Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity - Denison University The Lambda Deuteron Fiji Spring 2006 Sporting News for the Rest of Us Inside this issue: Cajun Thanksgiving 4 Pig Dinner Overview 5 New Additions to Scholarship 6 Missing Brothers 7 Intramural Flag Football Champions 2005 The fall season for intramural sports was quite successful for the Phi Gams, especially in the realm of flag football. The season consisted of eight regular season games and three playoff games. The league is very competitive, and pride is obviously a big issue. Few teams were on the level to even compete with our team, which held opponents scoreless through the first four games. Rivals such as Kappa Sig and Phi Delt were no match for the team’s relentless play. In the end, opposing teams were happy just to score, even if there was no possibility for victory. The sideline at all of the games were packed with brothers cheering on the players. Junior Clay Wawner led the charge to the championship. It was obvious to everyone, including opponents, that (Continued on page 2) Not for College Days Alone I would like to share a recent experience that reminds me of some of the exceptional values of our chapter. Last April, I had the opportunity to sit in as a member of Denison’s Alumni Council in place of the President of the Alumni IFC, who could not at- tend. Thanks to the beautiful weather and the school’s planning, the campus was at its finest. The school was kicking off its most recent fundraising campaign, and it was obvious on arrival that a special weekend was in store. On Friday, a convocation at Swasey Chapel welcomed new members to the group of Presidential Medalists, the highest academic award given by the school. At a reception following the event, I reacquainted myself with (Continued on page 3) \r\nPAGE 2 T HE L AM BD A D E U T E RO N F I J I Necessary Changes in the Status Quo I sat down with a few of my pledge brothers and their families to enjoy a meal on parents weekend this past fall semester. Once the boundaries of our conversation exceeded small talk, we redirected the focus to Greek Life. Luckily, we had a brochure, released by administration, listing facts about all the fraternities on campus to lead our discussion. To our dismay, however, we discovered while every other house had adopted a cause (for example, the Salvation Army, the Homeless and Hunger Program, and so forth), ours had not. Although we laughed at first because this was just another example in a long line of falling short, we quickly stopped and realized it bespoke a profound lack of commitment or vision to issues and concerns larger than ourselves. Philanthropy is an integral piece of Phi Gamma Delta and a cornerstone of the fraternity. For the past several years, however, it has not played such an important role in our particular chapter. For this, there are “no excuses” or ex- planations. If our aspiration for the following years is to improve relations with Denison administration and nationals, then a serious change in the status quo of the past several years is crucial. With that said, a solid starting point is to align with a particular organization, such as Battered Woman’s Shelter in Newark, Licking County’s Coalition for Housing (LCCH), or the Red Cross. Once relations have been established with an organization, the doorway to philanthropic events will be opened. In order to preserve old traditions and ideals while making a difference in the community, it is our aim to reestablish the annual Fiji Luiji Dinner. On this night, the chapter will host a spaghetti dinner either in our house or in Lamson Lodge (the location of the 2005 Pig Dinner). Each member of the chapter will sacrifice a meal or two for the food and admission will be charged. The proceeds will go towards our adopted cause. In addition to the reestablishment of traditional philanthropic endeavors, new traditions will be created. For example, an annual pledge class philanthropy event, in which each pledge’s attendance will be required. One day of each pledging season will be dedicated to helping the communities surrounding Denison. A few possible examples of the events will be volunteering at soup dinners, homeless shelters, food/clothing drives, and so forth. Our volunteer work will not only benefit the community but will also help to create character in the brothers who participate. After these changes are inaugurated into our chapter’s yearly activities, four years at Denison University as a Fiji will equate to multiple hours of volunteer service for the resume, and a pleasure of knowing that we made a difference in the community around us. I strongly believe our new cabinet members are fully prepared and capable of making these changes. - Cameron Ramsdell, Class Year Sporting News for the Rest of Us continued... (Continued from page 1) Clay was playing at a much higher level than most other players. The team’s main offensive play, which worked an extraordinary amount of the time, simply had Clay going deep and using his speed and craftiness to make the touchdown