A member of the Beta Omicron Chapter’s Rose Court competed June 19-21 in the Miss Louisiana Competition. Mandi Ridgdell, a senior at NSU, has selected Pi Kappa Phi’s philanthropy, Push America, as her personal platform. Ridgdell promoted disability awareness and Push America during her interviews, which was aired on live television to over 4 million Louisiana residents. Throughout her time at Northwestern State, she has been an avid supporter of Push America. She has participated in nearly every local Push America activity , including friendship visits and welcoming the Journey of Hope team in Shreveport. She is also planning a major Push America fundraising event set to take place this fall. Ridgdell won the preliminary talent competition, was a semifinalist in the top 10, and won the People’s Choice Award.

Two members of the Beta Omicron Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity are participating in a cross-country bicycle ride to raise money and awareness for people with disabilities.

Adam Upshaw of Coushatta, Louisiana and Collin McKnight of Austin, Texas will spend six weeks of their summer participating in the Journey of Hope, a cycling trek from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. The ride is a project of Push America, a philanthropy founded by Pi Kappa Phi. Teams stop in cities along the routes for friendship visits in which members are involved in service projects or events for people with disabilities.

Team members, who are all members of Pi Kappa Phi, are each required to raise over $5 thousand for Push America. The ride annually raises over a half-million dollars for people with disabilities.

McKnight’s girlfriend, Alicia Hector, will be contributing a regular journal which will appear on this website, keeping us informed on their progress. The following entry details their first few days in San Francisco.

Well the guys are now on day 3 in San Francisco! They are loving San Francisco. The weather is strange. One moment, it will be hot, and then the next it is cool, but overall it is a very beautiful city. When they arrived, they went to get their bikes put back together. Before they left Austin, they went to a bike shop to have their bikes [professionally] taken apart for easier transport. It took about 2 hours to put them back together. For the next few days, the guys are staying at the University of San Francisco. The Journey of Hope has 3 different teams: the North, South, and Transamerica routes. Collin and Adam are on the South team. The Transamerica group started about a week ago in Seattle, Washington. The North and South team will be riding together until Carson City, Nevada and then they split routes until finally meeting up again in Washington D.C. in August. Adam and Collin are staying in separate rooms, but it is a great opportunity to get to know other fraternity brothers from other chapters.

These first few days are dedicated to preparing for the long trip ahead. They are taking safety courses, nutrition classes, and even skills training classes. In Skills Training they learn about changing tires, paceline riding, and how to remain stable on the bike. In between the meetings/classes that they have, they have had a lot of free time to get to know each other. They figured if they were going to be with these guys all summer, then they should definitely get to know who everyone is!

Today, the team members went to Fisherman’s Wharf, which is a very popular tourist attraction. There is access to a ferry which goes to Alcatraz, all kinds of shops, entertainment and restaurants. Lunch was a sponsored meal by the Pi Alphas (Pi Kappa Phi men who have previously completed a national Push America event) at In & Out Burger which one of the more famous restaurants there. Collin said it is a tiny restaurant with maybe 4 things on the menu. Today they walked in at lunchtime, all 70 of them, and all the attention in the place went to them. He said people would walk in and see all the guys there, and walk right back out. Then one of the ladies who worked there kept getting frustrated because she was trying to get some of the guys to go to her line to order, but it was all on one ticket and she couldn’t understand that!

Tonight they had their first friendship visit. A friendship visit is where the whole team goes to a local foundation for people with disabilities and they interact with them and usually they have a meal, and then some sort of activity. Sometimes there are even media/press events at these friendship visits. Tonight their first one was at the Janet Pomery Center, which is a day facility for all ages. They played a basketball game, and the Journey of Hope guys lost! Despite losing, they had an awesome time, met some amazing people, and they are looking forward to all of the others.

Tomorrow morning, they are going on a 30-mile practice ride just outside San Francisco to make sure everything is running smoothly. They are starting at 6:30 AM. The guys said that they will just have to get used to that, because that is around the time that they will be leaving every morning!

Tomorrow night they have a kick-off dinner with many different speakers, including alumni, and members of the Pi Alpha Society (Push America Alumni who are Pi Kapps). And then Sunday morning, after the kick-off speeches, the North and South Journey of Hope teams will be riding across the Golden Gate Bridge at 7:30 am to officially begin the Journey of Hope 2008!

