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Fraternity coming to Madison
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by Matthew Dolbey
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Pi Kappa Alpha, a fraternity with 215 chapters throughout the world, plans on starting a chapter at the University of Wisconsin this spring. Two expansion consultants were sent by the Pi Kappa Alpha international office in Memphis, Tenn., to recruit new members.
Pike graduates, as Pi Kappa Alpha members refer to themselves, sent expansion consultants Doug Cowan and Eric Carr, who are currently visiting the campus to both recruit students and meet with leaders of UW at the vice chancellor’s office and the dean’s office.
Cowan said the fraternity believes UW will prove a valuable campus to have a chapter because it is one of the “premier state universities in the country.” With a strong Greek system, Cowan said Pi Kappa Alpha must consider UW for a “colony” to stay competitive in the fraternity market.
The Pike fraternity did have a chapter at UW in 1920, which lasted until 1994. Since then, the Pikes have lost their house on Langdon Street, but neither Cowan nor Carr believes lacking a residence will hurt recruitment.
“It’s not just the physical structure of a house (that attracts people to the Pike fraternity),” Cowan said, adding that “it’s on an individual level” that rushees decide to be recruited.
Though most fraternities finished active recruitment earlier in the semester, Carr said the Pikes hope to recruit enough “founding fathers” for the chapter.
“Pi Kappa Alpha is known for its recruitment,” Carr said.
The two Pikes also said they believe many students on campus are unfamiliar with the Greek system and that the new fraternity can offer something unique to students.
“We also have strong educational leadership programming,” Carr said.
The consultants believe a negative stigma —hazing, drinking and having to commit all one’s time to the brotherhood —is often associated with fraternities, but that the Pike fraternity avoids that image. “A fraternity is not to engulf your college career, it should enhance it,” Carr said.
He added the Pikes will strive for community service, high grade-point averages and noticeable campus involvement. Carr added that when he and Cowan leave March 9, they will leave a fully functioning fraternity.
Though Carr and Cowan remain hopeful in their recruitment opportunities for the new fraternity, which has been approved by the Interfraternity Council, Jason Levin, president of the Madison chapter of Zeta Beta Tau, said recruitment of new members to a new fraternity may prove difficult.
“It’s tough getting back on campus,” Levin, a UW junior, said, adding that ZBT restarted its chapter after being dormant for eight years in Madison. Levin also said recruitment drives have been low overall.
“This year had a pretty small rush,” Levin said of his fraternity. He added that the Interfraternity Council saw relatively small additions across campus. Levin did not give any particular reason for the decrease in rushees but said that maybe incoming students “don’t see the benefits” of joining the Greek system.
“I think the Greek system is strong (at UW) but not growing significantly,” Levin said.
Levin also theorized it could be hard for the Pikes to get started because of the lack of a house.
“Having your letters on your house, it’s a nice advertisement,” Levin said. He added that it brings a household name to the fraternity.
