Former Pi Kapps allowed to ride

After four long months of meetings and anticipation, the IU Student Foundation Appeals Board unanimously decided Wednesday evening to allow the former Pi Kappa Phi cycling team to ride in the Little 500 as deactivated members on an independent team.\nWith the decision of the six members of the board, the Sincere Cycling team was officially formed.\n"We're so excited," senior Eric Butterbaugh said. "We're so pleased with the outcome. It's just a nice thing to have off our shoulders. We've been worrying about it for a while."\nThe decision was made during a hearing that included presentations by IUSF Assistant Director Rob Rhamy and the former Pi Kappa Phi team. The hour-and-a-half long hearing was the culmination of events stemming from the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity being placed on campus activities restriction by the Interfraternity Council in mid October after the Pi Kapps sent a pledge to the hospital with a .5 blood alcohol content, Butterbaugh said.\nThe restriction banned the fraternity from participating in all IFC-sponsored events. Upon learning of their fate last October, the five members of the Pi Kapps' cycling team met with Rhamy to discuss their options. Pi Kapps left that meeting feeling assured they would be allowed to ride in the 2004 race, Butterbaugh said.\n Pi Kapps received notification from Rhamy March 4 that the team's eligibility to ride in the race was denied. \nBut the team kept on training, even traveling to Florida for winter break, and never broke routine.\nThe team having been put in limbo for so long was one reason board member and Riders Council President junior Bri Kovac supported Pi Kapps.\n"The ultimate decision was based on Pi Kapps' being treated unfairly," she said. "The decision was made after people were made aware of it. There was a lack of communication between IUSF, the dean and Pi Kapps. (The board) thought that within this situation there was definitely extenuating circumstances."\nThe original rejection was caused by rule D 3 of section II of the Little 500 Rules of Eligibility, stating: "If a student participated in the immediate previous year and was a member of an IU Greek social unit and has since deactivated, de-pledged or has attained alumni status from the chapter and is still eligible to participate, then he/she must sit out one year in order to claim a new affiliation with another team."\nPi Kapps argued against this rule, stating that in previous years, teams were allowed to deactivate and ride under a different team during the same year. \nButterbaugh and teammates Ryan McCall, Spencer Kruse, Dave Madsen and Justin Butler have submitted their letters of deactivation to their national chapter's CEO, who has promised to expedite the process to have the team completely deactivated by race day -- a stipulation handed down by IUSF.\nRhamy said he had wanted Pi Kapps to ride from day one of the situation.\n"We always want to make sure the riders are able to participate in the race," Rhamy said. "In this case, that is exactly what happened. They got a hearing and won a unanimous vote."\nDean of Students Richard McKaig said if the decision supports University rules, then he is behind it.\n"As long as (the decision is) not violating a campus decision, I'm in support of it," he said.\nFor Madsen, the battle Sincere Cycling has gone through will make them tougher on the track.\n"I think it made us strong because when you go through something really tough like this, you can go through anything.\n"I'm just happy that this decision was finally in our favor," he said, "and I think it is the right decision."\n-- Contact sports editor Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.