wr ee ‘EERO P cer MNEs, | Phi Gamma Delta www.vt.edu: 1002 1/org/PhiGammaDelta/ Spring 1997 Silver Owl Special Edition \r\nThe Rho Alpha Times 'BCJA Tresident's JAddress 'By Tete Mc'Devitt It's Pig Dinner time again, and unless you've been living in that crawl space under Burruss Hall(where they found a bunch of stolen bicycle some years ago), you know that this year we celebrate Rho Alpha's 25th Pig Dinner. This is cer tainly cause for celebration and revelry. So it may seem particularly crass for me to discuss a very sobering (literally!) topic: substance-free chapters. But, lege, implement a dry chapter policy, which means no alcohol at any chapter event including Pig Dinner! Archon Secretary George "Skip" Buckley points out that chapters at Gettysburg, Washington State, Cen tral Florida, and Skip's own chapter at Wittenberg have adopted or are preparing to adopt substance-free poli cies. In addition, the current colonies at since I waxed NC State and Eastern Washington will be substance-free. Skip also says, philosophic in the last newsletter, this "More and more universities are mov time around I went for the administrative ing that way." Skip will be our honored guest at Pig Dinner, which presents a valuable opportunity to learn more minutia. "Substance-free" means not only no illegal drugs, which are already banned, but also no alcohol. I have only about this inititative first-hand. I am not at this time suggesting recently learned about the substance-free movement witbin Phi Gamma Delta, but that Rho Alpha embark on a substancefree route, but 1 wanted to bring it to there seems to be varying levels of im your attention, to let you know the issue plementation. Some chapters may insti tute a dry house policy, while others, is out there. I do agree, and I hope you do too, with the underlying principle such as the Pi chapter at Allegheny Col that Phi Gamma Delta does NOT re volve around alcohol or any other sub stance. Its focus is on the intangible values such as fnendship and knowl edge. We have to be very careful. To paraphrase Brother Marc Brozovich. President of Allegheny's Pi Chapter, it only takes one drunk guest to bring down your chapter. 1 will add that it also only takes one mindless act by an intoxicated brother to bring down the chapter. We at Rho Alpha are painfully aware of the tarnished reputation ofthe Virginia Tech football team due to an inordinate amount of arrests over the past couple of years. It is generally agreed that alcohol was involved in a majority of those inci dents. Let's police ourselves so that the university, the town, or IHQ will never have to. (Continued on page 3) \Cfiaj)ter Tresident's JAddress \By T>avidBissett This semester is going to be a very memorable one in Rho Alpha his tory. We have started off with initiation, parties, rush, pledges, and good grades. Last semester the chapter ended with a 2.6917 overall QCA,that is a 0.118 im provement from the previous semester. That put us in 5"^ compared to the other 32 fraternities on campus. Out with the old... at the end and Gabriel Sanglay make up the Beta Omicron pledge class. Socially we have had a great semester! The chapter has had several great parties. We are getting our name on campus more, and having a great time doing it. Our social chairs have also arranged to socials with 2 sorori ties, Phi Mu and Delta Zeta. The semester is almost half over, but we are semester 9 ofthe undergraduates are go ing to be leaving the realm of higher edu cation and graduating. We all wish them still going full force! luck! In with the new ...the end of Jan pledge class. Jason Berger, Paul Buffone,Zac Cole, Buck Holsinger, Alden is obviously our 25*^ anniversary Norris Pig Dinner. Josh Wheeler's article goes into great detail about that. Our grades our on the top ofthe list! We want to Lee, and Brendan McMurrer were initi go from 5^ to ated at Headquarters in Lexington. Re cently we pinned seven new pledges, too! Jason Benfer, Jack Bennet, Cory Curtin, Jeet Heda, Jeff Lushbaugh, Ross Miller, not that far off. We are also looking uary was an exciting time for the Beta Xi What's to come you might ask? Well, the big event this semester on campus, and it's setting up a database of all local grads within about a 50 mile radius of the house. This database will contain graduate brothers from all chapters, not just Rho Alpha. If you are a local grad and may be interested in serving as P.L. please call me at the house. Since all ofthe renevations, the house is still in great condition! We have had great support from all of you, our graduates! We have had a wonderful semester and it's only going to get better. If you have any questions or concerns about anything please don't hesitate to email or call. I hope to see you in a few weeks. Fraternally, David Bissett for a New Purple Legionnare. Bill Mattox, our Section Chief, is working on (Continued on page 4) \r\nJ^orris Tig Dinner 'By Josfi IVfieeCer and more elaborate then ever before