CHAPTER NEWS – DISTRICT V
15 CHAPTERS
Colorado Alpha – Colorado
Submitted By: Ian Engelman ’22
JP Warner: A Helping Hand When It Matters Most
The brisk December air in Boulder stung with an icy bite, but JP Warner ’22 barely noticed. He was on his usual evening walk through downtown, headphones in, mind wandering as he reflected on the semester’s challenges and triumphs. It was then he saw her — a woman sitting on the sidewalk, clutching a small, threadbare blanket to her chest. She looked disoriented, her cheeks flushed from the cold, and her hands trembling. A sign next to her read, “Stranded. Anything helps.”
Most people walked by, averting their gaze. But not JP.
He paused, pulling out his earbuds. The woman noticed him and seemed startled, as if she didn’t expect anyone to stop.
“Hi,” JP said gently. “What’s your name?”
“Sandra,” she murmured. Her voice was hoarse, barely audible over the buzz of passersby.
JP crouched down to meet her eye level. “Sandra, do you need help? Are you OK?”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she explained her situation. She had come to Boulder for a job interview, but her car broke down, and she had spent the last of her money on a motel. With no family nearby, she had nowhere to go and no way to get back home.
JP listened intently, his heart heavy with empathy. Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and began searching for resources. He found a local shelter that could provide Sandra with a warm place to stay for the night. Then, he called an Uber to take her there.
But JP didn’t stop there. As they waited for the ride, he ran to a nearby café and bought Sandra a hot meal and a cup of tea. When he returned, he handed them to her with a smile. “You’re going to get through this,” he said. “Just take it one step at a time.”
When the Uber arrived, JP helped her into the car and handed her some cash from his wallet. “Use this for anything else you need,” he told her. Sandra’s tearful gratitude was overwhelming, but JP simply nodded and said, “Take care of yourself, OK?”
The experience stuck with him long after that evening. It wasn’t about the recognition or the pat on the back — it was about the connection. JP didn’t see Sandra as a stranger in need; he saw her as a human being, deserving of compassion and dignity.
For JP, helping others isn’t a rare occasion — it’s part of who he is. Whether it’s offering guidance to a friend, volunteering his time, or simply listening when someone needs to be heard, JP embodies the values of Phi Psi: service, integrity, and kindness. His actions remind us all that sometimes, the smallest gestures can have the biggest impact.
Iowa Alpha – Iowa
Submitted By: Max Simmons ’22
During fall Rush we extended 49 bids and 47 of those accepted their bids. Seven of which were awarded money through the Nile Kinnick Scholarship. Over half went through the scholarship recruitment process.
Iowa Beta – Iowa State
Submitted By: Sam Barnes ’23
Iowa Beta had a rousing start to the year with a Homecoming win with Alpha Delta Pi. While a great portion of our success is owed to our athletic and performative abilities, with a shutout basketball tournament win and a first-place performance in Yell-Like-Hell, the category that we excelled in above all was community service. Our pairing contributed the largest amount to Iowa State’s community drive, had the highest participation in the charity 5k, and continued a tradition of orchestrating the student blood drive. Additionally, our fall philanthropy Cookies and Canines raised more than $3,000 for the Story County Animal Shelter, a cause close to many of our brothers’ hearts. In recent years we have geared our philanthropies toward local efforts and have seen greater passion from our members in fundraising for them. Finally, we welcomed 25 new members to our brotherhood in October, bringing our total membership to 120 and making us one of the largest fraternities on Iowa State’s campus. We hope to continue the successes of our first semester into the next and hopefully win our third Greek Week in a row. Go Cyclones!
Kansas Alpha – Kansas
Submitted By: Charlie Stephenson ’23
Over the summer, two members of our chapter, juniors Teddy Higgins ’22 and Will Harrison ’22, traveled to Norman, Oklahoma, to help reestablish the Oklahoma Alpha Chapter at the University of Oklahoma. Arriving on June 1, 2024, Teddy and Will wasted no time before starting work with their founding brothers on the recruitment of a 2024 pledge class. They worked with the recruitment board to begin planning Rush events for the start of freshman orientation. To create interest in these events, Will and Teddy spent hours reaching out to potential new members (PNM) through the university’s database of freshmen interested in recruitment. Additionally, they hosted tabling events outside the student union and football stadium to attract further PNMs. Whether it be their events at TopGolf, an OKC Dodgers game, barbecues, or their fishing trip, these Rush events were an outstanding success. After more than two months spent in Norman, Brothers Higgins and Harrison were crucial in helping Oklahoma Alpha recruit their new pledge class and kickstart their chapter’s growth. We at Kansas Alpha are extremely proud of the work put in by Teddy and Will and are confident Oklahoma’s Phi Psis have created a strong foundation upon which their chapter will rise to new heights.
