From March 10 to March 14, the brothers of Pi Kappa Phi embraced the spirit of giving back as they hosted their annual War of Roses philanthropy event.
This nationwide initiative, celebrated by every Pi Kappa Phi chapter, advocates and empowers people with disabilities and develops the brothers into servant leaders.
From Monday through Friday, the fraternity organized various events and competitions to raise money for The Ability Experience, an organization changing the way society views people with disabilities.
The week started off with an Instagram like contest that ran from Monday through Friday. Pi Kappa Phi lets every sorority choose a sister to compete in the "Rose Queen" contest. Each sorority posts a picture of their chosen sister on Instagram and whoever receives the most likes wins the contest and becomes the Rose Queen. The other events throughout the week include Pushups for Pi Kapp, the Rose Scavenger Hunt, Pie a Pi Kapp, a clothing drive, a dodgeball tournament, and a Family Feud game show.
Carlos Sanchez, Pi Kappa Phi president and a social and behavioral science allied health major, said he believes his fraternity is effective in raising money, especially as a smaller school.
“We’re ranked number 22 out of over 180 Pi Kapps,” Sanchez said. “For us to be able to raise what we raise each year, I definitely think it plays a big part.”
He said he hopes their efforts will bring awareness to individuals with disabilities.
“I hope to have [a] huge impact,” Sanchez said. “We are helping those who are looked at differently in society, so if there are guys like us who can bring their problems to light, that is something I am willing to do.”
The fundraiser has a more personal meaning for some. This is true for Rohan Valentin, a sophomore majoring in health administration management, who is currently the social chair of the fraternity.
“I have family members who were in the military before who are disabled,” Valentin said. “This means a lot to me.”
Jake Greer, a junior marketing and IT management major and the fraternity’s philanthropy chair, played a key role in coordinating the event, managing donations, and overseeing activities held on the Green throughout the week.
Greer emphasized the significance of the cause, noting that students are more inclined to donate when they know their contributions go directly to philanthropy.
“If the money were to go to our fraternity or the school, we may not see as much of a large number of donations,” Greer said. “I think that the fact students at Seton Hall come out and donate for our philanthropy shows that we are a community that values the importance of service.”
Greer also highlighted the unity within the fraternity during philanthropy events, explaining how they bring the brothers together like nothing else.
“Oftentimes, the events that we have are not catered to everyone so there might only be 10 or 20 brothers,” Greer said. “I’ve seen that the philanthropy events are the only time we can have 30 or 40 brothers all come together, upperclassmen and underclassmen, and all enjoy the experience.”
Lucas Ryan, a sophomore mathematical finance major and the risk chair of the fraternity, said he spent his week doing push-ups and getting pied with whipped cream to raise money. He also said he valued being able to spend time with his brothers.
“I know that every day when I’m walking to class, I’ll see my guys on the Green,” Ryan said. “I can have a good conversation before class and once I’m out of class I’m here, spending time with the guys.”
Ryan also noted how the brothers wanted to curate events that would engage students on campus.
“People like having fun,” Ryan said. “They see us on the Green with a bunch of whipped cream and they’re like, ‘Let me pie someone today.’”
Greer said that the brothers of Pi Kappa Phi hope to impact not only The Ability Experience but also Seton Hall’s campus itself.
“We like to bring a certain atmosphere and energy to campus,” Greer said. “But more importantly, we hope to give back to people in communities that we might not even get to see face-to-face.”
Morgan Dence is a writer for The Setonian’s Campus Life section. She can be reached at morgan.dence@student.shu.edu.