as order to keep the festivities rolling. Pig Dirmer it-self begins at 6:00 pm with cocktails at Custom Catering. Custom Catering was chosen in order to afford us more room to party, with accommodations for up to four hun we share in 25 years of memories and dred people. The evening will begin tradition. with a Jazz band entertaining us as we enjoy the open bar. Following the Make Plans now the 25^^ Pig Dinner is just around the comer on April 5"'. This years Pig Dinner is an event not to be missed, the graduate event of the year is going to be larger The activities begin on Friday Now for some logistics fust lodging, currently there are blocks of rooms at the Marriott(540)552-7001 for $69 a night, and at the Holiday Inn (540)951-1330 for $50 a night. Un fortunately the Marriott filled up quickly so we needed to split the blocks, however transportation from both hotels will be provided to Custom Catering. If you want to make reserva tions call the local numbers given above, unfortunately you can not call the 1-800 numbers in order to get our special group rate, and let the hotel know that you want a room in the Phi with the annual Golf Tournament to be cocktail hour dinner will be served held at Hanging Rock golf course at 11 cart, in order to RSVP for the Golf and then the meeting will begin. This year our speaker is Skip Buckley Archon Secretary who is flying all the way fi'om Illinois to speak for us on game please send a check and number of players with your Pig Dinner RSVP. If you have any questions please contact contact with Skip and he promises a fun and quick speech. Also this year Buck Holsinger at(540)951-2565 or our Master of Ceremonies will be that they give you the rate 1 quoted. Make your reservations A.S.A.P.. email him at buck@vt.edu, he will be happy to answer any of your questions Andy Stowasser guardian ofthe bond fund for so many years. He is excited Now for those of you with children, arrangements have been made for baby and it looks as if the event will be an to keep every one in line and add Unprecedented success. Friday night at some of his own two cents. Also this sitters for both Friday and Saturday nights in rooms at both hotels. If you plan on bringing your children please send a note with your RSVP so that I am. If you are interested the cost will be $35 which includes green fees and a 9 pm - 1 celebrate our Anniversary our 25"' anniversary. 1 have been in year we will be presenting our first with us at the house sponsored by Silver Owl awards for brothers that House Coip., with all you can drink were initiated 25 years ago, can you believe how quickly time has passed. Then we will all share in a champagne toast in commemorative glasses to honor 25 years of great memories and traditions. Promptly the bar will be opened and then we will dance and party to the music of Earl Brown till 1:00 am. Don't forget on Sunday the annual Graduate vs. Undergraduate football game. and the tunes of DJ jazzy Danny and Linwood. The party will give an oppor tunity for all of you graduates to teach some of us young-uns how to really party. For all of those brave enough to fight the hangover House Corp. will hold there annual meeting at 9:30 am at the Marriott. Next there will be a cook- out at the house at 12:30 pm with a wide selection of planned activities in Gamma Delta block and make sure can plan accordingly, also please teli me if you will be here Friday night. This year there will be professional photographer roaming the room taking pictures of us as we celebrate. Our plan is to take those pictures and scan them onto our Rho Alpha home page so that you can view them and decide on any purchases. More about this will come later. Hopefully you have (Continued on page 4) 'BCJA TresicCent's JAcCcCress (Continuedfrom page 2) Having said that, let's all have a responsibly fun time at Pig Dinner! Ev eryone keep up the good work, and remember that Phi Gamma Delta is not for college days alone! Fraternally, Pete McDevitt('90) What brother will have the honor this year? Brother Edgell had it last year! \r\nCfiaj)ter 'Rusfi lipdate Bforris Tig 'Dinner 'By Zac CoCe (Continuedfrom page 3) The Spring Rush was a very suc cessful event. This year, Rush began on Monday, Jan. 27 with the InterFraternity Council Rush Fair. During the Rush Fair we made contact with 16 rushees. Of those 16 on average 12 attended our individual rushes. the officers and chairs spoke about the duties and obligations and also answered any questions from the rushees. As previously stated, this semester's Rush was quite successful. On Feb. 10, eight bids were handed campus. Here the Brothers greeted the out and of those, seven rushees ac cepted their bids. And so it can be rushees and showed them all of the seen. Rush is and continues to be a pictures in the many photo albums. At our House Rush, it seemed everybody was having a great time seeing the place. Finally, at our closed Rush, all of prosperous event for the Rho Alpha