Drew Baxter

What do most people think of when they think about Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at the University of Arizona?

I've heard all of the rumors and innuendos regarding Pike that are currently making their way across campus, and as president of the fraternity I am prepared to step up and take responsibility for those rumors that are true. I am also asking the UA community to provide us with the opportunity to set the record straight regarding the matter of the real Pi Kappa Alpha.

The truth is:

· In the past two years Pike (along with the Alpha Phi Sorority) has raised over $15,000 dollars for the Red Cross Sept. 11th relief effort.

· This past fall we spent approximately 500 hours building homes for underprivileged families in the Habitat for Humanity program.

· Our members also spent 65 hours volunteering our time and helping with the Junior League of Tucson, and another 30 hours with the Children Advocacy Center of Tucson.

· Last year, four of our members coached youth basketball teams for the Boys and Girls Club of Tucson.

· A membership that is over 100 strong and consistently one of the most successful during rush.

Many people have a misconception about the members of Pi Kappa Alpha that gives us such a one-dimensional reputation.

We are a diversified group of men with over 100 members, including three members of the Wildcat football team, four members on the lacrosse team, several military members, a member who is on the hockey team, two members of the Arizona Daily Wildcat staff, members who volunteer tutoring for elementary school children, three members of Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity, two members enrolled in firefighter training and two members in The Order of Omega Honorary.

We are not merely a bunch of party animals. We are a group of men who are contributing members to this community and want to abide by the rules and repair our reputation.

We believe that being students at the University of Arizona is a privilege and we should give back for all the opportunities given to us.

It is our contention that the actions of no -members should not result in the loss of recognition for Pike.

Unfortunately, mistakes and irresponsible behavior by some of our members in the past have backed us in this corner that we now find ourselves in.

However, we want it known that when the new leadership took over last year, we immediately began addressing some of our problems. We have acknowledged and identified the problems we have had in our fraternity and have already made tremendous strides to make many changes. With a yearlong campus-imposed probation period coming to an end, we made a conscientious effort to abide by the rules and actively made the effort to improve our character.

We had successfully kept our membership and fraternity out of trouble for one school year. It was all the more frustrating and devastating to our membership that actions taken on fall 2002 bid night, by individuals who were not members of our fraternity, resulted in our recognition being pulled.

We sponsored a dry party so that we could prove to the non-Greek community, as well as our new pledges, that we do not need alcohol to have fun.

We wanted to provide a place for people to come after they were at other parties or bars and have a chance to sober up, hang out with friends and have a good time before they went home.

But our efforts were sabotaged by outside individuals. There is no way that a single member of Pike would have participated in this positive event, had we known it would turn out so negatively for us and further jeopardized our standings on campus.

After one year of making tough decisions and setting goals and achievements that were recognized by the university as steps in the right direction, it is our contention that the actions of non-members should not result in the loss of recognition for Pike.

The next step for Pike is the appeal of the revocation of recognition placed upon us by the Dean of Students.

We are not asking the community to redeem us or assist us in this private and personal battle we face. We only ask that the campus community not make this time any harder for us than it needs to be ÷ and recognize that we are a group of men that would like a fair and honest chance to appeal the issue at hand.

In the event that things do not turn out the way we want them to, then the family that makes up the brotherhood of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity may never be the same.

But, if people realize all of the hard work we have done, all the changes we have made and our true desire to be one of the most positive entities on this campus, then maybe things won't be so bleak for the diverse and contributing members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

Drew Baxter is an engineering management junior and president of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.