Michigan Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity at the University of Michigan
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/231159
The Sophon Winter 2014 Updates to House Continue Your Involvement Is Needed I t was a busy fall for the Alumni and Housing Corporation, during which some house improvements were made, the undergraduates hosted a visit from Nationals, and the Housing Corporation had a change of leadership. Chapter House Improvements Made Thanks to the dedication of alumni Nic Katona '99 and Brad Holman '02, the undergraduates were able to enjoy a freshly painted basement, living room, and upstairs hallway at the 630 Oxford chapter house. Brother Katona was especially proud to say that he worked with the current pledge class to show them the meaning of giving back and what it meant to treat our Phi Kappa Psi letters with respect and care by painting the entire basement wall with our letters in hunter green and cardinal red. We are grateful to Brothers Katona and Holman for taking time out of their weekends to help with the upkeep of the chapter house. Successful Visit from Nationals Another focus of the fall semester was to assist the undergraduates with their visit from Nationals. The undergraduates were quick to highlight their many philanthropy events throughout the fall, as well as their strong chapter chemistry to the national advisor. In a joint effort between the undergraduate leadership and Housing Corporation, we were able to work with the chapter to help them establish a more robust risk mitigation policy, which was later recognized by Nationals as a strong improvement over past years at Michigan Alpha. Although Nationals pointed out some areas for improvement, the alumni are proud of the undergraduates' hard work this semester and their dedication toward positive change in the future. Thanks to Our Dedicated Leader Finally, the Housing Corporation experienced a change of leadership when Nic Katona decided to step down. As many of you know, Brother Katona has dedicated himself to Michigan Alpha in the role of chapter advisor for over six years and Housing Corporation president for the last year. He has worked tirelessly to help the undergraduates move in a positive direction and was always the voice of reason when the undergraduates were experiencing moments of adversity. Nic made himself available day and night for any brother who needed his assistance, which is not an easy job when the calls often come after midnight. Brother Katona was also critical to establishing a smooth transition between the 700 South State St. and 630 Oxford chapter houses, for which the Housing Corporation is especially grateful. Both the undergraduates and Housing Corporation will greatly miss Nic's guidance but are stronger for having worked with him for all these years. We wish him all the best as he moves on and hope he finds another group of young men worthy of his mentorship, as the Michigan Alpha Chapter wonderfully experienced for the last six years. Plans for Founders Day Looking forward, the members of the Alumni and Housing Corporation are excited about the winter semester with the undergraduates, the upcoming Founders Day event, and the opportunity to establish further opportunities for mentorship and leadership. After the last-minute cancellation of Founders Day last year, due to the spectacular NCAA Championship run by the Michigan basketball team, we are very excited about this year's event. The date for the event is set for February 22, 2014, at 7:30 pm! To ensure an exciting weekend for undergraduates and alumni alike, we have coordinated the weekend to align with an exciting Michigan basketball team home-game against Michigan State University. Please be on the lookout for further information regarding Founders Day; we would love to see you there. Your Phi Psi Involvement We plan to work with the undergraduates to help them further understand what it means to be a Michigan Alpha Phi Psi and the steps that can be taken for Michigan Alpha to be one of the best Phi Kappa Psi chapters in the country. If you would like to be a part of this exciting process of mentorship, guidance, and strategy, we welcome you to reach out to any one of the Housing Corporation board members or Jack Gray '07 at jpgrayjr@gmail.com. We are a group of brothers diverse in age, spirit, and experience, working hand in hand to maintain the long-term future of the Michigan Alpha chapter house and the well-being of the undergraduates. We welcome anyone who has a passion for giving back and knows what it means to "Live Ever, Die Never." Amici, Campaign Leadership Donate Quickly and Easily You can make your gift to Michigan Alpha online. Visit www.pkpfoundation.org. Follow the links for Giving Back, Chapter Campaigns, and select Michigan Alpha. Great Tradition—New Vision The Campaign for Michigan Alpha