Phi Kappa Theta - Iowa State University

PAGE 3 FKQ "Give, expecting nothing thereof." This phrase could not ring more true for Mike Fahing '86, and it is one that he strives to live by each and every day. When Mike joined Phi Kappa Theta, he did not know at the time that he would become part of something so big, and be surrounded by individuals who would challenge him to become the best version of himself. "The men of Iowa Xi exemplified everything that I wished to be part of— servant leadership, paying it forward through acts of philanthropy, and a genuine, powerful brotherhood. Rick Ball '86, Mike Biegger '87, and Ed Maginn '87 in particular were selfless, inspirational leaders in the chapter," he says. Having upperclassmen in the chapter to look up to encouraged Mike to pursue leadership, professional, and personal interests. Mike expanded on his undergraduate experience with serving as social chairman for Iowa Xi by becoming the organizer for the annual alumni golf event, which started in 1987. "The alumni golf event has been a great time to reconnect not only with other alumni but also with undergraduate members. As alumni, we have as much or more to learn from our undergraduates as they have to learn from us. The more we feel connected to our chapter, the more willing we are to give our time and finances to help our chapter flourish. Taking the time to give back to the chapter that gave you so much is a critical driving force in the success of Iowa Xi." Aside from connecting with Iowa Xi brothers and contributing to the future of the chapter, Mike dedicates much of his time and energy toward his passion: raising awareness for Parkinson's disease. After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2002 at the age of 38, Mike has made a remarkable impact in the Parkinson's community through fundraising efforts, participating in clinical trials, and inspiring those with Parkinson's to live a healthy, active lifestyle. "One of my greatest blessings has been the ability to network with people through profit and non- profit organizations and social media. I have met some very inspiring and motivated people in the Parkinson's community, and my energies have been focused on fundraising, community networking, and local awareness programs." Mike has become a strong advocate for the Pedaling for Parkinson's charity event, which involves participants bicycling across Iowa, and raises thousands of dollars toward Parkinson's exercise programs. If you would like to donate to the Pedaling for Parkinson's charity event, please go to www.pedalingforparkinsons.org/ fundraising. As an alumnus, Mike stays connected with Rick, Mike, Mike Ball '91, Paul Fisher '87, Leo Landis '87, Tom Davis '86, Jerry Carpenter '88, Paul Peterson '01, Jason Wiener '02, Dave Feely '08, Jon Fahning '92, Eric Fahning '92, and John Patten '88 through alumni events, fishing trips, and social media. "Spending quality time with my Iowa Xi brothers is an intangible value that I will continue to cherish for the rest of my life. They are some of my biggest supporters, and for that I could not be more thankful. Pedal and Roll!" You can contact Mike at mfahning64@gmail.com. Mike Fahning '86 Reflects on Parkinson 's Disease Advocacy and Lifelong Friendships with Brothers Iowa Xi Achieves Highest New Member Class, Looks Forward to Future T his fall, brothers hit the ground running in academics, recruitment, brotherhood activities, and community involvement. Iowa Xi has been involved in many activities, including Homecoming, the Reformation Bowl, and highway cleanup. Iowa Xi Welcomes 16 New Members Last summer, Recruitment Chairmen Lieb Chol '17 and Chase Reising '18 worked hard to bring in a large new member class. Lieb and Chase exceeded their goal by signing 16 quality men. This new member class is the largest since the 1990s, and our recruitment chairmen are not done signing new members yet. We are also working toward recruiting members for the spring semester. Undergraduates Demonstrate Remarkable Academic Efforts Chapter members placed an emphasis on academics last spring, and the overall chapter GPA showed it. The GPA jumped significantly from a 2.71 to a 3.01, an increase of 0.3. This placed our overall chapter GPA 15th among the 32 fraternities on campus. The change in GPA was the second- best in the Greek community, and the goal for this fall is to continue demonstrating academic excellence and place in the top 10 for fraternities. Out with the Old, in with the New Undergraduates have worked hard to improve the exterior look of the house. This included adding a retaining wall next to the fire escape, cleaning up the debris next to the fence, and seeding the lawn where the bushes were located. The major improvement for the interior of the house was the entrance to "the hole" in the basement, which was made to look like a wardrobe instead of just a door. Chapter Celebrates Homecoming Victories For Homecoming, we paired with Pi Kappa Alpha and Kappa Kappa Gamma and we performed well in Yell like Hell and the lawn display. We played Beta Sigma Psi (the Lutheran fraternity) in the Reformation Bowl, and Iowa Xi has possessed the Reformation Bowl trophy for the last two years. Planning for the Future The chapter is functioning well and our membership is increasing. We have achieved the largest new member class in over 15 years, the house looks beautiful, our brotherhood is strong, and alumni involvement is on the rise. We look forward to seeing alumni throughout the rest of the semester. If you're in the area, please stop by for a visit! Fraternally, John Jordan '17, Chapter President (515) 480-8339 / jjordan@iastate.edu Iowa Xi members serenade sorority members.

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