ALPHA IOTA of PHI GAMMA DELTA THE BRAINSTORM LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Brothers, The undergraduate men of Alpha Iota are at work. We are working to raise up our chapter, better ourselves and most of all to preserve the good name of Phi Gamma Delta. Our recruitment efforts have been outstanding in the past few years; bringing our number of undergraduates to over 100 men and providing us with many motivated individuals. These men are privileged enough to share in the traditions of Alpha Iota, which have been built by thousands of Phi Gams before us. This solid foundation is what we have to build upon, the platform upon which we strive to reach upward in the hopes of becoming better men, thereby bettering others. The undergraduates are proud to have this task before them, and will work hard to ensure that we do our part. Fraternally, Eli McKeever (2017) “All growth depends on activity. There is no development physically or mentally without effort, and effort means work” -Calvin Coolidge 2015 CABINET Jake Sowers (2017) Recording Secretary Greek Week Pig Dinner Our Brother in Whales The Gathering on 7/7/14 Scholarship Winners Eli McKeevey (2017) President Nick Wetzler (2017) Treasurer Grant Stahulak (2016) Corresponding Secretary 2 2-3 3-4 4-5 6 RECENT DONORS Brothers, thank you for your recent donations of time, talent, and money! Perge! Alex Menke (2016) Historian Contents R. James Abbott (1970) Steve Feller (2002) Harvey Field (1958) Adam Jacobs (1996) Jim Kremers (1951) C. Alan Larser (1963) Howard Logan (1946) Jerome Lucey (1995) Harvey Mallory III (1957) Jim Murray II (1959) John Nottoli III (1981) Kelly Powers (1984) Richard Propf (1973) Frank Spatafora (1994) Rich Unger (1973) \r\nGREEK WEEK 2015 During the spring semester at Iowa State, the Greek community began to prepare for Greek Week. “Be the Tradition” was the overall theme of 2015. This year, Phi Gamma Delta was paired with the women of Alpha Omicron Pi and men of Kappa Sigma, the pairing was nicknamed “GreekSquad”. The Greek Week competitoins included community service, school spirit, Lipsync, tournaments and the Greek Olympics. Lip-sync is a long lasting tradition at Iowa State. This year, the pairing theme was based off of the popular TV show, American Horror Story. Zach Marean (2016) and Colby Woodvine (2017) headed the pairing as co-chairs. Thanks to their creativity, originality and hard work, the pairing moved on to second cut. Improvements were made before the final performance to land us fifth place overall in lip sync. One of the most anticipated events each year for the Greek Community is Greek Olympics. This year Olympics consisted of bed racer, dingle dangle donut, dizzy duck, L.A.R.P. (live action role playing) egg joust and tug-of-war. Some of the undergraduate engineers took it upon themselves to make improvements to the bed racer. As a result, the pairing earned a third place finish, falling short of second place by half of a second. Another entertaining event during Olympics is L.A.R.P. In the first event, the pairing defeated the opponents in a mere 20 seconds with Austin Prestidge (2016) leading the attack. Unfortunately, they were not able to move onto the third round. Page 2 The community service category of Greek Week included the Polar Bear Plunge, blood drive, and the community drive. This year, the Iowa State Greek Community raised $187,440. To date, this is the largest donation to Special Olympics Iowa from any donor. “GreekSquad” raised $14,655 for the event. The Iowa State Blood Drive also took place throughout the week. Once again, Iowa State’s Greek Community proved to be the third largest donor to the organization nationally. Due to the participation of the pairing, “GreekSquad” took third place in the community service category. Overall the pairing took fifth place at Vespers. Greek Week 2015 was great success and all of those involved had a great time. PIG DINNER 2015 As we all know, being a member of Phi Gamma Delta is “not for college days alone”. Finding time to socialize with our brothers once we join the working class of society is not always easiest but Pig Dinner proves to be a great way to reconnect. This last year on April 10th and 11th, our graduate brothers were given an excuse to make their way back to Ames and attend the 107th Norris Pig Dinner. The Alpha Iota chapter kicked Pig Dinner weekend off with a dinner Friday evening at 325 Ash Avenue. After dinner graduates and undergraduates made their way to the Blue Owl Bar to continue the night’s festivities. On Saturday, before Pig Dinner, brothers enjoyed lunch served by the house chef, Frank, the House Corporation had their meeting, and the annual group picture was taken in front of the chapter house. Pig Dinner started with a cocktail hour to allow brothers to socialize. At 7:00 pm toastmaster, Scott Moore (1996) welcomed everyone to the 170th Norris Pig Dinner. Keeping with tradtion, the four youngest members of the chapter carried in the pig. Continued on page 3... \r\nPig Dinner 2015 Continued... Shortly after the Frank Norris’ “An Exiles Toast” was read, dinner was served. This year’s keynote speaker, Steven Fielsted (1968), spoke just after dinner was served. Upon completion of dinner, President Eli McKeever (2017) gave a speech to those in attendance, providing an overview on the current standing of the chapter and what we hope to accomplish in the near future. Awards and scholarships were given out, and with the singing of “When College Songs and Lays,” the 107th Norris Pig Dinner officially came to a close. We as a chapter extend our thanks