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R E D E F I N I N G F R A T E R N I T Y L I F E L O N G B R O T H E R H O O D O F
L E A D E R S
A PUBLICATION OF THE THETA ZETA CHAPTER OF PI KAPPA PHI
The Eagle of Theta Zeta P I
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GWU celebrates 150th Greek Reunion INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Thank you, Alumni!
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Alumni to ride on Journey of Hope 2009
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Alumni Spotlight: 3 Thomas Scazzafavo Alumni Updates
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Chapter Updates 6 Pictures from the 6 Past
GW and Theta Zeta welcomed back its graduates for the 150th alumni reunion in September. Our own Chapter alumni, young and old, returned to campus for the occasion as the Chapter kicked off another year of Brotherhood and welcomed the Mu class to their first day of the fall Associate Member period! As GW proudly celebrated this weekend, Theta Zeta was well represented at every single Greek alumni event. We invited all our alumni over for a great BBQ organized by Brotherhood Chair Josh Patchus. When asked about their impressions of the Chapter, here’s what
your fellow alumni had to say about the event: “It was a lot of fun seeing guys from every graduation year, from the founding fathers to the Epsilons.” Jeff Stomel, Epsilon Class “[GW’s Alumni Weekend] was the first time I had set foot in the house, having moved from DC right before the house was opened. It was such a great experience, to see the fruit of the Founding Father’s labor, in the form of not just a beautiful chapter house—but a strong chapter. Memories of meetings in the Marvin Center and brother’s apartments (Jordan Sekulow— WOW!), a chapter retreat at the
Virginia Campus, AM activities all over DC, and the beginnings of a chapter at GW rushed back and filled me with happiness. I was the very first person to be associated with the GW Associate Chapter, as I was asked to be the Chapter Advisor before an interest group was even formed. (I was wrapping up my MBA at GW in 2001.) This progression from a sometimes-struggling Associate Chapter, to a dominant chapter at GW, is truly something for the Brothers of Theta Zeta to be proud of! Thank you to all the alumni who came and visited us at the BBQ! We hope to see you at our upcoming events next Spring!
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Thank you, Alumni! As many of you have heard, the Chapter purchased a new television for the first floor with the help of our alumni after the old one went into retirement after five years of service. We are grateful to all the alumni who helped make this happen by making a donation to Theta Zeta:
Special thanks to Daryl and Wes, who also drove us to pick up the TV just before Fall rush began!
contributions in the past year. Chris Mika and Wes Johnson have helped the Chapter maintain a website in the past year that can be viewed at www.pikappgw.org. Marc Boom, Chris Barajas, and Chris DiBitetto all made contributions to the Chapter history book and came back to offer the chapter many burned CDs worth of photographs. Their generosity these has helped the Brothers pass along the Chapter’s proudest moments to the to each new Associate Member class and we thank all the alumni who made it possible.
As the first major giving campaign for an item needed at the house, all of the Brothers appreciate the generosity and interest that our growing alumni base has shown in the past year. In the past year, a general increase in alumni involvement has helped provide one more resource for a Chapter that strives to be a leader among GW’s Fraternities.
We would also like to thank Marc Knox for his generosity and help as the chapter has begun to start a fund for a foosball table in the basement.
Andrew Hodes Wes Johnson Evan Dean Mark Loucas Cam Johnson Adam Wallick Marc Boom Andrew Morris Marc Abanto Chris Singel Tom Scazzafavo Andrew Miller Daryl Muller Marc Knox
We hope that in the coming year, your involvement and our alumni programming will only continue to increase. If you have any suggestions, contact our historian at info@pikappgw.org.
