ace of diamonds phi gamma delta New Personnel on Board of Chapter Advisors By Bryan Hamann (EI 2012) Important Dates: Chuck Norris’s Birthday March 10th National Bunsen Burner Day March 31st 53rd Anniversary of the Bay of Pigs Invasion April 17th 2014 Epsilon Iota Open June 7th Spring 2014 After many years of dedicating himself to the service of the Epsilon Iota Chapter, Brother Scott Gurgol (EI 2003) announced his resignation as the Chairman of the Board of Chapter Advisors in August 2013 As the newly appointed Chairman, I hope that I, like Brother Gurgol, may show our Chapter that Phi Gamma Delta is “truly not for college days alone.” Many of you are aware of the changes that have been made within the University of Evansville’s Greek System. These changes have substantially removed University supervision of the fraternities. To assist with this issue, as well as the relative youth of the chapter, I’ve been pushing to increase the level of graduate involvement within the chapter. The Purple Legionnaire needs some help. Local advisors were appointed for all of the major committees, and all BCA advisors received a list of expectations that they are required to meet. Those expectations included a one year commitment to the Board, required attendance at one BCA meeting per year and one chapter meeting per year, at least monthly contact with their undergraduate committee chair and a financial contribution to the Chapter or HTOT. Within a few days of these changes being implemented, a positive effect on the Chapter’s recruitment efforts could be observed. In addition to PL Jeremy Buente (EI 2008), rush BCA chair Ryan Cramer (EI 2012) and I, numerous graduate brothers were in attendance at various recruitment events this fall, contributing to the phenomenally successful results the chapter experienced in the fall. The emphasis has since shifted to pledge education chair David Reidford (EI 2011) and brotherhood development chair Peter Hanscom (EI 2010) to assimilate the new recruits into the chapter. They have both been in close contact with their undergrad counterparts, and I have complete faith in their success. If you have any questions or suggestions for the undergraduate committees or would like to assist the undergraduate chapter in any way, please let me know by emailing me at bph153@gmail.com. I hope I can fill the shoes of Brother Gurgol, and I look forward to working with all of you in the future. \r\npage 2 Once More, With Blackack Despite seven years of strong service at the Cambridge Country Club, the drive out to northern Vanderburgh County proved to be too much for the Evansville FIJI grads. The 2013 Epsilon Iota Pig Dinner, which took place on November 2nd, was moved to its new location at the Tropicana Casino. This choice has already paid serious dividends for grads and undergrads alike. Contributing to a more event-style weekend, we can look forward to future years of successful gatherings in our new digs overlooking the Ohio River. As grads filtered into Evansville from distant locales on the Friday before the big night, a sizable group of them and their families met at the Newburgh Turoni’s to reconnect. After healthy doses of pizza and beer and catching up, most of the attendees called it a night in preparation for the long day ahead. However, some grads were happy to peel off and put in some early gambling time. Many dozens of blackjack hands later, Joe Setnor (EI 2007) had learned that gambling is…just great, while his brother Shane (EI 2005) learned that a threat to split 20 is always a bad idea. The weekend was planned by Andrew Meyer (EI 2015) around UE’s fall homecoming, which provided a full slate of activities for grads on the day of Pig Dinner. The university had set up a street festival around the downtown Ford Center, where Will Snider (EI 2006) could be seen devouring funnel cakes and crooked carnival games. Later that afternoon, the Purple Aces men’s basketball team would be playing the PrairieStars of Illinois-Springfield. Several FIJI’s were on hand to see the Aces pull out a victory, and more importantly, to see Eric Stoessel (EI 2014) be crowned homecoming king. His first act as the new ruler of UE was to reduce the length of the second half, ensuring that all FIJI’s in attendance made it back to the Tropicana on time for Pig Dinner. Tensions were running high that night in the Tropicana banquet hall. The new venue was