TheHokie Fiji A Publication of Rho Alpha of Phi Gamma Delta Rho Alpha Virginia Tech Fall / Winter 1988 Brother Bob Dix: A Commitment To Excellence In this year of the Quest for Excellence, Rho Alpha can proudly boast of Robert Dix, the newest member of the Vienna, Virginia town council. In an election held last May, Bob came in second in a five candidate race for three open positions on the council. In missing the top spot by only 53 votes, Brother Dix became part of a six man council that assists the Mayor in serving the town of Vienna. As a member of the council, his duties include budget planning, zoning review, decisions on land use in the town, and changes in town ordinances. These duties, performed in meetings and workshops held every Monday, add about 15 to 20 hours to an already busy work 'veek. In addition to serving on the town Council, Bob also works full time for the JKJ family as director of Fleet Leasing and Sales, in Tyson's Corner, Virginia. But when the work day is done, Bob's activities do not end. His ambitious nature does not allow him much leisure time. In his off hours, Brother Dix also serves as the Chairman of the Vienna Centennial Committee. Since its inception in 1986, the committee has been responsible for planning events for the 100th anniversary of Vienna's incorporated township in 1990. Bob's other service activities include being the Vice President of Financial Resources for the Tenth District Congressional Awards Council, and a football coach for the Vienna Youth League. Bob's interest in community service through public office came from his involvement in other community activities. These include being President of both the Vienna Youth League and the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, and Vice President of the Vienna Jaycees. His current council position is up for reelection in 1990, and when approached about plans for running for Mayor, he replied that he had not planned that far in advance. In any case, Rho Alpha congratulates Bob Dix on his own Quest for Excellence. \r\nPresident's Message Brothers: It is with a great deal of pride that I write to you concerning the state of Rho Alpha, and I am happy to say that the Chapter is still on the rise and is striving to achieve the high ideals of Phi Gamma Delta. At the time of this writing, the chapter consists of 32 brothers and 7 pledges, and with a successful Spring Rush, I envision our numbers reaching 50 to 55 by year's end. Our increased size make it possible to do much more for ourselves, for the campus, and for the community. Already this year our brothers, your brothers, have been involved in taking underprivileged children trick-or-treating on Halloween, and fund raising for the Lukemia Foundation. This Christmas we will be involved with the Downtown Merchants of Blacksburg in making an old-fashioned Christmas for the people of the community, by staging a "Santa's Workshop" display in a local business. The Chapter house has been steadily upgraded over the past few months, through the hard work of the Rho Alpha House Corporation under Danny Kallick and the help of graduate and undergraduate brothers. The old window at the top of the stairs has been replaced with a new double-pained window, thanks to Steve Snyder, and we hope to gradually replace the rest of the windows in the house as well. The brothers have also replaced the insulation and the flooring in the attic, which should further help to lower our energy costs. On another front, the Board of Chapter Advisors is currently in the process of organizing the Rho Alpha Educational Foundation, a non-profit organization which will accept tax-free graduate donations and make scholarship awards to undergraduate brothers based on superior scholastic achievement. Eventually, we would like to offer a modest scholarship to incoming male freshmen at Virginia Tech. What a Rush tool! In closing, I would like to extend a special invitation to those Brothers who, for one reason or another, have not been able to make it to Blacksburg in the last few years. If you have lost touch with the Chapter, please come back and rediscover Rho Alpha. I am proud to say that our Chapter is breaking new ground every day, and I urge every graduate to become a part of it. Morris Pig Dinner is April 22nd; I'll see you there. Fraternally, Mike Maret ('89) Chapter President Perge' House Corp News Hi there, Ho there! Just a short paragraph to let you know how things are going. The reformed 7 man House Corporation has been moving along pretty well. Highlights include (1) the new budget where we pay the utilities of the house, liability and the usual maintenance work with the undergraduates chipping in a parlor fee every month; (2) the accumulation of all governing documents regarding our chapter and HC; (3) good discussions