In addition to the television, we wanted to thank several other alumni for their
Two Actives and an Alumni get Ready to Ride If you graduated a few years ago, you may have never met Matt Casale (Theta Class) and Rich Alexander (Kappa Class), who will be riding across the country and representing our Chapter as members of the Journey of Hope this summer. A name you are more likely to recognize is Adam Wallick, who will be our first Chapter Brother to participate in the Journey of Hope as an alumni in the summer of 2009! The Journey of Hope is an annual crosscountry cycling trip to raise funds and awareness for Pi Kappa Phi’s philanthropy, Push America. Everyone at Theta Zeta is proud to have Matt, Rich and Adam representing our Chapter on this life-changing experience and we wish them the best of luck!
Each participant must raise $5,000 for Push America before they start peddling, however. We hope you will visit their websites to sponsor their efforts: For Adam: www.secure.pushamerica.org/ adamwallick For Matt: www.secure.pushamerica.org/Mattcasale For Rich: www.secure.pushamerica.org/ richalexander
If you would like to donate to the Journey of Hope or Push America by check, please e-mail the Chapter at info@pikappgw.org.
Matt Casale at a bike-a-thon to raise funds for his Journey of Hope. The bike in this picture has gone across three times on the trip, with Kevin DiSabatino (2004), Jake DiGregorio (2007) and Andrew Metcalf (2008). It still runs great, even with over 13,000 miles on it!
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Thomas Scazzafavo: from Foggy Bottom to the Far East By Thomas Scazzafavo Theta Zeta Founding Father It was a quick transition from living at 607C 23rd Street, partying with the Brothers, and going to class when I felt like it, to getting my commission in the Navy, graduating, flying to Bahrain, and being in the real world. As most of the Brothers who were around in 2005 know, it was a quick 10 days after graduation and I seamlessly dropped off the face of the earth. I had received my orders to report to Bahrain and meet my ship, USS O’KANE, a guidedmissile destroyer home ported in Pearl Harbor. Cheese and Mark Swartz brought me to the airport, and a quick 19 hours later I was in the heart of the Middle East. I met my ship and soon after I was given a quick lesson in maritime operations, mostly involved in protecting the Iraqi oil terminals of KAAOT and ABOT, keeping the Iranians in check, and conducting Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO). 5 months later, my ship was back in Hawaii, and I was left wondering where all the time had gone. Little did I know, a quick 14 months later, I would be back in Gulf with the JOHN C. STENNIS CARRIER STRIKE GROUP. Between deployments, I was living the dream in Hawaii. I shared a beautiful house with some buddies, overlooking the beaches and ocean. Nearly everyday was spent at the beach, either surfing or enjoying a book and some music. When work called, I was quickly thrust into the world of MIO. My Arabic skills made me a hot commodity, and I was sent all over with a team of 20 other guys to a series of Black Water USA schools (yes, that Black Water) to learn close-quarter combat, intelligence collection, and interrogations. All of this would prove to pay off ten-fold on the next deployment. In January 2007, USS O’KANE left Hawaii and steamed non-stop to the Persian Gulf. It felt like déjà vu; we were once again involved in protecting the Iraqi oil terminals, keeping the Iranians in check,
and conducting Maritime Interdiction Operations. This time, however, I was an integral part of the process. As the Boarding Officer, I was charged with planning every MIO mission that USS O’KANE conducted, which ended up totaling over 120. We would approach everything from fishing dhows and coastal merchants, to large oil tankers. Our job was to first check for illegal weapons, drugs (mainly hashish being smuggled out of Pakistan), smuggling, and human trafficking. Our secondary mission, if the vessels checked out alright, was to educate them on the
since it is charged with planning and driving all of the transits for the flagship of the Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet, a threestar admiral. The mission of BLUE RIDGE was a complete 180 from what I was used to. Instead of being at sea for long periods of time and executing traditional maritime missions, I was now charged with being atsea for shorter periods of time, either running a major multi-national exercise or making port visits throughout Asia to promote cooperation between nations. This meant lots of VIPs visiting and hosting diplomatic receptions throughout Asia. Living in Japan has been amazing. Whether I am in a foreign port or at home in Japan, I am living and breathing a different culture. A train ride to Tokyo is a mere 40 minutes away, and it is easily on of the top cosmopolitan cities in the world. I have been exposed to a new culture, and I have spent every minute trying to learn more. I have seen a side of another nation that the tourist doesn’t, because this is my home.
