ECrtvrrn JUl 2 0 1998 Gamma Phi of Phi Gamma Delta at The Pennsylvania State University State College, Pa.• June 1998 The Press is On From the House Corporation AND Gamma Phi Alumni Association By Dave Young '66, House Corporation President The Gamma Phi House Corporation and the Gamma Phi Alumni Association hold two formal meetings per year, one on Homecoming Saturday and one in the spring, the Saturday of Blue-White weekend. Graduate brothers who have been involved have been active participants for several years. While no one has said he doesn't want to remain active, we are looking for new blood. Old blood or young blood, the only qualification is that you are a Gamma Phi and can make a meeting in State College or another location from time to time. Interested or want to know more? Contact Dave Young '66 at 717-737-4765. The recent Pig Dinner on Blue-White weekend was a great success (see related article. Page 2). The chapter house looked great, the weather was good, and Fiji hospitality was terrific! It was great to see Blair Husted '49, Rocky Kern '44, Dave "Bear" Clark '63, Dave Titus '64, Harry Streamer '63, George Bentrem '61, Wes Boschert '75, Hal Wilson '51, Vince Trapani '76, Mike M^ische '76, Tom Cooper 76, and Steve Petrosino '74. We'll look for more ofyou next year. By Matthew Nee '99, Chapter President From my own personal experience and from mput from graduate brothers, I know our chapter has seen many ups and downs in our storied history. Through persistence, guidance from brothers before us, and eagerness ol the newfr initiated brothers, we are achieving goals we never dared believe were possible. I urge all ofyou to make the trip to The Pennsylvania State University and see the state ol the house lor yourself. At the Greek Oscars held on Thursday, April 23, our chapter received the House Aesthetics award from the Interfraternili Council. The award was given to the fraternilj' house with the best appearance and improve ment inside and outside. We take great |)ride in the tippearance of our house and feel that it reflects the tone and attitude ol our brotherhood. Our chapter has also made a renewed commitment to being involved in the Interfraternity Council, which represents one of the largest Greek systems in the world. We currentK have one brother as a standing committee chairman and seven other brothers sening on committees and/or the board of control. Our renewed involvement has strengthened our position in the Greek system, and we plan on moving ahead each year. Trying hard to distinguish ourselves as "elite," our chapter has also started a program with the Big Brothers program in State College. Eveiy other Sunday, approximately 20-30 underpri\ ileged boys come to the Lodge where brothers spend a tew hours pla\'ing games, talking and being role models for them. The kids love the program and it has been a very gratifying experience that has also given us some notable recognition. Continued, Page 2 Attention, Graduate Brothers! Doyou remember any interesting, humorous or exciting memories and comments with the undergraduate and graduate stories from your days as an undergraduate brother or as a pledge? Do any specific events that occurred during your days in the Hummel Fishburn Lodge still remain strongly entrenched in your memory, as if they happened yesterday? Have you had any significant experiences as a Phi Gam since graduation? Ifyou have recently been back to the Lodge, how do you feel about the recent improvements made in the house? We,the undergraduate brothers, are interested in your experiences as a Phi Gam — before and since you left school. We want to hear your comments on the current status of the Gamma Phi chapter. You now have the opportunity to share your brothers through The Nittany Fiji, as a column entitled Graduate Voicej will be dedicated solely to you, the graduate brother. In Graduate Voiced, you can express these memories, tell us ofyour recent experiences, or comment on the current status of the Lodge. Ifyou have any memories as a Fiji or comments on the chapter that you would like to share, send them to us and they may be published in the next issue of The Nittany Fiji. The articles can be as long as you wish, so please elaborate. We want to hear your stories, so send them to us at Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity, P.O. Box 296, State College, PA 16804-0296. \r\nPage 2 June 1998 Spring 1998 Norris Pig Dinner a Success Chapter Officers By Lance Appleman '99, Norris Pig Dinner Chairman President Alatthew D.Nee '99 Arnold, Pa. Business Logistics Treasurer Richard J. Floiuider,) Jr. '99 iVlarpIe, Pa. Finance and International Business y now, 1 am sure that nearly everyone who actually takes the time to read the articles does so more 'out of obligation than out of interest. No matter what the situation or event seemed to be, there was always an article for everyone to read that stated that everything went great or that numbers and partici pation were high or that the future of Gamma Phi looks so much brighter thanks to such-and-such an B event. This type of article was necessary a few years ago because there really was not that much to be said about these events. This year, however, there is no need for a nice, fluff-filled article on the Norris Pig Dinner. This year s dinner was a certifiable success. Eleven graduate brothers joined us for this year s dinner, making it, by far, the highest turnout we have had in recent years.