For a year and a half, the Kappa Kappa chapter of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity pursued philanthropic work as a non-chartered associate chapter by assisting La Posada, the Residence Hall Association, Carrie Tingley Hospital and local resource centers for disabled individuals.
And there’s more where that came from, according to current chapter Archon Matthew Sanchez.
Sanchez, a senior psychology and communication major, said the chapter was chartered in October, and in the spring members of its first class will be inducted.
Sanchez served alongside other students as “founding fathers” and said the chapter has already begun to apply Pi Kappa Phi’s national mission “to create an uncommon brotherhood that develops leaders and encourages service to others for the betterment of our communities” to UNM.
The chapter’s leadership consultant, Beau Samples, is also the national director of Chapter Volunteers of Pi Kappa Phi.
With 184 college campus locations across the United States, Samples said Pi Kappa Phi is highly regarded as “one of the nation’s leading men’s fraternities.”
“We’re still new and young, and we’re growing and learning and still building our own culture, but that’s something that we still want to be a huge part of: diversifying who we interact with and changing the way people look at Greek life,” Sanchez said.
He said he hopes the group can give both members and the UNM community “opportunities to make change.”
“Pi Kappa Phi is not a cookie-cutter fraternity,” Samples said. “We pride ourselves in having a diverse, inclusive group of men,” that emphasizes selflessness, service and leadership, and, ultimately, “improves the world around them.”
Roland Hentz, a sophomore business major, is the incoming fraternity Archon — or president — and will begin his term in the spring alongside new member inductees.
During this time, the incoming Warden Wayde Charging Hawk will discuss the history and culture of Pi Kappa Phi through an eight-week Associate Member Education program, Hentz said.
“Our public values are common loyalty, personal responsibility, achievement, accountability, campus involvement, responsible citizenship and lifelong commitment,” he said. “We will be prioritizing these and a few others values in new members.”
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Hentz said he is personally focused on seeing the brotherhood develop to be “much stronger and closer than it currently is,” as he and other incoming officers are already preparing for the upcoming year.
That preparation includes attempting to create new ritual traditions and brotherhood events that “will build members as a team and as individual leaders,” he said.
“We are working hard to create an environment in which members feel like they are truly a part of a family, as well as one which provides opportunities for activities that members would not experience anywhere else,” Hentz said.
Daily operation, as well as Associate Member Education, will allow the chapter to continue to uphold Pi Kappa Phi’s values and attempt to defy Greek life stereotypes by keeping the original fraternity’s name “Nu Phi,” — meaning “non-fraternity” — in mind, he said.
Sanchez said prospective members should be individuals who aim to challenge the status quo, increase their leadership skills, make a difference, leave an imprint on UNM and motivate themselves and others.
“It can be boiled down to: we’re looking for genuinely good people and gentlemen,” he said.
The national fraternity is eagerly anticipating the partnership with UNM, while supporting other campus groups’ humanitarian efforts and seeing members actively serve on the Interfraternity Council, Samples said.
By participating in the “philanthropic, brotherhood, social and leadership” events offered by Pi Kappa Phi, he said, members can also expect to graduate with a “toolkit for the real world.”
“During an undergraduate’s time in the Kappa Kappa Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi, they can expect to challenge themselves both inside and outside of the classroom,” Samples said. “To problem-solve, work with individuals of all backgrounds and to give back to their communities in a number of capacities.”
Pi Kappa Phi has 100,000 alumni globally, he said.
“Becoming a Pi Kappa Phi is a lifelong commitment, not just an undergraduate experience, and we hope that each man engages with the fraternity whether through work or volunteering for the rest of their life,” Samples said.
Sanchez said what ultimately makes the brotherhood unique is their members.
”These are guys that have really challenged themselves to become better leaders and better citizens and really learn what it means to just be good people,” he said. “All of us want to create a change, create a movement through actions.”
Sanchez said the lifelong brotherhood hopes to give people unique opportunities to become exceptional leaders.
Sanchez emphasized that he would like to see student involvement in the philanthropic events going forward into the tail end of 2016 and beyond.
This includes a date night and other social events which may be happening at the end of this semester, the annual haunted house which will continue to raise money for the Ability Experience, the national philanthropy of Pi Kappa Phi that supports individuals with disabilities.
During finals week, the chapter may also host a Kindness Week, Sanchez said. He also encourages other campus organizations to reach out to the fraternity to collaborate in meaningful community service projects.
The chapter will be distributing their own origami flowers during another Kindness Day this Friday morning at Smith Plaza, Hentz said.
Hentz said the chapter is looking forward to the new year, and encourages students to contact Vice Archon and Recruitment Chair Niko Osterhaus at nosterhaus@unm.edu for more information.
Elizabeth Sanchez is a reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Beth_A_Sanchez.