Brother Scazzafavo, Theta Zeta Founding Father
mission of the Coalition (meaning not just the US Navy, but over 20 other nations with assets in the region) was to keep the sea lanes open, by which we enforced maritime laws as well as offered assistance. While most of what occurred can’t be talked about, I will say that it was an incredible experience where I actually used what I learned in college, and I felt like I was making a difference in the world. By the end of the deployment, I had matured into a knowledgeable and professional Naval Officer. 27 months after I reported aboard O’KANE, it was time for me to move to my next duty station: USS BLUE RIDGE, an amphibious command and control ship home ported in Yokosuka, Japan. I was to report as Navigator, a highly-respected job
My short three and a half years in the Navy have been amazing. I have done things that some people could never imagine, many which I can’t talk about. I have visited over 20 different countries, including visiting Ravi in his homeland of Singapore. I have met world leaders and seen history in the making. I have grown to love the Navy and the US even more, and I see a very enjoyable and prosperous career in the future. My positive attitude and motivation about the Navy can be attributed to my times at GW and as a Pi Kapp. Going through ROTC during two very unpopular wars was not an easy feat, with many people calling us midshipmen Baby Killers and other colorful phrases. Yet, I knew that when I stepped inside the house and was around my Brothers, I need not worry. While many of you guys opposed the war and the politics of the day, you supported me and my choice to pursue a military career. That’s not a thing I can say about some of my other ROTC friends who were in fraternities. That’s what makes us Pi Kapps different.
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Passing the Gavel: Alumni Updates ALPHA CLASS Randy Gellman recently moved to Chicago where he works as an executive recruiter, staffing CFOs, CEOs, and other executives in manufacturing, health care, non-profits, and government contractors throughout the United States. Chris Mika is an IT consultant in DC and currently lives in Arlington. Ravi Alfreds lived in DC until June before leaving for a tour of Europe which included visits to Croatia and Germany. He currently works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore, as a Foreign Service Officer dealing with North America. He claims that he is not a spy. Brian Taylor writes that “It's hard to believe it's been 4 yrs since living on the top floor of the PKP Fraternity House. Since, I've recently moved from Columbia Heights where I lived with Brother Pokora, to Adams Morgan where I share a 2-bdrm apt with Brother McCloskey. I work right down the street from campus at the Advisory Board Company, a health care solutions firm, as an Associate Director in our Member Services department. If any recent grads or current brothers are interested in learning more about job opportunities at the Advisory Board, please have them contact me directly. It's a great place to work right out of school for those interested in health care or higher education research, health care consulting, or entry-level marketing and sales positions. “ Marc Boom currently lives in Mt. Pleasa n t , j u s t n o r t h o f Adams Morgan and is working for Congressman Patrick Murphy (PA-08) as a legislative aide. Mike Bodnarik is currently the Coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Life at Virginia Commonwealth University. Mike has continued his involvement with Pi Kappa Phi as a former Chapter advisor (Zeta Chapter, Wofford College), volunteer, and risk management educator. Wes Johnson has decided to jump the river again and is now back in the District
by Thomas Circle. Still employed with Accenture, he’s very happy to have received a promotion in August and is still contracting for the Treasury Dept., working out of Reston, VA, likely through Spring 2009.
