THE GAMMA TAUK Gamma Tau Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta Georgia Tech Spring 2000 Pig Dinner,golf tournament to take place April 22 The annual Norris Pig Dinner will be held atthe chapter house on April22with thesocial hour at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. The day will begin with the traditional Couser Golf Tournament at Creekside Golf and Country Club. After what should prove to be a challenging 18 holes, brothers will return to the chapter house that evening for a night of traditional ceremonies and a short speech. Tliis first Pig Dinner of the 21st cen tury should prove to be a memorable event. Details about the next Pig Dinner, part of the 75th anniversary celebration in 2001, will be highlighted. Enclosed is a form to return for reserva tions. It and a check made out to Phi Gamma Delta should be returned by April 1 to the Graduate Relations Chairman, 841 Fowler Street NW,Atlanta, GA 30313. The form and Gamma Tan's flag football team went all the way to the national championship in check should not be sent in the envelope New Orleans. Even with all the attetition and excitement about the team's success, accompanying this issue. the chapter still placed first in Tech Greek scholarship during the fall semester. Flag football team finishes season 17-0 A confirmation card sent to all brothers making reservations for the Pig Dinner and/ or golf tournament will give detailed direc tions to the tournament. By Ryan Ott'00 If you look up the word "dominance" in the dictionar}', you are likely to find a picture of the 1999 Fiji flag football team. A season that began with a lot of questionsfinished with one definitive answer:State Champions! game,when it almost let a large lead slip away Gamma Tau's finest finished the season 17-0. to Pike. Nonetheless, Fiji prevailed. After nearly blowing another sizable lead Fraternity Champions. School Champions. State Champions. With eight new players joining the 16-man team, the defending champions from 1998 had quite a new look. The old coached and developed the new and Fiji finished the regu lar season undefeated. The squad coasted through the playoffs until the championship few expected what many now consider to be Inside this issue the greatest flag football game ever played. The Fiji trend of blowing a multiple touch New members .2 Chapter president's message .., Caddymg with Payne Stewart. Homecoming 1999 75th armiversary plans Fiji Fables .3 Run for the River .10 Communications contributors . . 11 .4 .5 .6-7 .9 The Creekside Golf and Country Club is located at 591 Westchester Club Drive in Hiram,northwest of Atlanta.It can be reached by heading west from Atlanta on 1-20, cross- (Contimied on page 3) in the semis to an independent team,Fiji faced arch rival Pike again in the finals for the school championship. The greatest game Mostexpected the typical thrashing of Pike; down lead in the waning minutes continued as Pike closed the 20-6 gap to 20-13 with two minutes to play. All Fiji had to do was move five yards for a first down and then run out the dock. The high-powered "1848" offense failed and was forced to punt with one minute left. Led by former Georgia Tech varsitv quarterback Bran- (Continucd on page 72) Crumbling front steps Plans for Gamma Tan's 75th anniversary in clude replacing the deteriorating front steps and removing the popular but aging large oak tree. More anniversary details are on pages 6-7. \r\nGamma Tauk Page Two Spring 2000 Andy Clark chairs trustees of research corporations £ Andy Clark'59 has been named chairman of the board of trustees for the Georgia Tech Research Corporation and the Georgia Tech Applied Research Corporation. The board oversees the activities of admin istering all research contracts for Tech, for both instruction and the Georgia Tech Re search Institute. The GTRC is essentially the commercial face of Tech's research effort and has been in existence for years. It negotiates contracts, administers and controls the intel New pledges from the event-filled 1999 fall rush pose in front of Creighton-Vail Hall. New members, successful rush highlight 1999 By Phil Klucarits'00 Gamma Tau in 1999 welcomed 27 new brothers;several have become committee heads and are taking strong leadership roles in the house. These new initiates,in order of seniority, are: This set the tone for the chapter to enter faU Josh Bray Dacula, GA rush which,with the semester conversion and shortened summer,started much sooner than John Whitt Leesburg, AL Matt Bevier JoseComiel Mike DeNicola Sean Donahue Mansfield,TX New York, NY Sebastain, OH SneUville, GA Sean Gilligan Marietta, GA act that drew a packed house and yard for the A.T. Gimbel Chris Holster Tallahassee, GA Lilbum,GA first evening of rush.Doc entertained and mes Glen lannucci Jason Lane Wade Lindsey Dunwoody,GA Powder Springs, GA Lakeland, FL amazing show as he does every year. Robert Maddox Columbia,SC Charlie Morris John Morris Clint Newsome Chip Oester Grayson,GA Grayson,GA Albany,GA Augusta,GA Jim Pallotta Winchester, MA Ryan Sampson Grayson,GA Clay Scroggins Doug Shook Matt Spetzler Jason Thompson Tuscaloosa, AL Lake Villa, IL Roanoke, VI Columbia,SC Charles Van Pelt Peachtree City, GA Adam Wilson Ted Gore Justin Perlman Wes Horsford Ellenwood, GA Athens, GA Atlanta, GA Hale Center, TX The chapter welcomes them to our brother hood and wishes them continued success in their academic and fraternal endeavors. 1999-2000 rush Gamma Tau began thespring semester with 20 men from fall 1999 rush. The rush process started during the 1999summer with thebrotherssponsoring various activities,enabling them to meet many incoming freshmen,mostly from surrounding areas. Some rush highlights in cluded several trips to Atlanta Braves games, parties at several brothers' lake houses, a raft ing trip down the Ocoee River, a basketball tournament, and cookout, as well as a huge group outing to the Dave Matthews Band con cert at Lakewood Amphitheater. usual. Fall rush was highlighted by the annual appearance of Doc Holiday and Iris hypnotist merized the crowd with his cheesy humor and Following the hypnotist,the nextfew nights featured Subway subs, wings, and Southern barbecue being the draw.Hundreds ofincom ing freshmen and women got to know each other, the house,and the brotherhood. The week ended with the annual formal dinner prepared by chapter cook Gene Buran. A touch of humor was brought to the formal dinner with a new and improved slide show, showcasing the past year's activities, and a showing of the Phi Gam 150th anniversary video, always a crowd favorite. Pledges welcomed Following this exciting and exhausting week, the chapter,my rush-chair counterpartBrother lectual property, collects money from cUents, and in general manages the annual research budget. Tech President G. Wayne Clough '64 serves on the board and is the GTRC president. Commercial aspects Techwonover$217milLioninnew research contracts in the last fiscal year."The GTRC is an organization dedicated to the commercial aspects of research funding and administra tion. The outside directors are charged with providing not only oversight for these activi ties but the benefits of our commercial experi ence as well," stated Andy. Andy hasserved on the board for five years; his term wiU expire in 2001. He most recently served as vice-chairman and has charred vari ous committees. Michelin plant manager He is plant manager for Michelin Aircraft Tires,Inc.,with operations in Kansas City and Norwood,N.C.He has been with Michelin for 20 years as a manufacturing and/or plant manager.He spent five years in Akron,Ohio, in charge of worldwide technology and trade mark licensing. The other 15 years have been spent in the Southeast or in France. The Gamma Tauk is published at least twice annually by the Gamma Tau Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Editor-in-Chief: Robert Maddox Charlie Pollard and I welcomed the pledges. Contributing Writers: The chapter could not be more proud of our pledge class,as time and time again they prove scholastically, athlebcally, and socially to be the best pledge class on Georgia Tech's cam Victor Borowsky Brent Campbell pus, not to mention the instant internal bond they developed early on in their pledgeship. New rush chairmen are John Morris and Clay Scroggins. They can be contacted at jmorris@gtfiji.com or cscroggins@gtfiji.com. Matt