University of Tennessee – Pi Kappa Phi – Alumni Newsletter
Issue # 2, August 2011
ALPHA SIGMAN Alpha Sigma Rising
Issue #2, AUGUST. 2011 Inside this Edition Alumni Updates – Catch up with your long lost brothers. Send your updates to alphasigalum@gmail.com!
2 Brother Nick Averwater was honored with the 2011 Torchbearer Award
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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony from 2010 Fall Alumni Event: Pictured, Archon Keith Moore, Former PKP CEO Durward Owen, Current PKP CEO Mark Timmes, Former Chapter Advisor Mike Mynatt, Housing Corps Director Charles West, Project Manager Mark Allen, and Former Archon Kyle Kuderewski
Alumni Spotlight on Joe Risher. Jos talks about his struggle with cancer and the lessons he learned from the experience.
It’s almost football time in TN - Save the Date - Oct. 15 – Alpha Sigma Alumni Tailgate for the LSU Game–
2010-2011 UT Greek Chapter of the Year 2011 Torchbearer – Nick Averwater 2010-2011 – Greek Man of the Year – Kyle Kuderewski
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Leaders by Choice.
2011-2012 Pi Kappa Phi National Council Member – Keith Moore The awards speak for themselves. There is no doubt the chapter is rising to new heights.
It’s a great time to be an Alpha Sigma alum.
A Rising Legacy of Success by Historian Brandon Parrish I have never been more proud to call myself a Pi Kappa Phi—or even more appropriately, a brother of Alpha Sigma. This year was absolutely critical for the men of 1828 Fraternity Park Dr., and, not only did we succeed in meeting our own expectation, but the chapter also outperformed any year in recent memory. Whether considering rush, PUSH America, brotherhood, or alumni, it has certainly been a golden year for the Pi Kapps at Tennessee. One of the mantras of nationals has always been that rush is the “lifeblood of the fraternity,” and our Executive Committee, as well as the entire brotherhood, has certainly realized the true meaning of that statement. If anyone had said that the chapter would initiate over forty new members into the brotherhood last summer, the chapter would have looked at him with a sea of dumbfounded gazes. However, the careful work of a few dedicated leaders, and the backing of an entire brotherhood rendered a larger chapter, filled with not only new faces, but also men of quality and character. In philanthropy, our PUSH America chair, Graham Kelly, succeeded in orchestrating the biggest and best Beach Week in our chapter’s
history. Beach Week started as a simple volleyball tournament that took place between sororities in the side lawn of the fraternity house. Now it has grown into something so much more: volleyball, empathy dinners, band parties, percentage nights, and even beauty pageant have all been incorporated into what is now considered our “blowout event,” that raised over 2,500 dollars for our national philanthropy. Lastly but perhaps the most prestigious accolade was our 80th anniversary as well as the opening of a new chapter house at 1828 Fraternity Park Drive. Neither could have happened without the support of our alumni, giving us eighty continuous years at the University of Tennessee. Every part of this year culminated in receiving InterFraternity Council’s most prestigious award, the IFC Chapter of the Year Award. An honor, this award was silverware that matched all the effort that had been put forth to make this chapter the best fraternity on campus and, I would say, the best chapter in the nation.
Alpha Sigman – University of Tennessee
Issue #2, August 2011
Alumni Updates: Catching Up! Bruce Wilson, Alpha Sig 455
Jason Donald, Alpa Sig 1114
Graduate of 1973, Bruce is married to Donna and has son, Todd, and daughter, Jennifer. Bruce has worked in the Sevier County School System since 1974. He served as a Seymour High School teacher, coach, assistant principal, and principal before taking his current principal position at Wearwood Elementary in 2004. Bruce can be reached at brucewilson@sevier.org
Brother Jason Donald is now working for General Nutrition Corporation in charge of finding real estate in the New England Region
James Glover – Alpha Sig 992 James recently accepted a producer position with Endemol Productions in Los Angeles to develop a TV talk show for Steve Harvey. James can be reached at jamesvg3@gmail.com. Michael Atnip, Alpha Sig 1035 Michael opened up his own CPA firm in August of last year. He is married with a three-year-old daughter and lives in Nashville. Michael can be reached at michael_atnip1013@yahoo.com
Tate Williams & Casey Chapman, Alpha Sig 1126 & 1109 Brother Tate Williams and Casey Chapman began their own hip-hop record label this past year. They have already released one album and are in the process of releasing their second. Tate can be reached at twilly30@gmail.com
Bruce Wilson & Family
From the Rumor Mill Brother George Angelopoulos, AS 1076, and his wife are expecting their first child this August. Brother Grant Gasbarro, AS 1002, and his wife Selena just welcomed their second child Penelope Gasbarro.
