The following is an open letter from Randy Smith, an alumnus of the Beta Omicron Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity at Northwestern State University. One year after his son underwent an extensive surgery, he asked to share his thoughts with the countless people who taught his family an important lesson about the bonds of brotherhood.
108 years after Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity was founded, the Beta Omicron Chapter at NSU marked the anniversary by welcoming its newest members and honoring those beginning the next phase of their lives. A semi-formal banquet centered around the spirit of friendship forged by the Fraternity’s founders.
Pi Kappa Phi member Jake Bryan has been named 2012 “Mr. NSU,” the highest honor a Northwestern State University student can receive. Bryan, along with “Ms. NSU,” Lauren Waguespack, were selected by the student body as part of a continuing tradition dating back to 1956.
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.; George Etheredge; Alan Pasch; Wil Adams; and Shayne Creppel will serve as the 2012-2013 board of directors.
Two Northwestern State University Greek organizations will honor the memory of deceased alumni by completing an annual cycling trek across Natchitoches Parish during this year’s Homecoming events. Members of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority will ride in memory of the late Sharon Sampité and the late Joe Sampité to raise funds for the Sharon Sampité, John and Allison Van Hoof Educational Scholarship administered through the NSU Foundation and the Sampité Family Baseball Scholarship administered through the NSU Athletic Association.
Their campout may not have taken them far from home, but the message that accompanies Pi Kappa Phi’s scaffold sit will travel across the Northwestern State University campus. Members of the fraternity took turns perched atop a construction scaffold in front of the chapter house from September 24-25, 2012.
It’s a great time to be a Pi Kapp — our chapter is growing and brotherhood is thriving! Just because you have left Natchitoches, it doesn’t mean you can’t be a part of the exciting things happening at NSU. We’ve never seen more alumni involved and committed to Beta Omicron’s future than right now. So many…
While the nation’s lawmakers were away for the summer recess, more than a thousand Pi Kappa Phi members and their families, including those from Northwestern State University, convened in Washington, D.C. for the Fraternity’s biennial convention. The 53rd Supreme Chapter held a special significance, as it coincided with the 35th anniversary of Push America, the Fraternity’s philanthropy.
A re-chartering member of the Beta Omicron Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity is among those killed in a U.S. Navy helicopter crash in Oman. Naval Aircrewman Second Class Joseph Patrick “JP” Fitzmorris, 31, of West Monroe, Louisiana was aboard a MH-53 Sea Dragon helicopter that went down July 19, 2012 on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula.
Last year, alumni of the Beta Omicron chapter were among the biggest supporters of the educational efforts of the Pi Kappa Phi Foundation. Of 226 total chapters, Beta Omicron was ranked 2nd in total contributions. Twelve alumni contributed $29,755 in support of educational initiatives of the Foundation in 2011.
Two members of the Beta Omicron Chapter Founders Generation Group have passed to Chapter Eternal, both after a battle with cancer. Among the first members of Pi Kappa Phi at Northwestern State University, John D. Mize and Mickey Frazier hold an important place in chapter history, especially as both men remained actively involved with the Fraternity throughout their adult lives.
Most college freshmen don’t step forward with the abilities to guide a student organization, let alone attempt to transform their campus culture. Two young members of Beta Omicron Chapter at NSU are answering the challenge to lead by example.
The cycling trek lasts just days, but the lives touched along the Gear Up Florida route will never forget Pi Kappa Phi members like Ryan Jeffords. The Northwestern State University junior led a team of 35 cyclists across Florida to re-shape the perception of people with disabilities. On May 13, 2012, this 800-mile cycling event kicked off on the shores of Miami, traveled through the Florida orange fields, reached the Gulf coast, passed through Orlando, wound back to the Atlantic coast and culminated at the State Capitol in Tallahassee.
Sampité, who died Friday at the age of 81, served five terms as mayor of Natchitoches from 1980 until his retirement in 2000. He was known for wearing white socks, a carryover from his coaching career before becoming mayor, and for the “I Love Natchitoches” stickers that he distributed by the thousands over the years.
“If you work hard, apply your talents, and simply go the ‘extra mile,’ you will find success in life.” Pi Kappa Phi alumnus David Morgan imparted this advice on a crowd of nearly 100 students, alumni, parents, and special guests attending the annual David D. Morgan ‘Extra Mile’ Scholarship Banquet. Morgan created the scholarship program…
Nearly every student who enrolled at Northwestern State University in the last 50 years likely set foot in the building bearing Victor Leander Roy’s name, but would never see the face of one the school’s most legendary leaders. In honor of the 100th anniversary of Roy becoming NSU President, artist and graduate student Shayne Creppel painted a portrait that will hang in the lobby of Roy Hall.
Three days of sweat, splinters, and swinging hammers is all it takes to put smiles on the faces of children with disabilities. March 23-25, 2012, members of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity sacrificed a weekend of their spring to help the Louisiana Lions Camp in Anacoco accomplish their mission of making memories each summer.
In what has become a much-anticipated tradition, the Beta Omicron chapter returned to New Orleans in 2012 for the fraternity’s annual Rose Ball formal. March 16-17, members and their dates descended on the Big Easy for a weekend of touring the historic French Quarter and colorful Bourbon Street, tasting authentic cuisine, and taking in the music that defines the city’s spirit.
Sophomore Alaina Davis has been named the 2012 Northwestern State University Miss Push America. Davis and 13 other contestants competed for the title. The 3rd annual pageant, an outreach project of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, aims to raise awareness on behalf of people with disabilities.
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.
Newly elected student leaders of Beta Omicron Chapter underwent intensive training for their respective roles at Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity’s Mid Year Leadership Conference. Held January 13-15 in Dallas, the conference prepares officers for their duties as leaders of the chapter. The Next Man theme of Mid Year 2012 celebrates the importance of individual actions now, while examining the…
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…
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.
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…
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,…
