THE BLUEGRASS FIJI University of Kentucky Spring 2006 PHI GAMS CHOOSE SERVICE OVER SPRING BREAK While many college students were off to the beaches during spring break, seven of our own were headed to demolition sites. Seven Fijis from the Upsilon Kappa chapter gave up their spring break to go to New Orleans to help with relief efforts. Working through Campus Crusade for Christ, these brothers were able to experience a once in a lifetime spring break. “We felt we needed to be here helping out more than we needed to be at a beach,” said Brother Alex Hale. The majority of the work that had to be done involved removing everything from inside the houses and then gutting the houses. Whether it was by hammer, crowbar, or even by foot, the interior walls of the houses were all torn down. In total, our group of Phi Gams helped to improve seven different houses, including the complete gutting of four of the houses, in four days. “A lot has been improved since November, but there is still a lot to do,” said Brother David Leever. Pictured above: Brother Kopp hard at work. Pictured top left: Front Row — Brothers Strouth, Kopp Back Row — Brothers Leever, Cox, Heil, Shalmon, and Hale Scholarship Takes Precedence We as Phi Gam’s, as you all know first hand, take scholarship extremely serious. What you may not know, however, is that we have now been first in grades the previous four semesters among fraternities at UK. According to the grade report distributed by IFC, our chapter GPA including the newly initiated brothers was 3.23 compared to the IFC average of 2.91 which was also above the all male average GPA at the University of Kentucky. The brothers this past semester have put forth an extreme amount of effort to help assist one another with their studies; this assistance was not only extended to our pledges but also any brother in need of their particular area of expertise. We feel that along with our scholastic performance the previous four semesters, our willingness to help fellow bothers and pledges will go a long way to continuing our academic success. Fraternally, Brother Clark Elliott 1 \r\nTHE BLUEGRASS FIJI Presidents Letter Brothers, The past semester has been one filled with great successes for the Upsilon Kappa Chapter, with the future looking brighter by the day. Throughout the course of the past four months, the chapter has strived to improve upon the success of last year in various ways. Athletics continue to be a priority, as seen by the top-10 standing in the Greek Intramural rankings. Additionally, the Brotherhood Committee has worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for the brothers to come together; just recently, a large number of Phi Gams returned from a white water rafting adventure in West Virginia. I am also proud to announce the successes of the chapter at the recent University of Kentucky Greek Awards Banquet. The Fiji emphasis on scholarship continued to be noted by the Greek community, as the chapter received the awards for the highest new member GPA, the highest returning member GPA, and the highest overall GPA, respectively. Apart from excellence in scholarship, the chapter was recognized for excellence in organizational management, membership education, and financial management. As if these awards were not enough, for the third straight year, Phi Gamma Delta walked away from the night as the winner of Greek Service Week, in addition to being recognized for Overall Organizational Excellence. These awards are a testament to the tireless work of the chapter’s members – work that will, hopefully, be recognized in the Phi Gamma Delta nation this August 10-13 at Ekklesia. While the successes of this semester are certainly something to be proud of, the chapter is not resting. Planning for the fall rush is a major chapter goal, and I am proud to announce that we already have our first member of the Alpha Eta Pledge Class. Other than rush, the fall semester figures to be a special one. With formal falling over Fall Break, Roll in the Hay, and the Brotherhood Retreat in mid-August, the future of the Upsilon Kappa Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta knows no limits. Fraternally, Paul Chumbley President of Upsilon Kappa From the Purple Legionnaire Brother Chumbley’s listing of honors is just the tip of the iceberg when considering the quality of the Upsilon Kappa Chapter. The soul of the chapter lies with the five values of the Fraternity and the quest to bring those values to life. Clearly, the pursuit of knowledge through outstanding scholarship continues to be a prime emphasis. Before anyone asks, yes, the Brothers manage to have fun AND make good grades. I remain amazed at their ability to juggle their academic responsibilities with everything else the chapter and university expects of them. A nice variety of brotherhood events serve to solidify the lifelong friendships that are developing now. Perhaps the most impressive dimension of the chapter is its commitment to service. Service is a drive, as compelling as hunger or thirst, that must be satisfied by making the world a little bit better for those in need. As we know, we are at our best when we are in service to others, not expecting reward or recognition. This comes naturally to our Brothers as they search for opportunities to serve those in need. Our undergraduate brothers are gentlemen in the truest sense of the word. As they continue to develop as men of quality, their view of moral right and wrong is challenged and grows with each new dilemma. The transition to a new cabinet usually has its fair share of challenges and this year’s transition was no exception. The touchstone of the new leadership, however, is to not only maintain but to exceed the excellence the chapter has demonstrated in years past. This is a daunting task but new leadership has stepped forward to accept it. Fortunately, seasoned leaders are still a part of chapter life. Younger leaders are developing now, awaiting their turn to make a difference. All in all, the chapter is thriving. Fraternally, Brother Russ Williams 2 \r\nTHE BLUEGRASS FIJI Dancing the Night Away This past year the University of Kentucky hosted the first annual DanceBlue dance marathon. It was a 24hour no sitting no sleeping dance marathon to benefit the UK pediatric oncology clinic through the Golden Matrix Fund. The marathon received over $123,000 in donations, which was a record for any first year dance marathon. FIJI was represented in full force from the start of DanceBlue. Several members were part of the planning process and a total of ten brothers volunteered to dance for the entire 24-hour event. In one weekend, the Upsilon Kappa chapter donated more than $1,100 and contributed more than 250 man hours of community service. At the end of the marathon, Phi Gamma Delta received several awards for their contribution and participation in DanceBlue. This was the first marathon at Kentucky and next year FIJI looks to be even more strongly represent- ed and will make a larger contribution to this growing charity event. Fraternally, Brother Rob Oakley If you have any suggestions, questions or general comments please contact the Graduate Relations Chair: Adam Bethel 653 Maxwelton Ct. Lexington, KY 40508 Or contact by e-mail at: E-mail: adamtc68@aol.com Join the UK Fiji Graduate Listserv Email Ed Corfman, BCA Chair at EasyEdC@AOL.COM You will need to obtain an ID at http://www.yahoo.com to join the listserv. The listserv is displayed as UKFijiGrads Return To: Phi Gamma Delta 653 Maxwelton Ct. Lexington, KY 40508 3