Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Dan Bureau Receives Sue Kraft Fussell Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors
During the 2009 Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) Annual Meeting in Jacksonville, FL, Dan Bureau received the Sue Kraft Fussell Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors.
The Association’s Distinguished Service Awards were established in 1985 to recognize those individuals who have exhibited professional standards and achievement in men’s and women’s fraternity advising, as well as outstanding achievement in various other areas including campus programming, development and research activities, and service to the college community. In 2006, the award was renamed for AFA’s Executive Director, Sue Kraft Fussell, in honor other many talents, contributions, and leadership, her strong work ethic, commitment to the Association, dedication to our vision of a unified fraternal movement, and in recognition of her many years of distinguished service.
Bureau served as the President of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors in 2004 and has been a volunteer for the Association since he joined. In addition to his service to the Association, Dan has served on the Board of Directors for Phi Kappa Theta and Gamma Sigma Alpha. Dan is also extremely involved with hazing prevention and promoting discussions on the topic of fraternal relevance.
One nominator states, “Dan is visionary, progressive, intelligent, and determined, yet oddly humble, humorous, and grounded. He is truly an educator, an advocate, an innovator, and a friend!”
Through his contributions to the fraternal relevance movement, Dan takes on a significant leadership role. One nominator writes, “With his challenging style, questions raised, and inspirational conversations, Dan is leading a new generation of staff, volunteers, and campus professionals to examine our collective relevance.”
The Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) is a multifaceted professional organization providing resources, recognition, and support for approximately 1,600 fraternity and sorority professionals and volunteers from across the United States and Canada. Approximately 1,050 people attended the 2009 AFA Annual Meeting. For more information about AFA, please visit our website at www.fraternityadvisors.org
In Memoriam: Donald P. Merrifield, S.J. of LMU
For hundreds of Phi Kap Alumni, Brother Don was the face of PKT at LMU. Ten years ago he was celebrated as Phi Kappa Theta’s “Man of The Year” at San Diego National Convention.
In Memoriam (Taken from the Alumni E-Message LMU/LA)
It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of Donald P. Merrifield, S.J. Father Merrifield passed away today in San Jose, Calif., at the age of 81.
Father Merrifield was the 11th president of Loyola University and the first president of the merged Loyola University and Marymount College in 1973. That alone would make him a pivotal figure of this institution. But beyond that part of history, so much of the university we see today is the result of his efforts. Deeper still, he helped develop the character of LMU and all those who study and work here.
Father Merrifield’s tenure as president was from 1969 to 1984. In those 15 years, he oversaw the construction of 13 buildings on campus, including the Leavey Faculty Center, the Von der Ahe Communication Arts Building, Loyola Apartments, Bird Nest, Eugenie Hannon Apartments, Doolan Hall, Gersten Pavilion, George Page Baseball Stadium, Burns Fine Art Center and Laband Art Gallery. The view from any corner of our campus will take in the influence of Father Merrifield.
No less characteristic was his passion for diversity and inclusive education. Merrifield oversaw financial aid initiatives, the creation of scholarships and recruiting drives to increase the presence of students of color on campus. Under his leadership, the university set up its first support services office for minority students and added to the curriculum courses on African American and Chicano/Latino studies. Merrifield was instrumental in the formation of the Mexican American Alumni Association in 1981. MAAA is still an integral part of the university; its top scholastic award is the Donald P. Merrifield Scholarship. Look at the many, varied faces on our campus and you see the influence of Father Merrifield.
He was also passionate about dialogue between religions and helped establish the first Interfaith Group on campus. So committed was Father Merrifield to this concept, when he was inaugurated in 1969, he turned to Rabbi Alfred Wolf to give the invocation.
Father Merrifield was born Nov. 14, 1928, in Los Angeles and graduated from Inglewood High School. He earned his Bachelor of Science in physics from Caltech, his master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and his doctorate in physics from MIT. He joined the Society of Jesus in 1951 and was ordained at Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood in 1965. Father Merrifield taught physics at Santa Clara University and the University of San Francisco. He was also a consultant to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in honor of Father Merrifield may be sent to: Loyola Marymount University, Attn: Alma Vorst, 1 LMU Drive, Suite 2800, Los Angeles, CA 90045-2659. There will be a memorial Mass celebrated for Father Merrifield on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. in Sacred Heart Chapel on the LMU campus. Additional information will be made available at www.lmu.edu/merrifield.
Father Merrifield expanded and enriched LMU and we are forever blessed by him and his work.
Sincerely,
Robert B. Lawton, S.J.