on payback of bonds, financing and adopting a 5 and 10 year plan on the House; and (4) a Secretary with a paper fetish. We are currently grappling with House modifications and a new Chapter house, neighbor problems, and looking forward to Norris Pig Dinner (April 22). I hope all of you can come to NPD r discuss the budget adoption. Lastly, for all of you_ who are not on the distribution list for the quarterly HC meetings, all it takes is a small $30 donation to the HC to get on. This way you get proxy votes on any matter voted. Please contact me at any time to discuss anything you have on your mind. In your Fraternal service, Perge' Danny Kallick('80) House Corp President The Hokie Fiji A Pub! icalion of Rho Alpha of Phi Gamma Delta Rho Alpha Editors Virginia Tech Fall/ Winter 1988 Tom O'Brien Kevin McGuire The Hokie Fiji newsletter is published every semester by the Rho Alpha Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and is distributed through direct mail service to Phi Gamma Delta Chapters across the United States and Canada. Rho Alpha Graduate Brothers, interested Virginia an Fijis, and other interested non-Phi Gams (by request only). All Contributions-—' and inquiries should be sent to Graduate Relations Chairman, Phi Gamma Delta, 202 Church Street, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24060-4084 \r\nBCA News Here I am, sitting at my computer terminal \ dng a BCA President's message for the undergraduate newsletter. I don't want to write the same boring drivel that usually goes in these spaces because I'm tired of that and you are going to get it anyway in the forthcoming BCA newsletter. I could write something deeply profound and intelligent, but that would be even easier. I could discuss the reason for Nasty Jones' hatred of the Wahoos, but that would involve writing about several bizarre "potty training" episodes from his childhood that are best left unprinted. So instead, I am going to write about a particular area of Rho Alpha that I feel has become even more outstanding than in the past. Hospitality. During the last year and a half, but especially this Fall, the undergraduate brothers of Rho Alpha have done an extraordinary job of making visitors, most notably graduate brothers, feel very welcome. I have visited the Chapter several times this year. I each of my visits, the newer brothers and pledges introduced themselves to me with an enthusiasm that made me believe they were actually glad to meet me. I was treated like a friend instead of a stranger, which can sometimes happen to the graduate brothers. On one of my trips, I brought a friend who had never been to Virginia Tech or visited a Fiji chapter before. After visit, he remarked on what a good time he had and how every one of the Rho Alpha Fijis made him feel at home. The events of Homecoming were well organized and the pledges' breakfast on Saturday at the Tech-UVa game was greatly appreciated. I think it is the high "Chapter Tone" that is making the Chapter more hospitable than ever before. For those graduates who have not been to Rho Alpha in a while, stop in for a visit. You will enjoy it. The BCA itself is quietly at work. As usual, we will put out four newsletters this year. The second one will be arriving at Christmas time. I am pleased with the work of the BCA advisors; I have been receiving contact reports on a fairly regular basis. I have visited the Chapter several times this year, and I feel they are doing extremely well. The Chapter is working very hard to improve scholarship, which has been an issue for Rho Alpha of late. As graduate brothers, I feel we can help in this area by visiting the Chapter and discussing the issue with the brothers we meet. Stressing to the undergradutes how important decent grades are in the immediate post-college world and talking about your post-college successes can be a good model for someone still in college. Our next BCA meeting will be January 21. Dean Mosher, our Archon counselor, will be attending th« meeting. See you then. Fraternally, Perge1 Jon Parker Homecoming 1988 • Historically, Homecoming is a time for the Rho Alpha graduates to return to the scene of their past crimes, to catch up with news from seldom seen Brothers, and to meet the new Brothers that the Chapter has gained, and this year was certainly no exception. The Homecoming festivities were kicked off Friday night October 7, at the house, with the appearance of Equinox, a local Blacksburg band. During the night Rho Alpha graduates rolled in from up and down the eastern seaboard to renew old friendships and reminisce. This year saw the appearance of Brother Erich Weinberg (Upsilon) at the Chapter house for the second time in three weeks after a seven year absence. Erich is a design engineer for "The Boeing Company" in Seattle, is active