smaller, there was only one bar, and a button had come off of my blazer. However, thanks to the stellar organizational skills of Brother Meyer and the poise and talent of the Tropicana staff, the dinner came off without a hitch. Master of Ceremonies Jon Kissel (EI 2006) started the night with some solid jokes, leading into a dinner universally recognized as delicious. Keynote speaker and admired Phi Gam Josh Zars (EI 2006) implored the assembled masses to remember why FIJI is worth serving, and what they can do to serve her. Joe Weist (Rose Hulman 1987, EI 2001) informed us of the many goings-on in the Purple Valley of Indiana, including plans for the upcoming 166th Ekklesia to be held in Indianapolis. To close the night, awards were given to outstanding FIJI’s. Adam Barga (EI 2014) was given the Geoff Keller Sweetest Influence award, and Bryan Hamann (EI 2012) was given the Grad Brother of the Year award, for his efforts as new chairman of the BCA. After we adjourned, some three dozen brothers swarmed the casino, where bets were placed and bones were rolled. Special thanks go out to brothers Meyer and Zars for their roles in making this Pig Dinner one to remember. The Tropicana was a tremendous hit, offering a central location for a spectacular weekend. The hope is that an increasing number of grads take part in the future. We look forward to see you all again next year. Graham Paxton (EI 2003) (third from left) and his Greek little brothers Josh Zars, Sean Riley (EI 2005), and Josh Holland (EI 2006). \r\npage 3 Have You Heard The Good News? AJ Lichlyter (EI 2007) and Shannon Williams were married in June. Graham Paxton (EI 2003) and wife Becca welcomed their second daughter, Elizabeth, in July. Nick Seibert (EI 2012) is now employed as the Development Coordinator for the Florida Orchestra in Tampa. Brandon Reynolds (EI 2008) received his Master’s degree in Anthropology and Historical Archaeology from the University of Nevada, Reno. He is now employed as a field archaeologist for the Louis Berger Group. Over Christmas, he and Jenny Foster were engaged to be married. Everything’s coming up Reynolds. Josh Zars (EI 2006) received his Masters degree in Agricultural Economics from Purdue in August. Daniel Kinser (EI 2009) and Jessica Carver celebrated their marriage in August. Wes Bishop (EI 2011) was hired by the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme as an Assistant Language Teacher. Since July, he is residing in Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka, Japan. As of November, he and Julia Rigby are engaged to be married. Chris (EI 2002) and Kathy Cook were married in September. Nate Biondi with his fiancé Taylor Hamilton Kathryn Hay, wife of Kevin Hay (EI 2006), gave birth to their second daughter, Lillian, in June. Joe (EI 2007) and Laura Setnor celebrated the birth of their second son, Maverick, in September. Rance Brown (EI 2006) was named assistant athletic director at Harrison High School in Evansville. James Will (EI 2010) received his Master’s degree in History and Philosophy of Science from Indiana University in May. Jordan Chapman (EI 2013) has been hired as an account representative with State Farm Insurance in Evansville. Tom Topper (EI 2004) graduated from St. Louis University as a Physician’s Assistant in December and was certified in January. Nate Biondi (EI 2012) and Taylor Hamilton were engaged to be married in December. In January, Josh Holland (EI 2004) and wife Erica celebrated the birth of Noah, their third child and first son. Jason Wallers (EI 2008) and Ryan Treml were engaged to be married in December. Ryan Ebersole (EI 2010) and Jessie Kemp were married in January. What’s Distracting FIJI’s? This issue, the Ace of Diamonds caught up with Chris Childers (EI 2010). My distractions are all geared toward relieving the stress generated from engineering grad school. In ascending order of aggression: Chris Childers (left) with Matt Mueller (EI 2012) I recently just finished my first 5k run and have been training for a second. Though the season has since ended, the high-powered collisions of the NFL were a great diversion on Sundays. I’m a big Patriots fan. When I can’t find and giant men smashing into each other, I turn to Battlefield 4. A first-person shooter video game is great for working out any frustrations. A virtual gun is just not enough for the most brain-tweaking of engineering projects. The ultimate in stress