The Beta Omicron chapter of Pi Kappa Phi – known for sporting its gold and blue letter jerseys – is one of the oldest active fraternities at Northwestern State University, dating back to 1929. The fraternity is known for its seven values of common loyalty, personal responsibility, achievement, accountability, campus involvement, responsible citizenship and lifelong commitment.
One of the values that sticks out to Devin Stacy, a junior communications major, is campus involvement. “Joining this fraternity, you have multiple opportunities to get involved on campus. Your college career doesn’t just stop once you join PiKapp,” Stacy said.
Pi Kappa Phi is the only fraternity on campus to have its own nationally owned and recognized philanthropy, known as the Ability Experience. The Ability Experience was created to raise money and awareness for people with physical and mental disabilities. Pi Kappa Phi hopes to encourage and promote others to get more involved within the community and help prevent stereotyping. The Ability Experience also includes The Journey of Hope and Gear Up Florida, which are long-distance bike rides that stop throughout the country at Ability camps and provide services and encouragement to children and older groups of the Ability Experience.
Spencer Bowden is a sophomore accounting major who joined Pi Kappa Phi because it felt like home. “I didn’t know anybody coming up to school here and when I first came to the PiKapp house, I was greeted with handshakes and smiles. They were genuine people that actually cared how my day was going and how I was doing, and they seemed like they wanted to get to know me as a person and not immediately try to recruit me,” Bowden said.
Bowden also adds that one of the best memories he has from being an associate member was going through initiation. “It was so surreal. The emotion that I was overcome with makes that day unforgettable,” Bowden said.
Today, Pi Kappa Phi is more diverse than ever and continues to grow as such. Owen Stutzman, a second-year accounting major and vice president of the fraternity, appreciates the differences of each member. “You’re going to have people who are athletic, people that are very intelligent with the highest GPAs on campus, guys who play video games and are a little more introverted and even campus leaders. You have such a mix on campus, and you can look anywhere and find somebody who is a PiKapp,” Stutzman said.