(For those ofyou who are not as impressed by 11 as we are, we invite you to join us next year to make that number grow even more.) The numbers, however, were only one of the things that made this dinner a success. The graduate brothers who were able to Recording Secretary David SoboLik Jr. '98 Arnold, Pa. Business Logistics Corresponding Secretary Ryan T. Black '99 Montoursville, Pa. Business Logistics Historian Cbruttophcr J. Strom '99 Harleysville, Pa. Political Science Spring 98Pledges Ryan J. Fritch '01 Hermitage, Pa. Division of Undergraduate attend were from a large time-span: the class of 1944 to the class of 1978. Going into this dinner, how well and how much the graduates and the undergraduates would interact was a great concern of mine, but that concern was soon laid to rest. These graduate brothers were an extremely charismatic group and the undergraduates took to them instantly. We spent the rest of the night just laughing and having fun trading stories about our experiences at the Lodge. 1 took a great deal of pride in the fact that the graduate brothers could not say enough about how great the house looked and how happy they were to see the direction in which things were headed. However, the biggest surprise to come out of this dinner would not be revealed until later. During the next few days following the dinner, we received word that donations totaling $15,000 had been made for the establishment of the endowment fund that Mike Mische '76 and Dave Young '66 had described during the dinner. 1 am not sure if it is proper etiquette to mention the donors' names, but 1 would personally like to thank you two gentlemen. All of us here know who you are. 1 would also like to once again thank everyone who took time out of his busy schedule to come spend the day with us. We really enjoyed having you and look forward to seeing you again any time that you are able to stop by. To our other graduate brothers who were either unable or unwilling to come see us this year, 1 ask that you make a sincere effort to return to Gamma Phi next year. All of the undergraduates have worked hard to make Phi Gamma Delta one of the top fraternities at Penn State, but we also realize that good under graduate-graduate relations are essential for any fraternity to achieve its lull potential. We look forward to the opportunity to work with all ofyou as we strive to achieve our goals. Studies Jonathan K. Whitemght '01 Titusville, N.J. Business n v.. 'p 'M Nittany Fiji is published for the Graduate and undergraduate brothers assemble at the Lodge for a successful Norris Pig Dinner. members and friends of the Gamma Phi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity at The Pennsylvania State University. Address changes, news items, photographs and contributions are always welcome and may be sent in the enclosed envelope or mailed to Graduate Records Office, Phi Gamma Delta Frater nity, P.O. Box 296, State College, PA 16804-0296. The Press Is On FROM Page 1 Constantly striving for excellence. Gamma Phi has also applied for the Condon Gup, which is awarded to the chapter of Phi Gamma Delta that has made the most improvement in the past year. It will be presented at the 150th Ekklesia held in August in Pittsburgh, Pa. Countless hours were spent document ing all of the improvements that we made. The brotherhood is confident of our chances, and we refuse to stop trying until we attain it. As I hope you see, we currently have a great group of men representing friendship, knowledge, service, morality and excellence at Gamma Phi. We feel that we are only beginning, though, and have big plans lor the future. Once again, we would be delighted to have all of you come visit lor homecoming, Pig Dinner, or any other free time that you have. Bring your family here and proudly show them where you spent your college days. Come see the quality of men we recruit to carry on the great traditions you have left at Hummel Fishburn Ixtdge. You will not be disappointed. \r\nNittany Fiji Page 3 Continued Restoration Vincent H. Trapani'76 AT THE Lodge Steps Forward By Jonathan Moses '00, House Manager By Michael Mische '76, Purple Legionnaire Vincent H. Trapani '76 recently