Lifelong growth and development — this is the focus of the newest Greek organization on campus, Phi Kappa Sigma. On August 16, 1850, Dr. Samuel Brown Wylie Mitchell founded this international Fraternity and established the motto, “Stellis Aequus Durando,” or “Equal to the Stars in Endurance." Since it's inception, the fraternity has grown to 42 chapters, with 1,500 current undergraduate members and over 40,000 prosperous alumni. With it's growth and success, Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity, affectionately known as Phi Kap, has now come to Washington State University’s campus as the Beta Psi chapter. Though new, this fraternity has already found success by reaching out and recruiting members that align with their founder's values.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Expansion Consultant, Mathew Schlehuber, and the Director of Growth and Engagement, Mark Logsdon, to discuss their plans to spur engagement on campus.
How successful have your recruitment efforts been thus far?
Logsdon: It’s going great! We are looking to bring together a group of men who have never thought about Greek life. We are tabling on campus and visiting different organizations in the hopes of gathering names and recommendations for potential candidates. We do this for two reasons: to meet the best and brightest on campus and to get an idea of what the student body would like to see embodied in Greek fraternities. Being a gentleman, chivalrous, and respectful are what we hear the most. In addition to these qualities, we have a strong focus on grades. As such, we’ve set the minimum GPA requirement to 2.7.
Our recruitment process consists of two or three interviews, and if they meet what we are looking for and we can see that they show a desire to be better than the average student, we will invite them to be a Founding Father.
What sets you apart from other chapters?
Schlehuber: Holistic membership development is something that really distinguishes us. Having enrolled in an institution of higher education, we all aspire to greater things; but the steps we need to take may not always be so clear. From the time you start high school, you’re told to go to college in order to get a job, or go to graduate school, but that’s it. That’s the extent of the directions given. So, you’re lost. You know the end goal — where you want to be, but not the steps to get there. Phi Kappa Sigma can help our members develop the skills necessary in order to navigate this uncertainty, and to be successful. We are dedicated to providing a constructive social community in an environment that will only help the undergrads achieve their goals after college.
What are you looking for in a candidate?
Schlehuber: It really comes down to finding a group of like-minded undergrads who are comfortable putting themselves out there, by demonstrating a desire to grow. Besides grades, we are looking for men who driven to create something special; a local community of inspiring individuals from virtually nothing. We want guys that know what it means to "Go Greek" without having to be told. Guys that realize they want to be better than average [and] who know that society is going to recognize you because of it.
That being said, we are only taking 10 percent of the guys we talk to and are capping out at 50 founding members. We are also focusing on using MLB, which stands for" Man, Leader, Brother," as a tool to shape our men in the chapter. The “Man” stands for: become a Man of Honor, become a Gentleman, and become a Good Sportsman. The “Leader” stands for: become a Leader in the Classroom, become a Leader on the Campus, and become a Leader for the Community. The “Brother” stands for: become a Friend, become a Family, become a Fraternity. If we can teach our undergrads these values and embed these ideas and virtues into them, then Phi Kappa Sigma is doing its job.
What do you hope to bring to WSU’s campus?
Logsdon: We hope to bring a fraternity that offers a different option, a different experience and a different leadership opportunity than the norm. We are endeavoring to help guys who have not rushed before, or who have rushed and did not enjoy the experience, to get connected to an organization that they can truly enjoy. The men who join this semester will get the choice to run for an office position, whether they are a freshman or a graduate student. On this campus, we will be known as the Skulls, and I hope when someone hears of Phi Kappa Sigma, or the Skulls, they think of gentlemen, leaders, and friends. More information about Phi Kappa Sigma, such as our values and mission statement, are available at becomeaskull.org.
What is your philanthropy?
Logsdon: Fighting and finding the cure for blood cancer. We have been partners with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS) for the past 10 years. Our national philanthropic events are: Phi Kap field day competitions, Shave-a-Skull auctions, and dunk booths for campus police and campus officers. A staple event is our Miss Greek Pageant. We use this event to invite the student body, its leaders, and other Greek organizations out in an atttempt to raise thousands of dollars for LLS.
Why do you call yourselves the Skulls?
Logsdon: Normally we are called Phi Kaps for short, but at Washington State we are choosing to be known as the Skulls. We were founded originally with a hard science and engineering background, and our crest design was created with a skull to exemplify that.
Phi Kappa Sigma is still scheduling interviews and has already started inviting the founding father class into the Beta Psi chapter. They are currently meeting Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 6:00 PM in CUE Room 318 for information sessions. If you want more information or would like to talk briefly with either Mathew or Mark, refer to the information below. They will welcome any questions you have!
Email: wsu@pks.org
Facebook: Phi Kappa Sigma at Washington State
Twitter: @PKSWSU