Thank you all for continuing to keep these men in your prayers!

The following is an excerpt from the daily journal kept by the Pi Kappa Phi brothers riding in Push America’s Gear Up Florida. The trek is a 2 week ride across the state of Florida, which provides opportunities to promote the message of Push America. Throughout the route, friendship visits and service projects will be completed to serve those with disabilities. Beta Omicron brothers Nick Breaux and Cody Bourque are participating in the event.

Day 2: May 16, 2008 | Miami, FL

Day two started with an early wake up, making sure the team was up and ready to go by 7am. It was the team’s first practice pack, which is where everything is packed and brought to the vans, as if a trip was to be made to the next city.

Practice pack is to be sure everyone knows what to expect on the mornings where no time is to be wasted before getting on the road to the next town.After the practice pack, all bags were returned to the rooms and bicycles were retrieved for an intense morning full of skills assessment. The team practiced changing flat tires, riding in pace lines and even worked on being able to pick up a water bottle off of the ground while riding the bicycle, which proved more difficult than some had imagined. However the difficulty did not hinder the team succeeding at the skill. Once completing the skills assessment the team met up for a session on cycling rules of the road, and a short debrief on the skills assessment.

After morning training, it was time for the team’s first friendship visit. The team piled in the vans and departed for the friendship visit at Possible Dreams. As soon as the team arrived, we were greeted with huge smiles and eagerness ready to hangout. The team met with the kids and jumped right in to playing basketball. Everyone taking turns shooting hoops. I have never seen such talent in so many young kids before. As much fun as basketball was, it did not take long for the kids to want to play “duck duck goose.” The team was very eager to play as most have not played for years. While many were playing “duck duck goose” some found joy in playing on the playground, going down the slide or on the swing. Everyone was really enjoying the time together. Visiting with the kids at Possible Dreams was an amazing experience and cannot wait for more friendship visits to come. After a couple hours of playing with the kids, it was unfortunately time for the team to depart and head back to campus.

After the friendship visit the team had a few hours to shower and get ready for dinner which was put on by the Theta Delta Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi. Theta Delta put on an Empathy dinner for our kick-off dinner. With attendance by many of the Greeks from campus, it was a great time. Many were stumped as to why marbles had been placed in-front of them, only to find out that they were to experience a disability during dinner. Some where blindfolded to experience blindness, others had hands tied behind their backs, certain fingers taped together, others were mute or deaf. Not everyone was given a disability; however most that was not given a disability had to help those with disabilities, allowing them to understand disabilities as well. After making it through dinner, we had a guest speaker. His name was David Pedemont-Forte. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of six and had overcome many of the obstacles that doctors had said he would not overcome. It is a really motivating story.

Four Brothers of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity were honored for their dedication at the inaugural Beta Omicron Scholarship Banquet on Thursday, April 17. DJ Klucznik, a senior biology major; Collin McKnight, a sophomore nursing major; Chad Hancock, a senior accounting major; and Adam Upshaw, a senior psychology major were named the 2008 “Morgan Extra Mile Scholars.” The recipients were selected for their commitment to excellence in academics, leadership, service, and employment. Over $2,500 in scholarships were awarded at the banquet, held at Merci Beaucoup Restaurant in Natchitoches. Alumnus David Morgan established the scholarship to recognize undergraduate members for going the extra mile during college. He attributes much of his personal success to involvement with the Fraternity and other organizations while attending Northwestern State University. “At one point you got into Pi Kappa Phi. Now let Pi Kapp get into you,” he said. Morgan hopes the scholarship will encourage members to aim for greatness within the chapter. DJ Klucznik was selected for his involvement on campus, holding a part-time job, and a 3.9 GPA. “Going in, I thought Pi Kappa Phi would be just another organization I would be a member of, but little did I know it would help shape me into the man I am today,” he said. Dozens of chapter alumni, active brothers, and representatives from Northwestern State University were in attendance for the dinner. Special guests included: Jack McCain, founding Archon; Wes Breeden, refounding Archon; Thomas Atwood, Pi Kappa Phi Foundation Executive Director; Dr. Randall Webb, NSU President; Robert Crew, alumnus and Executive Assistant to the President; Dr. Chris Maggio, NSU Dean of Students; Jerry Pierce, NSU Vice President for External Affairs; Reatha Cox, NSU Director of New Student Programs; Dr. Michael Land, alumnus and NSU Associate Professor, Jodi Biscoe, alumnus and NSU Assistant Professor, and Doug Ireland, alumnus and NSU Sports Information Director. Other guests in attendance included alumni Shawn Daily, George Etheridge, Robert Broadwell, and Bill Morrison. The scholarship will be awarded every semester.

