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Monsees Retired ARMY LTC
Gilbert Consultant for EarthRights Int’l In early 2012, Frater Oliver Gilbert moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand, to work at an NGO (non-governmental organization) that analyzes the environmental and human rights impacts of oil and natural gas projects in Burma in order to advocate on behalf of local communities. After a few months, he had an opportunity to visit Burma and then also to extend the trip to visit Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Cambodia, in particular, was fantastic. “I traveled by bus from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and then spent two days exploring the city. Seeing all the museums and learning about the legacy of the Khmer Rouge was interesting, but exploring Ankor Wat in Siem Reap was by far one of the main highlights of the trip.” Ankor Wat is the largest Khmer
temple complex in the world. After spending the day getting lost in intricate mazes of temple ruins, he couldn't believe how people hundreds of years ago could have built such massive structures that are still around today. “Obviously, I immediately thought of myself as being a contestant on Nickelodeon’s Legends of the Hidden Temple. Even though I left without having won a trip to space camp, meeting other travelers from around the world, taking leaps of faith in every street food meal, and venturing around the country without a guide was a great adventure.” Frater Gilbert is an initiate of Alpha-Pi Chapter at George Washington University and a former Leadership Academy graduate. He serves as secretary of the Alpha-Pi Alumni Association and was former Prytanis and Grammateus of his chapter.
Pychinka Selected for 2013 Class of Athletics Hall of Fame Frater Bob Pychinka (Gamma-Rho, Indiana State University) will be inducted into the Indiana State University Hall of Fame at ceremonies on Thursday, October 3, during the 2013 Indiana State Homecoming. He will also be recognized at the Indiana State Homecoming game against Youngstown State on Saturday, October 5. Pychinka competed in both football and wrestling at Indiana State from 1963 to 1967 where he earned six varsity letters and two junior varsity letters. He also returned to his alma mater to serve as head freshman coach 12 THE TEKE q WINTER 2013
and defensive line coach for Jerry Huntsmen and Tom Harp from 1970 to 1978. An offensive guard and defensive linebacker for the football team, Pychinka earned two All-Indiana Collegiate Conference recognitions (1965 and 1966) while also serving as the team captain (1965 and 1966). Pychinka was also a three-time conference champion in wrestling, was the Big State Wrestling Tournament champion three times, and competed in the NCAA Wrestling Tournament twice. He received the McMillan Award in 1965 and the Indiana State Athlete of the Year Award in 1967.
Frater Kyle Monsees was initiated into Omicron-Phi Chapter at the University of Oklahoma in 1981. He is a retired Lt. Colonel from the U.S. Army, having served for 22 years from 1984 to 2006. He served two deployment tours in Korea (’88–’90 and ’98–’00). All other assignments were stateside (Fort Knox, Ky.; Fort Hood, Tex.; Fort Eustis, Va.; and retired out of Fort Sam Houston, Tex.) He was in the Armor [active combat arms] Branch of the Army from ’84–’87, then went to U.S. Army Flight School in 1987 and was a UH-1H Huey and UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot (U.S. Army Aviation) from 1988 to 2006. Among Frater Monsees’ numerous awards were the Meritorious Service Medal (4th Oak Leaf Cluster or X5), Army Commendation Medal (X2), Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal (X2), Korea Defense Service Medal, Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, and Army Service Ribbon. After retirement, he got into information technology and worked for the Department of Defense as a network administrator for the United States Army North based out of Fort Sam Houston, Tex. (2006–2009). Since 2009, he has been a supervisory IT specialist working with the Department of Veterans Affairs based out of Arlington, Tex.
Prize-Winning Reporter Co-Authors Book TKE Frater Ande Yakstis, a prize-winning reporter, walked with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the historic voters rights march in 1965 from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery, Ala. Yakstis is co-author with acclaimed newspaper editor Daniel Brannan in a remarkable new book titled “You Can’t Kill the Dream - people living the ‘dream.’ ” The award-winning writers tell the amazing stories of people who are living Rev. King’s dream today, 45 years after his death on April 4, 1968. Rev. King’s dream for the future is alive in the fascinating personal stories of the people in “You Can’t Kill the Dream people living the ‘dream,’ ” said James Polk, retired CNN senior producer and winner of the Pulitzer Price for national reporting. “A remarkable and evocative series of personal portraits of ordinary people, many of who met and knew Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and whose lives were changed forever by his dream and his death at a critical crossroad in our nation’s history,” Polk said. Author Yakstis was inducted into the Delta-Upsilon Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon on April 1, 1956, at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo. “In my wallet, I carry the original membership card I received when I was initiated 57 years ago,” he said. Frater Yakstis invites TKE Fraternity brothers across the country to read the memorable stories in the book. The book can be purchased for $16 at www.you can’t kill the dream.com. “Some of the proceeds from the book will fund scholarships for needy students,” said Yakstis who lives in East Alton, Ill. As a newspaper reporter, Frater Yakstis walked with Rev. King on the 54-mile, 6-day voters rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., in March 1965. On the historic walk, Yakstis had a life-changing experience with Rev. King. As they walked together, Rev. King said to
Alpha-Beta Tekes You are invited to a gathering August 2 & 3 Ohio University Inn 331 Richland Ave., Athens, OH Friday night – Reception Saturday – Campus tour & dinner dfalk98@hotmail.com
Frater Ande Yakstis (left) and Daniel Brannan (right)
In this photo on the cover of the book “You Can't Kill the Dream-people living the ‘dream,’ ” Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is leading thousands of people into Montgomery, Ala., on the final mile of the historic voters rights march from Selma, Ala., in March 1965. This photograph, taken by the book's author, Ande Yakstis, will be displayed in the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn. Yakstis: “Brother Ande, it’s my prayer that your life as a journalist will be a spiritual journey to help people in need, the downtrodden, and people hurt by injustices in life.” “Rev. King’s words to me was a life-changing moment, a spiritual awakening in my life,” Yakstis said. In the book, “You Can’t Kill the Dream - people living the ‘dream,’ ” Yakstis and Brannan, an award-winning editor of the Alton, Ill., Telegraph newspaper, carry the readers on an emotional journey into the lives of ordinary people living the dream of Rev. King. Ande retired in November 2001 from the Alton Telegraph after a distinguished 41-year career at the historic newspaper. When he started, he gained a reputation as an investigative reporter who exposed racketeering and as a result, the Illnois Crime Investigation Commission teamed up with FBI and other law enforcement authorities to shut down organized crime operations in both Madison and St. Clair Counties. Another highlight of his career came in 1969, when he and former Telegraph reporter Ed Pound began an investigation of an Illinois Supreme Court Justice. After the story appeared, an investigation of the Supreme Court was undertaken by both the Illinois and Chicago Bar Associations. Following the hearing, two justices of the Court resigned. Both Ande and Ed Pound were then nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for their stories on the Supreme Court investigation. They were also honored with the National Associated Press Managing Editors Award for the Supreme Court expose. In addition to these honors, Ande was awarded the Illinois Associated Press First Place award for news and feature writing 10 different times and twice was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his news reporting. His career was further distinguished in 1997, when he was awarded the Elijah P. Lovejoy award for a lifetime of writing stories to improve the quality of life of people of all races and nationalities. WINTER 2013 q THE TEKE 13