Pi Kappa Alpha - Mississippi State University

2 T he spring began with recruiting nine young men, all of whom we initiated this March. After recruitment, Gamma Theta had several community service and philanthropy events such as the annual Frostbite Race, several donation drives, a crawfish boil for the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, and our monthly firetruck wash for the Starkville Fire Department. We also organized a spring raffle, raising $7,000 for the Rally Gulf Coast Foundation. Gamma Theta even hosted a joint philanthropy event with Phi Mu to raise money for our late brother, Noah Rhea '22. Together, we raised just over $6,500 to help the family cover medical expenses. In addition to outstanding service and philanthropy, brotherhood events were alive and well. We had a great turnout for Parents Weekend, Spring Formal, PIKE Palooza, pickleball and basketball tournaments, and more. We also had the pleasure of hosting alumni for a crawfish boil and brunch, where we enjoyed catching up and meeting brothers. On our annual international workday projects at the chapter house included installing a new trophy case, building a back deck, and creating a new study room. PIKE and Phi Mu sell fried Oreos to support the family of the late Noah Rhea '22. PIKE's intramural flag football team wins the Charity Bowl tournament at Davis Wade Stadium. Brothers host a raffle to support the Rally Foundation, a non-profit that works to fund treatments and research for childhood cancer. Spring Parents Weekend with a crawfish boil and a band. Brothers serving crawfish: Landon Saffle '21 (left) and Jackson Luscy '21. Making Impacts Members of the Mississippi State Senate end up in either the appropriations or finance committee. The latter, where Josh is currently chairman, deals in policy covering everything from taxes and revenue to borrowing money— for economic development projects, higher education, and more. "It's a delicate dance of making sure you have enough revenue for the government's essential functions while not overtaxing the people," he explained. With Mississippi at one of the lowest income tax rates in the country, Josh believes the state is in the best fiscal shape it's ever been. "We've managed to pay off about $900 million in debt without borrowing new money." Josh is also proud of passing several "Right to Try" bills to help terminally ill patients try potentially life-saving treatments before FDA approval. Instituting the third-grade reading gate led to major educational gains, boosting the state's graduation rate above the national average during Josh's career. Just recently, in an effort to create more high-paying jobs, Josh helped pass the state's largest-ever single investment to bring Amazon data centers to the metro area. "We've accomplished a lot!" Where We're Going "The fraternity experience doesn't end at graduation; it gets better and more meaningful as you grow older," Josh said. "Seeing your brothers and their families makes you appreciate the time you've had together. I look forward to any occasion to spend time with them, and I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to pledge and become a PIKE." You can catch up with Josh at joshharkins@bellsouth.net. When Leaps of Faith Pay Off (Continued from page 1) • Matthew Wingerter '21 as an IFC senator. • Ethan Fowler '20 in Alumni Delegates. • Wilbur Ramos '22 and Ethan Fowler at the Entrepreneurship Center. • Jacob Cucullu '21 in the Student Association Cabinet. • Joseph Saffle '23 as a New Maroon Camp counselor. • Jackson Jewel '22 in Associate IFC. • Bryse Carlton '21 as a recruiting assistant for MSU football. • Jackson Campbell '20 as a fan experience assistant for MSU Athletics. • Ethan Gibbel '23 as a College of Business ambassador. • Joseph Saffle and Bates Whetstone '24 as Roadrunners. • Colin Markey '23, Brayden Shockey '23, Joseph Saffle, and Logan Miller '23 in Freshman Reach. • Robert Hubbard '22, Wilbur Ramos, Adam Jefferson '22, Nathan Smith '22, and Brayden Shockey as Rho Chis. • Mason Anglin '21, Tanner Lunn '21, and Will Robertson '21 as Maroon VIPs. To conclude a remarkable academic year, we honored our newest Gamma Theta alumni during their graduation weekend. We can't wait to see what the fall semester brings us Pikes! Fraternally, Adam Ritter '22, Chapter President ar2775@msstate.edu | (228) 236-6672 Many brothers served in positions throughout campus this past semester, such as: FEBRUARY 19 MARCH 2 APRIL 19 APRIL 20 BUILDING THE BONDS Brothers Continue to Serve

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