Phi Kappa Tau Wins National Award

Rochester Institute of Technology’s Phi Kappa Tau fraternity has been recognized as the most improved chapter in its national organization. The award, which is based on a measurement scale that looks at a chapter’s community service hours, philanthropy, number of members and several other factors, was given to the RIT chapter largely becomes of a renewed focus on philanthropic efforts.

“In a year, our fraternity went from giving almost nothing to giving more than $1,500 to charity,” says Phil Frandina, a third-year marketing student in the E. Philip Saunders College of Business and chapter president. “This is very gratifying to us. We put in a lot of hard work over the past year. We went from being apathetic to stressing service and philanthropy.”

A large chunk of Phi Kappa Tau’s success came from a new charity event, Breezeway Battle of the Bands. Three bands competed against each other to win an opportunity to perform a show at Park Point at RIT’s Lovin’ Cup bistro. The winner also won a chance to be the opening act for Pia Mater, a local band. The event drew more than 150 people and Frandina says that the fraternity hopes it will become an event for the entire Rochester community next year.

The contribution went to support Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang, which hosts summer camps for children with terminal illnesses.

“The camps give kids the chance to be kids again,” says Frandina. “They have medical care, but they go to summer camp just like other kids get to do.”