Life In Alpha PI: 2007-2008
From Uwphitau
Phi Kappa Tau: 2007-2008
By Dan Kaufman
This school year certainly has been a pivotal one for the Alpha Pi chapter of Phi Kappa Tau. As the last of the remaining Alpha Class members are turning the pages into the next chapter of their lives, the newer members of Alpha Pi are taking on the monumental task of building upon their legacy. This is by no means easy, but on the whole this year’s successes across the board make our future look very bright.
To say recruitment was strong this year would be an understatement. The effective rush techniques employed by the chapter during 2007 brought in a fall associate class of 14 members. Only Alpha class has been larger. With Zeta class, the fraternity gained many members with different perspectives, each possessing qualities necessary for diverse leadership roles in the house. Eta class, though only consisting of three members, also has brought in enthusiastic new members who show great potential for future leadership.
Alpha Pi has made leaps and bounds socially this year as well. While we believe in hosting them infrequently, we have earned a solid reputation for making our parties enjoyable for our guests. Our peak success in this regard was probably our “Party like a Rock Star” themed party spring quarter. With a theme that can be extended to nearly every musical genre, the possibilities were almost endless. At the same time, however, we have maintained a gentlemanly reputation, consistently walking women home after social gatherings. We continued to celebrate traditional sorority exchanges, such as making gingerbread houses with Delta Zeta at Christmas time, as well.
On an internal level, the brotherhood built this year has been remarkable as well. From our retreat at Mt. Baker, to climbing Mt. Si, to our BMC weekend, the members of Alpha Pi have developed deep connections with each other. Brothers are constantly found doing group activities together, be it playing Frisbee, rock band, or simply just hanging out on weekends. There were also many memorable road trips this year, including Whistler weekend and of course West Coast road trip. The latter brought friendship and trust between brothers to a new level and will probably be remembered by many brothers as the highlight of their fraternity experience.
Furthermore, our chapter’s involvement on the national level has mushroomed over that of previous year. We sent numerous delegates to national events such as Leadership Academy and West Coast Road Trip. In fact, at Leadership Academy we received the Golden Dipstick award, given to the chapter whose combined members travel the most miles to the Academy. As far as West Coast Road Trip, having fourteen brothers show up at a convention over a thousand miles away wearing identical shirts gave us, to say the least, a unified image. The paramount honor thus far, however, has been the invitation to apply as finalists for the Maxwell Award, the highest honor an individual chapter can earn. This is significant, as it shows we are at least meeting basic standards on each level of the Borradaile challenge. Only a handful of the fraternities 145 chapters are invited to apply.
However if this school year had one defining accomplishment, it would be our philanthropic endeavors. Paul Newman’s newest “Hole in the Wall Camp”, Camp Korey, will open its doors this summer in Carnation, WA. “Hole in the Wall Camps” give terminally ill children a chance to get out of the hospital for a week and enjoy a typical childhood experience. The development of this camp in our own backyard makes our involvement more important that ever. With the help of sororities, notably Gamma Phi Beta, the Fairy Godsister project raised almost three times for the cause as last year. We also had a workday at the camp during fall quarter, displaying a positive image of Phi Kappa Tau and the Greek system to the community. In addition to our own philanthropy, we participated in numerous sorority philanthropies this year. Most notable was Kappa Fling, Kappa Kappa Gamma’s Frisbee tournament in which we took first place. After training long and hard for this tournament, as well as for IMA Frisbee, we took just pride in victory.
Looking back upon this year, it is shocking to think of how quickly it has gone by. Yet in a seemingly short period of time, we made monumental progress in nearly every regard. We are not without faults, of course, and we still have serious hurdles to overcome. However on the whole, the dedication to our ideals possessed in our members is undeniably developing Alpha Pi into a positive force on campus, in the community, and nationally.
NEW MEMBERS
Zeta Class
Sam Cascio
Bryan Chee
Chris Claiborne
Jarred Cooke
Andrew Gawronski
Robert Johnson
Tyler Kamstra
Dan Kaufman
Chase Landrey
Sean Pankanin
Tim Unger
Evan Wells
Ryan Williams
Corey Zamanian
Eta Class
Justin Horn
Michael Lukins
Brian Todhunter
Theta Class (thus far)
Cliff Del Castillo Macaraeg
2008 OFFICERS
President: Rex Thompson
Vice President: Mike Maves
Treasurer: Scot Rastelli
Secretary: Tim Shigeta
VP Alumni Relations: Dallas Maag
Membership Orientation: Tyler Goulet
Recruitment: Corey Allen & Jarred Cooke
House Manager: Sam Cascio
Risk Management: Andrew Gawronski
Philanthropy: Ryan Brown
Social: Evan Wells
Scholarship: Robert Johnson
Sergeant At Arms: Tim Shigeta
Chaplain: Brian Drews
Historian: Dan Kaufman
Technology Chair: Eric Olson
Kitchen Steward: Dallas Maag
