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.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison chapter initiates Bishop Hying into the Fraternity!

Collegiate members from Wisconsin Lambda chapter gather for a group photo after initiation.

Since being re-chartered in 2015, the Wisconsin Lambda chapter at the University of Wisconsin has initiated several bishops and priests. They recently continued this tradition by welcoming Bishop Donald J. Hying (Bishop of the Diocese of Madison).

Others who were initiated into the chapter since 2015, include the following: 

• Robert C. Morlino (Bishop of Madison, Wisconsin from 2003-2018)

• Father Eric Nielsen (Current Pastor of Saint Paul's Newman Center and a Priest of the Diocese of Madison) 

• Father Luke Syse (Former Chaplain of the Wisconsin Lambda chapter)  

• Father Greg Ihm (Current Director of Vocations for Madison Diocese)  

• Father Gabriel López-Betanzos (Pastor, St. Peter Parish, Madison; Judicial Vicar) 

• Father Dave Carrano (Pastor, Good Shepherd Parish, Madison; Chaplain Catholic Charismatic Renewal)

• Father Tim Mergen (Current priest of Madison Diocese and chaplain in the U.S. Air Force)

• Luke La Salvia (Current FOCUS missionary) 

• Bishop Donald J. Hying (Current Bishop of Madison)  

We interviewed Casey Clark (University of Wisconsin-Madison, ‘24) to discuss this exciting news. Read on to learn more about how Bishop Hying has made an impact on the brothers within the Wisconsin Lambda chapter.

Could you tell us more about how Bishop Hying was initiated into your chapter?

It started as a comment between us brothers that Bishop Hying should be initiated. After contemplating whether he would be interested, we decided to ask him at dinner one night.  

The dinner conversation with Bishop Hying was very cool to witness. I noticed that even though he was the bishop, he wanted to listen to get to know us better. He made sure to ask us all about our schooling and interests. It shows how genuine he is and how much he truly cares about us. 

At dinner, we told him that we would love to have him initiated and become part of the brotherhood. He said he would get back to us, and a few months later, he reached out and confirmed that he would come to the ceremony and be initiated into the Fraternity. Everyone was very excited. 

What led Bishop Hying to join the chapter? 

As a Fraternity, we have always valued our Catholic faith. We strive to bring every brother to holiness and live out the faith's fullness. Bishop Hying sees all these guys seeking virtue and wants to support that. I would say that was one of the reasons for joining the chapter.

What do you think others can learn from Bishop Hying within the chapter? 

Bishop Hying is one of the most genuine, kind, and holy men I have known. You can tell he has an intimate relationship with Christ and is an excellent Shepard of the church. We are lucky to have him as a Bishop. 

We can learn from him by pursuing a relationship with Christ, especially in the craziness of college. When he speaks, his presence and what he says hits you in the heart. It feels like Christ is talking through him, and you feel loved and appreciated. I think we should all strive to be a man of Christ-like Bishop Hying.  

If you have an exciting story to tell, share it with us by clicking the button below. We would love to hear from you! 

Justin Sines accepts position with Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity as Fraternal Growth Coordinator

Brother Sines

Justin Sines (Duquesne University, '11) has accepted a position with Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity as Fraternal Growth Coordinator.

Brother Sines joins the professional staff after seven years of working in the English and Theater Arts Department at Duquesne University as the Technical Director. He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from Duquesne in 2011 and is currently finishing up a Master of Fine Arts in Digital Media.

“Since 2009, Phi Kappa Theta has given me multiple opportunities for leadership roles and to grow professionally, and this is truly an honor to be able to pass those opportunities to undergraduates across the country within my work.

I’m here to pass on the values of Phi Kap to a new generation of college men. I hope this position allows me to make a fraction of the positive impact our previous leaders had on me.”

— Justin Sines (Duquesne University, '11)

Justin lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his partner Tony and their three dogs, Rosco, Harry, and Cyrus. Outside of work, Justin is a board member of the Gemini Children's Theater and volunteers his time with countless theater groups across the Pittsburgh region.

Kappa Theta Alumni Association receives official recognition with their chartering

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity is proud to announce the chartering of the Kappa Theta Alumni Association located in Weymouth, Massachusetts. The association is comprised of alumni brothers who hail from the Massachusetts Kappa Theta chapter at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

The Massachusetts Kappa Theta alumni brothers signed the petition on April 20, 2022. On July 15, 2022, the National Fraternity Board of Trustees motioned to approve the petition granting the alumni charter.
 
“On behalf of Phi Kappa Theta's leadership, we congratulate the brothers of the Kappa Theta Alumni Association on their chartering! These brothers have demonstrated a personal commitment to passionately serving the future generations of brothers at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. We continue to grow and look to like-minded brothers to be engaged in leadership roles with Phi Kappa Theta throughout the country,” said Robert Riggs, CAE, Executive Vice President of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity.
 
Adam Acorn (University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, ‘10), President of the Kappa Theta Alumni Association Executive Board, recently described the group’s initial interest that led to this important milestone. "Last fall, a group of alumni got together and began conversations on how we could engage other alumni to help the chapter financially.”

After a year of planning and involvement, the group’s efforts finally came to fruition. Acorn added, “almost a year later, we have an established alumni association with roughly 75 participating members. We have about 50 alumni donating to active chapter scholarships and recruitment initiatives. We had our first formal event, a family BBQ, and have a couple more events planned this year. It's great to see the support and involvement from the alumni.”

Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity’s National President, Matthew Runkle (Worcester Polytechnic Institute, ‘11), commended the alumni group’s mission to support future generations of brothers.

“The Fraternity Board is pleased to recognize the Kappa Theta Alumni Association officially. The commitment and leadership of alumni like Brother Acorn and other founding members of the Association are critical to the success of our collegiate chapters and alumni. It also demonstrates the lifelong brotherhood that is Phi Kappa Theta. As the Fraternity continues to grow, we hope to similarly partner with alumni across the country in service of our Mission.”

Our Mission: 
Phi Kappa Theta actively develops men to be effective leaders
who passionately serve society, Fraternity, and God.