Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity wins chapter excellence award

September 14, 2009

The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has once again won the Raymond L. Orians Chapter Excellence award from the Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity.

The UW-Whitewater fraternity was also a 2008 recipient of the award.

The award is given annually to chapters recognized as one of the best on their respective campuses and one of the best among Pi Kappa Alpha's 220 chapters throughout the country.

The UW-Whitewater chapter was one of 61 nationwide honored for community service, academic achievement and recruitment of quality men.

The international fraternity was founded in 1868 at the University of Virginia and now has more than 240,000 initiated members. The UW-Whitewater chapter was formed in 1998. It is a three-time winner of the Chancellor's Achievement Award for the best student organization on campus and has been UW-Whitewater's largest fraternity for the past decade.

Sophomore Kevin Delie, the fraternity's rush chairman, cites several reasons UW-Whitewater students join "the PIKE," including its:

• Consistent ranking in the top 20 percent of Pi Kappa Alpha chapters in the United States and Canada;
• Tradition of providing thousands of hours of community service each year;
• Record of producing campus leaders in student government and athletics.

Moreover, Jan Bilgen, associate director for Career and Leadership Development at UW-Whitewater, says the chapter reflects the desire for excellence on the part of many campus student programs.

"We are pleased with the efforts of Pi Kappa Alpha and our Greek organizations for their efforts to positively impact our campus and surrounding community," she said. "Congrats, UW-Whitewater PIKES, on your achievement."