Ol' Rocky Top:
Kappa Omicron Installed at Tennessee
Knoxville, TN – On October 17, 2020, Theta Chi installed the Kappa Omicron chapter at Tennessee. This is the third chapter installed in the state of Tennessee and the first active chapter in the state since 1960.
Upon the conclusion of the fall 2018 formal recruitment process, Chase Coyle and Luke Blackmon found themselves in similar situations – they had received bids from multiple fraternities but didn’t have the excitement they’d been looking for. “We wanted to join a fraternity that would make the university better, one that could do as much as possible for the community,” stated Coyle. “Luke and I felt we weren’t able to find that during fall recruitment.”
The idea of starting a new fraternity came up while evaluating their options for the spring semester. When Hayden Roberts began doing research on fraternities not at Tennessee, Theta Chi was one of the first to pop up. The men saw how the values of the Fraternity aligned with what they were looking for and were impressed with facets such as Sacred Purpose and the Resolute Man initiative.
When they reached out to the International Headquarters, they received a quick response from then-Director of Recruitment and Expansion Taylor Dahlem (himself a Rechartering Member of Zeta Rho/Kentucky), who challenged them to get 20 men before colonizing. Upon beating that goal by two, the Tennessee Interest Group was officially colonized on March 27, 2019.
The colony realized the importance of capitalizing on the momentum created by the Colonization Ceremony. They worked hard to grow their brand on campus by getting involved as student orientation leaders. The colony wanted to learn more about Theta Chi and held numerous Sacred Purpose events pertaining to subjects such as Fire Health and Safety, Recognizing Signs of Depression, and Suicide Prevention.
As the colony added more men, they knew it was crucial to have events that made this entire process fun. With that in mind, they held brotherhood retreats that included camping, movie nights, and white-water rafting.
Similar to other (re)installations that have taken place this semester, Kappa Omicron’s ceremony was postponed twice due to the pandemic. The colony was originally scheduled to be installed in April 2020, which was pushed back to June. Finally, the men were initiated and the colony was installed as Kappa Omicron Chapter on October 17, 2020.
The Installation Ceremony was held at the Rothchild Catering and Conference Center with International President Darick Brown serving as the presiding officer. Others in attendance included CEO Mike Mayer, alumni from Gamma Delta/Florida Southern and Gamma Pi/Buffalo, and alumni and collegians from Eta Gamma/Morehead.
The 35 Charter Members are all students at the University of Tennessee: Neil Alay (2021), Philip Andrews (2022), Jake Applegate (2023), Zach Aschmeyer (2022), Austin Beard (2022), Michael Caron (2022), Colin Caverly (2021), Chase Coyle (2022), Hunter Cross (2023), Evan Davis (2022), Dolan Eckhart (2023), David Faig (2022), Brandt Fox (2022), Jake Fus (2022), Noah Haley (2023), Blaise Hargett (2022), Rieley Hill (2023), Andrew Hoffman (2022), Hunter Hotaling (2023), Nate Howard (2022), James Hyman (2023), Preston Kolesar (2022), Webb Littleton (2022), Anthony Padilla (2023), Jacob Porter (2022), Michael Raddick (2022), Hayden Roberts (2022), William Shearer (2022), Kyle Steele (2022), Justin Thorne (2022), Tristian Thornhill (2023), Brendan Veit (2022), James Welsh (2023), Matthew Wimberly (2023), and Kevin Zhang (2021).
The reception that followed the installation ceremony included speeches from Darick Brown and Chapter President Blaise Hargett, who offered their congratulations and implored that the new chapter still has plenty of work to do. Mike Mayer offered his congratulations as well and presented the Golden Guard to Jim Gray (Gamma Pi/Buffalo 1970) for his 50 years of membership in Theta Chi.
International President Darick Brown remarked, “This is our first chapter in the state of Tennessee since 1960 and I couldn’t be more excited that our return was made at the University of Tennessee. These men were not satisfied with the status quo on their campus, so they decided to start Theta Chi and do it the right way. If they continue to work hard and follow through on their goals, we will have a successful chapter for years to come.”
CEO Mike Mayer echoed these comments. “Theta Chi is very proud of our newly initiated Brothers of Kappa Omicron Chapter. Their demonstrated resilience and persistence have set them on a path to becoming an outstanding chapter of the Fraternity.”
The Fraternity’s Collegiate Services Department was also very pleased. “I am very proud to see the first group I ever visited cross the finish line and reach chapter status,” said Field Executive Daniel Conner. “Their ambition over the past 18 months is exactly what the fraternity world needs right now. They are always looking for new ways to succeed, and I look forward to seeing their positive impact on the entire Knoxville community in the future." Chief Operating Officer Ray Vanlanot stated, “It is impressive to watch a group of friends coming together to create something, let alone amidst a campus of established fraternities. The men could have become members anywhere, yet they chose to work to install a new chapter at the University of Tennessee.” He concluded, “The Kappa Omicron Chapter works to support interfraternal friends and assert its role as a campus leader; its potential for success is without bound.”
Health & Safety Adviser Jeremy Keough (Eta Beta/Eastern Kentucky 1998) said, “The University of Tennessee has a long history of supporting student growth and development in fraternities and sororities. The Kappa Omicron Chapter of Theta Chi will provide a distinctive addition to the fraternities on campus with this support. I look forward to seeing what this new chapter and brothers will be able to achieve!”
“Our installation took longer to set up than usual due to COVID but we had an amazing time learning about the secrets and ritual of our organization,” stated Chapter President Blaise Hargett. “As the Installing President, I feel that this was the step we needed to progress in our time while we are here at college. It was good to spend this time with other brothers and mentors to learn about what we will need to reflect in the future.”
Welcome and congratulations to our new brothers at Tennessee!
Congratulatory notes may be sent to Chapter President Blaise Hargett.
You can follow the progress of Kappa Omicron Chapter via their Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Kappa Omicron is currently operating as a fraternity in Knoxville, TN. The men have been working with International Headquarters staff on university recognition.
Founded in 1856, Theta Chi Fraternity is a men’s collegiate fraternity with more than 196,000 initiated members and has established 245 chapters. Leadership development, personal development, and service to alma mater are fundamental to Theta Chi Fraternity’s mission.