Continuing a long tradition of campus leadership for the Beta Omicron chapter, Cody Bourque, a Fall 2006 initiate, was chosen as Student Government Association President for the 2008-2009 academic year. Bourque’s presidency will mark the twelfth time a student body president has been affiliated with Pi Kappa Phi or Phi Kappa Nu since the SGA’s founding in 1927. Van Odom, a member of Phi Kappa Nu (ΦKN), Pi Kappa Phi’s predecessor at Northwestern State, became President in 1935. “I know that the leadership skills I’ve gained through Pi Kapp will help me better serve the student body of NSU,” Bourque said of the influence Pi Kappa Phi will have on his administration. The influence of the Fraternity can certainly be felt on campus, as seven Pi Kapps currently serve on the SGA, refuting Beta Omicron’s status as the leading chapter at NSU. Bourque will succeed 2007-2008 SGA President Shayne Creppel, a member of the Spring 2008 associate class of Pi Kappa Phi.

Taking a break from the stresses of schoolwork, the brothers of Beta Omicron headed to Kisatchie National Forest on April 11. The chapter’s semi-annual Brotherhood Retreat gave the chapter an opportunity to bring the associate members closer to the active brothers. No campout would be complete without grilling burgers and hot dogs, telling stories around a fire, and the coveted game of capture the flag. The associate members put forth an outstanding effort, but the actives were able to edge by, claiming victory again this semester. The following morning, brothers went hiking before returning to Natchitoches.

Brothers of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity spent part of their spring break making improvements to the Louisiana Lion’s Camp on behalf of Push America. March 28th through 30th, almost 30 members of Pi Kappa Phi from chapters at Northwestern State University, Louisiana State University, and Louisiana Tech met in Leesville, Louisiana to participate in one of Push America’s Give A Push Weekends. The event offered an opportunity to experience brotherhood with members from other chapters, but primarily provided much needed services that will directly benefit people with disabilities.

The Louisiana Lion’s Camp is a non-profit organization that provides free summer camps for boy and girls with mental and physical challenges, diabetes, and pulmonary disorders. The Pi Kappa Phi volunteers completed a pavilion, painted a swimming pool, placed boulders along a lake trail, and installed supports for a canopy along the pool. These projects will make the camp more accessible for campers with disabilities.

Brothers from NSU attending included: Lane Luckie, Adam Upshaw, DJ Klucznik, Wil Adams, Brad Deville, Nick Breaux, Brandon King, Chris Sanders, Kyle Domangue, Shawn Gaute, and Rodney Clements.

In addition to the physical labor, Push America presented the camp with a $5,000 grant.

For more information about Give-A-Push Weekend or other Push America programs, visit www.pushamerica.org.

Pi Kappa Phi held their annual Rose Ball Formal in New Orleans, Louisiana on March 7th and 8th.  Historian Manny Augello said the event was a big success.  “As a chapter, we have so much to be proud of.  This event was definitely a worthy complement to the great things that are happening in Beta Omicron.” The two-day event included planned group events, time for relaxation, and a formal banquet.  The banquet, held at the Music Legends Courtyard on Bourbon Street, was the main event of the weekend.  Following the dinner, an awards ceremony honored outstanding brothers as well as the presentation of the Rose Court. Those receiving awards included: DJ Klucznik- Mr. Pi Kappa Phi, Josh Alost- Excellence in Dedication, Kyle Duhon- Associate of the Year, Cody Bourque- Active of the Year, Wil Adams- Excellence in Campus Involvement, and DJ Klucznik- Excellence in Scholarship.  The 2008 Rose Court was also announced.  Alyssa Sanders of Phi Mu was named Rose Queen and Mandi Ridgdell, Kayla Porche, Molly Harris, and Lacey Cordova were named to the court.