Bevier Ian Carlton Todd Coons Lance Edwards Jeff Elam Ryan Greene Phil Hankinson Phil Klucarits Ryan Ott Jim Stainback Visit Gamma Tau on the web! Total hits to date: 4,483 Average weekly hits: 75 Scott Stiber Special thanks to Bill White '59 Hits have come from all over the world, including France, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, and Israel. Visit the page at www.gtfiji.com Address correspondence to: Graduate Relations Chairman 841 Fowler St. N.W. Atlanta, GA 30313 \r\nPage Three Gamma Tauk Spring 2000 Bert Reeves brings change during year as IFC leader By Todd Coons'00 Bert Reeves'GO,who has diligently served tlie Tech Greek system,recently completed a yearas Interfratemity Council president. A fifth-year management major from Kennesaw,Bert has lead the IFC in a year that Greek advisor Bill Barnes says is one of the best hehasseeninhislO yearsatTedi.TlierFCpassed more legislation tlian in tlie previous five years combined.A lot of proactive change was seen in elements such as rush and scholarship. Most notable,however,was the work of the IFC concerning the new campusalcohol policy that went into effect in the fall. Tltis policy put a questionable amount of liability not on just a fraternity, but possibly on members of the fraternity who would serve as designated al cohol servers at band parties. After appeals from students and alumni to change the policy, the IFC stepped in and made a remarkable compromise with the Tech administration. New alcohol policy The IFC requested exemption from the school's policy by replacing it with one it proposed. The administration accepted the IFC policy,and begimiing this past fall all frater nities at Tech were subject to it. "Tlie fraternities got what they wanted in a better policv,and the administration now can say that their IFC devel oped,enforces, and monitors their own policy, which is something they like," said Bert."It also wasa greatstep in IFC and administration work ing togetlrer and finding the best solution." Improved perception Even witliaU thelegisla tiveaccomplisliments, Bert says the greatest accomplishment is the improved perception of the IFC. "In the past, IFC has been viewed as a do-nothing organiza tion with little means for existence. Tliis year, we have reaUy helped to change that image by being involved not only with Creek issues, but with campus issues as weU," said Bert. Chapter highlights from Ryan Greene'01 2000-2001 Gamma Tau President -s. Great news!Gamma Tau survived the Y2K!After an exciting fall semester,our very first semester, our brotherhood has proven to be fully Y2K comphant and poised to attack the challenges of the new millemiium. Semester conversion The semester conversion and its predicted effects on students apparently did not apply to our chapter. A successful fall rush re warded us with outstanding pledges. Fiji schedule to relate to the brothers his frater nity experience at Gamma Tau and how it has benefited him throughout his career path. In addition.Dean ofStudents Gail DiSabitino addressed the chapter on current campus athletics continued its vic issues while the GT Police and Wellness tory march and scholarship remained our top priority. Homecoming victory al lowed brothers to enjoy a Center provided the chapter an alcoholsemi nar on responsible drinking. We held our first annual Holiday Party and the Mary McCarty Mothers'Club became its own func tioning entity with elected officers and by live band and a view of the laws. Atlanta skyline from atop Going forward While the events ofthe pastsemester sound impressive and outstanding. Gamma Tau A semiformal dance after the the downtown Renaissance Hotel. Even the Reck worked this year at Homecoming.The pursuit of excellence con tinues to weigh heavily on our minds as we steadily strengthen our brotherhood and serve our fellow human beings. Unstoppable athletics Will Fiji dominance of Tech intramurals ever cease? Our flag football and whiffleball teams reigned triumphantly, winning both the fraternity and school championships. In a difflianger finish, the volleyball team won the fraternity championship.In addition,the soccer team won the preseason tournament and the bowling team placed second in the fraternity arena. Flag football achieved new heights this fall as our team went above and beyond the school level. Our team traveled to Athens, Ca., to secure the state championship in ad dition to the fraternity and school champion ships at Georgia Tech. After this the team marched to a ninth place finish overall at the National Championship in New Orleans. Satisfaction from serving "I believe we have raised the standard for IFC Teaming with the American Red Cross, and IFC Exec,and my hope is that tlie new Exec Gamma Tau brothers sponsored and staffed wiU assumethatstandard and makeitstronger." another fall blood drive for the Tech commu cannot rest on its laurels in the wake of upcoming future events. The 52nd Ekklesia will play an important role in the activities of our chapter with its focus on the issue of substance-free housing. Seventy-fifth anni versary planning is well underway. A win ter formal at Jekyll Island and Island Party are spring semester highlights. A large graduating senior class this spring will require increased participation and lead ership from the younger brothers.Only with a unified brotherhood and the support of our graduate brothers can we continue to climb the ladder of success and further de fine friendship. Members host parents during annual weekend By Ian Carlton '02 Georgia Tech's annual Parents Weekend enabled the chapter to host the parents of over 50 brothers and pledges on October 30. The weekend featured the Yellow Jackets winning over the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Bert has also served theIFC as rush chair in 1998. nity. Along with brothers of the Kappa Deu- He has split most of his time the past two years teron chapter at UCA, we continued the Previous and new visitors serving in IFC and serving as"Buzz," the scltool mascot(article on page 12). traditional Football Run for the River on the While many parents had visited the chap ter during previous events, some of the pledges and a few brothers introduced their parents to the house for the first time.Thanks to a delegation of graduates, the parents were not only greeted by their son's friends and brothers but also spoken to by longer- "I hope to serve the cliapter more now tliat some time has opened up." Tlie brothers are proud of Berfs campus accompUsliments. Pig Dinner (Continued from page 1) ing 1-285, and then taking the Thornton road exit north. The tournament will be played shotgun starting at 9 a.m. Gamma Tau, Inc., traditionally meets at the chapter house one hour prior to the Pig Dinner social hour. Ron Thomas'68,chair man, can be contacted at 404-377-6021 for further details. eve of the Big Came. Individual brothers entertain and assist patients at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). Scholarship, fraternity, self Gamma Tau placed an even greater em phasis to obtain high scholarship and placed first among all fraternities in scholarship for the fall semester. Our pledges ended with a third-place finish in scholastics among pledge classes.The improved academic performance of the chapter makes Gamma Tau a top con tender for the International Cheney Cup. Other notable events Brother and Georgia Tech President Wayne Clough '64 took time out of his busy term Phi Gams,including Board of Chapter Advisors members. Parents enjoyed a tasty array of foods prior to the football game. The day was a success and we look for ward to the next weekend when we can excitedly present ourselves to people who do not enjoy the everyday wonders of Gamma Tau. \r\nGamma Tauk Spring 2000 Page Four Brothers caddy during tour championship,meet Fiji Payne Stewart smiled at the boy and asked him if he wanted to play this hole with the group.1 have never seen a smile so big on such a small face. Payne teed up a ball and gave the boy one of his clubs. He had the boy choke up and explained how to set his feet and line up his By T. Scott Stiber'00 The East Lake Golf Club in Decatur has been played by many notable golfers, going back as far as Bobby Jones, and is a favorite course of many Gamma Tau brothers. Though I have been privileged enough to shot. The boy swung and sent the ball along the