BETA CLASS Evan Dean works as an attorney at Duncan and Allen, a small energy law firm in MacPherson Square. He is awaiting the results of the bar exam and is Wes Johnson’s roommate, “filling in as Ravi’s replacement.” Mark Loucas lives in Arlington and works for an NGO called Fund for Peace. Last month a chapter that he wrote on the former USSR was included in a book published by the Georgetown University Press on peace operations. Andrew Hodes spent a year in DC working for working for the World Bank in the Department of Institutional Integrity. He began Law School at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL this Fall. Kevin DiSabatino “could write pages and pages to remind everyone of what they’re missing every week without my half hour pass the gavel’s...” Anyway...Two-time Rogue Ball Champion Kevin DiSabatino is doing well in life after college. On August 22, 2008 he married former Rose Queen and fellow two-time Rogue Ball Champion Tina Rysz (now Tina DiSabatino). They live in Wilmington, Delaware. Kevin enjoys heckling his new wife, going to the beach, drinking on boats, playing Halo 3, and seeing old Pi Kapp chums. He's thinking of getting a dog, but can't decide which breed. He's very proud to be a Pi Kapp.” Drew Abdel-Malik just moved to Little Rock, AR, where he is the Executive Vice President of Concord Capital, a hedge fund and private equity firm. Ross Goldband writes: “I'm in my 2nd year at Emory Law. I had an awesome time at Kevin's wedding and bachelor party. A highlight was obviously being the only Jew to do a reading in the church. I'm also going to Austin in a couple weeks to visit Aaron Papermaster and we're going to the
UT/Mizzou game. I also won the alumni fantasy baseball league this year, which is exciting for me. I'm on my way to being more dominant than Jordan Katz. If any alums are lawyers and have some sort of summer associate hookup, that would be awesome.” Matt Steinhelfer lives in Arlington and, in addition to working in the Department of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, he is now working on a Master of Science in Peace Operations. Evan Pinsonnault is currently an anchor and reporter for the CBS station in Macon, Georgia. He's planning a jump to entertainment hosting as soon as the economy settles down/picks back up and the right offer's on the table. He visited the chapter over the summer and was very impressed with not only the progress the brothers have made since he graduated in '05, but also the condition of the house. He still cringes everytime someone mentions the name Hodes though. He wishes everyone the best both with school and the brotherhood.
GAMMA CLASS Kris Ansin works for the Obama campaign in northern Colorado. Before this he attempted a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, but had to stop when a friend of his on the trip hurt his knee and had to bail out. Tim Zirolnik writes, in the third person: "After surviving a full year living in central Harlem, Tim currently resides on Manhattan's Upper East Side with a hot DG from Wisconsin. He currently works as a Product Analyst for an investment banking software firm and spends his spare time ensuring that fellow Theta Zeta alum Dustin Schiavi doesn't get too fat. Tim encourages other Pi Kapps in the NYC area to join the cause." Shervin Razavian is currently in his second year of medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE. After his first year, Shervin participated in a three week rural surgery rotation in
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York, NE as a part of UNMC's curriculum emphasizing health care to rural and underserved communities. When not in central Nebraska, Shervin spent the rest of his summer researching the role of reactive oxygen species in familial ALS and was a facilitator for the SMDEP- a 6 week program for undergraduates interested in the medical and dental professions. As a delegate representing UNMC's Americal Medical Association chapter, Shervin looks forward to visiting theta zeta annually in March, as he returns to DC for the organization's annual "Lobby Day." Adam Wallick works as a paralegal in DC but is taking some time off to bike across the country next summer as a cyclist on The Journey of Hope! Marc Knox writes “Since my graduation in May 2006, I've been working as a legal assistant at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, a telecommunications law firm dealing primarily in regulatory law with the FCC. I also have been living in the Courthouse area in Arlington County, Virginia with two roommates. I'm currently applying to a number of local and out of the area universities to pursuit a masters degree in either public policy or a more specific urban/transportation planning program for this coming Fall 2009. “
Journey of Hope South route. “It was an incredible experience and I will remember my experiences for a lifetime. I am currently applying to law school for Fall 09 and I just moved to Costa Rica to live and travel for the foreseeable future. If you want to come visit me in Costa Rica, you can call me at 011506-8882-4386 (use skype) or skype me at / noah.kai.cherry/ email at nkaicherry@gmail.com Flights, food, and travel are relatively cheap and it is the most beautiful place in the world. “ Christopher DiBitetto works for Schulte Roth and Zebel, a Hedge Fund Litigation law firm based out of NYC. He is starting up their Washington office, which just opened last July. He resides in Arlington with Theta Zeta Rose Queen Ashley Amber Quinn. He is “still fighting for conservative values and freedom!” Dustin Wright...well...here’s what he had to say: “After scowering the globe for the most premium of textile products this past summer, D. George Wright currently resides in a small log cabin in New Hampshire creating the fashion world's next great line of designer hand bags and man purses. He has grown a long, unkempt bushy beard and hasn't seen another human being since at least midAugust. He really misses Xiaoming.”
