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The Pi Kappa Phi (PKP) fraternity recently moved out of its house in the Greek Village. To clear the rumors, the members were not kicked out. They chose to vacate the house because they "did not have the membership numbers to fill the house nor the money to pay for the vacancies," according to Pi Kappa Phi president, senior Michael Lasek.

The beginning of a new chapter and college school year is always a fresh and exciting time for the thousands of students who choose to attend UNC Charlotte. Living on campus at a large university is a chance for a new beginning, an opportunity to see new faces, and a great way to get more involved in school activities.

Students are not the only ones who set expectations and goals every year. Before the start of each fall term, faculty and staff come together and discuss the academic year's agenda and the initiatives set in place from the previous year.

The Niners walked off the field victorious in Sunday's exhibition match against High Point, finishing their preseason with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory at Transamerica Field.

Coach Jon Lipsitz has never had a team like this. Now in his fourth year at Charlotte, the Chapel Hill graduate has assembled a group of 30 women with more talent and skill than any other previous team in Lipsitz's tenure.

Celebrations were abundant on the UNC Charlotte campus this week, as returning and new Niners moved back onto campus. These glad times lead to Monday and the first day of classes so UNCC threw one more eventful day for the students so they may savor the lack of responsibility and enjoy the last day of summer.

Hailey Beam likes to start off on the right foot. The junior midfielder, who was MVP of the 2007 A-10 Tournament, showed her leadership on the field, scoring two of the Niners' four goals in Charlotte's opening weekend of soccer and helping the team to a 1-1 record.

The volleyball, men's soccer and cross country seasons all begin this upcoming weekend for the Charlotte 49ers. All three teams will hit the road to open the 2008 season throughout the state of North Carolina.

Eight was the magic number this summer. The 29th Olympiad began on the eighth day of the eighth month of the year 2008 in a nation that believes the number eight promises success. For U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, eight was the number of gold medals he wanted to have around his neck when he left Beijing.

They came from near and far, bringing boxes and bags to haul up the Himalaya-sized staircases. Ready to move into their beloved dorms, they brought with them frustrated parents, worries, tensions and what each of them needed to survive. Move-in day, this age-old tradition, struck fear into the hearts of all resident college students.

Are you an international student? Confused about all those documents? Don't know what the blue card is? What's the SSN? Make sure you attend the international student orientation next semester if you missed it this fall to answer all your questions.

A good action movie has excitement, heart-pounding music and a lot of explosions. All of which can be found in the latest Hollywood remake, "Death Race."

Eric Hutchinson's album "Sounds Like This," is an interesting album name. You don't know what Eric Hutchinson sounds like? You are definitely missing out. It's a diverse plethora of style pouring from the heart of Eric Hutchinson. This is Hutchinson's third album and his talents are as diverse and entertaining on it as ever.

College is a learning experience in more ways than academics alone; my freshman year was proof of that. However, it seems to me that I ended up learning "the hard way" on too many occurrences.

The university does a great deal toward providing safety and security for students. There is only so much that the university can do toward making the university a safer place. They do a lot about giving us the security that we have though.

I am pleased to address our university community as Student Body Vice President. This is an exciting time for UNC Charlotte. The 2008-2009 academic year will pose many challenges. This year, Niners will witness the implementation of a new college, the College of Arts and Architecture. Also, coming in mid-September, the Board of Trustees will cast their votes for or against Charlotte football.

Walking through the door of my first 4000-level class was much harder than I believe this course will be. A Practicum in Translating Spanish marks the first of many Senior-level courses to come, and it's off to a great start. No more than a week ago I was talking with some friends about this class and the weight of what I was actually about to start began to settle; the thought had crossed my mind to drop the class, but I'm glad I didn't!

Mirsad Hadzikadic, former dean of the college of Computing and Informatics is taking a year's leave to attend the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, leaving his position open. Until a new dean can be hired, Professor Bei-Tseng "Bill" Chu will be stepping in as Interim Dean.