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When the girls at Pi Beta Phi asked me to return and join them for their fall philanthropy week, I couldn’t say no. I had so much fun meeting everyone, witnessing memorable moments in the spring that the opportunity felt too good to pass up. I felt right at home whenever I was in the house, observing the sisters and being around them, even though I’m not a member myself.
Pi Phi’s philanthropy, under the initiative Read, Lead, Achieve, particularly stood out to me as a non-member. The cause supports literacy and teaching young children to read and write, to become the leaders of the next generation. As someone who cannot live without reading or writing and was raised by an English teacher, this cause is something I will champion even after college.
The week started on a cool Monday night at the “Little Blue” (Pi Phi’s house), with Jet Set Pilates Winter Park teaching a 50-minute class. The sun was setting as people began to arrive, fraternity brothers and sorority sisters alike, to take the class for a price of $5. The lawn became so packed that I ended up at the back and couldn’t see very much. I could already tell the week was going to be something to remember based on this night alone.
Participation turnout was significantly higher this semester compared to others. Tau Kappa Epsilon, Delta Sigma Phi, Zeta Beta Tau, Alpha Tau Omega, Tau Epsilon Phi, Delta Tau Delta, Theta Chi, Kappa Sigma, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon represented the fraternities. While Zeta Tau Alpha, Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Zeta, Alpha Epsilon Phi, Chi Omega, Alpha Delta Pi, and Kappa Delta represented the sororities.
Celsius sponsored free drinks during the event, and clothes by AVA, a brand owned by recent UCF and Pi Phi alum Ava Chesney, were also featured. Many new members of Pi Phi were also present, and I knew just by talking to them that they were incredibly passionate about the philanthropic cause and their participation in its achievement!
The week’s partial proceeds were held on Sept. 30 at 3 Natives, a smoothie bowl shop down the street from UCF. I attended, mostly out of curiosity because I had never heard of the place, and found the shop filled with fraternity and sorority members who wanted to donate to the cause.
On Wednesday night, the house hosted a wing-eating competition. The turnout was incredible: the house was packed with Panhellenic members eager to join the competition. Honestly, I have never seen frat boys so hyped about one of their brothers’ ability to eat a chicken wing.
The objective of the competition? To eat all 10 wings on the plate cleanly before everyone else, and one winner would be crowned for fraternities and sororities alike. Alpha Xi Delta and Kappa Sigma won.
During my time at the wing-eating competition, I talked to a fair share of sisters and brothers. I discovered that they only had nice things to say about the women of Pi Phi. If anything, the girls are genuine, dedicated, and intentional with their fundraising efforts.
I had the opportunity to speak with the president of the chapter, Jordan May, in a one-on-one interview for the first time. May, who said she never expected her rise to chapter presidency, has worked not only to extend the chapter’s reach of their mission, but also to hold members to a higher academic standard.
“I want to come back and know that our academics have gone up. I’ve worked with OFSL on an academic plan to implement it within the chapter, so I hope that it stays up and running,” she said.
Just being in Pi Phi, and meeting all of the sisters and especially my big, it showed me the leadership I had to give and the potential I have.
Jordan May, Chapter President
May hopes that setting members up for academic success will improve their confidence and self-esteem, which can help prepare them for success after graduation.
The main event of the week, Pi Phi’s version of Family Feud, happened to be the same night as my birthday, and while most people probably would have opted not to attend, I chose to go. In my eyes, there was truly no better way to celebrate my birthday than to support women fighting for a cause I hold dear.
The event was held in the Pegasus Ballroom on campus, and by the time I got there, it was crowded. Every Greek organization that participated throughout the week was represented, and all members of Pi Phi were greeting patrons at the door, donning chic outfits.
The show opened with Tierney McFadden, Director of Community Relations, and Addison Molendyke, Director of Service and Philanthropy, welcoming attendees. “Thank you again for being here, thank you for supporting Pi Phi, and thank you for helping us make a difference through literacy,” Molendyke said.
The “Steve Harvey” figure of the night was Ella Engle, a member of Pi Phi who was quite funny and a great MC, entertaining the audience and bringing out the best in the participants.
I didn’t watch Family Feud as a kid, so after the rules were explained, it took some time for me to understand what was going on, but I eventually got the gist of it. Frats competed against members from other frats, and likewise with sororities. Teams desperately tried to think of the best answers to the game’s questions, and the concluding lightning round served as a tense opportunity to earn last-minute points.
Everything ran smoothly, and ultimately, the winners of philanthropy week were Alpha Delta Pi for sororities and Tau Kappa Epsilon for fraternities. The girls managed to raise a total of $13,000, far surpassing their spring numbers.
Overall, the week was a tremendous success for Pi Phi’s Florida Epsilon chapter, and I left inspired by the unity that ties all the sisters together. There were so many things to bond over, whether it was the same taste in music, books, or films (all the sisters were singing “Golden” from KPOP Demon Hunters at the end of Feud, so of course I couldn’t leave without joining in).
To the women of Pi Beta Phi: I am honored to have worked with you this year, and I hope that you continue the amazing things you’re doing! Here’s to championing literacy and improving access to a great education for those who need it.