Two Phi Kap brothers participate in IFC Academy
LEARNING MODELS FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE IFC OPERATIONS
Two members of Phi Kappa Theta joined more than 150 Interfraternity Council (IFC) officers, advisors, chapter presidents, chapter delegates, and graduate advisors from 34 U.S. colleges and universities in participating in the 2010 IFC Academy, hosted Jan. 30 in Indianapolis by the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC).
The one-day, 14-hour program, focused participants on their role in developing high-performing IFCs – specifically the role of the IFC in serving the needs of its member fraternities, and the role the NIC Standards play in supporting high performance.
“The fraternities of the NIC operate by an agreed-upon set of standards,” said Peter D. Smithhisler, president and CEO of the NIC. “Developed by the membership with the goal of helping younger members clearly understand what membership means, and helping older members understand their responsibility in teaching and modeling, the Standards provide an excellent co-curricular education for every member,” he said.
On campus, the IFC’s role is to understand and promote the Standards to the leadership of their member fraternities. Individual chapter leaders hold responsibility for interpreting the Standards to their chapter members, explaining how they apply to the chapter’s individual mission and values. While NIC standards encourage and support academic achievement; campus involvement and leadership; risk management on topics such as alcohol use, fire safety, hazing, and sexual abuse; the value of ritual; and the importance of communicating the value of education, career preparation, civic engagement, leadership development, values, and ethics, each chapter applies them differently to accommodate their individual fraternity’s mission and values.
At the Academy, Phi Kap brothers Mike Meloro and Sam Russell, both from Carnegie Mellon University, renewed their sense of commitment to the interfraternal community. Each completed a personalized assessment of their own council effectiveness, and each developed a task list to work through once they return to campus. Because open (year-round) recruitment of members and open (to any interested fraternity) expansion of chapters on a campus continue to be issues IFCs have difficulty understanding and explaining to their members, the two Phi Kap participants also learned how to identify restrictive clauses in their polices and, along with NIC professional staff, discussed ways to work with campus advisors and administrators to remove restrictive policies.
The Academy offered two tracks, one for officers responsible for marketing and public/member relations, and another for executive officers responsible for operation and stewardship. Presenters included Josh Orendi, CEO of Phired UP Productions, who led the marketing/communication track; Ben Pendry, NIC vice president for advancement, who led the executives track; Marc Katz, past chairman of the NIC, who provided a legal update for council officers; Bob Marchesani, current NIC chairman, who focused on the importance of interfraternalism; and NIC Chairman and CEO Pete Smithhisler, who led the session on the value and importance NIC Standards hold for IFC operation.
Founded in 1909, the NIC is the trade association representing 73 international and national men’s fraternities. Through advocacy, collaboration, and education, the NIC works to ensure that fraternities can operate in an environment conducive to their success.
Bottle Caps Provide Unique Medium for Colts Fan and Brother
Jennie Runevitch/Eyewitness News
A Colts creation is creating a lot of buzz for the Blue Crew. One local fan turned his love of the team into a work of art.
It’s perhaps the unusual set of supplies that makes the artwork so unique - bottle caps. They’re a staple of tailgating and often hit the trash after game day.
But Colts fan Nathan Rues (Missouri Mu ‘01) collected bottle caps and created a piece of art. The donated design, featuring a Colts horseshoe, now hangs proudly in the Blue Crew Sports Grill in Fishers.
UIFI 2010 Participant Applications Now Available
Greetings from the NIC. On behalf of the NIC Staff, I am pleased to announce that participant applications for the 2010 Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute are now available at www.nicindy.org/programs/UIFI.
UIFI is the premier leadership development experience for undergraduate fraternity and sorority members and brings students together from across North America for an intensive five day institute. At UIFI students are challenged to rethink the meaning and purpose of fraternity and sorority and provided the awareness and skills necessary to elevate their chapter, council, and community. This summer, we are pleased to offer nine sessions of UIFI. All sessions will be held at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.
Please join us in spreading the word about UIFI 2010. To send a UIFI postcard to students and colleagues, go to www.nicindy.org/programs/UIFI. From there, you can view the dates and costs for UIFI 2010 and view a list of organizations that have previously provided scholarships to UIFI. The 2010 scholarship list will be announced in the coming weeks.
Thank you for your support and please remember that there is still time to apply to serve as a facilitator for UIFI this summer. Applications are due on February 28, 2010. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at your convenience or seek out an NIC Staff Member the upcoming AFLV, NGLA, and SEIFC Conferences.
