Tau - Spring 2009

BUILDING BETTER MEN AT N.C. STATE SINCE 1920.

Meredith College Serenade, Unkown Year

TAU TALES PI KAPPA PHI FRATERNITY P.O. BOX 240526 CHARLOTTE, NC 28224 PI KAPPA PHI

TAU CHAPTER

REMEMBER WHEN

HOMECOMING FLOAT

The 1952 Pi Kappa Phi Homecoming �loat featured Miss Wolfpack along with the theme, “Beat the Pants off FSU.”

ATTENTION ALUMNI! THE SPRING GOLF TOURNAMENT IS COMING UP IN A FEW MONTHS. EVEN THOUGH A DEFINITIVE DATE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED, THE CHAPTER ALUMNI RELATIONS ADVISOR, BROTHER ROB SCHABINGER, CAN BE E-MAILED AT ROB_SCHABINGER@YAHOO.COM FOR UPDATES REGARDING THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE OF THE 2009 TOURNAMENT. Current Historian, Brother David Ward, T-1260; Layout design by Alumni Assistant Advisor Brother Jay Kohler, T-1177

The Alumni Newsletter of Pi Kappa Phi at North Carolina State University

TAU TALES

ARCHON’S LETTER

Thanks for picking up and reading the latest edition of Tau Tales. As Archon, I wanted to quickly update you on some great strides that have been made by the Fraternity this year. Tau Chapter has been improving upon the traditions started by those who came before us and have started to lay a solid foundation for the brothers yet to come. Not only did we settle a $40,000 debt to the University that took a lot of sacrifice and dedication from the brotherhood but we are currently ranked in third place in a tight race for the President’s Cup, which is given to the top fraternity in intramural sports. Additionally, we are looking forward to a great spring semester.

We initiated 13 new men in the fall and we currently have nine men pledging this spring.

We had 29 men living in the house in the fall and now we have 33 men living in the house for the spring semester.

In our continuing effort to help PUSH America, we held a 48‐hour Scaffold Sit during the fall semester and raised over $1,000. This spring we will be having our 2nd Annual Tournament of the Roses. It is a flag football tournament

between all eight Sororities on campus with two brothers coaching each team.

Our Alumni Golf Tournament for PUSH will be coming Alumni Weekend this spring, so whether you’re a great golfer or just simply enjoy playing the game, there is a

spot for you to get reconnected to the brotherhood and learn what has been going on with Tau Chapter here at NC State.

The future looks bright with the new Greek Village at N.C. State breaking ground (see page 3). The chapter’s next step is to organize a support system involving both current brothers and alumni to make sure that Pi Kappa Phi has a future on this redesigned Greek Court.

In closing, Tau Chapter has 57 brothers now, and if all goes well with the current pledge class, we’ll be close to 70 brothers come fall. Things are looking up for us, but we’re missing one big thing.

SPRING 2009

Our alumni are a huge part of the Tau Chapter. There is so much we want to talk to you about and hear the stories of what the chapter was like in the past. I look forward to talking to each and every one of you if you can make it to our Alumni Weekend.

If not, you can always e‐ mail me at tjashach@ncsu.edu and I will get back to you with any questions you may have. I look forward to seeing you in April!

In Pi Kappa Phi, Brother Thomas Ashachick

CHASING THE CUP

The brothers from Tau Chapter have once again put their superior athletic abilities on display during the fall semester of intramural sports. At N.C. State, intramural sports are taken very seriously and we have great pride in our athletic successes (Continued inside).

The University keeps a running tally of points won by each fraternity in athletic competition. At the end of the fall semester the point standings were very close between the brothers from Tau, Kappa Sigma and Sigma Phi Epsilon. By the end of the spring semester, whichever fraternity has the most points will be awarded the President’s Cup. Pi Kappa Phi has historically done well in the spring events and should be competitive in the final push to win the Cup. Fall intramural sports are quite dynamic, including such sports as 7 on 7 flag football, soccer, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, wiffleball and other special events.

The 7 on 7 flag football team placed second with a strong run to the championship game. Our table tennis doubles team found gold by winning the doubles tournament. The wiffleball team brought home a championship by going undefeated in the regular season then winning the final thanks to a shutout pitched by Brother Scott Matthews (T‐1281). Other sports went well but ended in disappointing fashion.

The volleyball team’s playoff run ended in extra points in the third set on a disputed call. The soccer team lost in overtime on penalty shots after twenty four kicks had been taken. Overall, the fall was certainly a success.

Some memorable moments from this past fall include Brother Thomas Ashachik (T‐1264) making a catch on the last play of a tournament football game to win and advance. Brother Ben Bell (T‐1306) was amazing in goal, tacking up a save in soccer by catching the ball between his legs to help preserve a narrow victory. Personally, the thing that I will remember most was the dedication to each other that the brothers displayed. Whether playing as a team or as an individual, each competitor knew they had the full support of the brotherhood.

