Category Archives: Alumni News

A take on the 17th-century English proverb “Good fences build good neighbors” could certainly ring true in modern-day Natchitoches, Louisiana. While a new fence at the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity house will certainly be appreciated by neighbors, the band of brothers which resides at 730 University Parkway is the real benefactor. After two decades of drawing the boundaries of a back yard, it was time to replace the fence. On February 11, 2011 dozens of alumni and student members worked alongside one another in what will hopefully become an annual work day at the chapter house. After more than two months of planning by alumnus Joshua Alost and students Kolt Kays and Ryan Jeffords, the project was ready to become reality. Read the rest of this entry →

Dr. Alex Ferry, an alumnus of the Beta Omicron chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity passed away on December 27, 2011 surrounded by family at his Florida home. Ferry was a member of Phi Kappa Nu, a local fraternity that became Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity when it chartered at NSU in 1956.  Having transferred to the NSU-Shreveport nursing campus before the transition to Pi Kappa Phi, Ferry never initiated with the founding group. More than five decades later in December 2009, he was officially initiated into the brotherhood of Pi Kappa Phi. At the Founders’ Day Banquet following his initiation Ferry told the undergraduates, “You caused me to feel at home and really restored my good thoughts about today’s young students.” Ferry and his wife Joan would later attend several alumni reunions and events in Natchitoches. Read the rest of this entry →

Exactly 107 years after Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity was founded, the Beta Omicron Chapter at NSU marked the anniversary with a semi-formal banquet centered around the spirit of friendship. On December 10th, alumni, active and associate members and their guests gathered in historic Varnado Hall to commemorate the friendships forged by the seven founders of Pi Kappa Phi.

On a quiet December evening in 1904 in Charleston, S.C., three friends — Andrew Kroeg, Simon Fogarty and Harry Mixson—made a choice to lead. Those three men chose to start their own fraternity. The three grew to seven; seven grew to eight; eight grew to 11. Over the course of a century, a fraternity with humble beginnings has grown into a brotherhood of more than 100,000 strong — all because three men made a choice to lead. In 1956 that spirit took root at Northwestern State University, when members of local fraternity Phi Kappa Nu decided to affiliate with Pi Kappa Phi and establish the Beta Omicron Chapter.

The annual Founders Day Banquet was moved to the ballroom of Varnado hall to accommodate a larger number of attendees, and in the process revisit an old chapter tradition. The room was the location for annual chapter group pictures in the 1950 and 1960s. Read the rest of this entry →

A slate of seven alumni of the Beta Omicron Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity have been elected to guide the efforts of the chapter alumni association/ housing corporation. Lane Luckie; DJ Klucznik; David Morgan, Sr.; Chad Hancock; Joshua Alost; Justin Owen; and George Etheredge will serve on the 2011-2012 board of directors. These alumni officers will manage the Beta Omicron Alumni Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation, a non-profit organization that exists to advance the interests of the student chapter and provide education housing facilities to undergraduate members. Read the rest of this entry →

Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority are hosting a fundraiser to benefit the family of two of their members. The son of Tri Sigma alumna Rachael Tingle Smith (2005) and Pi Kapp alumnus Randy Smith (2004) was recently diagnosed with a relatively uncommon condition involving the irregular formation of the skull.

Less than a year old, little Jacob Smith has been diagnosed with craniosynostosis.  Rachael first spotted a ridge along Jacob’s forehead when he was about 3 months old. ”We went off to Google. The results were scary and surgery is the only option, so we chose not to look into this any further until we knew something definite,” Rachael said.

In June, Jacob’s great-uncle, a plastic surgeon, recommended they visit a specialist in Dallas. Doctor Fearon diagnosed Jacob with metopic craniosynostosis with mild-to-moderate trigonocephaly in late August. This is an early growing-together, or fusion, of the bones along Jacob’s skull sutures. This fusion occurs in approximately 1 in 2,000 births and affects boys more than girls. Once the skull is fused, the brain continues to grow in the direction of least resistance. This limits the skull’s ability to grow normally. If untreated, the skull will eventually take on a very abnormal shape and worsen with time. Read the rest of this entry →

55 years of history came together in grand fashion to commemorate the many accomplishments of the Beta Omicron chapter at the 2011 Homecoming Reunion. A weekend of gatherings reunited brothers, spouses, and guests from around the country returning to their alma mater. On October 14 the annual homecoming parade, featuring a float from Pi Kappa Phi, rolled through historic downtown Natchitoches. Students lined the hill along Front Street for a pep rally on the banks of the Cane River. Once the echos of the NSU Fight Song had faded, a social at Antoon’s Riverfront Restaurant gave the opportunity for several generations of Pi Kappa Phi to connect. Alumni, active, and associate members traded Pi Kapp stories about their experiences in the Fraternity. The turnout for the evening was one of the best in recent years. Read the rest of this entry →

Are you making plans to attend NSU Homecoming? Haven’t been in a few years? Think you won’t know anyone? Think again! We’ve planned our annual NSU Homecoming Reunion around you. There’s something for everyone on our calendar of events. All of our activities are family-friendly, so don’t leave anyone at home. Here’s the perfect opportunity to visit your alma mater and experience our lifelong brotherhood. Lots of exciting things are happening at NSU & Beta Omicron. New buildings are going up on campus, old buildings are coming down, bricks filling up around the Pi Kapp Clock, a recent remodel of the Pi Kapp House is incredible, and don’t forget NSU’s football team is sure to ”wow” you on the field.