catch. Everyone on the team played hard and did what was needed to bring home the championship against Sig Ep in a hard-fought game that was won 28-14. Softball did not go as smoothly as flag football, but we would rather have a flag football championship anyways. Our 3-on-3 basketball team, consisting of Lee Miller-Finkel, Hank Thompson and Clay Wawner, went to the championship of their division before suffering a one-point defeat. The next intramural activity is 5-on-5 basketball, which be- gins at the start of the second semester. The competition will be high, but we are definitely ready to step up to the challenge. The floor hockey league takes place in the spring. The floor hockey team looks to win a second consecutive championship We look forward to a spring season that will further solidify our status as the best athletes on campus. - Doug Van Buskirk, Class Year \r\nT HE L AM BD A D E U T E RO N F I J I PAGE 3 Not for College Days Alone continued... (Continued from page 1) several Denisonians of my era who were also involved in the Alumni Council and the weekend’s festivities. As could be expected, the group found its way to the basement pub of the Buxton Inn for some stories of the good old days and what is ahead for our university. Among the group’s members were two other fraternity men of my year, two sorority women from my year and the next, two younger fraternity men whom I recall losing to other fraternities during rush, and an unaffiliated man who was a fellow editor of Exile, the student-run literary magazine. Throughout the weekend, I learned that these individuals shared a particularly strong connection to Denison, and were willing to volunteer their time and resources to maintaining the strength of that institution. What I also found, among the affiliated men, was that their connection to their fraternities as graduates was not as strong as mine. Those who know me well will not find that surprising. What I was surprised to learn, however, was that each reported that it was relatively uniform among their brothers that their connection was not strong. Neither of the men from my class had seen most of their pledge brothers since graduation fifteen years ago. The women reported the same for their sororities. From others, I learned that a great challenge for Denison is getting alumni to come back to visit. I thought, “That’s easy. Roast a pig.” Between weddings (and scheduled gatherings when there were no weddings), my pledge class has gathered perhaps six or ten times during that time. I know several classes from my era that can say the same thing. I also know that Jack Oest 1974 and others recently organized a gathering at Denison for the classes from the mid-1970s that was extremely well attended (and a hell of a good time). Not surprisingly, the school welcomed this gathering with open arms. And, as we all know, we have been gathering each year for 102 years to celebrate the Norris Pig Dinner. What I had not realized is that other fraternities, and other affinity groups at Denison, do not share one particular value that we cherish—the experience is “not for college days alone.” After getting over my wonder at the lack of a continuing post-graduate connection among other fraternity men and sorority women, I realized that this value may be particular to the Lambda Deuteron. It is also not as easy as just roasting a pig. Throughout the undergraduate experience, we learn that the experience extends beyond graduation. Undergraduates see it each year when graduates return for the dinner. That is really not enough, though. Something about what we do as a chapter builds the sort of friendships that endure, and that lead to an urge to gather frequently, be it for a wedding, a reunion, a Pig Dinner, or a fishing trip. Whatever Denison is doing to encourage alumni to return and to be a part of the latest fundraising campaign, it should try to copy a page from the Lambda Deuteron playbook. I do not relay this experience as a form of selfcongratulation. It is important that we recognize one of our strengths and work to preserve it. We have a lot of work to do with the active chapter to improve their operating procedures from bookkeeping to pledge education. Whatever the changing environment has done to fraternities at Denison, that environment should not hinder us from creating and maintaining the kind of friendships that may be exceptional to our organization. It should not be forgotten that this is the Lambda Deuteron’s 120th year of existence. Also, 75 years ago we constructed the S.S. Chamberlin Lodge. We recently celebrated the 102nd Norris Pig Dinner, a record for Phi Gamma Delta that we extend each and every year. The Lambda Deuteron Phi Gamma Delta is not for college days alone, and it is not for our days alone. With your support, the enriching experience our chapter provides will continue to be available to many more generations of young men. If you would like to increase your involvement, please e-mail me at jtd54321@adelphia.net. - Name of Author, Class Year \r\nPAGE 4 T HE L AM BD A D E U T E RO N F I J I Cajun