Congrats to George & Grant!
Brothers Matt Blacky, Jason Donald, & Brock McFadden
Send your updates to alphasigalum@gmail.com
Rising Above – Alpha Sigma’s Newest Torchbearer The Torchbearer is the highest student award given to graduating seniors at the University of Tennessee. Between 3-9 recipients receive the award annually. The award is based on commitment to service to UT & the community and extraordinary campus leadership. Below is a short Q & A Session with Nick: Q: What did it mean to you to be honored with the Torchbearer Award? B
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Nick: Being honored as a Torchbearer was really a humbling experience. I can't help but to be appreciative to all those that helped to mentor and assist me to that point in my four years at UT. Specifically I would like to thank my dad, Mike Mynatt and the rest of the alumni board that was so helpful while I was Archon, and the fall 2007 pledge class that taught me so much about myself and how to lead others Q: What role do you think your experiences in Pi Kappa Phi played in your receiving this award? Nick: Without a doubt, I would have never been considered for
Brother Nick Averwater, Sporting the University of Tennessee’s highest honor 2
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Alpha Sigman – University of Tennessee
Issue #2, August 2011
Rising to the Challenge – Brother Joe Risher’s Battle with Cancer
Unfortunately his time in Chattanooga had to come to end in 1985 when he found out his father had colon cancer and his mom encouraged him to move closer to home. His father lost his battle with colon cancer in 1986, and Joe remained in the area and continued working for Video Display Corporation doing CRT manufacturing. After a few years he was able to find a position at Dart Container Corporation using his electrical engineering background, got married to his wife, Susan, now of 23 years, and had a son, Michael. Like most people Joe expected his life would continue on as normal until retirement some day. All of that changed on the fateful day in the winter of 2005.
Joe Risher, Alpha Sigma 515, knew something wasn’t right. He had just started working night shift as a production engineer for Dart Container Corporation in Atlanta, GA, and he just didn’t seem to have the energy he used to have. He started feeling extreme fatigue, extreme depression, weight loss, and loss of interest in things he had always loved. His primary care physician thought it might be the result of the night shift, so he asked to be moved to the day and for a few weeks and for things were a little bit better. The relief didn’t last long. The fatigue and depression came back with vengeance and this time it was paired with blood in his stool. His second visit to the doctor came with news that would forever change his life. Joe had colon cancer. Joe had started at UT in 1973 in Electrical Engineering and it didn’t take long for him to find a group of men with like interest and the willingness to support him in his studies. He joined Pi Kappa Phi, initiated 515, and in it found a group of brothers that would last a lifetime. Unfortunately, due to financial and academic struggles he wasn’t able to finish in Knoxville. He went home to Atlanta for a while to take some classes at community college, and then transferred to UT Chattanooga. In Chattanooga he found two careers that would have a surprising impact on his ability to overcome cancer 25 years later. Joe began working for the Chattanooga Iceland ice rink as a way to help pay his way through college. He worked in the pro shop, took care of the ice maintenance, and eventually became the trainer for the Chattanooga Hockey Club. On the side he was mixing sound for a local rock band and also started to use his own sound equipment, such as amps, mixing boards, and speakers which was self-designed.
