Pi Kappa Alpha - Purdue University

Page 3 Pi Kappa Alpha F or brothers like Michael P. Millikan '91, the Pike brotherhood extends past a lifetime and is an eternal bond. On January 6, 1989, Mike was riding back to Purdue with one of his friends to begin his sophomore year when they were suddenly broadsided by another car on Highway 26. "It was a very bad car accident," Michael E. Millikan, Mike's father, said. "The EMTs thought Mike was dead before they pulled him out and took him to Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis." In an instant, Mike's life was changed forever. However, he was not alone. Not only did Mike have the support of his family, he also had his PIKE brothers looking out for him. Mike spent over five months in the hospital, as the doctors could not get him to come out of his coma. Mike's mother, Mary Jane, stayed by his side for the entirety of his stay in the hospital, with his father and four sisters visiting frequently. "He went from 185 pounds down to 119," Mike's dad said. "It was determined that Mike had sustained a traumatic brain injury with ruptured blood vessels effecting different parts of his brain." As a result of Mike's injury, he struggles with his speech, movements, and short-term memory. During his time in the hospital, several of Mike's Beta Phi brothers, including Doug Kinder '93 and Mike Ward '91, visited him at least once a week. "They did their best talking to him and trying to keep his mind active while he was in a coma," Mike's dad said. "It meant a lot to our family." After returning home from the hospital, Mike began a six-month rehab process while living with his parents. As an active member of Beta Phi Chapter, Mike loved spending time with his brothers and was a natural leader. "Mike would always stick up for everyone," Mike's dad said. "He came out of high school as an All-State defensive back and had great discipline." When his parents came to visit during Parents Weekend, they saw Mike tossing a ball against the wall, with his room organized and tidy. "Myself and Mary Jane were both smokers when Mike was growing up," Mike's dad said. "One day we got a call from Mike complaining that his clothes smelled like cigarettes after he had them washed at home, and he encouraged us to stop smoking. I felt horrible, it really struck a nerve with me. From that day on I made it my goal to quit." Mike just wanted the best for all those around him. After the passing of Mike's mother, Mary Jane, Mike's dad decided that it was time to organize funeral plans for the two of them. "I asked Mike what he wanted his headstone to look like and he requested that we put a Purdue insignia and a PIKE crest on it," he said. "I spoke with the catholic cemetery director and she told me we would need permission from PIKE before proceeding." At this point, Mike's dad reached out to Joe Conti '85 via cell, and to his surprise he answered right away. Joe sent an email with a letter of approval, and the design for Mike's headstone was finalized with a P insignia in the lower right corner and a PIKE crest in the lower left corner. "To be able to get this done in a timely manner means so much to us," Mike's dad said. "Mike looks back on his days with PIKE as some of the best days of his life." Recovering from a traumatic brain injury takes time and dedication. Mike has spent the majority of his life battling, and today he has progressed to the point where he lives on his own and can drive himself wherever he needs to go. "He calls me daily and sees every day as a new day," Mike's dad said. "He's got such a great attitude and sense of humor." Mike enjoys going to horse races, visiting his family lake house, and going out to dinner with his father. He would be thrilled to reconnect with his PIKE brothers and can be reached at mpmillikan41@gmail.com or (260) 415-4165. An Eternal Bond Michael Millikan '91 Overcomes Obstacles with Help from Pike Brothers T he brothers of Beta Phi have done exceptionally well adapting to these unprecedented times. Moving back into the Chapter House and understanding new guidelines was uncharted territory for everyone, but we have made the most of it. Even though the spring semester was cut short, I did my best to facilitate our new members' education process over the summer; we initiated seven young men in September. Of course, recruitment is a largely discussed topic here. Adam Peterson '19 stepped up as recruitment chairman for the Chapter, and we used tools like Zoom, Chapter Builder, Instagram Advertisements, and much more to put together the largest new member class this fall at Purdue, consisting of 39 young gentlemen. Moving forward, we are planning a Virtual PIKE Fireman's Challenge and several other online fundraisers. This will be an exciting way of getting our new members involved and a great way to show them how events operate behind the scenes. We look forward to overcoming these strange times together as we maintain as much normalcy as possible. Fraternally, Will Weisbrod '21, Chapter President (281) 210-4484 purduepikepresident@gmail.com Persevering Through 2020 Brothers Welcome Largest Fall New Member Class at Purdue Mike Millikan '91 (left) at PIKE's barn dance in 1988. Beta Phi's spring 2020 initiates. Top row, from left: Maxwell VanAusdall, Nate Cramer, Matt Wilson, and Ben Hartley. Bottom row: Eric Billy, Jimmy Drescher, and Jake Richards.

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