PA Beta Gamma Chapter at Penn State University Raises $40,000 in Search of a Cure

— Ben Borus (Penn State, ‘22) “It’s far and away the most meaningful experience I’ve had as a brother and to share it with my best friends is something I hope to do for the rest of my life,” said THON chair Kamron Sarmadi about one of the most special weekends of the Penn State school year.

 This past February, the Beta Gamma chapter celebrated THON weekend. THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Every year it raises over $10 million for the fight against childhood cancer. The year-long fundraising effort culminates with a 46-hour, no-sitting, no-sleeping, dance marathon. The chapter was able to elect three individuals to represent them on the floor as dancers. Most participate from the stands, but being elected as a dancer is a huge honor amongst the brotherhood. During the week leading up to THON, the brothers wrote over 300 letters that the dancers could open for support.

This year the brothers raised $40,000, which is the largest total in chapter history. This impressive achievement took months of commitment from the entire brotherhood. Whether it was attending fundraisers, reaching out to their family members, or even supporting the dancers on the floor when they needed it the most. President Owen Peters could not be prouder of the chapter’s efforts this year. “It’s amazing to see the brothers come together like this to support such a great cause. I’m so proud of everyone for all their contributions this year.”

Each student organization is paired with a THON child. The program is meant for student organizations to provide emotional support for children with cancer. The chapter has been paired with Ryan Arevelo for 5 years now. “Working with Ryan and the rest of the Arevelo Family year-round is such a rewarding experience,” said Family Relations Chair Kamron Sarmadi, “and to see him officially cured in July is the best thing we could have asked for.” The brothers plan many events throughout the year with Ryan and his family, such as inviting him to the chapter house and visiting him in his hometown.

Every brother has a reason why they THON. “Coming from a family who has lost family members to cancer as well as my grandfather who’s beaten it, THON is something that I have been motivated to be a part of since I came to Penn State,” said head chair Joseph Mondy. This sentiment rings true for many brothers, which is why THON is one of the most anticipated events of the year and one of the best ways to live out the core values of Phi Kappa Theta. To everyone who has helped us this year and in the past to raise money for such an amazing cause, we thank you, and more importantly, all the Four Diamonds Families thank you. Our efforts to break our fundraising record start this summer, so if you are interested in learning more or donating to the cause please reach out to our Alumni Relations Chair at phikappatheta.mcevoy@gmail.com. Your involvement means the world to these families and they will be forever grateful. As always, Give, Expecting Nothing Thereof.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Statement

Phi Kappa Theta Brothers, Mentors, and Volunteers – 

Doug Dilling, National President

Like you, we have been closely monitoring the evolving coronavirus situation. The most difficult part is knowing when to act – not to be an alarmist but not to act too late. We are taking our cues from the updates provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the State Departments of Health, local authorities, and our host institutions.

At this time, the Leadership and staff of Phi Kappa Theta believe it is our role and responsibility to focus on two priorities:

1. the health and safety of our members and staff and;

2. ensuring ongoing service to our members and chapters as we all maneuver our unique local circumstances.

Phi Kappa Theta staff already are primarily working remotely, and those who report to the office regularly have worked out remote policies. The staff will remain accessible during published office hours to serve the needs of our members and chapters.

We recommend chapters and housing corporations to closely follow the guidance of their respective host institutions and local authorities. Chapter meetings, housing board meetings, even new member education, can be held virtually. We also have an innovative and cutting-edge member development curriculum available online for those members electing to engage in these courses.

We encourage chapters to think creatively about recruitment and ongoing chapter operations. Even one term of no recruitment can result in long term damage, so explore new ways to reach out and connect virtually or in small groups with potential new members. Keep existing conversations going and utilize the online new member education program to move existing member classes forward. If you decide to postpone the formal initiation ritual due to local group gathering guidelines, let us know so we can note this in your chapter file.

We have the technology in place; it just isn't our usual way of meeting. Until further notice and as a precautionary step, we are canceling, postponing, or utilizing video conferencing for all scheduled board and national activities and events. We all expect this to be temporary, so at this point, we are not canceling the National Leadership Summit scheduled for July 17-18 in San Antonio. We will closely monitor the situation, so check back periodically for updates.

We appreciate your understanding and support, and we will continue to provide updates as this situation is ever-evolving. Phi Kappa Theta will continue to post updates to our website at www.phikaps.org.

For additional information, please review the updates from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, your local host institution, and our resource guide for chapters and volunteers.

Sincerely,

Doug Dilling

National President

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James “Jim” Victor Leaves a Lasting Legacy at Iowa Xi

(July 29, 1946 —July 27, 2018)

James “Jim” William Victor (Iowa Xi, 1965) of Davenport died in a tragic motor sports accident in July 2018. His example of planned giving is a model to inspire all Phi Kaps.

Jim Victor (Iowa State University, ‘68) was known as a top-notch investment advisor in the Quad Cities of Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline and Rock Island, Illinois, but he was undeniably more. A motorsports racer, a newspaper carrier, an altar boy, a fraternity brother, a newspaper columnist, a television personality, a philanthropist... the list can continue.

The son of Al and Marjorie (Pirk) Victor, Jim was born in Wisconsin but made his name in Iowa. In describing Jim, his Iowa Xi fraternity brother and fellow Morgan Stanley investment advisor Jim Willer recalled Victor as a “true, true friend.”

 A MARION, IOWA, BOYHOOD

James William Victor was one of five children with sisters Barbara and Mary Anne and brothers Tom and Mick. His father Al took a job with Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids in 1956. The family lived in the nearby community of Marion where Jim attended St. Joseph School and served as an altar boy. He played piano and performed in the 1957 and 1958 recitals at St. Joseph. In a 1960 Cedar Rapids Gazette profile of Jim as one of their newspaper carriers, 14-year old Jim stated that he wished to become an architect, though he did not know which college he might attend. He attended the local Catholic high school Cedar Rapids Regis and used his newspaper profits to pay tuition, purchase his clothes and keep a bit of spending money. As a teenager, he “took care of his own financial affairs.”