ground about 20 yards. Payne then teed walk this historic course several times, no walk has been as memorable as the stroll with Payne Stewart. East Lake provides what I consider to be the best college job available. To caddy at such a place doesn't seem like work at all. It is almost as if we are being paid to do work which we would gladly do simply for the chance to play the course once a week,not to mention the contacts that some of us have made and the people with whom we have been able to rub shoulders. Brother Stewart at East Lake Charlie Pollard '02, Scott Stiber '00, and Ryan Ott '00, left to right, hold irreplaceable autographed photo ofthe esteemed Payne Steivart. The other two amateurs were business executives with pretty good golf games.The question now was the whereabouts ofPayne and his caddy. We waited on the tee box for Several of us worked as caddies during the time when the Tour Championship came to East Lake in October 1998. The top 30 about five minutes before he showed. When money winners came to finish the season. he arrived he cracked a joke which many of The big names included fellow Fiji Payne the nearby spectators found as humorous as we did.Heintroduced himselfand his caddy, Stewart(SMU '79). We knew we had no chance of caddying Mike Hicks,to the rest of the group and to us. for him because all the players have their He became aware fairly quickly that all three own caddies. Our chance to meet Payne of us were Fijis. He acknowledged that bit of occurred when the club hosted a pro/am information with a smile and teed up his tournament the Wednesday preceding the ball. His first shot was dead center fairway. Tour Championship.Each group would have During the first hole walk he acknowledged one PGA player and three amateurs(usually hardly any spectators and asked with com celebrities or executives from tournament- plete sincerity the state of our chapter and its sponsoring companies of the tournament). standing on our campus. We reported the good news and Payne smiled and said that Three lucky Fijis Each amateur would need a caddy. This he didn't expect to hear anything less. meant that three of us would have a chance Interest in us It became abundantly clear after several of caddying for someone in Payne's group. As a result of our pleading with the holes that Payne was far more interested in caddymaster, Ryan Ott '00, Charlie Pollard conversing with us rather than his playing '02,and myself were scheduled to caddy for partners,and of course the same was true on our part. I simply performed the bare essen Payne Stewart's group. The course looked completely different tials of my caddy duties for those 18 holes when we arrived for the event. The fairways looked much tighter, with people lining ev ery one. The greens looked a bit smaller with bleachers sitting just a few feet back on the rough.Nevertheless,this wasEastLakeand our chance to walk the course with some ofthe best. and spent every spare moment talking with Payne and asking him questions. We shared stories with him and he in turn relayed some of his undergraduate moments. All of the talk was meaningful, but Payne showed his true colors when we approached We had some time before our group went the 11th tee box.The golf course was running a program with the surrounding neighbor I remember seeing Tiger Woods and Vijay hoods that allowed local children a chance to Singh arrive at the clubhouse,but there was get on the course and see the players. A child no sight of Payne. We continued to the range of about 10 or 11 was waiting for our ap and watched in silence as the best swings in proach at the tee box.He clutched a wrinkled piece of paper and a pen.He asked for Payne's golf were fine-tuned to perfection. autograph in a soft, almost scared voice. Another celebrity! out so we walked toward the driving range. A poignant incident Payne smiled and lifted the rope for the there.One of the amateurs was Peabo Bryson, boy to come out of the crowd and onto the tee the singer of many songs in Disney movies. box. Payne signed his name and asked the He proved to be a crowd favorite as the day boy if he was a golfer. The boy looked at moved along, giving autographs and get Payne with a surprised look and said that he wasn't old enough to be a golfer. Payne ting pictures made with spectators. As our tee time approached we walked to the first tee box. We met our three amateurs up another ball and told the boy to line him up the same way he had showed the boy. 1 remember that Payne was not exactly lined up with the green on the short parthree hole when the boy was finished giving Payne instructions,but it didn't matter.Payne altered his swing a bit and sent the ball right at the green.The crowd loved it and that was the largest ovation we heard that day. Continuing with the boy Whatfollowed was really surprising.Now was the time for our players,the amateurs,to tee off but it never happened. They all told Payne to continue the hole without them and continue with the boy. That's right, they all gave up their chances at winning the friendly competition to allow Payne to continue play ing with a young boy who had been lucky enough to be given a chance that anyone would do anything for now. As 1 remember, it took the boy a good seven or eight hacks to reach the green. The crowd lining the short fairway applauded after every swing. The boy finished out his hole with a few putts and Payne finished with a par. Payne shook the young man's hand and thanked him for lining up his shot. Fraternity talk We moved along the storied golf course as we had before the llth, talking about the fraternity and getting a few words in about golf. The feeling on the last seven holes was different from the first 10. The llth changed my perspective of the man. When I had arrived at East Lake that day,1 was hoping to meet a professional golfer who happened to be a Eiji. By the end of the round I was given an inside look and getting to share a moment of my life with one of my brothers. This was not a man who 1 saw playing golf on television, but a man who shared the same beliefs, val ues, and compassion that 1 do,that you do. Autographs As the round ended we thanked Payne for his friendliness and his jokes. He thanked us for giving him a chance to think back to his undergraduate days. He autographed our Tour Championship passes and a ball for the chapter, which is proudly displayed in the trophy case. He wished us luck with our futures and headed for the clubhouse. In the following months 1 watched golf tournaments with only one thing in mind, how is Payne doing? 1 watched as he won the (Continued on page 10) \r\nPage Five Gamma Tauk Spring 2000 1999 Homecoming attendees 1940s Clint Crabtree '49 1950s Ray Heming'51 Thomas BeU '54 Andy Clark'59 Bill White'59 Z 1960s Dale Harsh '61 John Fumbanks'64 Ben Adler'65 Ed Whitesides'67 Joe Baumgardner'68 John Green '69 Rick Bidder'69 Despite the rahi, brothers and guests eiijoi/ Houiecoiniug from the front of Creightoii-Vail Hull before eiijoi/iiig briiuch inside. Non-Fijis nlwni/s comment on the chapter's hospitality. 1970s Tom Adams(Emory'70) At least 55 graduates come to Homecoming By Lance Edwards'02 Gamma Tau welcomed graduates back to their alma mater on October 5. Brothers and guests watched the Ramblin' Reck parade from the front yard in spite of overcast skies and rain. Then everyone headed inside to enjoy lunch prepared by chapter cook Gene Buran. For the second straight year Homecoming was a big success for every Gene pro\'ided a buffet-style meal composed one involved and attendance was greater than of shrimp, cold cut sandwiches, chicken fin in years past. The chapter finished sixth over gers, multiple salads, and finger desserts. At all in the week's Homecoming events and least graduates attended this year's chapter third among all large fraternities. Homecoming celebrations, according to the sign-in book. This tremendous turnout ex cited the chapter as it begins its preparations for our 75th anniversary celebration. Victory in overtime The day was then topped off with a nailbiting victory for the Yellow Jackets over the University of North Carolina in overtime. During the game Phil Klusaritis '00 and Jeff Miller '01 were presented as finalists for the Mr.Georgia Tech competition. Btith men rep The Fiji Flomecomiug banner won third place. resented the chapter very well. Bob Paxton '71 Keith Beaty'72 Dan Henry'72 Les Spencer'73 Ross Beebe'74 Kevin Schoonover'74 JeffKorth'77 T.R. Parrish '77 Buddy BeU '78 BUI Long'78 1980s W.R. Smith'80 Enrique Perez'83 Tuck Stites'83 Mark Garien'84 Tom Glaze'84 Randy Scott'84 BUI Gregory'86 Jon Strombon'86 Clint Caceres'87 Mike Leonard '89 1990s Robert Hooker'90 Rob Oglesby'90 Brad Davis'92 Kevin Frevert'92 Marc Perla '92 Stephen Schafer'92 Torston Wegner'92 Jeff Cool'93 Chris Feagin '93 Jay Marchbanks'93 Brook Bolton '94 WiU McQueen'94 Rick Dorsey '95 Tommy Christianson '96 Robert Komegay'96 Steve Pybum '96 Chris Heggen '97 Mitch Rutledge'97 CharUe McQueen '98 Steve Holt'99 The colorful Homecoming display featured a New Orleans street scene (out of view to the left) along with this paddleboat with a spinning wheel. It added bright colors to a dreary day. Jason Scheve'99 John Thompson '99 \r\nGamma Tauk Spring 2000 Page Six Events, fund-raising for house improvements to highlj Planning for Gamma Tau's 75th anniversary celebration is rapidly gaining momen tum with an enthusiastic committee in place, fund raising getting started for chapter house improvements, and a weekend of major events planned. Details about the fund raising, house improvements, a table of weekend events, TYTT information about the collection of anecdotes and memorabilia, and the committee membership are included in nearby articles. Planning guidelines The committee has established the following guidelines for planning the 75th anniversary and weekend celebration: •There will be many unforgettable opportunities for brotherhood,friendship,and fun. • A special fund-raising campaign will enable the chapter house front yard to be remodeled and other much-needed chapter house improvements to be made. •Event venues will be of a high quality and conveniently accessible. •Opportunities will be provided for brothers to share memories and contribute memorabilia to the chapter. •Significant others (wives, dates, etc.) will be included in some events. •Costs will be managed judiciously. •Appropriate mementos will be provided for attendees. •There will be ample opportunities for brothers and their guests(including families) to visit the chapter house. •Planning activities and all events will include graduates and undergraduates, and close communications will be maintained between both groups. Special fund-raising campaign gets underway By Tom Adams(Emory'70) and Marc Perla'92 Fund-raising for Gamma Tau's 75th anniversary is well underway with an all-brother contact process,levels of giving, and a completion date in place. Each class representative wOI receive a package of information consisting of: a summary of plans,a list of names and telephone numbers of the brothers they will call (typically class Memorabilia,anecdotes to enhance observance Memorabilia and anecdotes related to Gamma Tau's 75 years are requested by the anniversary planning committee. Photos, periodicals, news articles, books, plaques, glassware, trinkets, and miscella neous paraphernalia (T-shirts, purple garters, Fiji Island party items,caps,sports items,etc.) and other mementos are requested as gifts to the chapter or as items that can be borrowed for display during the anniversary weekend. Brothers are asked to indicate on the form en closed with this issue whatitems they would be able to contribute or loan to the chapter. Anecdotes also requested In addition to tangible items, the chapter is also requesting anecdotes about fraternity and Georgia Tech life. Events and activities of a humorous,historic,unusual,and /or otherwise fraternity-significant nature are requested. Ex amples are stories relating to intramural sports, pranks,unusual dating experiences,classroom events, and other memorable experiences. The enclosed form can be used for submis sion of anecdotes. Plans are to publish anec dotes in the spring 2001 Gamma Tank. Memorabilia can be sent to chapter historian John Whitt'02 at the chapter house,841 Fowler Les Spencer, AlA, prepared this drawing for the hous mates and others in school with them at the same time), a response form for each person, pledge forms,and return envelopes. The pledge forms and envelopes can be filled in by the representatives making the call, or can be mailed to the called brother. Packages were scheduled to be received by the class representatives in February. Tar geted completion date for all contacts to be made is April 22,the 2000 Pig Dinner date. Four requested levels of giving have been estabhshed, as follows: $3,075 - Golden Gamma Club $1,575 - Black Diamond Club $750 - White Star Club $275 - Purple Pilgrim Club Pledges are to be fulfilled by April 20,2001. Brothers making the contacts are asfollows for the class listed (volunteers are needed to serve as contact persons for years or year groupings not yet covered): Year Byjeff Elam '90 The75th anniversary celebration weekend, featuring both traditional and special created events, will begin Friday, April 20,2001 and end on Sunday, April 22. The weekend will include social events, the annual golf tournament and Pig Dinner, and two open houses. Brothers' significant others (wives,dates, etc.) are encouraged to be part of the weekend and areincluded in various events. Ample time will be provided for fellowship, rerninisdng,and the recharging of friendships. The dates are expected to hold firm, but there is a small possibility that another nearby weekend wiU need to be selected. Tech is Andy Clark,864-297-9149 currently experiencing its first spring semes ter. A possibility exists that the school will make some changes in the scheduling of key campus events in 2001 once the spring 2000 semester is completed,thus possibly necessi tating changing events to another weekend. The planning committee does not want 75th anniversary events to conflict with campus events that demand extensive undergradu ate attention and participation. (Continued on page 8) (Continued on page 8) Contact person/telephone number 1926-39 ComeUusZimmerman,941-682-0714 1940-43 Bob Leckrone,815-744-4410 1944-47 William C. Newell,310-377-0593 1948-50 John Beach,404-321-1283 1951-52 George Fulton, 770-971-1895 1953-54 Jim Bell, 770-457-3244 St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30313. Further informa 1955-56 not yet covered tion can be obtained by contacting the chapter's 75th anniversary chairman. Matt Bevier '03, at 404-352-3281 or mbevier@gtfiji.com. 1957-58 A1 Lee,972-727-3951 1959-60 Big weekend to include variety of great events \r\nPage Seven Gamma Tauk Spring 2000 Lght celebration of 75th anniversary OCCCE Exterior improvements to leave lasting legacy By Jim Stainback'90 A tangible legacy to commemorate the chapter's75th anniversary has been discussed for several years and now plans and people are in place to make it happen. The legacy will be in the form of muchneeded exterior improvements to the front of the chapter house,and as funds permit,addi tional house improvements and the establish ment of an endowment fund for future infra structure needs. Credit to Brother Sheetz Many graduates and undergraduates prob ably do not realize that Frank Sheetz'45 was the original architect for the chapter house, not William Creighton (Pennsylvania '15). Brother Creighton,who left a legacy of numer ous projects in Atlanta, including the Crystal Bridge connecting the two blocks of Rich's nowdemolished downtown store,provided the origi nal concept for the house. Six brick pilasters re mained as part of the final Sheetz design. The Creighton fireplace was not included and the front entry was redesigned. As a result. Brother Sheetz is the architect of record. Lin no I LesSpencer'73and 1 recently visited Brother Sheetz and his wife in Buckhead on Peachtree Battle Avenue,one of Atlanta's most beautiful streets. They shared many insights on the c exterior improvements. The drawin;^ cienrli/ shows the new lighting, tree removal, and overall changes. beginnings of the present house.For example, the housemother's quarters were on the first floor to the right just past the front entry,and the rooms upstairs were originally designed Gamma Tau 75th anniversary events Day,date Event Time Location Notes Friday, April 20 Reception and open 7-9 p.m. Chapter house Casual dress; participants may continue the evening in local Couser Golf B a.m. Tournament to 2 p.m. Open house 10 a.m. Pig Dinner to 5 p.m. 6-9 p.m. 75th committee