The chapter was installed by current National Historian Glenn Aspinwall, Gamma Kappa (Georgia Southern), and Vice President of Acquisitions for the Board of Directors of Pi Kappa Phi Properties Joe Brady, Epsilon Omicron (Villanova), respectively. The 102 founding fathers were initiated into Pi Kappa Phi by the initiating teams from Alpha Upsilon (Drexel) and Zeta Chi (Albright) chapters. Overall, it was a memorable evening for everyone involved. The chapter hosted a banquet at the Double Tree Valley Forge, with over 200 friends, family, campus officials and national staff in attendance.
Representing the national fraternity at the chapter’s chartering banquet were the Chief Executive Officer Mark E. Timmes, Alpha Epsilon (Florida), Assistant Executive Director of Chapter Development Brandon Belote, Theta Alpha (Southern Mississippi), Director of Chapter Volunteers Beau Samples, Eta Upsilon (Miami), Director of Chapter Development Brent Grunig, Omega (Purdue) and Leadership Consultant Francis Ahrens, Theta Lambda (Missouri State). Chapter Advisor Kyle Miller, Delta Upsilon (Pittsburgh) and Financial Advisor Colin Kelly, Epsilon Theta (Seton Hall) attended the banquet as well.
The Villanova University Associate Vice President of Student Life Kathy Byrnes opened the banquet with a welcome from the university. Assistant Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life Brooke Goodman, also spoke to the crowd about her excitement for the chapter and presented the archon with the gift of an engraved compass to be passed down from one archon to the next and to always guide the chapter in the right direction. Coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Life Martin Garcia and Administrative Assistant for Fraternity and Sorority Life Mimi Moran, were also in attendance. The Villanova Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council and Multicultural Greek Council were all represented by their Presidents, Jakub Glowla, Meghan Cullinan, and Angeline Gacad, respectively.
The keynote was delivered by National Historian Glenn Aspinwall, who was also the consultant who had conducted the chapter’s original expansion 34 years ago when he stayed with original Chapter Advisor Rick Bohner, Omega (Purdue) and recruited the largest group of founding fathers in Pi Kappa Phi history at the time, at 65 men. Joe Brady, a member of Epsilon Omicron’s Alpha Class also addressed the crowd during the presentation of the charter and expressed his extreme joy that Epsilon Omicron was once again chartered and a powerhouse chapter in Villanova’s Greek community. Mark E. Timmes delivered the closing remarks for the evening and challenged the men of the chapter to do five things on their journey through fraternity: be PROUD of your fraternity, be PASSIONATE about your fraternity, we share a common PURPOSE as expressed in our ritual, have a PLAN for personal and chapter success, and finally, find your PLACE.
The Villanova Fraternity & Sorority Life community and Pi Kappa Phi are extremely proud of the men of Epsilon Omicron and look forward to all that they will accomplish.