relief is heading to a shooting range and pulling off a few dozen rounds with my Ruger SR40. No foul-mouthed 12-year olds criticizing my aim, either. \r\nA Letter From The President Brothers, My name is Ben Broadhead and I am very pleased and excited to greet you as the newly elected president of Epsilon Iota. Before I get started, I would like to tell you all a bit about myself. I am a junior accounting major from nearby Boonville, Indiana and previously served as chairman of Recruitment and Service. I am extremely optimistic about the future of Epsilon Iota and look forward to building on the solid foundation that has been laid by the outgoing cabinet. The fall semester of 2013 was an extremely important one for our chapter. With less than 25 active brothers coming into the semester, numbers were becoming a legitimate concern. As a result, recruitment was the primary focus of the chapter from May to September. As chairman (with the help of co-chair and former president Austin Lauer (EI 2014)), I oversaw a complete reconstruction of the Epsilon Iota recruitment program, implementing a dynamic system and increasing the goals, expectations, and obligations of all brothers. All of our hard work paid off when twenty-one men signed their bids to pledge Phi Gamma Delta on Passover Night, becoming the Kappa Deuteron pledge class. Three weeks later, three more men signed bids, thus creating the Lambda Deuteron pledge class. In all, our twenty-four fall signings were the second most on campus. Graduate guidance and assistance played an instrumental role in our recruitment success. Jeremy Buente, Bryan Hamann, and Ryan Cramer ran weekly meetings with brothers to discuss recruitment tactics/strategies, and were fixtures at the house throughout the entire process. Many other graduate brothers also donated their time and money to the recruitment effort. We could not have done it without them and are very grateful for their dedication. In October, Epsilon Iota parlayed its recruitment triumphs into woeful performances in intramurals. JR Peters (EI 2015) was our only IM champion, becoming the first African-American to win UE’s annual racquetball tournament. However, what we lacked on the court, we made up for in the classroom, claiming the highest fraternity GPA (3.25) on campus for the second straight semester. We are also well on our way to achieving our Hot-Tub-A-Thon fundraising goal of $14,000, and hope to see many of you at the actual event in April. While we are very pleased with what the chapter was able to accomplish this fall, the new cabinet and I are eager to make some positive changes this spring. Our primary focus will be to increase the output and efficiency of our committees. Committee heads will receive checklists that explicitly lay out what they need to accomplish by certain dates. Expectations will be made clear and chairmen will be held accountable if their committee fails to meet the new standards. Recruitment and scholarship will also continue to be priorities for the chapter. We intend to expand our base of resources, and put the programs in place to ensure that we have the largest pledge class and highest GPA on campus year in and year out. By the end of 2015, our goal is to not only be the largest and most active fraternity at UE, but also to be recognized as one of the best FIJI chapters in the entire country. Our goals are ambitious, but we are confident that they are both realistic and attainable. The new abinet is highly motivated and ready to do whatever it takes to elevate Epsilon Iota to the next level and beyond. Please feel free to contact me with any questions as they arise. I am extremely humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead this chapter, and will constantly strive to uphold the values that make Phi Gamma Delta so great. Fraternally, Ben Broadhead (EI 2015) Phone: (812) 629-8373 Email: jb568@evansville.edu Perge! Jon Kissel, Ace of Diamonds editor jonkissel1848@gmail.com Hot-Tub-O-Thon information phigamhtot@gmai.com Phi Gamma Delta 227 S. Lincoln Park Drive Evansville, IN 47714 Visit Epsilon Iota on the web at www.eifiji.org deepC is the musical alias of brother Geoff Keller. His music can be found on iTunes, and for exclusive deepC merchandise check out the new deepC shop: http://www.deepc.bigcartel.com/ 90% of proceeds will be donated to the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS)www.mhaus.org