Josh Gordon writes: “I am currently working hard as a paralegal at Sidley Austin LLP here in Ben Vaughan lives in Massachusetts and is Washington D.C. in their International Trade pursuing a career in healthcare. and Arbitration group. Even though I put in Daniel Klionsky is a first year law student at long hours, I still find the time to go out, have fun, and chase the D.C. women.” George Mason.
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Andrew Morris writes: “I am currently living in Philadelphia and working at SEI Investments Co. designing administrative solutions for mutual fund managers. Yes, Julie and I are still together. She is studying for her PhD in American Studies at the University of Iowa. I'm working hard and enjoying myself in Philly, but I am certainly looking forward to my next visit to DC.” Andrew Miller is “currently on haiatus from productivity.” He works for an association management company. He lives in in NE DC with Andrew Baca, Mario Sansalone, and Andy Fromknecht. Life is good (just like rush was). Andrew Baca teaches high school special education in the District while continuing at GW as a graduate student. Noah Cherry spent last summer traveling across the southern U.S. as a cyclist on the
Chris Singel is living in LA as a mildmannered bankruptcy legal assistant by day, performing and studying comedy by night. “Rogues! “
EPSILON CLASS Andy Fromknecht seems to still be living in some kind of Fraternity house. He writes “I may have graduated, but I am still Housing Manager, this time at 1216 5th Street instead of 607C. I'm living with Andrew Baca, Mario Sansalone, and Andrew Miller and we're having a lot of fun and learning the basics of drywall replacement.”
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Jeff Stomel received his Bachelors in Accountancy from last Spring and continues to study at GW as he pursues a Masters degree. Mike Nemerof is looking forward to beginning law school this January. He is currently living in Cherry Hill where he works at the Banana Republic and enjoys the great discount on dress clothes. Jason Steblay “decided that change is not always such a great thing,” and still lives on campus with his senior year roommate. John Wainwright still works at the GW ER and recently applied to medical school. He just got back from China and plans to travel to Abu Dhabi soon to teach for two weeks.
ADVISORS Todd Sargent writes: “After leaving the Washington DC area in 2004, I transferred to the Southern California offices of Accenture, where I focused on Communications and High Tech clients. In 2006, I moved to Hitachi Consulting, where I now lead the Southern California strategy and process consulting practice. My client for the lasy year has been a real estate invest trust based in Santa Monica, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I am the acting Chief Information Officer (CIO), defining technology strategy for this $1B firm. Having stayed active in Pi Kappa Phi since leaving the Washington DC area, I served as Chapter Advisor for Zeta Rho (Califorian State University, Fullerton) from 2004-2007, SoCal Regional Governor from 2006-2008, Assistant Chartering Officer for Theta Sigma (Californa State University, Long Beach) in 2008, Treasurer of the Eta Sigma (UCLA) Housing Corporation since 2007, and attendee of Pi Kapp College, Supreme Chapters, and MYLCs. I was honored in 2007 as the Pi Kappa Phi National Volunteer of the Year.”
David DeMarco is a project manager for the Centers for Disease Control. He also continues to serve the Fraternity as a Chapter Advisor for the Eta Chapter Emory. DeMarco writes: “Over the past year, I have been working with these men to build their numbers, help educate them on Pi Kapp history and assist in the coordination of their chartering Mike Costa is pursuing a Masters in Health- planned for next semester.” care Administration and is living in Chapel Hill where he looks forward to helping Brother Todd Stacy (Kappa Class) reestablish the Pi Kappa Phi Chapter at UNC.