Thanksgiving I arrived in Lafayette, Louisiana regional airport on Saturday November 19th not knowing what to expect. I had decided weeks earlier that I needed to help someone else for once in my life, and I felt that the best way to do it, was to spend my week long Thanksgiving break volunteering in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. I had done enough of construction and tree service work before, and thought that I could be a big help in the rebuilding process. I didn’t realize, until my first day on the job, how naïve I really was. I had spoken with people from the United Way of Arcadiana to set this whole thing up, and was picked up at the airport by their long term recovery coordinator Cheryl Guilbeau. Cheryl took me to the house where I was to stay for the duration of my trip. It was a small house located on the University of Louisiana-Lafayette campus which I shared with 11 other volunteers. I slept on the floor of the “main bedroom” next to a man named Steve Lindhorst who was a Vietnam Veteran from Minnesota and had moved down to Lafayette to volunteer for up to three years, or as he put it “until its all fixed.” There was a kitchen and two other rooms where the 10 members of the AmeriCorps group slept who were also living with us. I would wake up each morning around 6:30am and ride with Steve to the United Way office to learn about our assignment. As I said before, I went down there expecting to help re- build the area, but soon found out how ignorant about the whole situation I was. The areas that we worked were near the coast of Louisiana in Vermillion Perish (County) in a town called Esther, which was about a 30 minute drive from where I was staying. Now, I have never been to an area that was destroyed by war, but this is what I think it would look like. There were piles of garbage and other debris everywhere, the trees had all been bent over and twisted by the wind and looked as if they were frozen in time. There were blank spaces all “Though the work that I did helped out a few families, there was so much more to be done.” along the road where houses once stood, and others that had been so torn apart that it was tough to tell if it had even been a house at one point. My first day on the job we were sent to work in this area at woman named Shirley O’Bryan’s house, which was miraculously still standing. It was two and a half months since the Hurricane hit, and Shirley had yet to go into her house. Walking into this place was absolutely unbelievable. Everything that she owned was just thrown into piles in each room, sitting on about 4-6 inches of black, swamp mud. The walls had all been stripped of their paint by the rising water level which reached about four feet inside the house. There was still standing water in some rooms, which contained all sorts of creatures, and there was a stench throughout the house that is beyond anything I can explain. We spent the first half of the day throwing all of Shirley’s belongings into a pile in front of the house that would later be bulldozed away. After we had removed everything from the floor, we would shovel out all of the mud, watching out for anything that was still alive (we killed two snakes and one rat). After all of the mud was out, we spent the second half of the day tearing down all of the walls, hoping to get rid of, or at least dry up the mold that had grown behind them. Though not all of the houses that I worked at were as bad as Shirley’s, this was pretty much the typical day. At night I would return to the house, cook a little dinner, and sit on the front porch and talk to Steve about life and Vietnam (two things I found that I know nothing about), and watch him smoke his Pall Mall cigarettes until I went to bed. I left Lafayette on November 26th and didn’t feel the way that I had expected. It was almost a sense of guilt, that I could go back to normal life at school while these people simply couldn’t. Though the work that I did helped out a few families, there was so much more to be done. I spent 7 days working down there, and it just didn’t feel like enough. The people that I met were some of the nicest people in the world, and it was definitely an experience that I will carry with me for a long time. - Clay Wawner 2007 \r\nT HE L AM BD A D E U T E RO N F I J I PAGE 5 Pig Dinner Overview Hello Phi Gams! Firstly, and most importantly, thank you to all of the graduates who came out and showed their support this past homecoming weekend despite the crummy weather. The current brothers not only appreciated your dedication to the house but were also delighted (and quite frankly, a little jealous) to hear all of your great stories that were recounted, or often times, pieced together. This weekend culminated, as it always does, with the Annual Pig Dinner. The house is very excited to boast that the Lambda Deuteron Chapter of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity currently holds the longest running consecutive number of Pig Dinners of any chapter in the country. During the actual roasting of the pig, a major obstacle temporarily