Members of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity are doing their part to help keep Natchitoches beautiful. On March 2nd, the Fraternity held their regular “Trash Bash” to help beautify the city before next weekend’s “Bloomin on the Bricks” celebration. Members walked over a mile, clearing trash and debris from the roadside. In 2006 the chapter adopted University Parkway, the main thoroughfare leading into to Natchitoches. The Fraternity chose the street because of its high visibility to residents and tourists. “It’s the first thing people see when coming into to Natchitoches,” Pi Kappa Phi brother Collin McKnight said. “It’s such a beautiful area, so we take pride in our community.” The roadside is cleaned at least four times each year.

It was birdies and bogies for teams amatures and seasoned golfers who turned out to compete in the 2nd Annual Pi Kappa Phi Golf Tournament.  On February 23rd, golfers participated in a 4-man scramble with prizes being awarded in several competitions.  Winners of each event were: Wil Adams- Closest to the Hole, Joey Pickett- Longest Drive, and Brandon King- Bowler’s Score.  The winning team, with a score of 11 under par, was Joey Pickett, Michael Pickett, Todd Sneed, and Jeff Byrd.   No one left empty-handed as the silent auction was a big success.  Several unique gift packages were auctioned off from a Barbeque set to hiring 10 Pi Kapps for a day.  Several Natchitoches business leaders kindly sponsored the event. 

Sponsors included:  Brenda’s Clothing & Accessories, Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity, Phi Mu Fraternity, Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority, Transport Service Company, NSU Student Government Association, The Hall Tree, Porter’s Cleaners, Antoon’s Riverfront Restaurant, Causey’s Pharmacy, Full of Grace Christian Gifts, Rejuvenation Medical Spa, Prepaid Legal Services, Louisiana Army National Guard, Doucet’s Cajun Meat Company, Game Stop, McCain NAPA Auto Supply, The Pioneer Restaurant & Pub, LeLe’s Children’s Clothing, Cane River Outfitters, Smoothie King, Travel Express Inn, Best Western, Tin House BBQ, Shawn Daily | Edward Jones Investments, Executive Real Estate, Gary Lindsey Auto Sales, Maurice’s Clothing, Signs & Banners, Ivan Smith Furniture, Dickens & Company, Firestone, Quick Tans, Magee’s Patio Café, Mama’s Oyster House, His & Hers Hair Salon, Cane River Bar & Grill, Salon Rouge, Sweet Events, The Church Street Inn, and First Federal Bank of Louisiana.

The Beta Omicron Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity is pleased to announce a very successful spring recruitment. Out of all NSU Fraternities, Pi Kappa Phi has the largest spring class of new members this semester. The Pi pledge class of associate members were hand-picked by the brothers of Beta Omicron. Pi Kappa Phis are men of CLASS (Character, Leadership, Athletics, Scholarship, Service). The active brothers hope to inspire the associates to work hard to become a part of America’s Leading Fraternity. The make-up of the class is quite unique, ranging from a transfer football player, an ROTC member, the current Student Government Association President, an aviation major, and even a “local guy”. The Pi Class of associates are Brian Berefsky, Brandon Messick, Shayne Creppel, Cameron Feeheely, Kyle Guidroz, Jacob McClain, and Robert Abernathy.

Pi Kappa Phi’s foundation is built upon functioning brotherhood. In the Fraternity’s student creed “…the ideal chapter is made up of men who are bound together by a common loyalty which transcends any personal selfishness.” The Beta Omicron Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity recently welcomed into their brotherhood 9 new initiates who are living proof of this concept. Those brothers include Mr. Cameron Moises, Mr. Kyle Domangue, Mr. Robert York, Mr. Kevin King, Mr. Ryan Bonnet, Mr. Matthew Darby, Mr. Josh Leblanc, Mr. Kyle Duhon, and Mr. Christopher Sanders. These gentlemen are charged with safeguarding and sharing a brotherhood that was established in 1904.

Over the weekend of November 29-December 1, 2007, the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity chartered its 208th chapter, Theta Pi, on the University of Texas – Tyler campus. Thirty two men were initiated as founding fathers by the chartering teams from Beta Omicron (Northwestern State) and Eta Chi (Texas Christian). Past National Council member Jim Krucher, Beta Alpha (N.J.I.T.), served as chartering officer and was assisted by Regional Governor Dustin Alexander, Eta Rho (Texas State – San Marcos). Pi Kappa Phi staff in attendance were Leadership Consultant, Derek Berger, Beta Xi (Central Michigan), and Senior Leadership Consultant, Kyle Robinson, Gamma Iota (LSU).