to lead planning for anniversary Buckhead hotel, such as the Ritz-Carlton or Grand Hyatt eral chairman and coordinator. Co-chairmen Proximity to Atlanta is preferred Chapter house Casual dress, for brothers, Most likely at a family, friends Black tie, for brothers only spouses, restaurant near dates, etc. the Pig Dinner Dinner venue 7-9 p.m. A well-regarded Formal band 9 p.m. party to 1 a.m. Pig Dinner venue For brothers, spouses, dates, etc. Brunch and 10 a.m. to noon Jeff Elam '90,for weekend events Les Spencer '73 and Jim Stainback '90, for Tom Adams(Emory '70),for fund raising Dave Slater (Ohio '67), for memorabilia Bill White'59, for communications extravaganza open house serving with him are as follows: house improvements venue Sunday, April 22 (Continued on page 8) The 75th anniversary planning committee, established by the Gamma TauBoardofChapter Advisors, welcomes interested graduates and undergraduates to help with its efforts. The committee initially has organized itself along functional lines. Marc Perla '90 is heading planning as gen To be determined Transportation will be arranged to bring attendees to the Pig Dinner for room sizes on the dimensions used for cam- restaurants, clubs, etc. house Saturday, April 21 as two-man rooms. Brother Sheetz based the Chapter house Casual dress for brothers, family, friends Notes: This table will be published again in the next Gamma Tauk to reflect updates. Costs have not yet been determined. All graduates and undergraduates are invited to these e\'ents. Matt Bevier'03 is Gamma Tau's 75th anni versary committee chairman. The committee will meet both during BCA meetings and in separate sessions. Graduates wishing to participate should contact plan ning committee general chairman Marc Perla at 404-351-5956 or via mperla@gtfiji.com. \r\nGamma Tauk Spring 2000 Exterior improvements Page Eight The Good Word (Continued from page 7) pus dorm rooms at the time. Mrs.Sheetz said that the furniture used during the first rush at the newly constructed house was out of her own living room,because the house did not have money for such items.(Yes,she did get By Robert Maddox '02 •Gamma Tau had the highest fraternity CPA at Georgia Tech this past semester! •Congratulations to our new Cabinet! Presi dent: Ryan Greene '01, Treasurer: Chris Adams '01, Recording Secretary: Ethan her furniture back.) Vision and reality Brother Creighton's early work wasimpor tant because it gave brothers in the 1950s a Shapiro '01, Corresponding Secretary: vision of what a new house could be, but the •Thank you to our old Cabinet! President: vision remained just thatfor many more years than originally anticipated. A new facility was sorely needed to replace the antiquated Steven Biles '00, Treasurer: Todd Coons '00, Charlie Pollard '02, and Historian: John Whitt '02. Recording Secretary: Chris Adams'Ol, Cor responding Secretary: Ryan Greene '01, and frame structure on North Avenue acrossfrom Historian: Marshall Leslie '02. Thanks to the Administration Building. Brother Sheetz enabled the vision to become a reality. Steve for continuing his term as president even after graduation. A groundbreaking for the new house took place during Homecoming 1959, but con struction did not begin until several years later, after the existing house was to be conderrmed by Tech. Renovations of the new house took place during the 1980s, and most recently when the back addition,designed by Les Spencer, was completed. Proposed changes Now Brother Spencer has created preUminaiy drawings of changes that wiU enhance the appearance ofthefrontofthe house.A presenta tion board ofthe proposed changes wason view at Homecoming. The changes include recon structing the uppier patio area with new brick and a much-needed system to drain the patio. (Tther planned improvements are as follows: * Reconstruct the brick retaining wall at the perimeter of the front lawn. * Redesign the intermediate brick patio area, which wiU providea new brick paving pattern to match that of the upper level. ■^Remove the existing but dying wa ter oak tree and reconstruct both brick stairs. Brothers over the years have grown fond of the tree, but many observers agree it has become a srifety hazard. There is concern that it could topple over during a storm with high winds. A marble/granite marker would be installed in memory of the tree. * Exterior building lighting for the porch and landscaping is also plaimed. Other items in consideration are replacing the cornice across the top middle part of the house and reconstructing the front wood en try using a cast-stone material, because both areas have considerable water damage. Door mUlwork and new front doors and hardware are other plans. A common bond The proposed renovations are intended so thatas future brothers come and go,and times change, the house will be a common bond for brothers to reflect and reminisce. The result will be a chapter house that does not look run down (of which there are some examples on campus) but one, because of appearance and the work that goes into maintaining it, can proudly be called by all "my fraternity house." Planned improvements include removing the dete riorating oak tree that has damaged brickwork and conflicts with the symmetry of the house. Fund raising (Continued from page 6) 1961 Gene Harmon, 816-229-6665 1962 not yet covered 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 Marion Mitchell, 314-576-7647 Ben Lamb, 703-503-9360 Ben Adler, 912-432-7560 Charles Brasfield, 205-967-2577 Roderick Parker, 804-493-0146 Ron Thomas, 404-377-6021 1969 Brian Wright, 770-971-9794 1970 1971 not yet covered not yet covered 1972 1973 Rudy Griffin, 770-475-8915 Terry Whittington, 678-442-6339 1974-75 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980-81 1982 1983 not yet covered Jim Giuhani, 770-971-2034 not yet covered not yet covered not yet covered J. D. Hamil, 770-466-0660 not yet covered not yet covered 1984 1985 Wayne Landon, 770-977-8862 Mike Spears, 770-751-3763 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 not yet covered not yet covered not yet covered not yet covered not yet covered Jim Stainback, 404-325-0377 Casey Hodgson, 404-352-9054 not yet covered 1994 Will McQueen, 912-261-2054 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 not yet covered Mitch Rutledge, 770-435-1480 not yet covered not yet covered not yet covered not yet covered Tom Adams at 404-377-4221 or Marc Ferla •Brandon Drew '99 has been installed as our new Purple Legionnaire. •Congratulations to Ryan Greene '01 for be ing tapped into Omicron Delta Kappa, the honorary leadership society! • Congratulations to Geoff Whitaker '00, who has been accepted as an officer in the Navy Seals! Good luck, Geoff. •Thank you to Gene Buran, our chapter cook, who has kept all the brothers well fed for the past seven years. Gene has been a great friend to the chapter. • Don't forget Pig Dinner on April 22. Hope to see everyone there! Changeover to semesters takes place successfully By Philip Hankinson '00 For the past two years, Georgia Tech students and faculty have been bradng for the Armaged don that was known as semester conversion. This fall the wait was finally over. Much to everyone's surprise many things have re mained unchanged, and most students have only been troubled by the seemingly endless 16-week term. Much of the hype and discus sion were dealt with in the years leading up to the conversion. Schools scrambled to rede sign their curriculums and students fretted about how those curriculum changes would affect their graduation dates. But in the end, the whole ordeal turned out to be much ado about nothing. Conversion planning by Gamma Tau was discussed on page 8 of the fall 1999 Gamma Tauk. One aspect of conversion being finetuned at press time was the scheduling of Gamma Tau's traditional spring events in the context of the semester ending early in May. Great events (Continued from page 6) An information sheet will be published to inform attendees and their guests about At at 404-351-5956 can be contacted for addi tional information. The above list shows con lanta, including major shopping malls, spe tacts lined up at press time. activities in and around the city. cial exhibits at the museums, and weekend \r\nPage Nine Gamma Tauk Spring 2000 FIJI FABLES 1930s Martial A. Honnell '34 (1055 N. College St., Auburn,AL36830;mhonnelI@eng.aubum.edu), a