JOH the Bachelor

sorth route

Drayton vs. Vince: Drayton - prettier
Kankles vs. Candy: Kankles - the legs
Phil vs. PVO: Phil - obvious reasons
Chuck vs. Gantimal: Gantimal - draw
Comet vs. Campo: Campo - the hair
Tom vs. Zeebala: Tom - better pillow talk
Klocke vs. Curphy: Klocke - Iron Man!
D. Brown vs. JB: JB - ?

Kankles vs. Drayton: Drayton - flaming metrosexual
Phil vs. Gantimal: Phil - duh.
Campo vs. Tom: Campo - close
Klocke vs. JB: Klocke - Ioweagan

Drayton vs. Phil: Phil - the champ
Campo vs. Klocke: Campo - still gotta love that hair

Campo vs. Phil: Phil - total cutie pie

north route finals

Kimbo Slice vs. Frat Mason: Mason - stud muffin

Mason vs. Phil B.

And, the winner is...Mason...upon further review Mason is disqualified for random acts of scandalousness...2nd Lt. PHIL!!

thank you to my fundraising contributors!

Well, I made it! I flew to sunny North Carolina, than traveled to San Francisco by way of Memphis, Wichita, Breckenridge, and Vegas. We got all the riders checked in and now we've gone through Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico on our way through Texas and the southern US to DC on August 16 to meet the north and transamerica routes for the Arrival. I'm writing you from Abilene, Texas!

I thank all of my fundraising contributors: Archer Daniels Midland Matching Gifts Program, Carol Hayes, Chris & Patti Johnson, Clinton Thomas, David Corey, Dave Adickes, Drew Hartley, Dylan and Susan Hayes, Erle Morring, George & Ruth Hayes, George & Vicky Oster, Helen Oster, Jim Noce, Jeff & Karyn Meyer, Jessica Oster, Joshua Peppers, Kerri Fredrickson & Jens Miller, Kristina Bunyard, Lori Hart Ebert, Mandy Jones, Mary Kay Riley, Michael Wallace, Michael & Elaine Miller, Nathaniel Oster, T.J. Sullivan, Barbi & Reggie Greenlaw, Rob Noce, David & Susan Hayes, Tom & Kathy Rosskopf, and TJ Tollakson.

I couldn't have done it without you! Please everyone follow my progress at http://joherich.blogspot.com/. I've already put up some photos and postings.

By the way, we have mail drops along the road - http://www.pushamerica.org/events/joh/maildrops.cfm?route=South - I'd love to get some mail! The next drop is July 29 and the last one is August 7. If you happen to be along our route (http://www.pushamerica.org/events/te_itinerary.cfm?ride_code=JOH&route=South) or either of the other two routes, please feel encouraged to stop by one of our arrivals.

go tigers,
Erich
Programming Coordinator
JOH South Route '08

beta epsilon alumni update

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to update ya'll on some things going on with me. Before I do that - I'm happy to report that one of my fellow refounding members - AJ Friedhoff - has been hired as a leadership consultant with HQ. I imagine that he'll be at supreme chapter in Denver for anyone attending. I'm glad that he's taking the opportunity to work for the national office.

Two important developments in my life: One, I'm going to be a teaching assistant and PhD candidate in the communication graduate program at the University of Oklahoma beginning next fall. This is a pretty strong placement for me because of the program, professors, and the teaching opportunities that I'll have available to me. OU ranks in the top half of both of my emphasis areas - interpersonal and health communication. Plus, I expect that I'll get the opportunity to see College GameDay visit us in Norman sometime.

Before I join the Sooner Nation, I'm crewing for Push America's Journey of Hope. I'm currently writing you from Zuni, New Mexico on our way to sunny Texas. We'll make our way to Washington DC for arrival at the capital on August 16. This is something I've always wanted to do so I'm glad that I'm getting the opportunity while I'm in between schools. You can follow our progress at my blog: http://joherich.blogspot.com/.

I'll fly back to Oklahoma City two days before I have orientation at OU on August 22. Everything I own, including my car, is in storage for the summer in sunny Norman.

