when we walk in in the community outings, but most first five seconds – the impact we important are the everyday necessican see on their faces, does so much ties needed for my life skills classes for us,” he told the board. “It’s real– just being able to purchase food ly a truly humbling experience. It’s items and basic toiletries,” she said. memories like these that our broth- “So, gentlemen I sincerely hope we ers share.” continue to build on this wonderful Russell, an ROTC student from partnership because the impact of Little Rock, Arkansas, says he’s the fraternity’s donation truly been changed by his interaction makes a difference in our communiwith special needs students. ty and most of all for my special “These kids will have more of an needs students.” impact on me in my life, and all my Annually, the school board gives brothers’ lives, than we will ever the fraternity time at a school have on their lives,” he said. “That’s board meeting to thank the memtruly a humbling, humbling thing bers. To a person, board members to know that in college us brothers go out of their way to say thank found that light on a rainy day that you collectively and individually. we all wish to find.” Superintendent Les Huddle Several days each week, chapter echoed that sentiment. members travel four miles from “I want to thank you for your concampus to the high school. There tinued support,” he said, “not only they assist the special education financially, but also for the classteachers and make a difference. room support. “With the presence of the Pi
E-OMEGALITE
DECEMBER 2018
Pictured are chapter members who participated in the Nov. 11 Purdue University Dance Marathon, a campus wide fund raiser for Riley Hospital for Children.
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Members of the fall pledge class participated in a leaf-raking event to raise money for The Ability Experience on Nov. 11.
Arctoberfest showcases fraternity service in action Purdue Pi Kapps take their community service seriously. On Oct. 29, 20 brothers volunteered their time with Arctoberfest, a costume-themed Halloween party, hosted with the Arc of Tippecanoe. The Arc is a national organization with a local chapter that assists adults with disabilities. For nearly two hours, chapter members partied with 60 others gathered at a local bowling alley. The fraternityArc Arctoberfest, established in 2011, is the most anticipated event of the year for the special needs clients and their families. It included dancing, snacks and awards for various categories of client costumes. “It’s rewarding to be able to host the annual Halloween party each fall with the Arc,” said Matt Zelinski, the fraternity’s Ability Experience chair-
man. “It’s a great way for guys in our chapter to connect with people in the greater Lafayette community. “Seeing all the members of the Arc enjoy spending time with our guys is an uplifting experience,” he said. Assisting with the party is consistent with the fraternity’s outreach to those with special needs through the Ability Experience (www.abilityexperience.org). Throughout the year, fraternity members raise money for the cause and give of themselves. A portion of that annual fund-raising goes toward local agencies. The next fraternity community event will be a check presentation on Nov. 12 at the Lafayette School Board meeting. In the last school year, as part of grants given by the national Ability Experience philanthropic
effort, the chapter has been able to award the special needs classes at Lafayette Jefferson High School $11,500.
E-OMEGALITE
DECEMBER 2018
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Bike a Thon concludes Abilities Week
The chapter showed how it sets the standard for servant leadership as it completed its Abilities Week during homecoming week by raising $5,000 for people with disabilities. The week started with two days of Pie a Pi Kapp on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 17-18, which raised more than $600. Chapter members lined up and took a face full of “pie” made up of various condiments such as ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise added with other options including whipped cream, chocolate or caramel syrup and even ranch dressing. Passersby or pre-planned “attackers” threw, smeared or smashed the pie into a face for $2 for one ingredient and another for $1 each. At 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, chapter members kicked off the Eighth Annual David Feltner 72-Hour Memorial Bike a Thon. During the three-day span, the chapter amassed more 330 man hours on two or three stationary bicycles set near the belltower in the middle of the Purdue campus. The event had seven sororities competing for distance with five riders over 25 minutes. It also included a rid by Brandon Cutler, associate dean of students for fraternity, sorority and cooperative life at Purdue. Undergraduate riders committed to a $10 per hour donation and alumni were to give at least $25. The event is held in memory of Feltner, who as an undergraduate in 2011 died of a rare form of cancer. As a student, Feltner was very involved in the chapter’s Ability Experience programming and was in the first group to assist special needs classes at Lafayette Jefferson High School. “It is tremendous to be able to host an event where you not only get participation from students at Purdue, but also alumni who come back to honor the memory of David Feltner,” said Matt Zelinski (Omega 2098), Ability Experience chairman. “It has been a privilege to help coordinate an event that helps raise awareness for people with disabilities, too.”
