I consider you one of my closest friends; and that would be the case if we’d met anywhere else besides the fraternity. But it just so happens that we met as Pikes.
When we graduated and subsequently lost the charter, I didn’t care that we didn’t have a chapter to go back to.  I resented losing the charter, but in the end, I felt apathetic about it. I assume you felt (and probably currently feel) the same way.

Things changed for me when, completely on a lark, Mike Ewbank, Stephen Caldwell and I went up to a Pike colony tailgate prior to a UNT football game in 2007. The new colony was out in force, and seeing the Pike flag and so many undergraduates wearing the letters was honestly impressive. It brought back a lot of memories of the friendships we formed back in the day

There were the meaningful, lasting friendships like you and I have maintained, but it also made me remember the times with other random brothers that would eventually just become background characters in my college experience and the rest of life. Not all of those guys are still part of our circle of friends, but they were important at the time, and Pike brought us together for those moments and gave us those memories.

It was also in those moments, and in the course of some of the “political” fights and disagreements that I learned a lot about myself and how to deal with other people under various circumstances. I’m still learning, as I think we all are, but those experiences were invaluable and I don’t know where else I could have gotten that.

But most important, now that I serve the current chapter as Alumni Advisor, I see the impact that the fraternity has on the undergraduates. As I watch and interact with them, I see the challenges that change them for the better. As members cycle through, I see them facing and dealing with the same sort of issues we faced. They don’t realize it any more than we did at the time, but they emerge on the other side better men.

It’s in that mirror that I’ve recognized the value I have for the experiences we had in the fraternity. The fraternity influenced and molded me more than I ever realized or admitted before. I hope you’ll reflect on your experiences as we begin to wind down our capital campaign for the new house.

This isn’t a house for the current members only. It’s a house for the chapter as a whole, and that includes all the current alumni, and all the future active members. The current chapter has been doing awesome things at UNT, and this house will solidify their place as the preeminent fraternity on campus for years to come. It will give us a permanent home once and for all.

I want this to happen because I want future generations to have the experience that we had. The impact the fraternity has on these men is inspiring to me. If you met them and saw what they are accomplishing, you’d be convinced. But really, I think if you just think back to our days in the chapter, without the cynicism or resentment or apathy that losing the charter brought on all of us ... if you recognize that we’re trying to give many future generations that positive experience, you’ll see the value of this campaign.

I’m asking you as a Pike brother, and as a friend, to open-mindedly consider making a pledge toward this project and what we’re trying to accomplish. Think about how you might be able to help.

Phi Phi Kappa Alpha
Jeff Carrington ‘90