Interfraternally,
Will Foran
Greek101 has teamed up with CAMPUSPEAK, GreekYearbook and GreekBill in a joint savings campaign
New York – February 1, 2010 - Greek101 has teamed up with CAMPUSPEAK, GreekYearbook and GreekBill in a joint savings campaign. Simply put, any order over $300 placed with Greek101 will result in the client receiving coupons from the above mentioned companies. These coupons represent over $500 dollars in savings to chapters/councils. Many customers will receive more money in coupons than they spent on their order.
Likewise, many purchases/bookings from CAMPUSPEAK, GreekYearbook and GreekBill will enable their clients to receive a coupon worth $100 off any order of $800 or more from Greek101. Using the Greek101 coupon, will then enable the client to receive a coupon back to the referring vendor, creating a loop of savings.
Greek101 predicts this will save the Greek Community tens of thousands of dollars in the coming year, with the potential of saving more than $100,000 nationwide.
The new program is in conjunction with Greek101’s current “Blanket with Sleeves” promotion. For every 100 shirts within your order, you will receive 1 free blanket with sleeves.
Michelle Guobadia, Director of Fraternity/Sorority Life at the University of North Carolina – Charlotte: “I’m very excited about this news since I already use most of these vendors. This is going to help our Greek Communities budget in the coming year”.
Grahaeme Hesp, Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life at the University of California Berkeley: “The economy has triggered budget cuts across all our campuses. It’s great to see our top vendor partners forming relationships to help their customers; my campus office has already taken advantage of their generosity (and looking forward to the “blanket with sleeves”) and I strongly endorse these vendors to my councils, chapters, and student organizations.”
Jim Levi
Director of Sales & Marketing
(888) 473-3550 xt.106
www.Greek101.com
jim @ greek101.com
About Greek101:
Greek101 is a leading Fraternity/Sorority apparel & accessories supplier to over 700 schools Nationwide which represent more than 10,000 chapters. Greek101 has helped lower shirt costs by sponsoring hundreds of campus-wide events in the past decade. Never forgetting our beginnings, individuals can still purchase just one custom t-shirt with sewn-on lettering. Working with passion driven customers has helped shape our company into who we are today.
About CAMPUSPEAK:
Founded in 1999 on a low-maintenance, low-pressure business philosophy, CAMPUSPEAK has become and agenda-setting company within higher education. Known primarily for its top-notch speakers, CAMPUSPEAK also markets consulting services, closely partnering with more than a dozen higher education associations. We aim to make a difference in the lives of students and the professionals who work with them.
About GreekYearbook:
GreekYearbook provides the best fraternity and sorority composite, bid day, and convention photography for thousands of fraternity and sorority members across the United States and Canada. Over 450 schools have fraternity and sorority members using GreekYearbook for their composite or bid day services today. GreekYearbook provides fraternities and sororities with affordable pricing, quick turnaround time, and professional photographers who make the fraternity and sorority members feel at ease. Over 500,000 fraternity and sorority members have used GreekYearbook composite, bid day, and/or convention services.
About GreekBill:
GreekBill is a web-based billing and financial management service catering exclusively to the Greek Community. GreekBill’s secure application enables billing, collecting, budgeting, reporting, online payment options and much more for chapters of all sizes. Since 1996, GreekBill has helped chapters, executive offices and a wide variety of Greek related companies strengthen their financial structures and streamline their operations. In fact, GreekBill was acknowledged by The Wall Street Journal has an effective option Fraternities and Sororities have used to solve their accounts receivable problems. From recruitment payment processing to national implementations, GreekBill handles it all!
Illness Never Slowed Student
Disease takes graduate’s life
Carey O’Neil
Story courtesy of www.redandblack.com
Michael Kobleur didn’t want to be carrying his friend Jordan Woods’ casket Wednesday afternoon. He would have rather been sitting on the porch of the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity house discussing sports and politics, Woods’ two passions.
“The best memories that I have of him are sitting on the front porch,” Kobleur said. “Just he and I, sitting on the porch and enjoying life.”
Woods, a 22-year-old graduate of the University, was found by his sister, dead in his family’s basement Saturday.
He had planned to return to Athens to study politics and obtain a master’s degree, but he hadn’t always aspired to politics.
Woods was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and confined to a wheelchair early in life, and curing the degenerative disease became one of his life goals, said Jonathan Mitchell, a senior who roomed with Woods at their fraternity house.
“He thought finding a cure for MD was too selfish because he had it. Getting into politics, he could help more people,” he said.