impeded the progression of the banquet, as the swine caught on fire and burst into flames. However, several quick-thinking brothers, armed with golf clubs and hockey sticks, put their heads together and were able to salvage the meat with no harm done. The Sophomore brothers continued the tradition of “bringing in the pig”, and carried the food from the house down to where the actual feast took place, Lamson Lodge. The dinner itself went very well and was filled to near capacity with a great showing of brothers who spanned several generations. Many thanks to the Huffman Dining Hall and its staff for providing the side dishes that complemented the pig for a relatively cost efficient price. Several well received speeches were given by both current and graduate brothers. The dinner was kicked off with an informative speech given by the past President, Mark Brinkman 2006 that basically informed those present of the current condition of the house, and was followed by a rather humorous poem, read by the youngest brother of the house, Douglass Van Buskirk 2008. Nevertheless, the highlight of the evening, went to the keynote speaker, Terry Irwin 1985, who gave an informative and wonderfully humorous oration which was capped off with a great joke that brought the house down. Despite the relative informality of the dinner, there was great feedback from those who attended and a great time was had by all. The current brothers very much enjoyed meeting the graduates who made an appearance at the dinner and the only complaint was that there were not more brothers to share their stories and tradition. The house hopes to receive increased patronage and attendance from graduates in the years to come. For those graduates who would like to attend next years 103rd Pig Dinner, other Phi Gam events, or just simply visit the house and meet the current brothers, please become part of our mailing list by contacting Taylor Nissi 2008 (nissi_t@denison.edu). Perge! - Name of Author, Class Year The new cabinet is (left to right): names and class years \r\nPAGE 6 T HE L AM BD A D E U T E RO N F I J I New Additions to Scholarship As the spring semester unfolds, the brothers of Phi Gamma Delta are making some serious changes. The Phi Gamma Delta scholarship program is no exception to this and is one aspect of the chapter today that is undergoing some noteworthy changes for the better. There are several aspects that are being focused on as areas in need of improvement. The first area concerns the pledge program. Traditionally, Fiji pledges are required to attend study hall three nights per week during the pledge period. While we certainly plan on continuing this practice, it does not always provide pledges with the academic support necessary in many of Denison’s academically challenging courses. To remedy this problem, we have decided to pair each pledge with an active who shares the same major. The role of these brothers will be to provide academic support when necessary and monitor the pledges’ academic progress to ensure that no pledge falls behind in his academics. Another area in need of improvement is the grades of some actives within the house. Many new ideas are being considered to help remedy this problem. These include the possibility of study hall for brothers with a struggling GPA or a scholarship offered to the brother with most improved GPA each semester. Other options being considered include the possibility of an academic competition within the house that would pair academically strong and weak brothers together. Our most important change occurring within the scholarship program is the addition of an aca- demic faculty advisor. We have determined several potential candidates and will be interviewing them in the beginning of the spring semester. The role of this faculty advisor would most likely include advising academically struggling brothers, having a hand in shaping Phi Gamma Delta scholarship policies, and keeping the chapter informed of any new academic policies being considered by the university. While all the brothers of Fiji certainly realize the great amount of work ahead of us as we put these changes into place, we are also very eager to begin a new year with the prospect to better ourselves and the fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta. Perge! - Name of Author, Class Year House Report cleaning. We the brothers want to take more pride in our house. Over the past semester we have decided there are a number of little improvements that will go a long way to make the Lodge more hospitable and enjoyable. Our wonderful home, the Chamberlain Lodge, has suffered a period of neglect and is due for some Our goals for this spring semester are to re-paint the front entrance way and the back rooms, set up new filing cabinets and record keeping resources, improving the lighting, and making the library area internet accessible again. These changes and a new commitment to the house should make our space in the Lodge utilized better and also give those visiting graduates a place that they can take pride in. Also planned