Chapter. Two of our Rushes were held on Fraternally, Zac Cole all received your Pig Dinner invites, and I would like to have your RSVFs with checks by February 25 so that I can order the correct number of Champaign glasses and start getting a final number to Custom Catering. Thank you for your support. If you have any questions please call me Josh Wheeler Pig Diimer Chairman at(540)961-0240 or email me jwheeler@vt.edu. Don't forget that this will be an event that every one will be talking about for years to come so don't miss it. All of the undergraduates are working hard to make this a fabulous weekend, we would like to honor all of our graduates that have helped make the last 25 years great. Josh Wheeler Our newly initiated brothers at IHQ with their pledge edu cators! From left to right: Zac Cole, Alden Lee, Bobby Fantall(F.E.), Faul Buffone, Buck Holsinger, Dave Bissett (F.E.), Jason Berger, and Brendan McMurrer V ^orris ^pril Minuet f997 fit Custom Catoring To be ttie biggest pig f)inner in p.ho fllpha history!! \r\n'Brothers \We6j)age %Lj>(£ate By BrancCon JCeCCey M.LJAJ?! The all new Rho Al T)o you know wkere tfiese krotfiers pLave cCisapjjearecCto? pha chapter website has recieved a great deal of praise since its start last semester. Thanks to brother Romano ('98), we also have a guest Lee "BarBeirri book that visitors can leave CarCrcistaBencC BracCy Qorman comments on. As you can tell from the logs, we've had "hits" from brothers, pledges, and rushees from everywhere, and they've been quite com plimentary. The webpage has also been very usefull in its original purpose, which was MicfiaeCMartirano to create a closer relation with BraffordB.yffeC our graduate brothers. We've recieved email from many Jeffrey Duncan "RoBert lantosca Marvin SnycCer RicBarcC yacCen DarreCC Oaks brothers who haven't been Thomas Matoca heard from in a while, but heard about the webpage and now frequently keep in contact with the chapter. By the time you get this newsletter, you'll probably have noticed some major up dates to the webpage. It will have a new look which,though more polished with finer graphics, will still be wellbalanced so that it doesn't take quite so long to download. Many parts of the website will be updated, including the cal ender, the graduate email list, the list of brothers, and, as soon as we get it, our newest composite. Because many brothers have recently created their own webpages, I will be putting in links to those as well. In addition, the complete graduate database, which was previously in Mi crosoft Works format and could not be downloaded from the web, is now in Mi crosoft Access format, so as to be more compatable with more commonly used for mats, such as Excel. We are currently working on finding a way for the database to be downloaded. If you have any other suggestions for the webpage, you can email me at bkelley@vt.edu. Brandon Kelley CharCes Rector JCevin Shirtpaugfi Steven SMiCstein John Qrady,Jr. John J-faire Tatrick MarstaCU Trie Sivertson Thomas TooCe RoBert Stevenson, IJ Doug Shaffer \j-Couse Corp. TLeport [(By SiTL-ivoocfjCeft'Xvicfi, Jr. As my first year as House Corporation President draws to a close, it ends as it began, with a BANG! Start ing with the ever continuing renovation on the Fraternity House. This constant upgrad substitute to drag out for that occasional party. sorority house ... as of 3/12/97, nothing has been So as you can see we have committed ourselves to 202 Church St. at least for the carved in stone ... next(10)years. In the past, Dinner is just a "stones" throw away and the under- Rho Alpha has entertained Speaking of stone, the 25"' annual Norris Pig ing of living space for the ideas from Virginia Tech and brothers was necessary to the Town of Blacksburg to to be a blast for those in at grads have promised this one If you know where keep up with the ever chang include us in a "Fraternal tendance. The first 25 years these Brothers are ing quality of life on campus. Many of the bedrooms were upgraded with new closets, phone lines, receptacles, and a much improved upstairs Community". Unfortunately, laid the foundation for Rho nothing has been within reach for a chapter our size. Re the next 25 years with a pCease emaiCor write Brother Romano. (mromano@vt.edu) and downstairs bathrooms ... meanwhile, the basement lost the permanent brick bar to a more "mobile" handmade visn ?w\ cently, the Town of Blacks burg has called a meeting to discuss plans to possibly relax restrictions on expand ing the current living space at each off campus fraternity or dcua oiv thc Alpha to build on and start "BANG"to ensure that Rho Alpha will be healthy and strong on it's 50"" birthday.. Sincerely, Linwood Leftwich, Jr. "Rho fllpha: www.vt.(3du:I002t/org^hi(3amrT?af)s2ltb ItlQ: WWW.phigam.or \r\n"Tde Udo JAtj^da "times The Fraternity ofPhi Gamma Delta 202 Church Street Blacksburg, VA 24060 Dana W. Hesse 9531 Kings Grant Road Laurel, MD 20723 The Rho Alpha Times yents of ^cUo...^ho