Minnesota Beta – Minnesota
Submitted By: Evan Cha ’23
For the most recent fall class of 2024, we actively recruited 39 guys. We are excited to have them, and a bright future lies ahead. For our most recent community service event, on Sept. 28, 2024, the Brothers of Phi Kappa Psi helped support the annual Move for Magic 5k. In this event, brothers participated in the 5k run and helped volunteer for the event. All proceeds go to Camp Kesem at the University of Minnesota, a fully funded student organization dedicated to supporting children aged 6-18 through and beyond their parents’ cancer.
Minnesota Delta – Minn.-Duluth
Submitted By: Ricardo Gonzalez ’22
Minnesota Delta gained seven great new members this semester. We stayed busy by volunteering at Fall Fest, Haunted Hayride, and at the Damiano Center, which all benefit the underprivileged youth of our community. Our Brothers also enjoyed helping our university welcome incoming freshmen during Welcome Week! We’re looking forward to hosting our Hunter’s Pledge event in the spring.
Minnesota Gamma – Minn. State-Mankato
Submitted By: Alex Picciurro ’22
Minnesota Gamma had a busy fall semester, welcoming 11 new members through multiple recruitment events. Highlights included a cookie-baking philanthropy raising over $1,000 for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, professional development brotherhoods, a Homecoming alumni event, and a successful backyard concert fundraiser during Family Weekend. We were also proud to award the $500 Jason Leiran Foundation Scholarship to Brother Sam Vestal ’21. Each event helped strengthen our growing Brotherhood, and we’re excited to carry this momentum into the next semester.
Missouri Alpha – Missouri
Submitted By: John Perna ’22
We’re excited to welcome 55 new Brothers into our chapter this fall, one of the largest classes Missouri Alpha has ever seen. With these new members, we now have over 170 active brothers on campus. This fall, we held a car wash and raised about $1,000, which we donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. It was a great way to give back to the community, and we’re proud of the turnout. We also took part in our regular MKT Trail cleanup, something our chapter values and has committed to doing every semester. On top of that, a group of us participated in Lizzie’s Walk of Faith, a cause that’s close to our hearts. We’re always happy to support this important foundation and look forward to continuing to make a positive impact.
Nebraska Alpha – Nebraska
Submitted By: Thomas Guinan ’23
One of the best times to be a Brother at the Nebraska Alpha Chapter is undoubtedly Homecoming Week. This year’s theme was “Cornchella,” and we took part in several university-sponsored events such as a yard games competition and a food drive. Additionally, the Brothers spent many hours designing yard displays, and pomping the paper used to decorate it. To cap off a truly wonderful week, our chapter decorated the Homecoming parade competition’s winning float (pictured are Brothers David Sortino ‘22 and Liam Defever ‘23).
Oklahoma Alpha – Oklahoma
Submitted By: Travis Finch ’23
The brothers of OK Alpha are proud to announce that we successfully initiated five new brothers into our chapter. We also have raised $2,000 for Hunter’s Fund. We also were able to receive third place in Homecoming on our campus. Lastly, we have hosted numerous alumni tailgate events at our chapter house allowing our undergraduates to connect with our alumni.
Texas Alpha – Texas
Submitted By: Canon Cockrell ’23
We are thrilled to announce our 53 new-member class! Coming from all over the state of Texas and beyond, these young men look to keep the Texas Alpha tradition alive. Looking ahead, we are eager to build on this success and aim to welcome 15 new members during our spring recruitment. We are also happy to share that our annual Casino Night philanthropy event was a huge success, raising $5,000 for men’s mental health and suicide prevention.
Texas Beta – Texas Tech
Submitted By: Casey Sylvester ‘21
This fall, Texas Beta won its second straight Homecoming competition in partnership with the lovely ladies of Zeta Tau Alpha. This occasion is the biggest IFC event of the year at Texas Tech, and our chapter is the first in school history to win the event in back-to-back years! We have also been Homecoming champions in three of the past four years.
Texas Epsilon – SFA
Submitted By: Owen Norkett ’23
This semester, Texas Epsilon initiated five new members into the Fraternity, and as of now we are intending to recruit at least six more this upcoming spring. We are also planning to host a Founders Day alumni event alongside the Houston Alumni Association in late April. We hosted a handful of philanthropy and fundraising events on campus including Pie a Phi Psi, and Hunter’s Pledge, with our main event being our annual Phi Phast Philanthropy, during which we collected canned goods and monetary donations for the local Nacogdoches HOPE Food Pantry. We also highlighted Brother Francisco Bracho ’22 for his academic and entrepreneurial achievements over the course of the last semester.
Texas Zeta – Houston Christian
Submitted By: Christian Rocha ’22
After kicking off the new year with just two actives, Texas Zeta has thus far gained eight new pledges, in a huge effort to revive the Texas Zeta Chapter of Phi Psi!
Texas Eta – Texas A&M
Submitted By: Jose Hidalgo ’23
We have had the pleasure to host a Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial fundraiser (Hunter’s Fund). The brothers have had a great time spreading awareness to end distracted driving. We also recognize Brothers who got that Aggie gold! LEDN