Tech Alumnus Finds His Iconic Wreck Logo on Pi Mile Shirt
By: Sharita Hanley | Categories: Alumni Interest
When Shawn Hairston, NE 83, saw the Pi Mile T-shirt for this year’s race, he stopped in his tracks. There it was—his logo of the Ramblin’ Wreck in motion.
As a student, Hairston was a member of the Ramblin’ Reck Club. “I’ve always had an affinity for the Wreck,” he says. “And I’ve always loved logos. In another life, I think I would have been a marketer. I just love branding and visuals.”
That drive, and a bit of creative envy after seeing a Purdue locomotive logo in motion, sparked an idea. “I saw what Purdue had done and said, ‘Hey, I want to steal that,’” Hairston says, laughing. He partnered with Marya Vernon Elrod to bring the concept to life. “I didn’t draw it. My contributions were insisting the flags flapped and adding some velocity vectors.” Once finished, the logo made its debut as part of the 1995 “Wreck and Roll” football season campaign.
For years, the design quietly faded into oblivion, only making occasional appearances. Then scrolling through Instagram, Hairston saw the logo again on an Alumni Association social media post, featuring the Pi Mile T-shirt. “I signed up for the race immediately. I just had to have that shirt.”
Although this was Hairston’s first time running the Dean George C. Griffin Pi Mile 5K Road Race, the experience moved him. “I’m 63, and running is not a good thing for my knees, but walking the race gave me a new perspective. Seeing the new parts of campus was a real treat.”
Campus has changed a lot since Hairston walked Ferst Drive to the Cherry Emerson Building. New dorms have been built where lawns once stretched, and student life now pulses across every corner of West Campus. “When I was a student, that whole side of campus didn’t even exist. Now, you could live your whole Tech life over there.”
Walking Pi Mile gave Hairston a clear look at Tech’s forward momentum.
“This place never stops evolving,” he says. “Buildings, students, ideas—it’s all in motion.” That’s exactly what his logo captured, years ago.
Like the Wreck he reimagined, Tech remains in motion. Moving onward and upward.
Did You Know?
Thomas K. Gaylord (pictured center), Regents’ Professor in Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has participated in the last 20 Pi Mile 5K Road Races with his students. In 2025, he placed first in the Men’s 80+ category and finished in 41 minutes and 19 seconds. “The weather was ideal, and my students and I enjoyed it. It was great camaraderie.”