professor emeritus at Auburn University,con tinues to teach electrical engineering part time at the school. He is a member of the Georgia Tech Engineering Hall of Fame. 1940s John F. Richenaker'43(8620 N.W.13th St., Lot 180,Gainesville,FL 32653) appreciated the hos pitality shown him and his wife at his 55th Homecoming. He hopes to attend the chapter's 75th in 2001. Clinton M. Crabtree '49 (P.O. Box 2485, Bran Ian A.Birdsall'73(950 Oak Dr.,Christiansburg, VA 24073; ibirdsal@\'t.edu) has quit his job to pursue a Ph.D. in public administration. He is now a full-time student at Virginia Tech. Joseph C. Anderson Jr.'76(134 Burnham Rise, Peachtree City, GA 30269; joeanderson® mindspring.com) ser\'es as senior director of planning at Raytex Apparel, Inc. Last year he joined Steve Adams'76 and Erie Adams'78 on a backpacking trip in the Great Smoky Moun tains National Park. Tlie hikers started on the north side of the park and ended on the south at Fontana Lake. Despite rain, sleet, and snow, they had a great time. don,FL33509;sgardne2@ix.netcom.com),owner of General Business Services, is acHve in the Masons,Shrine, and Flks. He enjoys travel and bass fishing. In undergraduate days, Clint was appreciated for his talent in fixing things. He Leslie and Jeffrey P. Avers '77 (534 Harrison Ave.,Harrison,NY 10528;jpavers@aol.com)now have three children. Jeff is director of institu tional sales at Bank of America Securities. "The Gamma Tank is a marvelous newsletter," F. Dennis Pryor Jr.'51 (34 Logan Ten,P.O. Box 116,Golf,IL 60029; thedpryors@aol.com) wrote last summer."Congratulations to all." With his youngest daughter's wedding behind him, Denny was focusing on the sale of his house and Iris move to Jefferson City, Tenn. Structural engineer Guy F. Ritter Jr.'54,who has retired from and sold Liirdsey & Ritter, Inc., is now consulting at honre. He has a new address at 108 Post Oak St., Clayton, GA 30525. David B. Donald '55(Camperdown Hts., P.O. Box 44, Nassau, Bahamas; ddonald@100jamz. com) is president of Island Industries Ltd. He has enjoyed boating in the islands, skiing in Colorado, and spending 10 weeks in France. "What could be better?" M. Andrew Clark '59 (208 Old Town Way, Simpsonville,SC 29681; frhs45a@prodigy.com; andy.clark@us.michelin.com)and Bill WTiite'59 (5219 Willow Mill Dr., Marietta, GA 30068; Wlrarton Business School in the fall. After 13 years with Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Assoc. Inc., James H. Stainback Jr.'91(2251 Sanford Rd.,Decatur,GA 30033;fijibuzz@ix.netcom.com)left the architec tural firm last year to become a senior associate at Wyrmton Group, a real estate development company. Bradley J. Zilch'91(83 Old Mill Dr., Media,PA 19063;zilchbj@ch.etn.com)is a sales engineer at Cutler-Hammer.Heand Pamela King were plan ning to be married in November 1999. 1980s built the wrecks in 1947 and 1948. 1950s When he wrote lastsummer,James A.Grant n'91 (1530 Locust St., Apt.6-F,Pliiladelphia,PA 19102; jagrant@aol.com)hadjustcompleted afour-month trip tlrrough Brazil, New Zealand,Cooke Islands, and Australia. He was planning to strut classes at William G. Grip '82, an executive officer in the Susanne and Joel E. Edwards'92 announce the Navy,has relocated to Naples,Italy. Correspon birth of their second son. Mason, in July 1999. Joel accepted a promotional transfer with Kimberly Clark to serve as engineering manager for dence for him can be sen t to PSC 817,Box 51,FPO AF 90622. In a new job, Alex A. Tymchuk '87(4566 Can dytuft Way,Acworth,GA 30102;alextymchuk® mindspring.com)is a regional sales and service manager for Bank of America.He enjoys spend ing time with his wife,Grace,and three children. As a hobby, Alex collects and trades vintage sports cards and memorabilia. Eric A. Walters'88(9109 Field Dove Ct., Char lotte, NC 28210; eric.walters@firstunion.com) has joined First Union National Bank as vicepresident and ATM installation manager. He and his wife, Connie, have two children. 1990s In May 1999, Robert S. Hooker '90 (5501 15th Ave.,#3C, Brooklyn, NY 11219; rshooker® mindspring.com) was promoted to human re sources supervisor in the In-Flight Services De the Lexington, N.C., miU. He and his family have moved from Georgia to 3977 Baldwins Mill Ct., High Point, NC 27260. Joel's elec tronic address is jedwards@kcc.com. Via e-mail, you can write to Stephen R.Schafer '92 at stephen.schafer@att.net. He is a manufac turing engineering manager at Standard Prod ucts Corp. With his wife, Kathleen, and twin sons, Matthew and Andrew, he is living at 8 Winding Wood Ct., Blythewood,SC 29016. Roger L. Bottomley '96 is now a programmer analyst at Coca-Cola Enterprises. He and his wife,Elizabeth, have purchased a home at 4473 Hickory Wood Ln., Atlanta,CA 30360. Brothers can contact Roger on the Internet at rogb@mindspring.com. partment at Delta Air Lines. He supervises 200 flight attendants. "The people skills 1 learned ScottL.Sullivan'96(2884Windfield Cir.,Tucker, wmbwhite@aol.com) worked for nine months on the Tech class of195940th reunion committee whOe in the fraternity are vital to my success in GA 30084;ssullivan@winterconst.com)has been my current job." last year. The class raised over $5-million for Tech.Bill was cochair of the reunion party, held Tony Antoniades '91 (1446 Soaring Pointe, promoted to project manager at Winter Con struction. Last fall, he was managing the con struction of a new science building at Berry Marietta, GA 30062; antoniades@aol.com) was College. at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead. 1960s Since selling their house in Virginia, Agnes and Raymond K.Flderd Jr.'60(9572S.F. Little Club Way S., Tequesta,FL 33469; rkelderdjr® bigfoot.com)have been traveling the country in their 38-foot motorhome. Tlreir objective is to play atleasttwo golfcourses in each ofthe states. As oflast August,they had doneso in 15 ofthem. 1970s James S. Rountree '72 (580 Thornwood Ln., Orange Park,FL 32073),a captain in the Navy,is responsible for the financial management and regionalization program for nine Navy bases throughout the Southeast and Caribbean. He would enjoy seeing Gamma Tau Fijis living in north Horida or passing through the area. featured last November in the Atlanta Journal- Constitution "My Favorite Bookmarks" column. He was described as a "venture catalyst" at the Georgia Tech Advanced Technology Develop ment Center, where he assists high-tech entre preneurs in business planning, product strat egy,industry connections,and facility manage ment. He joined the ATDC after selling his own web-based company with the center's help.Tony has helped in developing Gamma Tau's web site.Hisfavoritebookmarksincludeyahoo.com, After receiving his wings in June 1999 in Pensacola,Fla.,Naval aviator Robert L.Wagstaff III '96 (2250 Camino De La Reina, #302, San Diego, CA 92108; rwagstafflll@yahoo.com) re located to the Golden State where he joined HS10 as a fleet replacement pilot. He is flying the SH-60F and HH-60H.Robert expects to move to Jacksonville,Fla.,this coming August.Last year, he enjoyed trips to England and Las Vegas. espn.com,and hightechministries.org, We regret to infomi you of the death of Richard Jill and Glenn R. Archer '91 welcomed the ar N.Fickett III '27(11/23/98) and Alexander L. Martin III '58 (3/20/99). Phi Gamma Delta rival of their second child,daughter Whitney,in April 1999.The family now resides a1535Owens Farm Rd., Alpharetta, GA 30004. mourns their passing and extends condolences to their families and friends. \r\nGamma Tauk Spring 2000 Page Ten Mothers'Qub helps chapter through variety of projects By Ryan Greene'01 Twoshort yearsago the Mary McCarty Moth ers' Club was established at Gamma Tau with the goal of soliciting support from the mothers of Phi Gams. Creighton-Vailseemed to be missing a moth erly, caring touch. Although it started out as only a sparkle in the eye of Brother Troy Coons '97, the Mothers' Club has developed into a structured,self-sufficientorganization thatben efits everyone in Gamma Tau. Food popular and delicious The Mothers'Club and its free food offerings are a recurring hot topic among the brothers. Each semester the mothers stage aO-you-caneat, home-cooked meals for their beloved Fiji sons. The Mothers' Club helps to relieve the burden of finals at the end of the semester with Sean Gilligan '02, left, and Nate Mitchell '00 model the "Run for the River" T-shirt,saluting