Local History

The History of the Beta Tau Chapter of Alpha Kappa Lambda     Established at Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville in 1989.

Our Founding through "The History of Psi Kappa Zeta"

    In November of 1987, a small group of friends gathered in the apartment of Dirk Sorenson and Mike Ramsey to discuss the formation of a local fraternity at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.  These men, I.J. Siekmann, Steve Held, Dirk Sorenson, and Mike Ramsey, had talked many times before about starting a new group on the campus, but until then they had not been sure.  All of them had some ties to the other fraternities at SIUE, whether they had pledged another group or had friends that were member.

    The reason they came together was not out of spite to any of the other fraternities.  Rather, they tried to take the points they considered positive concerning the  three other fraternities and meld them into something of their own.  These men called existing practices, especially hazing, into question.  They believed that hazing did nothing to bolster brotherhood.  Fraternity meant to them community and support, the kind of bond which would not allow one to do something they themselves would not do.   

    Another area in which the men thought the other groups were lacking was community service.  This was not only to be directed to the Edwardsville community, but to the campus community as well.  Service of this sort was in keeping with the motto of the organization "For the Betterment of All."  Four other ideals were named in the first meeting as being of importance to the group: Equality, Dedication, Mutual Trust, and Generosity.  The new group's official colors were to be Goldenrod and Red.  The official flower became the white rose.

The name of the group was arrived at through the process of elimination.  Dirk Sorenson and Steve Held consulted the Biard's Manual of American Fraternities at the Lovejoy Library to see what Greek Letter Organizations there were.  This also provided the history and traditions of the other fraternities and sororities at SIUE.  The four choices presented at the first November meeting were: Pi Kappa Zeta, Psi Kappa Zeta, Psi Kappa Phi, and Pi Kappa.  Consensus was reached and the group finally had a name: Psi Kappa Zeta.

Regalia was another topic discussed at the first meeting.  Dirk Sorenson made sketches of the fraternity's badge (an inverted bat symbol) and flag. 

The most pressing issue for the group was how to become more recognized on the campus.  Strategies included placing ads in the student newspaper, the Alestle, postings across campus, fund-raisers, charity work, social functions, and word of mouth.  Recruiting members was done most effectively through personal contact.  Fraternity members talked about the groups with friends and acquaintances, asking them if they would like to become a part of the new group.  Creation of a presentation and a constitution were placed high on the list of ways to become recognized by the University.  Scholarship requirements of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average were set as the minimum to maintain membership. 

As the group developed, many changes took place.  A Little Sister group was formed.  An initiation ceremony was performed in the spring of 1988, but this group never lived up to the expectations of the fraternity and was disbanded that spring.  One of the early proud moments was the creation of Psi Kappa Zeta sweatshirts, allowing members to show publicly who they were.

Unfortunately, the road o University recognition was to come to a halt.  The Student Activities Office informed the group that only fraternities with national sponsorships could become recognized.  This led to the search for a national organization.  Tony Thomas wrote the National Interfraternity Conference (Now the North-American Interfraternity Conference) for information and addresses of fraternities.  In time, two groups came to SIUE to meet with the men of Psi Kappa Zeta: Kappa Delta Rho and Alpha Kappa Lambda.  Kappa Delta Rho presented themselves first.  The group required a membership of 50 before a charted could be granted.  Psi Kappa Zeta at the time had 11 members.  Also, a rigid dress code did not suit the men either.

Alpha Kappa Lambda, represented by Doug Baade, presented a a short time later.  What attracted the men to this group was the promise of strong ties of communication.  This was named as an important point of consideration.  These lines of communication, however, did not seem that they would hinder the continued development of the groups.  On May 18, 1988, the group became the Psi Kappa Zeta colony of Alpha Kappa Lambda.  In a ceremony early that day, the men were presented their colony pins.  On May 20, 1989, the Psi Kappa Zeta colony held a formation banquet and became the Beta Tau chapter of Alpha Kappa Lambda.  The chapter continues to thrive on the campus of SIUE to this day.

Psi Kappa Zeta was an idealistic group.  Luckily, many of those same ideals were those of Alpha Kappa Lambda as well.  Men who become member of the Beta Tau chapter at SIUE should be able to look back at those who came before them, those men who laid the groundwork for the fraternity that exists today.  In addition to the ideals put forth by AKL, the Psi Kappa Zeta ideals of equality, dedication, mutual trust, and generosity all working "For the Betterment of All" should remain the constant driving force for the members in all relations.

- (Unknown Author)