Published August 22, 2024
CAPTION: (L- R) – International consultant Anthony Bachmayer, Parker Doak, Kyle Waguespack,
Caden Hickman, Landon Trahan, Ethan Miller, Braden Moore, Caleb Medlin and Ben Crawford
MONROE, LA – Members of the University of Louisiana Monroe’s Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity recently
returned from their International Convention held in Oklahoma City, where they won
their fifth consecutive Robert A. Smythe Award.
The Smythe is presented to the top 10 percent of Pi Kappa Alpha chapters each year.
This win marks the 29th time in the last 33 years the ULM Pikes have taken home the Smythe.
The Smythe is based upon excelling in 16 areas of chapter operations including academics,
community service, campus involvement, athletics, management, health and safety, new
member education, accountability and alumni relations.
Eight ULM students joined four Pike alumni including Pike’s Delta Region president
Tommy Walpole and Pike’s Arkoma Regional President Paul Wilkening at the four-day
event.
During the Convention the group was recognized for earning—for the fourteenth consecutive
year—an overall grade point average higher than a 3.0.
Other highlights of the trip included the ULM chapter receiving the Raymond L. Orians
Award for Chapter Excellence, which honors overall chapter performance from the previous
year. This marked the chapter’s 37th consecutive Orians award for the ULM Pikes.
The group was also recognized for excellence in support of the Fraternity’s Leadership
program, 100% support of the International Undergraduate donor club, excellence in
Alumni relations, Community Service and the Pikes Social Media program was judged
as the best in all of Pi Kappa Alpha.
Kyle Waguespack earned Gold status for attending his fifth Pike University Leadership
event.
The ULM Pi Kappa Alpha Alumni Association won its 13th consecutive William R. Nester
Outstanding Alumni Association award. This was the group’s 25th time to be recognized
as one of the organization’s best alumni associations in North America in the last
30 years.
Pi Kappa Alpha has 200 chapters in North America and is headquartered in Memphis,
Tenn.
The Pi Kappa Alpha chapter at ULM was founded in 1972 and is one of only eleven Pike
Chapters in North America to operate more than one house on a university campus.