Andy Scheil, Mike Lolkus and TJ Tomasik ride the last five minutes of the Eighth Annual David Feltner 72-Hour Memorial Bike a Thon near the Purdue Tower on Sept. 22. Phi Sigma Rho won the distance rather than him losing it to chemo. competition, traveling 8.02 miles in 25 “We said, ‘All right David, we’ll minutes. Other participants included: shave your head,’ ” Tomasik said. “He Alpha Xi Delta (two teams), Sigma sits down in front of all of us in a Kappa, Delta Delta Delta (two teams), chair and we shaved his head. Phi Mu and Zeta Tau Alpha. Someone stood up and said, ‘I’m gonna The week’s fund-raising was do that, too.’ And then the next guy $5,274. Contributions will be accepted said the same thing and pretty soon through the end of the calendar year, we had a skin-head chapter.” too. Online donations can be made at: He also talked about Feltner facing https://www.classy.org/team/149705 the fear of his mortality. He said the For the calendar year, the chapter fraternity members said they would has raised $16,758 to assist people be with David whatever the outcome. with disabilities. “We had the many sacrificing for Because Feltner’s parents moved to the individual. That is something that Florida, they were unable to ride the you will not find in any other organilast five minutes of the bike a thon as zation for the entirety of your lives – they have done in the previous seven what you will find here,” he said. years. However, three of Feltner’s Lolkus talked about Feltner’s bravpledge brothers rode at the end. ery, facing his rare type of cancer that TJ Tomasik (Omega 1735), Mike few people survive beyond the age of Lolkus (1736) and Andy Scheil 13. He thanked the chapter members (1732) were the riders. Two of them for continuing the fund-raising efforts addressed chapter members and on Feltner’s behalf, benefitting somealumni who gathered in the chapter thing he believed in – The Ability house’s Great Hall to celebrate the Experience. bike a thon’s success. “It’s extremely moving to see that “David was one of the greatest men you guys embrace this ride through that I have ever known,” Tomasik this weekend,” Lolkus told the crowd said. “I can truly say he was one of the gathered back at the fraternity house. heroes in my life because he was able The bike a thon included simultato stare death in the face multiple neous Facebook Live broadcasts – one times and stay positive the entire including a virtual ride along from time.” Charlotte with Ability Experience Tomasik recalled the last time CEO Basil Lyberg with chapter alumFeltner announced at chapter that his nus and national staff member Brent cancer had returned. He asked that Grunig, and a second from the cycling his fraternity brothers shave his head site on campus.
E-OMEGALITE
DECEMBER 2018
29 new members join Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi welcomed 29 new members into its ranks this fall. The plurality of the new members come from Indiana with 12 coming from the state while Illinois is second with four. California is the home state of three of the new members while Maryland and Massachusetts have two each. Other states represented include Connecticut, Ohio, Idaho, Pennsylvania and Kansas. Fifteen of the associates are engineering majors. Second most is management with three. Exploratory studies, technology, computer science, liberal arts and science have one member each. Other areas of studies include nursing, kinesiology, organizational leadership and supervision as well as physics. The class includes: • Leo Angelos, Chicago, Illinois, first year engineering • Michael Bailey, Fishers, Indiana, supply chain management • Evan Border, Hong Kong, first year engineering • Campbell Boston, Palatine, Illinois, film and video studies • Johnny Cappetta, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, first year engineering • Kyle Claussen, Noblesville, Indiana, exploratory studies • Samy Elmofty, Naperville, Illinois, first year engineering • Harrison Field, Eastham, Massachusetts, mechanical engineering technology • Daniel Furry, South Bend, Indiana, first year engineering • Max Giesemann, Irvine,
California, first year engineering • Nolan Gonzalez, Gaithersburg, Maryland, first year engineering • Mark Haines, LaPorte, Indiana, computer science • Luke Hendriks, Boston, Massachusetts, biomedical engineering • Max Isch, Brownsburg, Indiana, nursing • Kyle Jensen, Rockville, Maryland, finance • Chris Jones, Greenwood, Indiana, first year engineering • Phillip Kim, Fort Wayne, Indiana, mechanical engineering • Conner Krizan, Brownsburg, Indiana, marketing • John Nierman, Zionsville, Indiana, financial planning and counseling • Nathan Parker, Boise, Idaho, first year engineering • Andrew Prisby, Chicago, Illinois, kinesiology • Grant Sage, Orange County, California, organizational leadership and supervision • Nicholas Shell, St. John, Indiana, exploratory studies • Quentin Silverio, Chester, Connecticut, physics • Mitch Squire, Wichita, Kansas, computer engineering • Drew Thieme, Carmel, Indiana, accounting • Erik Wilson, Cleveland, Ohio, first year engineering • Connor Wood, San Diego, California, biology • Jack Yeakey, Noblesville, Indiana, mechanical engineering technology
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Help chapter to $20,000 The chapter is on the cusp of raising $20,000 for people with disabilities for only the third time ever. Though mid-December, Omega has raised $16,758 for The Ability Experience. The first time the chapter achieved $20,000 was in 2011 and the second was in 2017. Alumni may support the cause by donating online at: https://www.classy.org/team/149705 or by mail: The Ability Experience; Chapter Services 2015 Ayrsley Town Blvd., Ste. 200 Charlotte, NC 28273 In memo line, mark: Omega (Purdue) fund raising
Alumni encouraged to ride in ’19 PK 100
Alumni are encouraged to participate or support in the annual Pi Kapp 100 this spring. On March 30, 2019, the chapter will compete the 20th annual Pi Kapp 100, a 100-kilometer cycling ride from Zionsville to the Purdue campus. Alumni have ridden many times over the years. Undergraduate riders pledge to raise at least $150 to participate while undergraduate crew members bring in $75. Alumni are asked to raise/contribute at least $250 to the chapter’s annual Ability Experience fund-raising effort. One year, an alumnus raised $1,000. The ride traditionally starts at 7 a.m. at the Zionsville Boys and Girls Club and arrives at the chapter house between noon and 12:30 p.m. The arrival is the start of the chapter’s annual Moms Day event. Alumni are welcome to participate in the Moms Day event from the 4 p.m. public and silent auction through the 6:30 p.m. banquet being held this year in Shivley Club in Ross-Ade Stadium. Also, if you cannot attend and still want to support the chapter’s efforts, you can send a check to: Omega of Pi Kappa Phi Inc. PO Box 2700 West Lafayette, IN 47996 Put “Pi Kapp 100” in the memo line.