made a significant gift to Gamma Phi. Brother Trapani, who affiliated with the Gamma Phi chapter in 1974, recently returned to the Lodge for this year's Frank Norris Pig Dinner. Through the years, he has Several more stages of the $100,000 house improvement project have been completed during the course of the spring 1998 semester. These improvements have greatly enhanced the appear ance of the interior of the house. The new carpet installation has been completed in all areas of the remained a loyal Fiji, and he immediately recognized the improvements in the chapter and in the quality of the brother house, including the television room and the main staircase. In addition, all of the wooden floors throughout the first floor have been hood who now call 319 N. Burrowes home. He stated, "This completely sanded and refinished. Industrial tile was also installed in contribution is made in recognition of the outstanding efforts of Mike Mische '76, Dave Young '66, Wes Boschert '75 and all the graduate and undergraduate brothers who participated in the spectacular renovation of the interior and exterior of the Fiji house. I also congratulate the graduate and undergraduate the common area of the second floor. brothers who have successfully recruited an impressive group of corners of the dining room on elevated shelves. intelligent, articulate and \vell-mannered j'oung men into the Fiji brotherhood. The interaction between these young men and the returning gi'aduates at the recent Pig Dinner was truly uplifting." The showers on the third floor have finally been restored to working order and all the steel doors in the Brother Trapani s stipulation was that the donation be used to procure new dining room tables and chairs, which were sorely needed. Accordingly, we have ordered custom-made, commer cial grade oak tables and chairs (made by Amish furniture makers) to be delivered this August. The tables are stained, reinforced and finished with polyurethane to help ensure long life. Vince resides in San Francisco. He is a partner in the investment banking firm Hales Capital Advisors, LLC. The father of an 8-year-old daughter, Julianne, Vince is also godfather to Michael Mische II, the son of Purple Legionnaire Mike Mische '76. Please join us in thanking Vince for his outstand ing loyalty and contribution. Along with the new carpet, the television room now features a permanent entertainment stand with locking doors. This stand houses the new television and also features the new CD player/ amplifier. New stereo speakers have also been mounted in the north house have been hung. All patchwork and painting on the third floor has been completed. The second floor patchwork and painting has been completed with the exception of the baseboards. Also, new paneling was installed by the mailbox and house phone on the second floor. Still to come in the future is the renovation of the basement and kitchen areas. Also, all of the new doors in the house still have to be painted. This work will most likely be completed over the course of the summer. We encourage all graduate brothers to stop by the lodge anytime you are in the area. We are sure you will be impressed with all of the improvements. Phi Gams Set Philanthropy Goals By Michael Burdick '99, Philanthropy Chair Gamma Phi made it a goal in the 1997-98year to increase our contributions to the community. We had two major projects on which we wanted to work. The first was to start working with the Big Brothers program of Centre County. The other project was to bring back the "Fiji Run" for the first time in eight years. In November 1997, we undergraduate brothers became aware that there was a long list of children waiting for "big brothers.' Participation in other programs such as the Pi Kappa Alpha Softball Challenge and the Kappa Delta Twister has sparked an interest in a Phi Gamma Delta-sponsored philanthropic event. After extensive research, we discovered that inyears past, the "Fiji Run " had been held annually between the Fijis at Penn State and the Fijis at Pitt. The event consisted of a football being transported by trotting Phi Cams from either Pitt to Penn State or vice versa, depending on where the football game that year was being held. Funds raised along the way were donated to a selected charity. The brothers have recently initiated attempts to get the "Fiji Run" started Socially responsible Phi Cams decided to help these children. The brothers and representatives from the Big Brothers program worked on a schedule by which Fijis could help. liach weekend for a few hours, 15 to 25youngsters who were on the Big Brothers waiting list, came out to the Lodge to spend quality time with the brother hood. Activities included playing basketball, whiffleball and \ ideo games as well as working with arts and crafts. The program was a and