Kappa Alpha Order - University of Texas

BY ALUMNI FOR ALUMNI Omicron Chapter Launches New Alumni Relations Program F or over 132 years, Kappa Alpha Order has been a proud and respected member of the University of Texas campus community. Since our founding in 1883, thousands of young men have bonded as brothers and learned to live lives of excellence. Omicron Chapter continues to grow both in numbers and in stature. We now have more than 135 active undergraduate members and over 1,200 active alumni. We think most of us would agree that KA has had a significant impact on our lives, both during and after our time at UT. Because we built such strong friendships as brothers, we hold high hopes of keeping our fraternal bonds intact. Unfortunately, we quickly find that many new interests—careers, families, and civic activities—can create valid diversions. The day-to-day activities of life take over and, before you know it, we fall out of touch and begin to wonder what happened to our friends, our brothers. Without a solid alumni relations program in place, our brethren lack the means for staying connected to each other, Omicron and KA. With this in mind, our new alumni relations program is designed to help our members stay in touch and to cultivate awareness and involvement with each other and the Omicron Chapter. For the first time in many years, we will be mailing a newsletter focused on communication with alumni. We will mail newsletters each semester containing alumni news, spotlights on alumni from various decades, information on upcoming events, and reports on Omicron activities. We want to give you an opportunity to reach out to fellow brothers whom you haven't seen or talked to for far too long, and we think this will encourage you to reconnect with them. In addition to learning more about our own pledge brothers and fellow alumni, it is also important for all of us to stay informed about Omicron and stay informed about what our younger brothers are accomplishing. It is our hope these stories will encourage you to lend your support to Omicron and help our young men remain leaders on campus and in the community. With this new communications program, our goal is to keep all alumni informed about current projects, future plans and to solicit and give all of our Omicron brothers an opportunity to get involved. Hopefully, we will all be reminded of the friendships found "where the morn of life was spent." We would genuinely appreciate hearing from you. Kuklos adelphon, John Newlin '77 John Earl Allen '78 Co-President Co-President (214) 908-0520 (512) 797-5172 johnrnewlin@twc.com jea@hotmail.com OmicrOn Update A PUB L IC A TIO N O F THE UT K A PPA A L PHA HO US ING C O R PO R A TIO N O MIC R O N C HA PTER -THE UNIV ER S ITY O F TEXA S A T A US TIN s F A L L 2016 Making a Difference, One Patient at a Time How Omicron Chapter Led Dr. Tony Herring '61 to a Successful Career in Medicine W hy did you decide to join Kappa Alpha Order can be a difficult question, but for Tony Herring '61, the answer comes easily. "I was sold on Kappa Alpha Order from the very beginning," he says. "The quality of men in the chapter, particularly my big brother, Bill Rivers '57, and Lowell Lebermann '58, the home-like atmosphere, and the strong sense of camaraderie were unique to the Omicron Chapter and set it apart from the other fraternities. Looking back, I couldn't have been more proud of my decision to join." Coming from a small town, Tony valued the social opportunities, networking skills, and unwavering commitment to education that Omicron Chapter provided. He says, "The chapter offered a course on how to study, taught by a psychologist, which dramatically improved my performance during my undergraduate career and in medical school. The best advice I can give to future generations is don't lose focus on your education and take advantage of as many opportunities the university and Fraternity provides you. You won't regret doing so." "Alumni involvement is a necessity to the future of KA and will allow the chapter to continue to propel down the positive path it's on. A fraternity is only as powerful as its membership, and by contributing your gifts of time, talent, and treasure, KA will continue to thrive and maintain its elite standing on campus." (Continued on page 2)

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