both Tech and UGA. Nate also serves as the communications chairman and is the house webmaster. Second annual Run for the River event brings in over $8,000 for Chattahoochee By Victor Borowsky'00 On Thanksgiving Friday, Gamma Tau and Kappa Deuteron of the University of Georgia joined together for the Second Annual Run for the River. Last year's run revived an old tradition that ended in the late 1970s because of logistical problems with running the ball along roads ning near Monroe. The Phi Gam spirit per between Athens and Atlanta. With over 50 sisted, however, and after a nine-hour trip brothers running a total of 72 miles from down Highway 78, the ball made it to Creighton-Vail Hall at 4 p.m. Athens to Atlanta, this year's run improved greatly upon last year's success. The chapters combined to raise over $8,000 for the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Project through individual and corporate donations, with a special thanks to Galyan's Sporting Goods and the Mary McCarty Mother's Club for donating at the sponsor level. Challenges along the way The run wassuccessful,but the day was not without glitches. Runners were forced to stay in Athens by the State Patrol escorts because of inclement weather, but luckily the rain ceased. Later in the day,GT brother Josh Bray was attacked by a vicious mongrel while run- Payne Stewart (Continued from page 4) U.S. Open and thought to myself that it was great to see a friend do so well. 1 watched months later, less than a year after 1 met him, as the television brought news of his death.This untimely tragedy left me with memories of a good golfer, a good person,a good Fiji,and a good friend. Above all, it leaves me with memories of the most meaningful 18 holes that 1 have ever walked. Brother Michael Swift said of the run,"This is a great opportunity to overcome the rivalry between our chapters in order to work to gether for the good of the community." Hope for next year Next year Gamma Tau wants to improve the Run in many ways,but especially in funds raised and publicity.Graduate help is needed to do this. Brothers or their companies who would hke to make a tax-deductible donation to next year's footballrun should contact Rob ert Maddox at rmaddox@gtfiji.com for details on how to give. Graduates: How long since you've been to the chapter house? Don't wait any longer; drop by for dinner! Mon.- Thurs. 5 or 6 p.m. Great food and brotherhood await you. their snack nights and dinners. These study breaks keep brothers' minds focused and re duce the hunger pains that finals bring. The Mothers' Club provides a small lun cheon for graduating seniors and their families following graduation ceremonies.This year each graduating senior will receive a small gift at the reception courtesy of Mary McCarty and friends. The mothers made a $500 donation to our annual GT-UGA Fiji Football Run for the River Special thanks to our thoughtful mothers for their mjmy efforts. project. In the spring, the mothers wiU fund another big project based on brothers' needs and will initiate a philanthropy project to in volve brothers and their families. New executive board The club's first executive board consists of Diane Adams as president,Teri Hanson as sec retary,and Pam Dipace as treasurer.Prior to this year,the chapter'scorresponding secretary man aged the club under the helping hand of Diane Adams. The officers will establish bylaws and membership dues so that there will be continu ity when the sons of these mothers have gradu ated. A separate bank account separates club funds from the chapter treasury. Membership and participation in the Moth ers'Club hasincreased significantly in two years. The50 percent membership of mothersincludes 85 percent of pledge mothers. Two membership forms In order to involve as many mothers as pos sible and to include out-of-town mothers, two formsof membership are offered.The first level, pertaining to Atlanta-based or nearby mothers, entails an active role in the club and its activities. The other level,aimed at out-of-towners,offers a more passive role through financial support and linkage via communicationsaboutthe chap ter and club. Tlie Mothers' Club has enabled mothers of Phi Gamsto efise possible concernsaboutfraternity life, network with otlierFiji moms,and learn moreabout the values of Plii Gamma Delta and its members. \r\nPage Eleven Gamma Tauk Spring 2000 Contributions to the 1999-2000 Troy Coons keeps busy as Balkans missionary graduate communications fund By Todd Coons'00 Wars and conflicts over the past decade in the Balkans have left a lasting impression on Martial A. Hormell'34 1930s Skeet Bradford R)nner,Jr.'37 the minds of Americans. Now images of bombed villages, fleeing refugees, and armed NATO troops come to mind when you hear about the region, and military deployment is what one thinks of when you hear of someone serving in the 1940s John F. Richenaker'43 James G.Stanley'46 James A. Russell,Jr.'47 Harold F. Brinkley'48 Balkans. Clinton M.Crabtree'49 Troy Coons'98 is currently serving in the Balkans in a similar,but much different man 1950s ner than a member of the Armed Forces. Troy is a missionary in Split,Croatia,serving on a two-year STINT (Short-Term Interna tional) project with Campus Crusade for Christ that began in September 1998 and will continue until September 2000. The city of Split is Croatia's second largest city with around 30,000 residents, many of whom are college students.It is located along the Adriatic coast in southwest Croatia. It is a beautiful city with a peaceful lifestyle in comparison to that of its tumultuous neigh boring countries. Part of a team Troy has been working together with a team of eight other Americans in reaching out to the Croatian people by befriending them and sharing with them a love of Jesus Christ. Raymond C. Heming'51 F. Dennis Pryor,Jr.'51 Thomas E. BeU,Jr.'55 David B. Donald '55 It's no insult to cnll this playful girl a "dogl" 1960s Popular new resident becomes friend to all By Robert Maddox '02 Creighton-VaU HaU hasa notable new female aspect of his life in Split,Troy is making an impact on the lives of those around him. He has had many unique experiences in his first year of his mission. In February 1999 he accompanied a climb ing club on an assent of a mountain in neighboring Bosnia. The trip ended up tak ing over 10 hours to complete through four feet of snow and overall very unpleasant conditions. Soccer and the Pope Troy has also been to several wild games of Split's Hajduk soccer team and was able to see the Pope on his visit in September.For his second year Troy will be acting as the project director and will be leading a 12person summer project through August and an eight-person STINT team the rest of the year. Unlike NATO's mission ofsecuring peace in Kosovo and surrounding areas, Troy's mission is to start and maintain a Campus Crusade movement in Split and help secure the souls of Croatians for eternity. Troy can be reached at Splitcoons@aol.com. Edward H. Guilbert'65 Robert W.Carmichael'66 H.Dale Hartough'66 Joseph W.Price'66 resident with a good body,friendly expression, pretty eyes, nice hair, and purple collar. Her cubby is definitely the smallest in the WilhamE. Miller, Jr.'67 house and she never goes to class, but she is a Harold L. Hart'69 Gerald R. Harris'67 lot of fun to have around and likes to visit the brothers' rooms. This new "brother" is Tillie, 1970s our house dog. Tillie moved in early in faU Douglas A. Long'70 He is teaching English to eager students, semester 1999. Brothers Scott Stiber '00 and hosting movie nights in his two-bedroom Ethan Shapiro'01,in whoseroom the dog lives, apartment, and even playing acquired TiUie from an area animal shelter. on the Split baseball team in the Croatian league. In every Ra5nnond K. Elderd,Jr.'60 Ritchey M. Marbury,ni'60 Well-looked after Scott and Ethan take care of the day-to-day needs of the dog such as feeding and walking her, but all the brothers have ensured that Tillie is well-looked after.Brothersenjoy play ing with Tillie, whose favorite games include fetch. Tillie loves to chase brothers or innocent joggers who pass by. The dog is a welcome addition to the house and has become a be loved friend to our brotherhood. James S. Roimtree'72 Ian A. BirdsaU'73 Joseph C. Anderson,Jr.'75 Gary L. Free'75 W.Martin Bretherton,Jr.'77 Michael J. Heneghan '78 1980s