Missouri Kappa Upsilon Chapter Celebrates 100th Anniversary by Hosting Golf Tournament

The Missouri Kappa Upsilon chapter at the University of Missouri held a golf tournament between collegiate members and alumni to kick off their 100th anniversary celebrations. Originally installed in 1922 as Phi Kappa and later merging with the 1948-chartered Theta Kappa Phi, the brotherhood is commemorating their monumental mark in chapter history.

The event attracted dozens of alumni from the St. Louis area and encouraged them to make connections with the collegiate members. Steve Einspanier, (University of Missouri, ‘98), who is a part of the alumni board for the chapter, agreed to assist in hosting the event. During our interview with Brother Einspanier, he reflected on assisting the chapter, “I enjoyed helping plan the golf tournament and hosting the brothers from the chapter. They are all great!”

When reflecting on the event, Dylan Britton, (University of Missouri, ‘24) said, “The biggest thing for our brothers is making sure alumni can see the amount of growth their chapter has been through. It is important to show the positive transformation that the Fraternity has gone through and to the positive development it has on its members.”

Brother Britton went on to explain that the chapter is planning on doing a lot of work with their alumni over the next year by inviting them to more events. The chapter looks forward to working closely with alumni and welcoming their involvement.

Brother Zach Khennafi (University of Missouri, ‘25) was excited to share, “All of our brothers had a great time playing golf and meeting up with a group of alumni. We hope to establish this as a new tradition in coming years and further our college and alumni relationships in the future.”

During the event, collegiate members enjoyed a day on the green followed by a BBQ at the golf resort. Phi Kaps from across generations exchanged experiences as members and were given updates on current chapter activities and initiatives.

“The alumni golf tournament was an amazing beginning to new relations with our alumni. It gave us the opportunity to know them, and more importantly for them to know us. Interacting with our brothers of the past has shown me a bright future for this chapter,” said newly-initiated Brother Austin Williams (University of Missouri, ‘25).

As centennial celebrations begin to ramp up for the chapter, the collegiate members of the Missouri Kappa Upsilon chapter are excited to welcome home their brothers of generations past.

Collegiate and alumni members of our Missouri Kappa Upsilon chapter came together for their inaugural golf tournament. The chapter is celebrating the 100th anniversary of their brotherhood later this fall.

Phi Kappa Theta’s Missouri Upsilon chapter recently hosted their 100th Year Anniversary celebration on October 22nd. All Missouri University Phi Kappa Theta, Phi Kappa, and Theta Kappa Phi alumni, and their families were invited to a catered tailgate celebrating their centennial. If your chapter is celebrating a major milestone, we would love to hear about it! Click the button below to share your story.

Register now for a Boysie Bollinger Leadership Academy near you!

If you've ever wondered what you're really living for, what to do next, or how to become the best version of yourself - you're not alone.

Every young man wrestles with these big questions, but it is only servant leaders willing to invest the time and energy to discover the answers who will go the distance and make a difference.

It is for this reason that this year's Boysie Bollinger Regional Leadership Academy (at several locations) are going to be life-changing! Seize this opportunity. MAKE YOUR MOVE.

Below is the current list of convenient host locations available to all collegiate members:

• St. Francis University: Saturday, Feb. 19, 12-5pm (Recruitment Reimagined)

• Georgia Institute of Technology: Saturday, March 5, 12-5pm (Make Your Move)

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: Saturday, April 2, 12-5pm (Make Your Move)

• University of Illinois: Saturday, April 16, 12-5pm (Make Your Move)

• Iowa State University: Saturday, April 23, 11am-4pm (Make Your Move)

*You can be from any chapter to attend any of these locations*

Registration is now open for a Boysie Bollinger Leadership Academy near you!

This program, including lunch, is being offered free to all brothers of Phi Kappa Theta thanks to the generosity of Brother Boysie Bollinger
(University of Louisiana at Lafayette, ‘71).

If your chapter has questions about the program please contact Stephan Oechsle, Director of Fraternal Operations. For more information about hosting a future Boysie Bollinger Regional Leadership Conference at your chapter please reach out to Travis Smith, Director of Brother Engagement.

PA Beta Gamma Chapter at Penn State University Raises $40,000 in Search of a Cure

— Ben Borus (Penn State, ‘22) “It’s far and away the most meaningful experience I’ve had as a brother and to share it with my best friends is something I hope to do for the rest of my life,” said THON chair Kamron Sarmadi about one of the most special weekends of the Penn State school year.

 This past February, the Beta Gamma chapter celebrated THON weekend. THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Every year it raises over $10 million for the fight against childhood cancer. The year-long fundraising effort culminates with a 46-hour, no-sitting, no-sleeping, dance marathon. The chapter was able to elect three individuals to represent them on the floor as dancers. Most participate from the stands, but being elected as a dancer is a huge honor amongst the brotherhood. During the week leading up to THON, the brothers wrote over 300 letters that the dancers could open for support.

This year the brothers raised $40,000, which is the largest total in chapter history. This impressive achievement took months of commitment from the entire brotherhood. Whether it was attending fundraisers, reaching out to their family members, or even supporting the dancers on the floor when they needed it the most. President Owen Peters could not be prouder of the chapter’s efforts this year. “It’s amazing to see the brothers come together like this to support such a great cause. I’m so proud of everyone for all their contributions this year.”

Each student organization is paired with a THON child. The program is meant for student organizations to provide emotional support for children with cancer. The chapter has been paired with Ryan Arevelo for 5 years now. “Working with Ryan and the rest of the Arevelo Family year-round is such a rewarding experience,” said Family Relations Chair Kamron Sarmadi, “and to see him officially cured in July is the best thing we could have asked for.” The brothers plan many events throughout the year with Ryan and his family, such as inviting him to the chapter house and visiting him in his hometown.

Every brother has a reason why they THON. “Coming from a family who has lost family members to cancer as well as my grandfather who’s beaten it, THON is something that I have been motivated to be a part of since I came to Penn State,” said head chair Joseph Mondy. This sentiment rings true for many brothers, which is why THON is one of the most anticipated events of the year and one of the best ways to live out the core values of Phi Kappa Theta. To everyone who has helped us this year and in the past to raise money for such an amazing cause, we thank you, and more importantly, all the Four Diamonds Families thank you. Our efforts to break our fundraising record start this summer, so if you are interested in learning more or donating to the cause please reach out to our Alumni Relations Chair at phikappatheta.mcevoy@gmail.com. Your involvement means the world to these families and they will be forever grateful. As always, Give, Expecting Nothing Thereof.

WPI Relay for Life

Brother Brian King (WPI) with his mother, Karen King, who passed away from ovarian cancer.

On April 6th, the WPI Chapter of Phi Kappa Theta will be participating in the annual Relay for Life on the WPI campus.

This is the biggest campus event every year and is especially important for the chapter because, when they were re-founded in 2007, the chapter brought this amazing event to campus.

The event is also very special because one of the brothers, Brian King, lost his mother, Karen King, to ovarian cancer in his senior year of high school, and he has done an amazing effort by fundraising over $3,500 by himself.

This year, the chapter has raised over $5,000 and are hoping to raise even more.

People can donate to the chapters team through the link below.