The Beacon
2
T
en years after Alpha Tau Omega left the University of Oklahoma, the
men of Delta Kappa reestablished their foothold at OU in 2007. They
took course in their voyage to once again become one of the top fraternities
on campus. For Mike Junk '07, it wasn't a question of which fraternity
to join; it was how to form one. As one of the founding fathers of the
recolonization of Delta Kappa, Mike made it his mission to help create a
legacy at the University of Oklahoma. "Joining ATW as a founding father
of the new Delta Kappa Chapter provided my brothers and me with an
opportunity to build on the accomplishments of the past while creating a
legacy of our own," Mike says.
One of the biggest challenges was not having a chapter house for the men
of Delta Kappa. But this didn't deter them from paving their own path.
One of Mike's favorite memories as an undergraduate was recruitment.
"Not having yet constructed our new house, we were forced to recruit new
members out of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority house. What seemed
like an inconvenience at the time proved to be an extremely effective
strategy," he says.
Mike looks back at moments like these that built and defined relationships
with brothers and remembers the first line of the ATW creed, "To bind men
together in a brotherhood based upon eternal and immutable principles, with
a bond as strong as right itself and as lasting as humanity." Those ties remain
strong, as his best friends are his ATW brothers. "They were the best men in
my wedding and the first ones I call when I need advice," he says.
Reestablishing Delta Kappa
Mike Junk '07 Reminisces on
Alpha Tau Omega's Rechartering
Through his career, Mike continues to cross paths with brothers from time
to time. "Blake Gudgel '07, a fellow founding father, and I have worked
on a number of defense and veteran-related issues during my time in the
United States Senate," he says "Just last week, I found myself discussing a
local road project with Chase Beasley '07, who now serves as director of
government affairs for American Airlines in Tulsa."
After working as Senator Jim Inhofe's state policy advisor in Washington,
D.C., Mike now serves as deputy mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He and
his wife, Kathryn, have two children, Peyton (4) and Margot (2). In his
spare time, you can find him on the golf course or in a deer stand. E-mail:
mjunk@cityoftulsa.org
Undergraduates enjoying an OU football game.