to the Director of Pig Dinner James Altwegg (2016), the committee, house mom Joyce Allen, Purple Legionnaire Lynn Schroeder (1976), and the House Corporation Board for all of their hard work and time invested into planning the event. Additionally, we thank all who attended and are hoping to see you all again this coming year for the 108th Norris Pig Dinner. OUR BROTHER IN WALES Brothers, My name is Caleb Bonderer, class of 2016, and I am a Junior in Construction Engineering. Currently, I am studying abroad in Swansea, Wales which I love. I have been a brother of Phi Gamma Delta since January 2013 and have since been the Community Service Chair and the Corresponding Secretary. I chose to study abroad because I knew this was the best time of my life to do it. Although pursuing a career in engineering is my dream, I know that it requires a lot of work and does not save much time for travel after graduation. I decided to study in Wales for a few simple reasons: they speak English, classes transfer smoothly to ISU and I could still get an internship for this upcoming summer. I am attending Swansea University, taking three classes relevant to my major and one about the history of the United Kingdom. Deciding to both study abroad and come to Swansea has been a fantastic choice. Wales is located on the western coast of the island of Great Britain. Here, English is the primary language although nearly a quarter of the population is fluent in Welsh. The land is amazingly green, despite it being winter. Vines are especially common, climbing trees and buildings much like they do in the rainforest. Hedges, brambles, and much undergrowth have also kept their leaves throughout the winter, although most trees did not. Britain, in general, is much more rugged than what I have experienced of the United States (hailing from Minnesota and having visited much of the Midwest). The weather is wetter, although not as much as I expected, which leads to much high humidity, even in winter. Although it has been in the mid-40s most days, the humidity causes it to feel cooler. Everyone I have met has been incredibly friendly. Picking up on my accent, all of them ask where I’m from despite not knowing where most states are. In return, however, I enquire where they are from and must nod unknowingly unless they respond with “London.” Most of the people who attend Swansea Uni (as it is often shortened) are English rather than Welsh. Almost no one in the area is Scottish or Irish. As for sports, rugby is by far the most popular sport in Wales, whereas the English prefer football (soccer, of course). Rugby is surprisingly similar to American football, just at a faster pace and without the use of pads; the scoring is nearly identical and I found it surprisingly easy to pick up on. Continued on page 4... Page 3 \r\nBrother in Wales Continued... My favorite part of Britain, so far, has been its apparent old age. Obviously, this is one of the oldest civilized areas in the world and it shows. There are castles scattered all over the region and some are very well preserved. Others, although merely ruins, still fascinate me as I can only wonder what that ancient building has witnessed. But it is not just castels that remain from a long time ago; it is very common to see random stone ruins. Walking through parks, even in downtown, can yield timeless constructs that could have been anything. Due to the construction engineer in me, I find few things more exhilaratting than finding, exploring, and wandering about ancient bildings scattered through this land. The main thing I would change about the United Kingdom, or rather something that I do not appreciate, is their attitude towards fixing things. I know that sounds weird but their motto seems to be fix it “good enough,” which I really do not appreciate. Rather than fixing something all the way, so it’s like new, they simply put a Band-Aid on it and call it good. This goes for everything from house repairs to city infrastructure and nothing seems to work 100% correctly. This is a small price to pay for how amazing the country is; however, I have quickly accepted this cultural attitude. I send my best wishes to all my Alpha Iota brothers back home and miss each of you dearly. I also highly recommend that anyone who is able study abroad, in the UK or anywhere, because it truly is a life changing experience. Pergé! Caleb Bonderer (2016) GATHERING ON 7.7.2014 We enjoy receiving letters from all of our graduate brothers. This story was received at the beginning of the 2015 spring semester, and we decided to publish it. It serves as another reminder of how special it is to be an Alpha Iota Phi Gam. By: Rob Wilkes (1961) July 7, 2014, 11:00 am: Four Fijis from the Iowa State University 1960 pledge class stood 3 miles south of Sweetwater Station, WY. The location, date and time were significant in that exactly 165 years ago, John T. McCarty and Bolivar G. Krepps met unexpectedly on the banks of the Sweetwater River. Previous efforts had led the four of us to believe that we were very close, if not directly at the original McCarty-Krepps meeting place. Months had been devoted to identifying the location, preparation and travel for this day. Considering that we are now in our 70’s, the excitement of that moment reached levels closer to what might be expected of college freshmen, rather than retired, gray haired, “chronologically mature” men. We had done it! No one knows today if that location on the Sweetwater River looks as it did to McCarty and Krepps, but to the four of us there was no question. Wyoming is slow to change except