3 Foot Giant Special on BIO Channel Features Alumnus
Alumnus Sean Stephenson (DePaul, ‘01) will be premiering his 3 Foot Giant television show on the BIO channel Sunday, November 15th at 10PM ET/11PM PT.
- Read the 3 Foot Giant Press Release
- View a preview of Sean Stephenson’s show: 3 Foot Giant
- View a PDF of the Spring 2009 issue of the Temple Magazine of Phi Kappa Theta, featuring Sean Stephenson.
The Phi Kaps Prove Victorious in Greek Week at Lewis University
Romeoville, IL – October 30, 2009 – Did you see it? The target on Phi Kappa Theta’s back? Why, it was easily visible from hundreds of yards away, as eight Greek organizations battled it out this week on the Lewis University Greens.
The competition is called Greek Week, which takes place once a semester at this school of 6,000 students, located 40 minutes south of Chicago.
The Phi Kaps (Illinois Kappa Phi chapter) dug in deep and fought quietly, staying near the top in all contests. Each day held a different competition, from the wretched Karaoke to the treacherous Obstacle Course (complete with tires, a three-legged race, dizzy bats and twinkies).
For the second straight semester, the winner of Greek Week would not be decided until the final contest: BAGS.
With the upstart fraternity of Tau Tau Tau within striking distance, the fate of a repeat Phi Kappa Theta victory was in the steady hands of veteran Shaun Campbell and rookie Kevin Veatch.
The intense rain provided an epic backdrop, as scores of people huddled around to witness the outcome.
The Brothers of Tau Tau Tau drew first blood, with a quick 3 points, but the Phi Kaps quickly answered. Soon, the score was tied at 5-5.
The Phi Kaps, wanting to leave nothing to chance, promptly went on a 10-0 run. This made the score 15 to 5, and they never looked back.
Phi Kappa Theta proved victorious once again, winning bags by the score of 21-8, ultimately sealing the deal for the defending champions.
“It feels great, it really does”, proclaimed Illinois Kappa Phi President, Billy Mackey. “Everybody fought so hard, and I’m not limiting that to our organization. Just wait till next semester when that target we’ve been carrying around gets even larger.”
Contact:
Steven KC Lee
stephenslee @ lewisu.edu
1 University Pkwy
Romeoville, IL
60446
(c)
816.352.8697
Homecoming Reunion for Nu Omega Alumni
On Saturday, September 26, 2009, over 100 brothers assembled on Nicholls State University’s campus for the Homecoming Reunion Tailgate for the Nu Omega Alumni Chapter Tailgate. The tailgate kicked off at 12:00 p.m. behind Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium in Thibodaux, LA and culminated with the start of the NSU vs. Jacksonville State Homecoming Game at 3:00 p.m., which NSU lost 60-10. Brothers came from as near as South Louisiana and as far as Atlanta.
The event benefitted from overwhelming support from several generous brothers. We need to thank Brother Brian Champagne for his tireless devotion to making this event a success, Brother Josh Jambon, owner of Jambon Boats for donating two large party tents and cooking trailer, Brother Sammy Castalano, owner of Catalanotto Foods for crawfish Madeline and jambalaya, Brother Jamie Rodrigue of Crescent Crown Distributors for a Phi Kappa Theta Alumni Association Banner, Brothers Jude Guidry and Mark Perque for cooking at the event, Brother Donovan Fremin, owner of The Library Bar and Brother Michael Gros for the DJ Cinco de Mike Gros services. The Fall 2009 Pledge Class hosted a “Wine and Cheese Social” at The Library Bar immediately following the game and the Active Class hosted “Mafia Night Party” at La Casa del Sol.
Lance Brien, Active Chapter President said, “ the showing and support of our alumni chapter was really encouraging and uplifting to both actives and pledges alike. The Alumni Chapter’s enthusiasm and attendance really showed the younger members what our Fraternity is all about.”
The Louisiana Nu Omega Chapter of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity was colonized at Nicholls State in 1965 and chartered in 1967 as the first Greek-letter organization on campus. Our membership boasts over 1,000 brothers, a former National Fraternity President and member of the National Fraternity Board of Trustees. Louisiana Nu Omega has won the Founder’s Cup twice – in 1976 and 1985.
The next Alumni Chapter event will take place next spring. Contact Jeremy Perque, Alumni Chapter President at (225) 445-5825 or jeremy.perque @ smhgroup.com or Lance Brien, Active Chapter President at (985) 991-0150 or briel099 @ its.nicholls.edu.