The doctor was clear with him about the results of the colonoscopy, the cancer was malignant, and he would need to go into chemotherapy immediately, and have surgery within weeks to remove the tumor. Three days later Joe was having tubes put in his arm that carried the chemotherapy directly to his heart. It took about two weeks before he was so exhausted he sometimes had to crawl from his living room to the bathroom and back again. Although physically the disease began to win the battle, Joe had already won the mental war. “As soon as the doctor told me the news, I told myself, ‘I’m going to beat this thing.’ I had to reach down in my soul, and ask what makes me happy. You can’t derive it from other people, job, or hobby. You have to have the inner will to fight. If you start thinking, ‘Woe is me’, you will die.” Cancer caused Joe to reconsider the trajectory of his life and the attitude he has each day. “There are certain things you cannot change, but you can change your outlook.” In May of 2005 Joe had a six-hour surgery that removed 60% of his colon, his rectum, and three lymph nodes in his groin. He had lost 63 pounds and was down to 102 pounds. Two weeks later he was back in intense chemotherapy, which would last for another year. If the physical struggle was not enough, he was laid off from his job at Dart. Susan had become the primary the breadwinner, and the loss of his job had created significant emotional and financial stress on the entire family. Now in his 50’s, Joe was faced with the daunting task of starting his career over, but this time he armed with the wisdom he was gaining from his fight with cancer. I asked myself, “What do I enjoy in life? What do I want to accomplish? What makes me happy?”
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Alpha Sigman – University of Tennessee
Housing Corps Alumni Spotlight William Sigmon Raising the Bar for Lifelong Brotherhood
Issue #2, August 2011
Upcoming events
Alumni Tailgate – LSU Game Mark your calendars now!
BY: JASON DONALD, HOUSING CORPS COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR An Eagle Scout in high school, William came to the University of Tennessee and was initiated in to Alpha Sigma in 1985, as initiate 694. ,His commitment to service started in college as he served the chapter as Treasurer. After graduating from UT with a degree in Business Administration, with a Statistics concentration, his service to Pi Kappa Phi didn’t end. Since graduation William has served as Pi Kappa Phi as Regional Governor for more than 10 chapters in the state of North Carolina. William is currently on the Housing Board for Alpha Sigma and is on the Push America National Board of Directors. He is also the first member of Alpha Sigma to join the ‘Nu Phi Society’. Sigmon has continued this commitment to serving his chapter as he has worked his way up the corporate ladder. His current occupation is the Global Banknotes Operations Executive at Bank of America Merrill Lynch responsible for internal and outsourced operations across 13 locations in 9 countries. This operation supports the processing and fulfillment of the foreign currency needs of the company’s Corporate, Commercial and Retail clients. In 2002, Sigmon moved into the Quality and Productivity organization, achieving his Six Sigma Master Black Belt certification in March of 2004. During this time, he supported various businesses in the Consumer Bank leveraging Six Sigma techniques to improve business processes, reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction. Prior to his current role, he was the Business Management Executive for the Global Treasury Operations group. He was named to his current position in February of 2009.
The brothers of Pi Kappa Phi would like to invite you down for an Alpha Sigma Alumni tailgate before the LSU Game. 10 AM until 45 min. before kickoff October 15, 2011
Contact Info The Alumni now have a new email address: alphasigalum@gmail.com Send us an email so we can add you to our distribution list. Other contact info:
Sigmon is a family man, his wife Elizabeth, and their 2 children, Marshall and Jordan reside in Charlotte. He enjoys outdoor activities and is a dedicated fan of the Carolina Panthers and University of Tennessee Volunteers. When his not working and serving he loves listening to music, fishing, hiking and volunteering in the community. Brother Sigmon has been a consistent contributor to the health of Pi Kappa Phi and the Alpha Sigma chapter and we thank him for raising the bar of service for others.
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Archon: Keith Moore kmoore27@utk.edu Historian: Brandon Parrish Bparris4@utk.edu
Alpha Sigman – University of Tennessee Nick Averwater - Torchbearer (continued)
Issue #2, August 2011 Joe Risher’s Battle (continued)
Q: What was your most rewarding leadership/service experience in college?
These questions led him back to his days in Chattanooga, working at the ice rink and making his own audio equipment. Joe was able to find a job at the Atlanta Ice Forum in Duluth, GA, training facility at that time for the former Atlanta Thrashers. Joe also continued to tinker on the side with vacuum tube powered audio equipment and music, something he had enjoyed since 1969, but was unable to do during his chemotherapy. While his fight with cancer was not over and the surgery and chemo had created some physical and lifestyle changes in his life; Joe was once again doing things that brought him happiness.
