A Combination of Commitments 

Balancing Brotherhood, Academics, and Service

By Charlie Moretta

Hands frozen, nose running, feet jumping, Ian Stortz stood outside in the bone-chilling cold attempting to sell roses to the busy University of Iowa students to raise money for the Ability Experience, a philanthropy for people with disabilities. On this frigid Valentine’s Day, temperatures reached negative 20 degrees, making standing outside extremely difficult.  

While this may not have been one of Stortz’s most comfortable occasions, it was certainly memorable. Selling roses on Valentine’s Day was just one of the many unforgettable experiences being a part of Pi Kappa Phi, also known as PiKapp, a social fraternity on the UI’s campus.  

Stortz, aware of the negative stigma that being in a social fraternity brought, was at first not sure if it was right for him. He was content with having a friend group from the various clubs he was in. Ultimately, with a little pushing from his dad, Stortz went for PiKapp. 

“The guys who I met during OnIowa! week, who I threw the football around with in Hubbard Park, we all made a collective decision to go for a fraternity,” he said. “I wanted to stick with those guys.”

Stortz has not regretted his decision. He constantly brags about how the people he has met as a brother of PiKapp are going to be his friends for life. 

“They're really reliable,” Stortz said. “We've had some buddies who have popped a tire, or things are going wrong, or you're not doing well mentally. They're really good about being there for you but then also being able to crack some jokes and be able to relieve some of that stress.” 

While being a brother of PiKapp allowed Stortz to enrich his UI experience, there was another program that allowed him to augment it all: the UI Honors Program.  

Unlike joining a fraternity, Stortz knew he wanted to be a part of some sort of honors college or program.  

“I was always driven to continue to perform academically,” he said. “I have always had that drive to want to perform well in school.” 

What initially drew Stortz to the UI Honors Program was Introduction to Honors. All new honors students take this course in which students learn more about the program and get better connected to other honors students. The course helped him become more organized as it gave him many reflection opportunities.

“When you can have those more specific people, it's really fun to meet the same people over and over again, be able to start to build a bond, and build a connection with those students in the honors program,” Stortz said.  

Stortz was now a member of two demanding organizations, and while this may not be a very popular combination of commitments, he found a way to make it work. Together, they have shaped Stortz into a well-rounded individual, proving sometimes the most unexpected combinations can lead to the greatest growth. 

Being a part of the honors program certainly has its stereotypes as well, and Stortz knew that. Many times, people outside the program see honors students as people who prioritize their academics over everything and aren’t good socially, 

“It especially goes for when I'm talking with fellow brothers in my fraternity, something like, ‘Oh, you're in the honors program. You're a super smart guy,’” Stortz said. 

Ultimately, his experiences in the program prepared Stortz to take on leadership roles within PiKapp, prompting him to run for and get elected scholarship chair. 

“People look up to you when you're in the honors program,” Stortz said. “They see you as somebody who really cares about their academics and has been successful. A lot of people come to me with professional development questions and improving on class grades.” 

As scholarship chair, Stortz drew on the organizational strategies and study habits he’d developed in the honors program to create study groups and resources for his fellow brothers. He saw the role as an opportunity to give back, helping others achieve the same balance between academics and fraternity life that he had worked so hard to master. 

And while balancing both commitments may have been challenging at times, Stortz still found ways to manage his time well. 

“It's all about organization and making sure your goals and motivations are where they should be,” he said. “The best way, I would recommend, is to reward yourself if you do something well academically. You can give yourself the opportunity to hang out with your friends, go shopping, but do something fun.” 

When all is said and done, Stortz has not regretted his decision to join either program. Having that social aspect from PiKapp with the academic aspect of the honors program, he can really focus on becoming that well-rounded individual. 

“Both the honors program and the fraternity have really filled my cup,” Stortz said.