The house featured in this week’s House of The Week isn’t concerned so much with winning, but having fun.

Phi Kappa Theta President Kevin Koch said he feels greek events should be less competitive and more fun.

“We do things to have fun,” he said. “We’re not so much

concerned with winning.”

Koch said the house members spend a lot of time helping others. This weekend Phi Kappa Theta will help to winterize Little Brothers of the Elderly, a retirement village in Rochelle, he said.

Koch said they have been doing handiwork for the retirement village, their philanthropy project, since 1984 when Phi Kappa Theta was chartered at NIU.

Koch said they made Terry Eagen, manager of Little Brothers of the Elderly, an honorary member of Phi Kappa Theta last year because of all the work he has done for the retirement village.

In addition to helping with Little Brothers of the Elderly, Koch said they help with maintenance work at the Newman Center and serve at their annual benefit dinner on Dec. 5. Koch said they also hold their chapter meetings at the Newman Center.

Koch said Phi Kappa Theta has about 50 members, but membership numbers might change because they had an informal Rush last Thursday. He said their pledge period is four weeks and then pledges become neophytes.

“You’re not an active, but not a pledge, but you have the privileges of an active,” he said.

Neophytes will be activated in January depending on their grades, Koch said.

Additionally, he said, pledges are encouraged to participate in programs with the actives in order to get them involved in the fraternity as soon as possible, Koch said.

“They are allowed to go to chapter meetings, usually two weeks after they pledged, to get used to chapter meetings and how they work,” he said.

Koch said when the pledges become neophytes they are required to go to chapter meetings because they no longer have pledge meetings to go to.

Jeff Hanus, a sophomore finance major and member of Phi Kappa Theta, said being a neophyte means knowing pledging is over.

“You feel like you’re a step closer to being an active,” he said.

He said when pledges become neophytes they are not required to participate in house activities whereas pledges are.

Koch said his first reaction when he rushed Phi Kappa Theta was that its members were more down-to-earth guys.

“They were not worried about a certain image,” he said.

anus agreed and said he felt comfortable with the other members.

“I wasn’t pressured to think about things in their house,” he said. “Phi Kappa Theta was very down-to-earth.”

Koch said pledging has changed a lot since he pledged.

“Some things weren’t necessary,” Koch said. “Pledging is structured to be fun, but there is still work involved. We realize things are changing and you change with the times.”

Hanus said when he and his roommate were asked to pledge Phi Kappa Theta, the members came to their residence hall, formed a circle outside in the parking area and asked them to pledge.

Hanus said the thing they like most about the house is that

everybody is very relaxed. “Nobody pushes you to do anything,” he said.

“I feel that our house is the truest in diversity,” Koch said. “We have different ethnic backgrounds and totally different personalities.”