Since colonizing in February 2007, the men of UT-Tyler came together to build a solid brotherhood through the formation of membership development programs, and hosting their first successful Push America fundraising event. The chapter also adopted a stretch of highway under the “Don’t Mess with Texas” program, and was recognized with many achievements within the entire Greek Community at UT-Tyler. They were able to accomplish all of this in a short period of 10 months. With this kind of commitment, Theta Pi became the 208th chapter of Pi Kappa Phi.

The Beta Omicron initiation team was led by Chaplain Lane Luckie serving alongside brothers Brad Deville, Cody Bourque, Jake Horaist, Nick Breaux, Matt LeBlanc, and John Hall. This is not the first time the chapter from Northwestern State has assisted in a chartering ceremony. Beta Omicron has assisted in the process for 5 other chapters. Chaplain Lane Luckie said, “It’s always a great privilege to share the tradition of brotherhood with a new generation, especially when it’s so close to home.” Luckie also said the NSU and UT-Tyler chapters have discussed the possibility of hosting events bringing together the two schools.

[Portions of this article appear in The Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Journal]

Brothers of Pi Kappa Phi constructed the first phase of a boardwalk that will allow people in wheelchairs to experience nature up-close, some for the first time. November 9th-11th Adam Upshaw, Lane Luckie, Collin McKnight, Cody Bourque, and Matt Leblanc along with associate members Kyle Domangue and Andrew Thomas participated in one of Push America’s Give-A-Push Weekends in Rutledge, Georgia. They drove 10-hours to help Camp Twin Lakes, a non-profit organization that provides camp facilities and staff for numerous service organizations, many of which serve those with disabilities. Nearly 40 representatives from Pi Kapp chapters across the region worked together to construct the first phase of a 3/4 mile boardwalk skirting a lake on the camp property. Eventually a fully-accessible tree house will be constructed at the end of the boardwalk. The Pi Kapp volunteers also helped with several smaller projects such as the demolition of a canoe rack. The weekend provided an opportunity to experience brotherhood with members from other chapters, as well as interaction with the campers who will use the new boardwalk.

Push America also presented Camp Twin Lakes with a $5,000 grant over dinner during the first full night. Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse was so impressed by the efforts of Pi Kappa Phi, the company pledged to match dollar-for-dollar any purchases the camp makes using the grant. Beta Omicron plans to send many more participants in these events over the coming semesters and encourages all members to be actively involved in Push America events both nationally and locally. Plans are currently being discussed to bring a G-A-P Weekend to the Lion’s Camp in nearby Leesville, Louisiana. For more information about Give-A-Push Weekend or other Push America programs, visit www.pushamerica.org.

After a week of service, Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, with the help of four NSU sororities, raised over $1,000 for Push America.  The Fraternity’s annual “War of the Roses” is a friendly, week-long competition designed to spread awareness about disabilities, raise funds for Push America, and provide service to enhance the lives of those with disabilities. 

On October 29th through November 2nd, NSU sorority women participated in activities designed to spread awareness about living with a disability.  A wheelchair relay allowed able-bodied students to realize how physically demanding it can be to maneuver a wheelchair.  Students learned how to give adequate verbal instructions through a blind-folded tee ball match.  A bake-off encouraged participants to utilize limited sensory methods.  Pi Kappa Phi and participating sororities threw a Halloween Party for the Natchitoches Association of Retarded Citizens.  Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity presented the N.A.R.C. with a $500 check to aid the organization’s services to the Natchitoches community.  Sorority women also raised funds for Push America through individual fundraising events and Penny Wars. 

The week ended with an empathy dinner at the NSU Recreation Complex.  Simulated disabilities were assigned to the participants to help them understand how difficult something as simple as eating can be.  Two mothers of children with disabilities shared their experiences with disabilities.  Each sorority was recognized for outstanding service to Push America.  Alpha Omicron Pi was the overall winner of the 2007 War of the Roses.  Phi Mu placed second, while Alpha Sigma Alpha placed third.  Sigma Sigma Sigma was awarded fourth place.