Pi Kappa Alpha - Mississippi State University

2 W hen we last featured Paul in 2017, he had not yet visited the newly renovated chapter house. He first did so in 2019 and was filled with pride in Gamma Theta—as well as gratitude for everyone who supported the successful capital campaign. Paul was excited for the strong impact the updated house would have on recruitment, and he is pleased with how far the chapter has come today. "Recruitment is the lifeblood of the fraternity," he said. "It's the most important activity for a chapter's success." Paul is so passionate about recruitment that he continued volunteering in that capacity as a young alumnus. He has resumed his work as a recruitment volunteer in recent years, and this past year he was even able to work with a family friend, Richy Amato '19, his oldest son's best friend and the 2021 recruitment chairman. Paul and Richy had many strategic conversations about recruitment methods, and especially during the pandemic they have found that the small-group and one-on-one contact approaches pay off in dividends. "The overall chapter numbers have come up considerably," Paul said of recruitment in recent years. "They've done a great job of adapting and tailoring their approach [to pandemic regulations]." When Paul worked as a traveling chapter consultant after graduation, he noticed two common factors among the historically strong chapters: consistent, local alumni leadership to keep them on a good path and a strong recruitment process with full chapter participation. He sees both strengths in Gamma Theta. "The older you get, you realize fraternities move in cycles, and it looks like we're in a period of increasing strength for Pike." Paying it forward is important to Paul, and he encourages alumni to contribute in their own ways—however immersed or limited they may feel. "You don't have to be in Starkville; you can provide guidance from anywhere. Every contribution makes a difference, whether it's college advice, career guidance, or financial support." Paul especially hopes alumni will help with recruitment by sending any recommendations they may have of new or incoming students. He has observed that the earlier the chapter can connect with a potential new member, the more likely that student is to pledge. "Their junior year of high school is an ideal time to begin building those relationships. Pike has had such a strong history at State; let's help enhance that by proactively providing recommendations early on." Paul has three sons: two at the University of Florida (who are enjoying their own fraternity experiences) and a junior in high school. He has enjoyed reliving the undergraduate experience through his boys' eyes and looks forward to the continued improvement of Pike at Mississippi State. He also attended the College World Series this summer in Omaha, where he was thrilled to see brothers from the late '80s and early '90s. To connect with Paul or to learn more about alumni's role in recruitment, you can reach him at paul.snider@morganstanley.com. T his fall, Gamma Theta recruited 40 young men for our 2021 fall pledge class. We initiated 37 of these students for a 93% retention rate. We also participated in several community service and philanthropy events in the fall, such as setting up Pumpkin Palooza in downtown Starkville, hosting a canned food drive for Starkville Strong, and hosting our annual Pikes for Pups event, in which we donated $2,000 to the Homeward Bound Project. Our scholarship chairman, Ethan Fowler '21, implemented a new scholarship program to incentivize good grades and improvements. We have also created a $1,000 scholarship budget per semester to assist in constantly increasing our GPA. The following brothers began serving in on-campus offices this spring: • Logan Strietelmeier '21 was elected vice president of development for Alumni Delegates. • Ryan McMinn '21 was nominated as director of programming for Interfraternity Council and elected as a senator for the College of Engineering. • Wilson Martinez Diaz '21 was elected cultural senator for Student Association and to the New Maroon Camp Programming Staff. • Hayden Miller '20 was elected as a senator for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Spring 2022 was a great semester for social events, such as our annual formal in New Orleans! We also assisted in Starkville's annual Frostbite Race, in which we guided the runners along their path. To improve community service hours across the chapter, we reimplemented minimum requirements for members to attend social functions. Under Recruitment Chairman Jacob Cucullu '21, we recruited 10 more young men in the spring. In March, we hosted our annual Fireman's Cup golf tournament at Old Waverly Golf Club. This golf tournament, one of our largest philanthropy events, raises money for Mississippi's only children's hospital, Children's of Mississippi. On behalf of the brothers of Gamma Theta, I express our deepest gratitude to the alumni who have supported us in recent years with recruitment, events, and much more. If you're looking to get more involved with the chapter or visit us on campus more often, we'd love to have you! Fraternally, Jackson Roberts '18 Alumni Relations THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE FRATERNITY THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE FRATERNITY P a u l S n i d e r ' 8 8 S h a r e s H i s P a s s i o n f o r R e c r u i t m e n t Richy Amato '19 and Paul Snider '88. Pikes for Pups 2021 was a great success, raising money for the Homeward Bound project. Our Commitment to Recruitment Pays Off Our Commitment to Recruitment Pays Off B R O T H E R S I N S T I L L T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F S E R V I C E

• Cover