It's amazing to watch what everyone I went to Mizzou with is doing with themselves. Chris Wolfe got engaged last December. Joshua Moore had an adorable daughter a little over a year ago - first child of the new chapter. Brad Collier will be a PhD candidate at Texas A&M in the fall. Rob & Jim Noce are entering their second year of MU law school. I'm interested to know what anyone else is doing with their lives, my era or previous ones.

Have a good summer - I may be joining the Sooner Nation, but I'll always be a tiger at heart.

go mizzou,

Erich '05

on to New Mexico

So, we left sunny Arizona today. It really wasn't as hot as I expected. A few days were hot for the riders, but they drank lots of water and made it through. That's a picture from the lake house that we got to stay at in Parker, Arizona. It's likely the closest thing we'll have to a day with nothing to do

I can't explain how relaxing Tempe was for me. I got to get away from everything and just hang out with people that I wasn't going to live with for another 40+ days. My one regret is that I spent too much of my potential pool and relaxing time nerding out on the internet. We get it so infrequently - I'm going to start considering that a gift and only update this and read my e-mail. Collegehumor.com can wait until the end of the summer - it'll still be there. Still, I gotta please my readers. I can't necessarily blame myself, though. We arrived at the Arizona State campus and all the riders immediately flocked to the guest internet kiosks. I still recall sending my first e-mail in 8th grade...to my mom, no less.

I had a rather sobering moment today when I went ahead purchased my flight to Oklahoma from Charlotte after crew wrap-up. I was happy to have a $150 travel voucher that I received on the way to crew training in exchange for taking a flight one hour later. My Journey of Hope summer will be over at 11:30 am on Wednesday, August 20, 2008. 44 days away. This put an end to the experience and a beginning of the reality that will be the next 3-4 years of my life. I can't necessarily complain, though. Teaching and studying in the Sooner Nation is just about everything I wanted when I decided to return to graduate school in December 2005.

Now, we're moving on to New Mexico. It was actually a little cold this morning when we woke up. It's supposed to be even cooler as we head east through the southern Rocky Mountains. I'm sure it will warm up again as we head into the dirty south - Alabama, Mississippi. This'll mark our fourth state. Arizona was nice - hopefully New Mexico won't revert to a Nevada-like experience.

bye Tonopah...hello sunny Arizona

Arizona is clearly the hottest place in the US. I can't really complain at the present moment because I'm chillinlaxin' with some ASU guys by their pool/BBQ. Thank you to Greg Richards, whom I met at PKC and MYLC, for inviting me to his casa for some hang time. Not that I don't enjoy my route's company, but I've spent the last three weeks with them and have another month and a half with them 24/7.

My trip so far has been wonderful. I'm experiencing everything I hoped when I signed up. I can't envision another opportunity for spending an entire summer rolling across the country. When else am I gonna get to go through Tonopah, Nevada? Hopefully, never again.

My writings have apparently created a reasonable amount of drama. Whatev. Push America has paid me $4,500 between my summer fellowships and the Voorneveld research grant to develop the views on disability that I have. Might as well go ahead and add some more.

Our stop in sunny Pheonix was pretty neat 'cause I got to hook up with Kim Novak and Matthew Hunt, whom I've known through various fraternity involvements. Matt's first question for me encompassed a large part of my JOH experience: "So, how is it not being in charge and taking orders?" My response was "Well, I'm just along for the ride. I take one moment at at time." Or, something to that effect. Truly, I wouldn't know what to do with being in charge. From a strict leadership/organization respect, I could totally do it. But, I know almost nothing about bikes and only slightly more about the Journey of Hope process. Had I partaken in a JOH summer rather than my summer fellowships at Wonderland Camp, perhaps it would make sense. For now, I'm just along for the ride. I get the same experience regardless of whether I run things or follow along.

I thought that my blogging would be more regular, but internet is hit and miss. Sorry to my readers. I'm surprised that I get about 100 visits per week, not including facebook.