Willam R.Smith'80 William G.Grip'82 Mark J. Garlen'84 Richard G.Jordan'84 Scott Parry,D.O.'85 Formal on Jekyll Island highlights winter events Eighty couples attended Gamma Tau's Purple Garter Formal at Jekyll Island on Georgia's coast the weekend ofJanuary 21-23. Accommodations were at Villas by the Sea Resort. Friday night began with a reception featuring acoustical guitar soloist Mark Wiggins.On Saturday couples participated in activities that included golf,horseback riding, and tennis. Sightseeing on St. Simons was another highlight. Saturday evening couples dined at local restaurants and then convened for the much- anticipated formal in the Villas ballroom. Jon E. Strombom '86 Eric A. Walters'88 1990s Bruce M.Gawlowicz'90 Robert S. Hooker'90 James H.Stainback,Jr.'91 Roger L. Bottomley'95 Jeffrey Zickus'96 Cliristopher W.Heggen'97 Josh Piper'99 Tlianks to the above Hsted brothers for being the first contributors to the 1999-2000 fund. \r\nGamma Tauk Spring 2000 Page Twelve Two brothers perform Flag football (Continued from page 1) as Tech mascot Buzz don Shaw, Pike marclied down the field and scored with six seconds left. With the score at20- By Bill White'59 TwoGamma Tau brothersareserving this year 19,Pike chose to go for a two-point conversion and the win.The baU was batt^ away from the asBuzz,Georgia Tech's popular and energetically members of a four-person Buzz team. Wherever receiver in the end zone by tire vaunted Fiji E.A.D. defense and Gamma Tau secured yet another intramural championship. there is an important event — a varsity game, alumni meeting, class reunion, or other activity Fiji earned the right to represent Georgia entertaining mascot. Bert Reeves '00 and Mike Denicola '03 are wherespiritistobeemphasized—Buzzperforms. High honor Being Buzz is a highly competitive honor. "1 auditioned at a cheerleading tryout," said Bert."1 had to perform a skitand demonstrate an ability to do the "Buzz Walk," react to spontaneous situa tions,and prove myenergyand enthusiasm.Being —andstaying—inshapeisextremelyimportant." Last semester Bert finished a time-corisiirning State tournament Tech at the state tournament with its school Bert poses in front of last fall's Gamma Tau Hotnecoming display in his colorful Buzz attire. Members tour Europe, then study at Oxford served as Gamma Tau's chaplain. Performing as Buzz during Tech's recent two Gator Bowl ap pearances was a highlight for him. Buzz has become familiar to TV audiences Dan Cusimano'99,Chris Adams'01,Justin Landis through telecasts ofTech games.ESPNTheMaga- '02,and Hap Richardson'01 in Berlin to begin our tour. That group had already been traveling in zine named Buzz as the 1997 AH-American Mas cot.TheBuzzprogram hasbeen in existence about 15 years and each Buzzgenerallyserves two-three years.In1999,Bertproposed scholarship compen sation for Buzz participants. Starting this fall over $20,000 wiU be divided annually among Buzzes. Challenges Some challenges include being hot inside the Yellow Jacket costume and experiencing heavy {jerspiration, not talking while acting as Buzz, never appearingin public or being photographed withoutthe entire costumebeing on,often putting in several hours a week, doing many pushups, and being available to travel to games. New Fiji Fall Classic helps to protect river By Matt Bevier'03 Brothers launched a new annual Fiji FaU Clas sic on Saturday,November20,as part ofthe Run for the River festivities. The Fiji FaU Classic is a sorority flag footbaU tournament in which tejunsfrom Tech,Georgia State, and University of Georgia played. Seven sororities participated. From their response, we feel that this tournament wUl only grow and become a bigger event in the future. Each sorority was charged a $50 entry fee that went directly to the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeepers Fund. The games were played in the afternoon and after the dust settled. Phi Mu from Tech was the winner. We received sponsorship from NikeTown, Gatorade, and Oscar Meyer. After the tourna ment a social event was held at the house for aU participants. The chapter is excited about the potential of the tournament to be a big fundraising event for the "Run." teams and players who had gone before them (Hutchins, Dukes, McNamara, Dowdy, By Brent Campbell'GO Nine Gamma Tau brotliers took part in an adventure lastsummer that they wUl never forget. They participated m the popular Georgia Tech Study Abroad Program in Oxford,England.Adam KUne'00,Ryan Ott'00,Todd Coons'00,and I met year-long term as Tech Inter-Fratemity Coimdl president (article on page 3). In addition, he has championship victory.With thoughts ofthose Russia,Poland, Finland, and Sweden on another optional tour. MarshaU Leslie'01 did not take part in the tour and met the rest of us in Oxford. Three-week tour The group began with a three-week, eightcountry tour of Europe that included Berlin, Prague, Salzburg, Verona, Venice, Geneva, Strasbourg,Paris,and Brussels. During the tour we attended a course on European art and architecture. Malone, Banker, Butts, Coons, Komorner, Vonderahe,Couey,Sanford,HUl,Pybum,etc.), this year's squad feltinspired toward a higher excellence. After five double-digit wins, Fiji found itself in the state semifinals against Kappa Alpha from West Georgia. Again,the E.A.D.defense rose to the occasion and batted away a pass into the end zone on the final play of the game to hold onto a 14-13 edge. The state championship game featured Georgia Tech Fiji and West Georgia Kappa Sigma.While Kappa Sigma trounced the Fiji squad by mercy rule a year earlier,Fiji would have its revenge. After Kappa Sigma scored a touchdown and tied the score at 13-13 with no time left on the clock, three yards separated them from the win. Fiji stopped the conversion with a flag pull that the referee marked within one foot of the goal line - OVERTIME. West Georgia scored in only two plays,but Fiji intercepted the extra point. The "1848" offense came onto the field again with a pre ciousfew Hutchins-designed plays that Kappa We stayed in most cities for two nights. The first night we could go out on our own.We met for class early the next morning for a little over Sigma had not yet seen. The third-down pass an hour and then took a class trip to a museum into the end zone was deflected into the hands or historical site. Berlin Wall of a Fiji receiver and the score was tied. Three yards separated Gamma Tau from its first One of my more impressive images was rem state championship.Tlie time-tested,butrisky, nantsofthe Berlin WaU and tliestoriesand pictures of the escapes tliat people attempted.Prague and Venice were unexpected Iriglilights. We were in Paris during Bastille Day. After Brussels we took theferry to Dover and drove to Oxford, where we would spend our remaining five weeks. The town is comprised of 39 col leges; we studied at Worcester College. Classes during four days In Oxford, we each took three or four classes behind-the-back-handoff trick play was called in the huddle and executed to perfec tion. Fiji excellence was manifest yet again. On to nationals The team played in the national champion ships in New Orleans over the December holidays. A wonderful weekend resulted in a ninth place overall finish in the country and a lot of recognition for the team and players. from Monday to Thursday. Fridays off made Tony Watson '00 was named second-team weekend traveling much easier. We traveled to Ail-American. London about once a week to see an evening show. We traveled around Great Britain with BritRail passes bought before we left home. Someofour destinationsincluded Edinburgh, Scotland, to see the Military Tattoo Festival, a famous show with bands and military proces sions from across the globe. We traveled to Ireland one weekend,visiting Dublin and trav eling west to the Atlantic coast to visit more traditional Irish towns like Galway. We saw the famous Cliffs of Moher. The state championship and nationals fin ish were the conclusion of what has now been termed the "Decade of Dominance." In the 1990s, Gamma Tau brought home more flag football championships than all other teams combined. Fiji won championships in 1993 and 1995-1999.From 1996 on,Fiji lost one flag football game at Georgia Tech,and that wasin the preseason.If ever a "Team of the Decade" existed,it was here at Gamma Tau,and it was the flag football teams of the 1990s.