Alpha Kappa Lambda (ΑΚΛ)

As a diverse group of 35 young men who hold a common goal of developing into mature individuals, Alpha Kappa Lambda is one of the largest fraternities at Emporia State. Meanwhile, it also holds the award of the top scholastic fraternity and the most members running leadership roles in campus.

Alpha Kappa Lambda was established by a group at University of California, Berkeley, in 1914. ΑΚL’s motto is “The truth and the word.”

AKL commits to develop a brotherhood, who, guided by its “Five Ideals,” Judeo-Christian Principles, Leadership, Scholarship, Loyalty and Self-Support, share a lifelong undertaking to it and are dedicated to holding leadership roles and rising to the challenges and assuming responsibilities of life.

“(We’re) basically a group of guys that share the same ideas, stand for what we believe in and get involved in leadership opportunities that makes me met a lot of people and participated in campus activities,” said Russell Medley, active member of AKL, senior Physical and Health education major.

Shedding an overview on campus, AKL provides leadership.

“I would like to say that confidently, we have vice presidents of the Environment Club, the president of Associated Student Government, four RAs in the dorm. So our members are just everywhere on campus,” said Drake Foster, recruitment chair of AKL, junior secondary education social science major. “If you have good character as a model, you are making a difference.”

After being recognized as the Student Organization of the Year and the overall winner of the Greek Week competition of 2008, AKL received the scholarship trophy for achieving the highest GPA in 2009.

“We have maintained our academic potential and achieved the highest GPA of any fraternity again this year,” Foster said.

AKL has a strong commitment to make contributions to community service.

“We put in actual efforts and care about the university. We will not exist without Emporia State University,” Foster said. “We regularly hold activities to raise money and awareness for SOS women’s shelter in Emporia. Moreover, we enter the Adopt-A-School program and devote our time to set an example for young children.”

AKL offers many opportunities to shape you into the one you want to be in the future.

“The networking I did with a lot of people has made me develop myself a lot,” Foster  said.  “The people and friends I met here can become lifelong brothers, whenever I need help I know where to turn to get advice.”

To many students in fraternities, participating and enjoying Greek Life means you can share experiences and know friends whom may sit beside you on graduation day or even become your friends for life.

“You can trust the men here,” said Bo Moddelmog, pledge of the chapter and freshmen political science major. I am glad in getting to know them and learn about great character from them. It practices my political mind and offers leaderships roles that meet a high level in Emporia.”

Sigma Pi(ΣΠ)

Though operating without a fixed location, the Sigma Pi chapter in Emporia embraces the mission of Sigma Pi Fraternity. Internationally, their mission to build and support chapters and alumni organizations for the purpose of maintaining a fellowship of kindred minds united in brotherhood.

Founded in 1897, headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., started as Tau Phi Delta, Sigma Pi challenges members to advance truth and justice, to promote scholarship, to encourage chivalry, to diffuse culture and to develop character in the service of God and man.

George Jeng, junior information systems major and recruitment chair for Sigma Pi, says that Sigma Pi is special in that “our brotherhood is so close and it gathers upon lifelong friends throughout the community. The leadership and community service opportunities are provided every month and our members are very proud of being fraternity men and to be able to make contributions.”

“Joining Sigma Pi is an wonderful experience which offers me training, guidance and innovative opportunities to undertake unique responsibilities,” Jeng said.

The Sigma Pi chapter is led by Chris Bartlett, junior secondary education in social studies major, who emphasized its unique achievement- giving back to the campus

“We make efforts to better the campus. We hold bikeathon activities and donate time and efforts to fundraise money for national organizations on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism,” he said. “Now we are working on our philanthropy, the Altruistic Campus Experience project coming in April”

ACE combines thousands of volunteer hours to offer service to campus when and where there is a need.

“Through the ACE project, we are trying to find a way to make the campus better,” Bartlett said.

Sigma Pi promotes men to reach their full potential.

“It help me improve myself a lot here.” Bartlett said, “Sigma Pi tells me a lot about social communication skills. I want to become a coach in the further, the experience I gained here lets me know how to lead a team.”

The ACE project not only improves the campus but also helps Sigma Pi members tailor their experiences to best fit the mission as well as their own developing objectives, and leave a positive legacy for the future.

