James Pietrzykowski, a junior architecture major, can now officially say he is brothers with I.M. Pei, the famous architect who's designed buildings worldwide, from the glass pyramid at the Louvre in France to the Governors residence halls at UB.
Brothers, that is, of the same fraternity.
Pietrzykowski is one of the founding members of the Senenmut chapter of Alpha Rho Chi, which recently joined the ranks of fraternities at UB, and includes a long list of famous members like Pei. The co-ed organization is the only fraternity on campus devoted to architecture and its related arts.
"There never was an architecture fraternity at UB," said James Pietrzykowski, a junior architecture major and publicity chairman for Alpha Rho Chi. "The professional fraternities focus their membership on students of a particular profession. Like others, we have a bond, but our focus is on architecture and its allied arts."
Both the national fraternity and the UB architecture department officially recognized the UB chapter on Feb. 26. The chapter currently has 20 active members, all of which except one are architecture majors.
"We don't exclude according to major. All you need is an appreciation of architecture," Pietrzykowski said.
Architecture major Julie Piecuch, who also majors in civil, structural and environmental engineering, founded the UB chapter exactly because there were few social institutions available for students interested in the field.
Alpha Rho Chi's goals, according to Pietrzykowski, are to foster social relationships, set high standards in the realm of academia and professionalism and create extensive professional networks across the country.
The fraternity was founded in 1914 by architecture students from the University of Michigan and the University of Illinois, according to its national Web site. There are currently 16 active chapters, 5 colonies and 9 inactive chapters nationwide.
Some notable fraternity alumni include architects Nathan Ricker, Cass Gilbert, Eliel Saarinen, John Wellborn Root and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Famous architect I. M. Pei was an honorary inductee to the group.
"I. M. Pei was sponsored by the grand council and was named Master Architect from the grand council without being a brother of the fraternity," Pietrzykowski said.
Along with being the first fraternity at UB for architects, members hope to make the group another first.
"One of our goals for the future is to become a social fraternity recognized by the Office of Greek Affairs," Pietrzykowski said.
According to Pamela Stephens-Jackson, the university liaison for the Office of Greek Affairs, Alpha Rho Chi "does not fall under the jurisdiction of Greek Affairs because it is not a social fraternity."
"While social fraternities may consist of predominantly one major they are not created for a major," Stephens-Jackson said. "Professional fraternities, on the other hand, are organized around the major."
Alpha Rho Chi members, however, don't see why professional fraternities shouldn't be included with the professional ones.
"We act almost as a social fraternity does. We have social events, community events ... but also the benefits of a professional fraternity," Pietrzykowski said. "We can network and we can help each other with classes."
Jason Lang, a member of the national accounting fraternity Beta Alpha Psi, said professional fraternities allow to members to reach out from the academic community in some ways social fraternities don't.
"Professional fraternities expand the diversity of campus life, especially among Greeks," said Lang, a senior accounting major. "I think they are a great way to get to know people in your major outside class."
The next rush for the UB chapter of Alpha Rho Chi will begin early next fall semester.
