Spring 2009 Edition
The Theta Mu Sentinel Official Newsletter of the Theta Mu chapter of Pi Kappa Phi At the University of Massachusetts-Amherst APRIL 18 4th Annual 5K Race for Charity Please Consider Joining the Brothers of Pi Kappa Phi
Message from Archon Emeritus Matt Sloan: I can tell you that my involvement with Pi Kappa Phi has changed my life. I joined the fraternity as a sophomore because I felt like I was not as active as I wanted to be. I was first attracted to the organization because I learned that Pi Kappa Phi is the only fraternity that operates its own national philanthropy, Push America. After joining, I took on many responsibilities and, with the help of my brothers, was able to accomplish many things that I would never have had the opportunity to achieve otherwise.
The day my son became my brother - by Lewis Rosenthal This story is for the PiKapp ters who can have those endless dads. All you mom’s please conversations about all kinds of skip to the next article. stuff our conversations with our sons are relatively brief. When I Now that we’re alone, just would ask my son how his day guys, let’s talk about the was, the usual answer was good, special bond between father I’d say great and the conversaand son. If you’re a bit like tion was over; a very efficient me, you probably have exchange of information. Then worked hard at your careers in an instant, we turn around to or business most of your find that our children are grown son’s early years. Of course and heading off to college. When we spent that quality time the reality hit me that my oldest with our son’s on the baseson Matthew was really going to ball field, at soccer practice be leaving home for college I or one of the many other couldn’t stop thinking of the activities we found ourselves Harry Chapin song, “Cat's in the shuttling to and from. But it Cradle,” wondering where the seemed to me that I was time had gone. spending much of my quality time with my son watch- In his second semester at Aming him grow and mature herst, Matthew decided to join a from the sidelines. Unlike fraternity. I went to a New York the moms and their daugh- State University where Greek
Call to Donate! If you would like Donate to the Theta Mu Chapter of please contact Brother Greg LeMoine. (pikappumass.com)
Brothers welcoming back JOH Bikers Phil Benevides, Kegan Fielding, and Matt Sloan upon their arrival in Washington, D.C.
The Journey of a Lifetime My name is Michael Keough and this summer I will represent the men of our chapter as a cyclist on The Journey of Hope. I’d like to give you a little background on the event. The Journey of Hope began in 1987 when a man by the name of Bruce Rogers cycled from San Francisco, CA to Washington D.C. to raise money for people with disabilities. The very next year his ride inspired Push America, the national philanthropy of our fraternity, to create Journey of Hope – a cross-country trek to raise funds and awareness on behalf of Americans with disabilities. That year, twenty one members of Pi Kappa Phi raised nearly $20,000 cycling the inaugural route from the Golden Gate to the nation’s capitol. In
Life was basically nonexistent. So the whole fraternity experience was a mystery to me. I wasn’t sure that Matthew should be getting involved with a fraternity. After all, with the high cost of college I felt that his focus should be on the education and that spending time pledging for a “frat” was a distraction. Also I was worried about the drinking, drugs and hazing rituals that we have all read about. Matthew was convinced that this fraternity was different. He explained to me that Pi Kappa Phi is a responsible, community minded brotherhood that also knows how to have a good time without the alcohol and drugs. I was in-
June 2009 I will be one of over eighty members of Pi Kappa Phi to cycle one of three routes snaking their way from San Francisco and Seattle, to the steps of the US Capitol. Together we will raise over $500,000 for disability awareness. To date, over 900 men have made the journey, all because of one man’s dream. What makes the Journey of Hope remarkable is not the cycling. After riding an average of 75 miles a day, you won’t find us napping or getting ready for the next day's ride (however badly we may want to). Rather, we’ll be dancing at a friendship visit with a local group that supports people with disabilities, participating in a game of wheelchair basketball, or performing puppet shows to educate children on the abilities of people