We hope you’ll join more than five decades of Pi Kappa Phis and their families as NSU celebrates homecoming activities. Don’t miss a moment of the fun. Parades, barbecues, golf tournaments, alumni socials, and of course Demon Football will certainly create a weekend to remember.

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Five years of collecting, scanning, organizing and researching will give hundreds of Pi Kapp alumni a glimpse into the storied past of Beta Omicron Chapter. A collection of photographs dating back to the late 1920s illustrates key moments in the formation of the chapter’s predecessor, Phi Kappa Nu. More images document the 55 years since Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity was established at Northwestern State University.

At the time of the chapter’s 50th anniversary in 2006, alumnus Lane Luckie began collecting photos for a slide show to be presented at the reunion. Since then, his desire to preserve the chapter’s history has grown include 1,065 photographs; each one telling a unique story. “I’ve always been a huge history buff, but I found a particular devotion in documenting Beta Omicron Chapter because of my personal connection.” After years of sorting through NSU Potpourri yearbooks, photo albums, chapter archives, Facebook, and by soliciting individual alumni, he’s organized a permanent digital collection. “The parallels are amazing,” said Luckie. ”When you compare the early days of the chapter with the current group, we have more in common than anyone could imagine.” Read the rest of this entry →

Charles Edmond Doty, an alumnus of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, passed away on July, 1, 2011 after succumbing to an unexpected illness. Doty was 71. Charles and his wife, Marian, graduated from C.E. Byrd High School in Shreveport, Louisiana and received degrees from Northwestern State University in 1963. As an undergraduate, Charles was a member of the Beta Omicron Chapter and ROTC. He later retired as a Colonel in the U.S. Army and from Southwest Electric Power Company (SWEPCO). Last year, Charles was recognized for 50 years of membership in Pi Kappa Phi, having initiated as Beta Omicron’s 60th member in March, 1960. In the time since, Charles and his wife Marian have been active in the Founders Generation Alumni Group, attending numerous reunions, meetings, and gatherings. Read the rest of this entry →

Alumni members of Beta Omicron chapter are among the most dedicated in supporting the educational efforts of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. Of 217 total chapters, Beta Omicron was ranked 5th in total contributions to the Pi Kappa Phi Foundation. In 2010, ten alumni contributed $13,769 in support of educational initiatives of the Fraternity.

The Foundation provides educational support directly to student members and supports the educational initiatives of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity though the solicitation of donations from alumni and friends of Pi Kappa Phi. Several scholarships recognize Pi Kappa Phi undergraduate and graduate students who excel in areas of academics, chapter leadership and campus/community involvement. These scholarships underscore an important part of the Foundation’s mission while providing real and tangible support to student leaders who bring credit to themselves and their fraternity. Read the rest of this entry →

Two up-and-coming student leaders at NSU now have the tools essential to revitalize their campus Greek system and growing leaders within their chapter. Pi Kappa Phi President Scott Mayeaux and member Ryan Jeffords were among 60 Pi Kappa Phi’s from across the country selected for Pi Kapp College 2011. Pi Kapp College is designated as Pi Kappa Phi’s premier leadership program and serves as a transformational experience designed to challenge and empower members to become better leaders and better men. Each summer, emerging leaders from across America converge on the birthplace of Pi Kappa Phi for an intensive, six-day experience created to explore the principles of leadership and the values of Pi Kappa Phi.
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Service in the U.S. Navy brings sailors to all corners of the Earth, but for Beta Omicron alumnus Matt Darby, it landed him a brief appearance on NBC’s “Today” Show.

On May 31, 2011 Darby and fellow sailors filed into the daily crowd that gathers outside Rockefeller Plaza to watch the live broadcast of the “Today” Show. A sea of uniforms filled the screen when anchors Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira mentioned Fleet Week. The annual event brings the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps to New York City for entertainment and activities during the week leading up to Memorial Day.

Having served watch from 2 to 4 a.m. that morning, Darby arrived to “30 Rock” after only an hour of sleep. Despite being groggy, he says the NBC crew picked him to stand up front because he looked like a “model sailor,” perfect for TV. “In fact, both Meredith Vieira and Ann Curry told me I was cute,” said Darby. Read the rest of this entry →

Beta Omicron chapter’s year-long effort to help establish a chapter at rival Stephen F. Austin State University culminated on April 30th, 2011. Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity chartered its 222nd chapter with the installation of the Iota Zeta chapter. Living in East Texas, Beta Omicron alumnus Lane Luckie helped start the SFA chapter and serves as chapter advisor. Throughout that year, several members of the Beta Omicron chapter and its alumni aided the SFA associate chapter in their various projects and efforts. Just more than a year after colonizing in Nacogdoches, the associate chapter received its charter. Read the rest of this entry →

Six members of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity were honored for their commitment to leadership at the fourth annual Beta Omicron Scholarship Banquet. On Saturday, March 19, 2011; Jon Lee, Kyle Duhon, Chase Harvey, Scott Mayeaux, Tyler Stahl and Ryan Jeffords were named the Spring 2011 “Morgan Extra Mile Scholars.” The recipients were selected for excellence in academics, campus and chapter leadership, service, and employment. Over $2,000 in scholarships were awarded at the banquet, held at Lasyone’s Meatpie Restaurant in Natchitoches. Read the rest of this entry →