TFM recently started a series called "Why Your Fraternity Sucks," depicting all the negative aspects of certain fraternities. After reading the series, I decided to take a different spin on it and talk about all the great things about Greek life. Each week I will be alphabetically highlighting a different fraternity at UTA.
Fraternity: Alpha Tau Omega, more often called ATO. The "Alpha" and "Omega" in the fraternity name references back to the "Christian absolute plentitude or perfection." The "Tau" represents the Tau cross used in the fraternal badge.
At UTA: The Kappa Alpha Chapter.
Founded: Founded on September 11, 1865, at the Virginia Military Institute. Otis Allan Glazebrook, Erskine Mayo Ross, and Alfred Marshall founded the fraternity in the aftermath of the Civil War. Glazebrook, a Confederate soldier, believed in a better future for the nation and made strides for peace and reconciliation between the North and the South. His goal was to unite brothers of the North and the South in Christian, brotherly love. "ATO was founded upon brotherly love, with Christian principles, not Greek principles, as the cornerstones of the Fraternity."
At UTA: The Kappa Alpha chapter was colonized in 2002 and received their charter in 2004.
Size: 136 Chapters and numerous amount of colonies. ATO has more than 6,500 undergraduate brothers and over 200,000 initiated members, and strives to establish at least eight substance-free chapters per academic year.
At UTA: The Kappa Alpha chapter has 60 initiated members.
via Twitter
Colors and Symbols: The colors of ATO are azure and gold, and the White Tea Rose became the official flower in 1892. The gator is the unofficial mascot of certain chapters.
Badge: "Having projected a Christian fraternity and appropriated a distinctively Christian symbol for its name, the Cross naturally was its logical emblem. For it, Glazebrook selected a Maltese Cross, though actually it is the heraldic cross pattee. In the center he inscribed a crescent, three stars, the Tau Cross and clasped hands. Upon the upper and lower vertical arms, he placed the Greek letters for Alpha and Omega, and upon the horizontal arms, the Omega and Alpha letters respectively.
Reading from top to bottom the fraternity's name appears. Alpha Tau Omega, Reading left to right it becomes Omega Tau Alpha. This reverse arrangement has an esoteric significance to the initiate, but does no violence to the essential meaning of the insignia; it still indicates that Christ the beginning and end are joined."
via Google
Philanthropy: ATO does not have a national philanthropy; this allows each chapter to focus on the issues that are affecting their local communities.
At UTA: The Kappa Alpha chapter supports the Dallas Victims of Crime (DVOC) through various philanthropic events. The largest event that they host is the Crawfish boil.
Accomplishments:
- ATO was the first fraternity founded as a national organization, rather than a local or sectional fellowship.
- ATO's first fraternity west of the Rockies and first of any fraternity in the Northwest was at Oregon State University in 1882.
- The LeaderShape Institute, Inc. was created in 1986 by Alpha Tau Omega, and is considered one of the country's premier leadership development training programs available to college students and young professionals.
- The ATO Foundation provides more than $150,000 in annual scholarships to members–including scholarships to attend the LeaderShape Institute, Inc.
- ATO was the first fraternity to implement a spiritual development program.
- In 1950, Indiana University chapter president Robert Lollar implemented "Help Week," providing the opportunity for new members to do good deeds around campus.
At UTA: The Kappa Alpha Chapter–
- Received 2015 IFC Outstanding Chapter Award
- Nominated for Top Chapter Award in 2013, 2014, and 2015
- Received Top Chapter award in 2013
- Received three consecutive True Merit Awards from the ATO National Congress
- Raised $6,500 in 2013 from their Crawfish Boil event benefiting the DVOC
- Raised $13,000 in 2014 from Crawfish Boil
- Raised $21,000 in 2015 from Crawfish Boil
Famous Brothers:
- Greg Kinnear, Arizona '83 – Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated actor
- Guy Fieri, Nevada Las Vegas '88 – Winner of the second season of "The Next Food Network Star," has multiple shows on the Food Network
- Lee Atwater, Newberry '70 – Manager of George Bush's 1988 presidential campaign and former chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1988-91.
- John Wesley Snyder, Vanderbilt '15 – Secretary of Treasury under President Harry S. Truman from 1946-53, served on the NATO Council and National Security Council advising U.S. delegations to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and helped to administer the Marshall Plan.
- J. Erik Jonsson, Rensselaer '24 – Founder, Former Chairman and President of Texas Instruments Incorporated.
- Rod Perth, San Jose State '65 – Director of the Marvel Enterprises since October 1998. Perth has been President of Jim Henson Television Group Worldwide at the Jim Henson Television Group Worldwide at the Jim Henson Company.
At UTA:
- 2013 Homecoming King Navjot Singh
- 2014 Homecoming King Tung Nguyen
- 2012-2013 Mr. UTA Navjot Singh
- 2015-2016 Mr. UTA Danish Dawood
- 2013-2014 IFC President Navjot Singh
- 2015-2016 IFC Executive Officer Aaron Rodriguez
- 2014-2015 Student Congress Vice President Benjamin Mathew
- 2015-2016 Student Congress Parliamentarian Kane Vinson
via Twitter
Brother Testimonies:
"Joining a fraternity is a unique experience in itself, but ATO takes it to the next level. College wouldn't be the same without my brothers. I'm eternally grateful for my brothers, not just at UTA but across the world for being the best, and continuing a legacy unlike any other."
- Jamiel Sale, Public Relations Chair
"I feel as if ATO has set me up with the moral compass and skills needed to guide my life through the depths and heights of life. My brothers taught me how to Love and Respect, and I have nothing but just that for my fellow brother."
-Benjamin Mathew, Parent and Alumni Chair
"Being involved in my chapter gave me an outlook look on pretty much how to run a business, how to budget, how to plan events, and at the same time advertise those events. But the most important thing I learned was to how to work with all kinds of different people not only in my chapter, but also throughout the Greek community, and of course university officials as well. I would say rushing ATO was the best decision I ever made, and something that's positively impacted my life forever."
-Navjot Singh, Alumni and former IFC President
"From the bonds that I have built with my brothers, to the personal development I have received through our leadership program, ATΩ has transformed me into a gentleman with a purpose. It is hard to think of where I would be if it wasn't for this fraternity. It is responsible for the biggest lessons I've learned, and the greatest memories I've created."
-Eric Chavez, President