Nick: My most rewarding experience during college was the year I served as Archon from 2008-2009. At the time, it was one of the most difficult things I had done in my life and we had a lot going on within the fraternity. But it was an incredible experience to be a part of a team that was able to accomplish so much during a single year. I was extremely blessed to have a great team with me, starting with two phenomenal ViceArchons, and a chapter that was eager to make improvements in all aspects of the fraternity. Pi Kappa Phi accomplished a lot that year and it was extremely rewarding to play a role during that process.
In March of this year, six years after his struggle with cancer began; Joe once again sat in the doctor’s office. This time the news was different. He was in permanent remission and had less than a 3% chance of the disease ever coming back. With the support of his wife and son, a cancer-support group at church, and his own determination that his life on earth was not done, Joe won.
Q: What has Pi Kappa Phi taught you?
The future looks bright for Joe. He is now the operations manager at the Ice Forum. He has three courses he needs to take from Star Ice Rinks Inc. and he will become a certified ice technician, which will open the doors for working directly with any professional hockey team or arena. In his spare time he continues to manufacture his own sound equipment and has dreams of making it into a side business venture. Most importantly, Joe has a new outlook on life. “I don’t sweat the small stuff. I try to enjoy every little aspect of life and live it to the fullest. I had to strive deep within, but I figured out what makes me happy. That’s what helped me survive and I will continue to strive for happiness.”
Torchbearer had it not been for Pi Kappa Phi. Joining Pi Kappa Phi pointed me towards so many opportunities on campus that I would have never taken advantage of had it not been for the fraternity. Additionally, getting to serve as Archon as a sophomore really provided me some insight into who I am as an individual that helped to propel me through my Junior and Senior year. I have believed it since my first day at UT joining Pi Kappa Phi has been one of the most influential and life changing decisions in my life thus far, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Nick: Pi Kappa Phi gave me a piece of the real world. The fraternity taught me to work with different personalities and strengths, run meetings and discussions, organize events - really the list could go on forever. I know it has done the same for a lot of people in the fraternity right now as well. At its core, Pi Kappa Phi has helped me to be a better and more complete person, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. Q: What is next for you? Nick: Starting in this fall, I will be working towards my MBA at the University of Tennessee, focusing in either finance or entrepreneurship and innovation. In reality, I wasn't ready to leave Knoxville, so I decided I needed a few more football seasons before heading back to Memphis. I am also starting a few little projects that I hope can one day turn into a career as a business and leadership speaker. You can check it at washingelephants.com. Nick can be reached at nickaverwater@gmail.com
Joe serves as a perfect example to our brotherhood of how to rise above the challenges we face in life. He can be reached at speakerman@breakthru.com
Can you name 7 brothers in this photo? – Email alphasigalum@gmail.com
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University of Tennessee – Pi Kappa Phi – Alumni Newsletter
Issue # 2, August 2011
Letter from the Archon: Keith Moore, Alpha Sig 1231 Brothers,
brothers step into leadership positions around The past year has been a phenomenal time campus, becoming involved in both Student Government and All Campus Events. As a for our chapter, as we recently saw the Chapter, we are also doing our part. This past initiation of seven more brothers, our spring, we donated $2550 to PUSH America, largest Spring class in the past five by far our largest donation since I have been years. Beyond that, our own Nick an active brother. We are hoping to build on Averwater was named a University of Tennessee Torchbearer, the highest award our successes, and continue to raise our influence in the community. If you would like given to undergraduate students. Kyle to help in any way by donating to PUSH, Kuderewski was named the Greek Man of organizing events, or simply participate in the year, and to top it all off, our chapter any philanthropies, feel free to contact me and received the award of Chapter of the we would love to have your support. If you Year. We, as the active brotherhood, are would like a way to get involved with our hoping to build on this success, and are chapter, please do not hesitate to contact currently well into the rush process for the either Brandon Parrish or I at upcoming Fall. As our chapter number bparris4@utk.edu and kmoore27@utk.edu. grows, we trying to expand the impact Sincerely, that we have on the campus and community around us. Brothers have Keith Moore, Alpha Sigman 1231 become very active in participating in events organized by Sunshine Industries, a local philanthropy dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities. We have also had numerous
“We are hoping to build on our successes, and continue to raise our influence in the community around us.”
“I believe the ideal chapter is made up of men, who are bound together in a common loyalty, which transcends any personal selfishness.”
Pi kappa phi 1828 Fraternity Park Drive Knoxville, TN 37916
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