to once again turn it into an annual event. success and will be continued in the fall 1998 semester. be beneficial in the upward march of Phi Gamma Delta. The brotherhood has taken many steps to make the Hummel Fishburn Ixidge the best house on campus. We believe that the philanthropic projects on which the brothers have been working will \r\nPage 4 June 1998 GnuimteVckes when he wrote in December '97, Albert D. McGrew '20 (121 Lxjs daughter Stephanie will be relocating to New Jersey this summer. Cedros, Kerrville, TX 78028) told us he would be 100 on January 22. "Feel real bad about leaving sunny Florida, but is a great career opportunity." At age 78, John W.Hnrkins '42(6 Elasy St., Selinsgrove, PA 17870) doesn't get to the chapter house much, but he has attended the pig dinners over the years. He and his wife now spend a lot of time with their seven grandchildren. A Lutheran pastor, John serves both the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the St. Paul Sophie and Samuel D.Shelanski '81 were married on June 21, 1997. Their new address is 113 Gleneagles Dr., Blue Bell, PA 19422. Sam is a vice president at Product Investigations, Inc., a clinical research facility. Lutheran Church. Donald W.Peck '48 (296 Mojave West, Lake Quivira, KS 66106) enjoys singing with the internationally ranked Kawoas City Heart of After serving 10years in the Marines as a helicopter pilot, Alichael E. Sweitzer '87(303 Kenilworth Rd., Ridgewood, NJ 07450) turned in his flight wings for a suit. He is now an emplo^'ee resources America Barbershop Chorus. He also likes to golf and travel. manager in Manhattan for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Michael is "glad to hear about how the house is being fixed. Michael would like "Keep up the good work," writes William P. Mallory '49, who adds,"your AtftoryEyi'inspired me to make another gift. It certainly is a far cry from what we produced in the late '40s. " Bill, who lives at Matt Bell '87 and Stu Helgeson '88 to contact him. 91 San Juan Dr. U-2, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082, says that Tom Beaver '47 lives three houses away part of the year. J. Cull '93. Kevin is a student at the Stern School ot Business Wedding bells rang on December .51 lor Kimberley David and Kevin (kjc215@stern.nyu.edu). His mailing address on file is 26 A'laine St., Toms River, NJ 08753. George S. Wills '58 is president/CEO of Wills & Associates, a public affairs/government relations counsel. His son, Bradford, is executive vice president. George and wife Suzanne have been married 38 years and have two other grown children. They live at Jeffrey W.Potter '96 (248 Seventh Ave.. Swarthmore, PA 19081) is a health and physical education teacher at the Beverly Hills Middle School in Upper Darby. He also coaches the wrestling and lacrosse 7914 Sherwood Ave., Ruxton, MD 21204. teams. "Potts " tells us that his brother, Steve 92, is a sales represen "It certainly sounds [like] we all owe a lot of appreciarion to Michael Mische '76 for his great efforts to get the chapter house and brothers back on track," writes W.John Soost '62(22 Egret Cir., Denver, PA 17517; jacketi@ptdprolog.net). He is a technical director for Eastern Technologies, Inc. Jack enjoys visiting brothers from members of the Delta Force. " tative for Southco."We are both dong line and would love to hear Since publication of our last issue, we have also learned of the death of Frederic S. Dubbs 21 and as he travels. In March 1997, while in Austin, Texas, he was treated Raymond W.Parks Jr.'44 (5/1/97). Phi Gamma Delta mourns to a "fine dinner" by Edith and Robert Sponeybarger '62. their passing and extends condolences to their family and friends* After 20 years of farming, David W.Paxson III '74 (37429 65th Ave., Cannon Falls, MN 55009) got his teaching cerrificate and is now teaching computers to first through fifth graders. Last summer David visited classmate Dennis Denard, and still keeps in touch with another classmate, Bruce Allen. SEPpMBERi 1 Steven P. Petrosino '74 (8815 Tayport Dr., Dublin, OH 43017; petrosino@juno.com) is a senior oncology medica! consultant at the 12 BOWLING'GREEl 19 at Pittsburgh firm of Hoechst Marion Roussel. A lieutenant colonel in the Marine 26 Open ' Reserves, he plans to test for his black belt in Tae Kwon Do Karate in July. Steve would like to hear from Walter A. Jones '75 (38 Pine Grove, Summit, NJ 07901) and Bob Funk '75 (9700 W. Golf Bank, Houston, TX 77040). 5''"'s.JV11SSI^S1PTP, October ' 3 at Ohio State 10 at Alinnesota 17 PURDUE - Homecoming John Metzger 76 (281 Kipling Ct., Heathrow, FL 32746) has 24 Open accepted a position with Security Capital Group (real estate 31 investment trust) as senior vice president. He, wife Alargaret, and ILLINOIS November 7 at Alichigan 14 northwestern 21 at Wisconsin 28 MICHIGAN STATE