 JAMES IN AMES

Jim came to Iowa State University in the fall of 1964. He pledged Phi Kappa Theta and was initiated in the spring of 1965. He served as house social chairman and worked hard to get the men of Phi Kappa Theta to learn fraternity songs and serenade sororities. He made sure the men knew the songs of Phi Kappa Theta including “The Sweetheart of Phi Kappa.” He initiated social gatherings, including an Easter Break party at his family home in Marion for college friends. He loved interacting with others.

Victor, shown in this 1966 photo, joined Phi Kappa Theta in the fall of 1964. He said that his time at Iowa State University changed his life. (Courtesy of Iowa State University Bomb).

As a senior at Iowa State, he served as president of the Newman Club, the Catholic student organization, and was on the Interfraternity Council Board. He was a member of the Science & Humanities College’s Science Council and the Homecoming Central Committee. He was invited to join Alpha Kappa Psi, the national business honorary.

 A MULTIMEDIA INVESTMENT ADVISOR

One of Jim’s first jobs out of college was with Iowa-Illinois Gas and Electric Company in the Quad Cities. In the early 1970s he started working as an investment advisor. He became prominent in the community and trusted in his knowledge. Victor wrote a regular column for the Quad City Times and later appeared on KWQC.  He created a stock index of Quad Cities’ businesses that appeared in the paper. He was on the station’s first morning show and was a genial personality with a welcoming laugh.

Jim wrote a regular column on finances for the Quad City Times. Readers knew he was writing with an informed and beneficent perspective. (Courtesy of the Quad City Times)

QUAD CITIES & BEYOND

Jim continued to enjoy socializing. He maintained friendships and developed new ones. He met people in the Quad Cities and joined a local ski club. He traveled to Europe with the club and took annual trips to Colorado. A favorite memory of Iowa Xi brother Jim Willer’s was a 1972 trip to Council Bluffs for a wedding of a Phi Kap and an Alpha Chi Omega. The group then traveled north to visit college friend Diane Pattee’s family in the northwest Iowa town of Pocahontas. Willer recalled it was like the film, The Big Chill, though it followed a wedding, not a funeral. The group sang popular songs including “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night and reveled in each other’s company. It was hard for the group to separate.  Some, including Pattee, Willer and Victor, would remain lifelong friends.

 A CREATURE OF HABITS

Jim got his rest, but when he was awake, he was focused. He read about new stocks or researched those that might be in trouble. He took his daily run and drank plenty of water. He attended one Iowa State Cyclone football game a year. He valued relationships. He never owned a smartphone, but he would gladly talk to friends and clients on a cellphone. His business partner Sheila Volrath told the Quad City Times, “He utilized his time to help people, whether it was with our business, his clients, other folks in the office, his family, his friends, but most importantly his volunteer work.” His obituary asserted, “Being together, loving life, never losing your childhood enthusiasm, staying committed to your principles and continually searching for the magic in even the smallest moments. This is how Jim lived.”

MOTORSPORTS

Jim participated in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) with the “Arms Up Racing” team. He had a B 17 Chevron Formula 3 racing car and often finished on the podium. He participated in a 24 Hours of Daytona racing team in 2004 as part of a five-man team that finished 13th in the Super Grand Sport class in a Corvette. His racing friends were stunned when he was killed in a crash during practice at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on July 27, 2018. A fellow racer commented on Facebook, “Jim was one of the nicest men I’ve ever met in racing. He was as fierce as any competitor once the visor shut. He will be missed.”

Among his philanthropic interests was Junior Achievement, the organization’s annual fund-raising golf tournament in the Quad Cities was named in his honor. (Courtesy of the Victor Family)

CHAPTER ETERNAL

“Give, expecting nothing thereof.”

Jim Victor lived the Phi Kappa Theta motto. He supported Junior Achievement in the Quad Cities where the annual fund-raising golf tournament is named in his honor. He created a scholarship at Iowa State. In Jim’s will, he bequeathed to Iowa Xi one of the largest posthumous gifts to a Phi Kappa Theta chapter ever.

When describing their brother, his siblings named the following traits: curiosity, engagement, children, learning, and family. Jim explained his time at Iowa State saying, “My experience at Iowa State truly changed my world – it enlightened me, it inspired me, and it empowered me.”

Jim was a model Phi Kap in life and in death. He embodied the leadership, fraternal, intellectual, social and spiritual values of Phi Kappa Theta. The men of Iowa Xi are proud to have known Jim as a fraternity brother and friend. His legacy will continue to help develop and define Phi Kaps at Iowa State for generations to come.

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A resolution was passed by the Phi Kappa Theta Foundation in January to honor Brother James Victor.

Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity Closes Chapter at Lehigh University

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA– Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity is disappointed to announce the closure of the Pennsylvania Alpha Chapter at Lehigh University, effective immediately. The unanimous decision to suspend the Pennsylvania Alpha chapter came from the Fraternity Board in March and resulted in the revocation of the charter, finalized this summer. The Executive Offices learned the chapter lost university recognition as the result of a university hearing regarding a code of conduct violation in November 2019. The chapter’s charter will remain suspended and in the care of the Board of Trustees. The Pennsylvania Alpha chapter was chartered in 1919 as Theta Kappa Phi and was the first chapter in Pennsylvania. This chapter was the founding site for Theta Kappa Phi—one of two fraternities which joined together in 1959 to create Phi Kappa Theta.