as an advisor of Junior Achievement, and is a respected member of his community. (No, really.) Brother Mike Rooney (Tau) took time from graduate studies at John's Hopkins in Baltimore to return home to Rho Alpha. He is busily pursuing a master's and doctorate in Materials Science and will be promoted from Capt. Stupid to Dr. Stupid upon graduation. Also in attendance were Jon Parker (Psi) , Mike Barringer (Alpha Delta), John Friedman (Alpha Epsilon), Danny Kallick (Tau) , and a host of other Brothers to numerous to be mentioned here. On Saturday, Virginia Tech played an excellent football game only to be edged out in the fourth quarter by eighth ranked South Carolina, 26-24. Tech played much tougher than their 2-6 (finished 3-8) record showed, and only lost to #7 West Virginia (now #3) by seven points the week before. Finally, the weekend boiled down to the annual undergraduate-hidebehind-trick-plays-and-then-run-when-the-heat-isreally-on-graduate football game. As usual, the undergraduate team was magnanimous to a fault and let the graduates win yet again, in order to promote good graduate relations. Then, on Sunday afternoon, the weekend came to a close, as things around the Chapter house got back to normal, and the graduates returned back to their homes in the real world. A wonderful time was had by all. \r\nPurple Legionnaire Ties the Knot 140th Ekklesia On September 16th, Fiji history was made in Mechanicsville, Virginia, as Rho Rho Alpha Descends on the Mile High City Alpha Purple Legionnaire Andy Paine (AI) married Lynn Pulley, his fiancee' of nearly On August 10, the 140th Ekklesia opened seven years, a little sister of the Chapter. its doors. This biennial gathering was held in The two were married in a quiet ceremony the Marriot City Central Hotel, in the Mile on Friday, the 10th of September, and they High City, Denver Colorado. This was the then held a monstrous reception the third time Colorado has hosted Ekklesia, following evening at the Hanover Country Colorado Springs in 1926 and Denver in Club. Fijis travelled from all over the globe 1966 being the first two. to witness this joyous event (well, all over the Activities started for the delegates on Among those in Wednesday evening, August 10th, with an east coast, anyway). informal welcome and a model initiation. attendance were Ward Follette (Epsilon), The formal opening was reserved until Richard Eskelund (Rho), Danny Kallick Thursday morning with the beginning of the (Tau), Mike Rooney (Tau), Jon Parker (Psi), first business session. Thursday, Friday, and Ephry Kaplan (Omega), Mike Walton (AA), Saturday mornings and afternoons were spent Mike Barringer (AA), Dana Hesse (Alpha in session, discussing and voting on new laws Gamma), Peter Cadra (Alpha Epsilon), John Dietrick (Alpha Epsilon), John Friedman and amendments to the Constitution. The days, however, were not exclusively (Alpha Epsilon), Jim Burlant (Alpha Theta), business. Thursday brought an awards Chris Venable (Alpha Theta), Steve Snyder luncheon and later a barbecue dinner, (Alpha Iota), Jim Rooke (Alpha Kappa), followed by the Coors Light Comedy Davis Eichelberger (Alpha Kappa), Rob Commandos. Friday provided a scholarship Paine (Alpha Xi), and Patrick Reilly (Alpha luncheon, and Saturday capped the week with Tau). Reilly, after having left Blacksburg the Ekklesia Banquet. without directions to the Country Club, Even though the Denver Host miraculously found the place in time to set up Committee provided a full schedule, we still his sound system and unleash his arsenal of had some time to explore Denver's nightlife, tunes. and to tour this impressive city. We were The wedding itself has been awaited able to find the Mile High mark on the for a long time. According to Lynn Pulley, capitol steps, toured the capital and marvelled the couple began dating in 1981 and were at the unusual architecture of the city. The engaged by 1982. The couple announced the 16th Street Mall, a mile long stretch of date of the wedding at last Spring's Morris blocked off street in the heart of the city, Pig Dinner. provided a leisurely and scenic way to shop Andy Paine is currently employed as a and dine. construction manager for A.D. Whitaker Sunday brought the 140th Ekklesia to a Construction Company, and Lynn Pulley is a close. The hotel lobby was full of brothers management analyst for the Virginia exchanging addresses, and making plans to Department of Taxation. They are currently visit chapters. A very happy week of looking into purchasing their first home. brotherhood had been brought to a close. The entire Rho Alpha Chapter is proud of The next Ekklesia will be held in the summer our friends Andy and Lynn, and wish them many years of health, success, and happiness. of 1990 in Chicago, Illinois. 4 \r\nAlpha Pi Pledge Class n1 ~