“The last ACE project we did was renewing some campus areas,” said Matthew Summers, treasurer and scholarship chair of Sigma Pi and senior finance major “Basically ESU has given us so much, our ACE project is designed to give back to show our appreciation.”

Some members think that they gain a different experience than most other fraternities.

“I think the not being able to pinpoint what we are is kind of a real nice thing,” said Jack Sampel, junior secondary education in social sciences major. “I do not like the idea of how you join a fraternity and you automatically become one of those remaining comfortably within the bounds of their own experience. (Here) you can take different approaches to socialize.”

Summers believes that Sigma Pi brothers are kindred minds and kindred spirits.

“Getting involved, that is a quick way to meet a lot of people,” he said. “Make the most of what you can to enjoy your life at the university. If you hold that power, you do not need a (fraternity) house to live up to your values and ideas.”

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FOSTER

For Drake Foster, sophomore secondary social sciences education major, Emporia State is the perfect place to be. That is why he decided to help as many students as possible make the decision to attend ESU by working as an ambassador.

“I really wanted to bring students to Emporia State to show them all the opportunities they could get,” Foster said. “They could make a connection with any student organization. It’s small and there’s a great student to teacher ratio. I also get to work with the president and the alumni.”

Originally, Foster was going to attend Kansas University to study pharmacy.

“It was about the money, rather than the profession,” Foster said. “Education was a little bit better. I would rather take the pay cut because it’s more rewarding.”

Since Foster came to Emporia, he has been involved in several activities on campus. During his freshman year, Foster was a senator on ASG, a chair for Up ‘til Dawn and a member of the Towers Complex Government.

“He’s really, really nice,” said Ellen Hansen, chair and associate professor of social sciences. “He is just one of the nicest people you could hope to meet. He’s so warm and sincere and he truly is a lovely person. And he’s really bright.”

Foster was also one of the 20 founding members of Alpha Kappa Lambda, the newest fraternity on campus.

“What I really liked was that it was based on Judeo-Christian principles,” Foster said. “That was something, coming to college that I was looking for. These guys have the same morals and values that I do. They weren’t just looking to drink or party and got involved in leadership roles on campus.”

As a member of Up ‘til Dawn, Foster had the opportunity to travel to Memphis, Tenn., where he visited children who were hospitalized at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“It was life changing,” Foster said. “Their parents were pulling them in wagons and they had masks on and their IVs in. They were really sad. I was not on the executive board this year (for Up ‘til Dawn) and that’s something I regret.”

This year, Foster is part of Ambassadors and will be a Resident Assistant for 2009-2010.

“I really missed the community since I moved into the fraternity house,” Foster said. “I missed the resident hall life.”

Fellow ambassador Carrie Leach, junior elementary education major, had good things to say about Foster.

“He is always happy and very energetic,” Leach said. “He is very much a people person. He is someone that I can always rely on.”

In his spare time, Foster really enjoys reading. Among his favorite books are “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck and books by C.S. Lewis, although he’s never read any of Lewis’ most well known books, “The Chronicles of Narnia.”

“I’m going to be teaching history and the Great Depression was a big influence in my grandparents’ time,” Foster said.

Foster also had the opportunity to study abroad last summer. He said that his trip to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania was “amazing.”

“We went to the Estonian parliament and they gave us a book that was the entire contents of the Estonian constitution,” Hansen said. “He read the entire Estonian constitution. Other people were out drinking and Drake is in his room reading the Estonian constitution. He was so interested in learning about this place.”

Foster would eventually like to teach at Mulvane High, in Mulvane, where he went to school.

“I played soccer for four years and I want to coach it and teach (at Mulvane),” Foster said. “I’ll probably go back there and teach.”

Choosing education as a career was Foster’s way of changing people’s mind about history.

“A lot of people think history is so boring,” Foster said. “I just want to change that perception and make history fun.”

While Foster has been involved in several activities during his two years at ESU, he says that his life motto is “lead by example.”

“That’s something I always try to do through my morals and my beliefs,” Foster said. “Someone is always watching you so you should always be on your best behavior.”

Ashley Peaches/The Bulletin

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