Pi Kappa Alpha - University of Texas

2 The Beta Mu Review www.texaspike.com Beta Mu Review: Tell us where you were born, about your formative years and your family. Joey: I was born in Salisbury, N.C., a small town outside of Charlotte. I moved to Charleston, S.C., when I was young, returning to where my family has nine generations of roots. I spent my time in Charleston camping, enjoying the beaches and hiking. I was an Eagle Scout, which helped build my love of the outdoors. My father, Joey Benton III, is an emergency room nurse, and my mother is a senior consultant for a non-profit software company, Blackbaud. Keegan, my younger brother, is a rising junior in high school and competes nationally at barebow archery. Being from out of state, what influenced you to attend Texas? Tell our readers your course of study, degree program, career objectives? I was raised with college football being sacred. My dad is an Alabama Crimson Tide alumnus, so I always wanted to attend a big state school with a tradition of football. As soon as I arrived in Austin for a college visit, I knew that this city was special. The pride I felt for Texas was strong, even though it was my first time in the state. I'm studying to be an architectural engineer, planning to pursue a career in building systems or transportation engineering. My favorite part of my studies is being able to combine artistic expressions with math and science through architectural design. How did you come to find Pike as a freshman and what were the attracting qualities? What offices have you held at Beta Mu? Share a favorite Pike memory. The summer prior to my freshman year, some Texas Pike seniors and juniors were in Charleston for vacation and took me out to dinner. Getting to meet other architectural engineers there swayed me to keep looking at Pike. I flew out over the summer to visit the chapter house and men and felt an immediate connection and the actives. I fell in love with the modern architecture of the Pike house. I have held the positions of secretary and swamp master prior to being elected president. My favorite memory so far was being in Dallas for the Texas/OU game and witnessing the Horns stomp the Sooners 49-0 last year! The atmosphere of the stadium was electric, and I was able to share that with my pledge brothers. That game will always have a mark in Texas football history, which made me realize that I was truly joining a long tradition of proud Longhorns. What are your and the executive committee's goals for the chapter during your year as president. Establishing young leaders from the fall 2022 class is a priority, as they will need to continue our tradition of excellence into the future. We are very optimistic about the future, as there are many bright young men who are stepping up to the call. This year, we are pushing to implement a mental health chairman. Following the unfortunate events of last year when a brother took his own life, we understand this generation of college students needs friendship and attention, and Pike aims to help each man be the best they can be. Additionally, we'd like to raise our game in philanthropy and broaden the sharing of the good work the chapter does in the community. Are you in other UT organizations or clubs beyond Pike? What are your hobbies and outside interests? I am in the Architectural Engineering Institute, an organization for architectural and engineering students at UT. I love reading and learning about urban design and architectural history. As far as hobbies go, I enjoy playing soccer or going for a hike at one of the many parks around Austin. Live music is also stellar in Austin, which has given me a chance to see some really cool venues and hear new types of music. Who are some influencers that you follow or admire today? Name the four guests you would invite to a Fantasy Dinner Party. 1 Florida U.S. Congressman Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress, who I met as he was doing some organizing in Charleston. 2 My dad introduced me to the Grateful Dead, so the late Jerry Garcia would be on the list. Going to see cover bands play Grateful Dead music with my dad and brother are very special memories that I hold in my heart. 3 Adam Savage, one of the hosts of the TV series MythBusters, as his enthusiasm for engineering and science inspired me to go down the path I'm on today. 4 Finally, my high school math teacher, Mrs. Runey, who pushed me to be the best I could be and prepared me for the rigors of UT and engineering studies. Q&A WITH JOSEPH "JOEY" BENTON IV '21 B E TA M U C H A P T E R P R E S I D E N T 2 0 2 3 - 2 4 Joey Benton '21 (right) with longtime chapter adviser Doug Phelan '65 (center) were honored to host members of the Pike Supreme Council in summer 2023 at 2400 Leon. Joey is a junior from coastal South Carolina studying architectural engineering. He's also an Eagle Scout and a Longhorn football and Grateful Dead fan. President Joey Benton '21 Summerville, S.C. Architectural Engineering External VP Ben Galbraith '20 Naples, Fla. Finance Internal VP Ryan Hopper '22 Alexandria, Va. Journalism VP Member Development Noah Huerta '21 League City, Texas Government Treasurer Tad Lataweic '21 Houston, Texas Finance Secretary Brody Pribyl '22 Chicago, Ill. Finance Co-Social Chairman Promise Eke '21 Sugarland, Texas Chemical Engineering Sergeant-at-Arms Walker Wright '20 Keller, Texas Finance, Wealth Management Co-Social Chairman Conner Escobar '22 Coppell, Texas Radio-Television-Film 2023-24 Beta Mu Executive Committee

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