Cade Spackman is an undecided freshman at the U. Straight out of high school, Spackman hasn’t settled on a major and is still deciphering the ins and outs of college life. He is sure of one thing, though-he wants to join a fraternity.
This week, when Spackman was walking through the Union cafeteria, he stopped at a table and was greeted by Brandon Belote and Billy Boulden, two representatives dressed in shirts and ties recruiting U students to join the newest fraternity on campus-Pi Kappa Phi.
After hearing the speech and reviewing pamphlets, Spackman signed up as a possible recruit. He wants to be a “founding father” of the U chapter.
This year, Belote, a recent graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, will be organizing and recruiting members for Pi Kappa Phi chapters at eight universities nationwide.
Pi Kappa Phi was organized in 1904 at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, and currently has 117 active chapters.
Belote and Boulden have already visited University of California, Berkeley. They will be recruiting at the U outside the Union until Nov. 3.
Belote and Boulden said they are looking for recruits who will look past the typical fraternity stereotype.
“We’re looking for guys that are willing to do more than put on a shirt and say, ‘Hey, dude, I’m in a frat.’ We’re looking for leaders. We put a strong emphasis on character, leadership, academics, sportsmanship and service,” Belote said.
The only fraternity to have its own national philanthropy, Pi Kappa Phi founded the organization Push America, in 1977 to improve the lives of people with disabilities.
With Push America, Pi Kappa Phi has raised more than $10 million, participating in Journey for Hope, a cross-country cycling group that bikes 4,000 miles in 64 days, raising half a million dollars.
These opportunities are a drawing point for some students. “It sounded really cool with Push America and the service opportunities for people with handicaps,” Spackman said.
Recruits must have at least a 2.5 GPA and be what Belote calls “men of class, leaders of choice.”
All recruits will go through a brief interviewing process.
A new-member education program is also required for new members, clearly teaching the fraternity’s no-tolerance policy for hazing.
“There’s no place for that in a frat. You can build brotherhood without breaking people down mentally and physically,” Belote said.
Belote and Boulden have also received recommendations for fraternity members from sororities and the dean of students. “Girls know what they want to see in an ideal frat man,” Belote said.
After Nov. 3, the fraternity will create a “colony” of probationary members, having them go through chartering requirements and do things as a group to strengthen the chapter. During this period, which could last between six and 18 months, brothers will be able to continue to bring in more recruits.
As of now, Pi Kappa Phi does not have a house on Greek Row, but it hopes to in the future. The fraternity’s members will be known as the “Pi Kapps.”
Bobby SakakiPi Kappa Phi leadership consultant Brandon Belote mans the fraternity’s recruitment desk in the Union food court area on Tuesday.