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Chapter Updates Congratulations to
everyone who Won Awards at Rose Ball 2008, especially our Rose Queen, Alex Kennedy! Here is a list of the alumni who went home with awards after the dance: Alumni of the Year Andrew Hodes Nu Phi Andy Fromknecht Character Andrew Morris Academics Drew Cohen Sportsmanship Marc Abanto Athlete of the Year Drew Cohen
Andrew Metcalf arrived in DC as they and we wish them the best of luck in the finished the 2008 Journey of Hope South weeks to come! Route. Pi Kappa Phi’s third annual War of the Congratulations to Sam Rowe and our Roses raised over $4,500 this year, a Chapter Advisor Dave Corey, who fin- record for Theta Zeta! Special thanks ished the Marine Corps Marathon on and congratulations to our Push Chair, behalf of Push America last month! Shayn Prapaisilp, and his co-chairs, Mike Marolda and Mike Kelly, for organizing this successful event! We were also grateful that senior Sean Hallisey, who first organized War of the Roses two years ago, was on hand to help!
Supreme Chapter recognized Theta Zeta as a Champion Master Chapter this year.
GW Greek Excellence Awards brought
a few more awards for Pi Kappa Phi to hang on the wall. Theta Zeta brought home the Silver Award, Outstanding Risk Management and Overall Academic Excellence.
The Chapter is proud to currently be in third place in our effort to win the Pikus Cup this year. With the volleyball season under way and bowling and hockey around the corner, Pi Kapp is working hard to get our letters on another banner in the Health and Wellness Center.
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Brothers have already scheduled the first alumni event of Spring 2009, which will be a poker tournament held on Thursday, January 15. After the conclusion of rush, Theta Zeta If you want a spot at the tables the 13 new members of the Mu please RSVP to Matt Casale at On August 16th, Noah Kai Cherry and initiated Class! Congratulations to our Associates info@pikappgw.org.
Pictures from the Past
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Pictures from the Present
REDEFINING FRATERNITY AS A LIFELONG BROTHERHOOD OF LEADERS
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The Eagle of Theta Zeta is the official newsletter of the Theta Zeta Chapter of the Pi Kappa Phi
A publication of the Theta Zeta Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi
Fraternity. Chartered in November 2002, Pi Kappa Phi has become a leading Chapter at GWU and continues to grow through a strong
GWU- Pi Kappa Phi House
commitment to the tenants of C.L.A.S.S. that
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unite our Brotherhood: Character, Leadership,
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Academics, Service, and Sportsmanship.
Washington, DC 20052 Please direct any questions about the Fraternity or this Newsletter to the Historian at info@pikappgw.org.
E-mail: info@pikappgw.com www.pikappgw.org
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Letter from the Archon, Ben Shiffman During my past spring and fall semester as archon, Theta Zeta has seen some great achievements. Although we were sad to say goodbye to 33 seniors from the Delta, Epsilon, Zeta and Eta classes at the end of Spring 2008, that semester was still one of the best ever. The chapter took enormous steps in planning social functions, brotherhood events, and bringing in another fantastic class at rush. Spring 2008 was the most active social semester Pi Kapp had had up to that
point. It felt there was an event every week. We also raised over $1,000 for Push during the semesters, which is much more than previous spring totals. The Lambda class turned out to be one of our strongest ever. Although it is not a large class, they are one of the most tight knit groups we have ever had go through the pledge process. While Spring 2008 was a fantastic semester, it has been surpassed by this Fall. Our excellent brotherhood pro-
gramming and best ever War of the Roses were among the highlights. For the first time in our history, WotR rasied clost to $4,500. That is a number we can all be proud of. Our social calendar has also been built upon from the previous best. We had some sort of event with eight of the nine sororities on campus. Fall 2008 was truly a semester that Pi Kapp should be proud of. I’m sure that the next archon, Bobby Roglieri, will continue to build upon the success we’ve had.