when touched by the hand of man, so most likely the place looked the same to us as it did to them. Our imaginations did little to dispel that fantasy and so the initial sighting of the river surely had to be the same for us as it was for them. Surely, to the west was the bluff where McCarty grazed his Page 4 Continued on page 5... \r\nGathering on 7.7.2014 Continued... livestock; and surely we stood precisely at the meeting place shared by the two. It will never be known where the exact location of that famous handshake was. However, I am confident that our efforts placed us in close proximity and we probably walked the same piece of ground those two trod so long ago. If nothing else, it was a fascinating undertaking, made even better in the company of members from one’s own pledge class. As pledges, I know that none of us would have guessed that some 54 years later we would be standing where McCarty and Krepps had their meeting. We shared much that day, but mostly memories of college, remembrances of other brothers from that time, hilarious recollections, for which each of us had a different version, reflections of things accomplished and things not accomplished, and of course, things best said just between guys with a common history. Speculation then turned to what might have been discussed between McCarty and Krepps. Guesswork had it that our interactions were probably not terribly different from theirs, or much different from what other FIJIs might experience. Lastly, we shared a commemorative toast to Phi Gamma Delta and McCarty and Krepps. The only question For Those Who Are Interested remaining that day was which set of brothers, the two or the four, enjoyed their adventure the most. For us, the Sweetwater encounter not only commemorated an important event in the fraternity history, but also significantly underscored the longevity and solidarity of the friendships developed through membership in Phi Gamma Delta. At the time of their chance meeting, John McCarty and Bolivar Krepps could hardly have imagined what their early efforts would conceive. The McCarty journal gives little insight into what was actually said during their four hours of conversation, but it is hard to believe they could have guessed at the growth and duration of the Fraternity or the resultant meaning to the thousands of men that followed their footsteps. Jack Gellerstedt (1961) Dean Plager (1962) Jeff Warner (1961) Rob Wilkes (1961) Perge! If you think you may visit to the McCarty-Krepps meeting place, the following directions will be of help: 1. From Casper, WY, drive SW on WY 220 to Muddy Gap. (Approximately 72 miles) 2. At Muddy Gap turn NW on US 287 to Sweetwater Station, WY. (Approximately 43 miles) 3. Request permission to visit the site at the LDS Church,Willey Handcart Center. 4. Drive S from the Center about three miles to the bridge crossing the Sweetwater River. 5. Approximate GPS coordinates are N 42 27 – W47 10. MEET A MEMBER Mark Cox (2018) grew up in Kankakee, IL where he attended Herscher High School. Following high school, he attended Kankakee Community College, where he received an Associates degree in Engineering Science in the spring of 2014. He decided to attend Iowa State University, beginning in the fall of 2014 to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Mark always thought of fraternities as stereotypical and never considered joining until he arrived at Iowa State. Here, he met a few FIJI brothers and realized that they were nothing like the stereotypes. As he was introduced to more Fijis, he got along with all of them, so he joined soon after. Mark will be interning in Minneapolis for the summer and fall semesters of 2015 as a manufacturing engineering intern. He hopes to work in manufacturing in the future for a growing company that would allow advancement. In his spare time he enjoys playing sports with the guys. His hobbies include fishing and riding dirt bikes. Page 5 \r\nPhi Gamma Delta Fraternity Alpha Iota at Iowa State University 1201 Red Mile Road P.O. Box 4599 Lexington, KY 40544 Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Lexington, KY Permit # 540 GRADUATING SENIORS Wheaton Schroeder 2014 Nick Beck 2014 Nick Wells 2015 Mark Crowley 2015 Michael Hurlbut 2016 Chemical Engineering Accounting and Finance Kinesiology Business Economics Civil Engineering Cedar Falls, IA Minneapolis, MN Glenwood, IA Delano, MN Zion, IL Trevor Werner 2014 Thomas Peetz 2015 Patrick Frick 2015 Brandon Morris 2016 English Industrial Engineering Kinesiology Chemical Engineering Manchester, IA Omaha, NE Sibley, IA Peoria, IL AAA WINNERS • • • • • • • • • • Connor Amiot (2018) | Mechanical Engineering | Elmherst, IL J. Alexander Bodin (2018)| Supply Chain Management | West Des Moines, IA Nicholas Dohrmann (2018) | Mechanical Engineering | Knoxville, IA Jacob Goldenberg (2018) | Aerospace Engineering | Glenview, IL Zachary Hansen (2018) | Pre-Architecture | Waverly, IA Will Herzog (2018) | Mechanical Engineering | Barrington, IL Jesse Katamay (2018) | Aerospace Engineering | Chicago, IL Weston Morgan (2018) | Software Engineering | Council Bluffs, IA Ben Peters (2018) | Business | Eagan MN Mitchel Riggs (2018) | Mechanical Engineering | St. Charles, IL BYRON TOOT WINNERS The Byron Toot Memorial Scholarship is a $2,250 award given to four and six brothers in the chapter. Those chosen demonstrate serious commitment in the areas of scholarship and community service. The award is given in memory of brother Dr. Byron B. Toot (1959). Nolan Christensen 2017 Caleb Bonderer 2016 Eli McKeever 2017 Alexander Menke 2016 Travis Dierickx 2015