FarmHouse - Washington State University

FA R M H O U S E F R AT E R N I T Y * WA S H I N G T O N S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y * W I N T E R 2 0 2 1 Upholding FarmHouse's Commitment to Service Eric Hausken '98 Discusses His Recent Trips to Pullman for Chapter House Projects G reetings, Brothers! My name is Eric Hausken '98 and I was elected to the FarmHouse Association Board this fall. I previously served on the board several years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed my active years with FarmHouse Fraternity and somehow keep coming back to support these young men 20-plus years later. I'm proud to have maintained strong relationships with many brothers from my time at WSU. We all give back in many unique ways. My promise of service is in the form of physical labor. is fall, without football, I still made a couple trips to Pullman to see friends and to assist with several projects to our chapter house. e first project started in late August with a repair of the handrailing around the parking lot. e rail broke off at the concrete aer a close encounter with a Tahoe. Robert Matthews '00 and I cut the section out, inserted liners, realigned the rail, and welded it to make a seamless repair. While there, I noticed other items needing attention, so I planned another trip. My second trip's focus was on improving the curb appeal of the house. With the help of several active members (shout-out to Chris Watt '18 and Jake Hindes '17), we loaded a compost pile that had been building to an unmanageable level near the dumpster. We removed the crumbling, 30-year-old concrete parking stops that just didn't have what it takes to represent FarmHouse in our parking lot anymore. I tidied up the post and chain divider between the parking lot and the alley, spraying weeds in the alley and collecting trash. I sprayed the lawn for broadleaves to help the actives have a more attractive lawn for the spring. e work day continued with removing several shrubs on the side of the house facing Opal St. and from the front corner near the front entryway. ese bushes were simply overgrown and taking over the landscape. Unfortunately, the bushes in the front le a big hole in the evergreens that will need to be addressed with some spring landscaping. Ideas and volunteers are welcomed. Our chapter house has seen many young men pass through its halls. It's no Taj Mahal, but the bones are good and she can serve our actives well until we can rebuild. Part of me knows that the house needs a major upgrade, but the other part of me enjoys seeing the same walls that we had the battle royales on the main floor, 3 a.m. hash browns in the kitchen, and sororities serenading us through the halls. I'm trying to do my part to serve our brothers. We all contribute in different ways. is may look like swinging a hammer, offering a job shadow to an active member, providing a couple names for membership consideration, or simply picking up a phone when a brother calls. is house needs to provide an environment to build more men. Fraternally, Eric Hausken '98

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