This spring the brothers will be competing in basketball, badminton, racquetball, softball, 4 on 4 flag football, and bowling as we try to return the President’s Cup to Pi Kappa Phi. Brother David M. Ragan, T‐1256 Athletics Chair

UPDATE ON PUSH AMERICA

The Brothers of Tau Chapter have continued to find new ways to help PUSH America. Last spring, Tau Chapter held the first ever Tournament of the Roses, a sorority flag football tournament. All eight sororities at NC State fielded seven‐women teams with brothers acting as the head coaches. In addition to donations to play in the tournament, Tau Chapter sold plates of barbeque and sides to everyone who came to see the action. The great weather allowed for the brothers and the sororities to have a great day at the tournament, and the PUSH committee is already planning this spring’s tournament, which will be during the first weekend of April.

This fall we also brought back the Scaffold Sit. We set up the scaffold on the brickyard and sold raffle tickets for many great prizes. Unfortunately for us, the three days that we sat up on the scaffold were the three coldest days of the semester! This ended up working to our advantage as people felt sorry for us. We ended up making $1100 for PUSH. We are planning on holding the scaffold sit next fall, and may extend the time we are up on the scaffold.

The initiative of our chapter for working with PUSH has been noticed by Nationals. This past summer at Supreme Chapter we were awarded the PUSH Award for Most Improved Chapter. We hope that this year is as successful as last year. If you would like any more information about Tau’s PUSH endeavors, feel free to contact our PUSH Chairman Brother Tony Wahula at mawahula@ncsu.edu.

Brother Jeff St. John, T‐1285 Treasurer

GREEK COURT DEVELOPMENTS

The transformation from Greek Court to Greek Village is underway. Alumni house corporations will be able to lease lots in Greek Village on which they will design, construct, own, and operate new chapter houses. This project will replace aging infrastructure and provide new amenities for the NC State Greek community.

A total of 20 building lots will be available in a phased plan that will remove existing University‐owned houses. Each ground lease will be for 40 years, with an additional 40‐year renewal option. The four lots in Phase 1 have been committed to Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Chi Psi, and Kappa Sigma. Other groups continue to express interest and plan to build in future phases (Continued on following page).

The Greek Village plan has garnered tremendous support among students, alumni, University administration, and members of the Raleigh community. The Greek Village Development Team of alumni, University staff, and consultants, meets regularly to guide development of the Village. A Greek Housing Association, comprised of representatives from the groups in Greek Village, will be formed to provide ongoing oversight of the Village.

Infrastructure construction for Phase 1 has begun, and building lots will be available for house construction very soon. We anticipate the first houses opening in late 2009 and early 2010. The lots for Phase 1 are in the general area of the original PKA and Sigma Nu houses.

For questions about this transition and what Tau Chapter is doing to prepare, please contact the Chapter Advisor, Brother Chris Boyd at cbpack51@yahoo.com.

ALUMNI UPDATES

Brother Drew Showfety, T‐816, started a Commercial Real Estate Brokerage firm in Greensboro called Emerson Commercial Properties (emersonprop.com). They perform deals all over the southeast but concentrate in N.C. Brother Will Armfield, T‐1201, is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones Investments in High Point, N.C. He plans on opening his own office in downtown High Point for the firm. He is also the financial advisor for the High Point University chapter of PKP. Brother Justin Gerber, T‐1192, is getting married this September in Raleigh to a Rose Queen, Jennifer Knutson, a Chi Omega who also went to N.C. State.

Brother Chris Boyd, T‐1161, married Sarah Barcio, a Rose Queen, in March 2007. He moved to Charlotte in 2007 and is attending UNCC for an MBA. Brother Kelly Reese, T‐1064 is attending Auburn for an MBA and is working as an analyst for Jones Lang LaSalle on the Bank of America account.

Brother Bob Gaskin, T‐720, is currently serving as the Managing Principal of Gaskin Asset Management.

He is living in Charlotte with his wife, Donna, and his three daughters, Ivey, Carolina and Emily. Ivey is currently a student at Appalachian State University.

Brother Gaskin recently completed a dream hunting trip in British Columbia, riding horseback, climbing mountains and hunting mountain goat.

Brother Hunter B. Atkins, T‐570 has formed HBA Services Door & Woodworking Repair & Touch‐up. HBA focuses on repair and touch‐up to commercial wood doors and woodwork. While on the road for work, Brother Atkins has had the opportunity to connect with several brothers including Comm. David "Redbone" Martin, USN Ret., now flying 757's for American Airlines in Haymarket, Va. Dr. Brian "Bozo" Vick, Prof. of Mech.

Engineering at Virginia Tech. Judson McManus, Owner of Mac's Pet Supply in Columbia, S.C. Joe Bobbitt, Owner of Indian Spring Water in Wilmington, N.C. and David "Brillo" Benson of Fairfax, Va., and many more.

Brother Jimmy Dodson, T‐1061, works for the College of Natural Resources at N.C. State as the Asst.

Piedmont Forest Manager. He is working on a Master's in wildlife biology at N.C. State. Outside work, Brother Dodson is a member of the Type1Rider diabetic cycling team and works closely with JDRF, Children with Diabetes, the American Diabetes Assoc. and more.

Brother Micah Yost, T‐1159, graduated USAF JSUPT pilot training in December 2008 and is heading to RAF Mildenhall, UK to fly the KC‐135. Pictured is his first solo flight in the T‐6A Texan II.