is a clean up activity scheduled around the April 22 board meeting involving graduates, actives, and pledges in which all graduates are encouraged to attend. Perge! - Name of Author, Class Year \r\nT HE L AM BD A D E U T E RO N F I J I PAGE 7 Missing Brothers We currently do not have addresses for the following brothers. If you have information on their whereabouts, please contact us at (email address). Fred T. Brien 1922 Charles R. Spross 1952 Laurence J. Faso 1969 Robert D. Collins 1982 Stephen W. Hatfield 1992 Harry Nicholson 1924 Joseph H. Yearling 1953 James W. Higbie 1969 Peter B. Gray 1982 Peter T. Joseph Clarence T. Risley 1925 Charles A. Brickman 1954 Bruce R. Madson 1969 Louis McGinnis 1982 Christopher M. Shea 1993 James C. Sanford 1926 Thomas A. Ducro 1954 George R. Ramsayer 1969 Taylor J. Stevenson 1982 Randall C. Cross 1994 Donald E. McCollum 1930 William J. Moore 1954 Rowland E. Starr, Jr. 1969 James M. Sullivan 1982 David P. McLain 1994 William J. Rathje, Jr. 1931 Thomas S. Clark 1955 Peter R. Caugherty Andy H. Hood 1983 Andrew G. Randak 1994 James T. Raymond 1931 Joseph H. Thomas 1956 Stewart T. Hondorp 1970 Mark W. Schumacher 1983 Stephen P. Warren 1994 Paul R. Cherney 1933 John F. Brand 1957 Douglas S. Johnston 1970 Stuart P. Erwin III 1984 Andrew A. Boyd 1995 Robert W. Tollerton 1934 Thomas M. James 1957 K. A. Larson 1970 Scott S. Schuster 1984 Joel B. Ekstrom 1995 Floyd K. Haas 1936 Wayne M. Spade, Jr. 1957 Michael B. Martay 1970 Gregg M. Gaulocher 1985 Christophr T. Konow 1995 Harvey Marette, Jr. 1936 George B. Stillwagon III 1957 Jonathan C. Lewis 1971 Richard F. Gray Thomas H. Murray 1995 John E. Hughes 1937 C. R. Ayars 1958 William J. Murphy III 1971 Robert F. Sposito, Jr. 1985 John T. Salter 1995 Kenneth M. Jones 1938 George A. Gescheider 1958 William C. Sliger, Jr. 1971 Timothy E. Fee 1986 Damon H. Bethel 1996 Richard K. Corson 1939 Richard L. Jennings 1958 Patrick K. Egan 1972 Robert S. Koehler 1986 Todd N. Hatfield 1996 George R. Smith 1942 Thomas F. Menge 1958 Douglas C. Hepper 1972 W. B. Myers 1986 Joseph B. Kropp 1996 Charles B. English 1944 Frank B. Murphy 1959 Ernest B. Kelly III 1972 Kevin P. Downey, Jr. 1987 Adam M. Hyers 1997 Philip L. Ward 1944 Frederick W. Turner III 1959 R. M. Henry 1973 William M. Huston William C. Michels 1997 Philip B. McGraw 1946 Robert G. Stillwagon 1960 David H. Lanner 1973 Robert B. Patterson 1987 Daniel J. Olds 1997 Norwood E. Meyer 1946 David S. Cooper 1961 Steven E. McBride 1973 R. P. Carter 1988 Christopher B. Wright 1997 Richard R. Pfeiffer 1946 Mark G. Dowie 1962 Thompson Shea, Jr. 1973 Thomas A. DeGray 1988 Marc E. Alexander 1998 Jack S. Geneser 1947 Robert C. Morrison 1962 Jeffrey M. Mindlin 1976 John E. Jayme IV 1988 James G. Hammer 1998 Robert K. Hurford 1947 James M. Rich 1962 Johannes G. Derksen 1977 Seth C. MacDonald 1988 Justin P. Wilson 1999 Jack M. Townsend 1949 John K. Upham 1962 Robert C. Mitchell, Jr. 1977 E. G. Olcott, Jr. 1988 M. A. Jones 2000 Robert R. Bridge 1950 Brian F. McCarthy 1963 Carl W. Tobias 1977 Charles E. Baker III 1989 Timothy J. Minogue 2000 David H. Eaton 1950 John W. Parrish, Jr. 1963 Randall J. Laco 1978 William H. Cannell 1989 Timothy C. Walters 2001 Robert S. King 1950 Jack R. Wilson 1963 Norman C. Maschner 1978 Bradford F. Cover 1989 Thomas J. Gillespie H. R. Reid, Jr. 1950 Ben W. Perks 1964 David J. Rudolph 1978 C. R. Muth 1989 Benjamin H. Haas 2002 Robert L. Shannon 1950 Kenneth K. Bartholomew 1965 Gregory M. Burnell 1979 Henry S. Oberly 1989 Aaron M. Sawyer 2003 Charles A. Buechner, Jr. 1951 James D. Brown 1965 Eric L. Fladen 1979 Charles J. Schott III 1989 Cyril A. Dyer, Jr. 1951 Eugene J. Carella 1965 James D. Hunziker 1979 James W. Wressell 1989 John H. Slater 1951 John S. Weltmer 1965 Carter S. Kegel 1979 Michael S. Holmes 1990 Richard F. Boughton 1952 James J. Fais 1967 Peter H. Pawlick 1979 Matthew A. Hulbert 1990 Roger P. Johnson George M. Jones III 1967 Robert W. Pike 1979 Andrew K. Kramp 1952 1970 1985 1987 1990 James M. McDowell 1952 Lawrence G. Kincheloe 1967 Thomas C. Ratcliff 1979 J. M. Cadden 1991 Harold F. Mosher, Jr. 1952 Carvel F. Tefft 1968 Marc Sperry 1980 Andrew D. Corr 1991 Edward J. Peterson 1952 Arthur N. Weyand 1968 MacDonald C. Heston, Jr. 1981 David E. Rumsey 1991 David G. Sherman 1952 Alexander B. Curchin III 1969 Roger A. Weisman Michael S. Hanrahan 1992 1981 1992 2002 \r\nPAGE 8 T HE L AM BD A D E U T E RO N F I J I Varsity Lacrosse As the winter season ends, the varsity lacrosse team gears up for the season. There are a number of Phi Gam brothers involved with the lacrosse team. Most notable, Clay Wawner 2007 is a Capitan as a junior. The team elected him this fall because of his dedication and commitment to the team and the play- ers. Clay was a starter at attack last spring and will lead the Big Reds offense again this spring. Alex Baruch 2008 in goal, and Taylor Nissi 2008 at close defense anchor the defensive unit. Alex started as a freshman last year and earned first team all-NCAC honors. Taylor was the fourth defenseman last season and is now the top close defenseman on the squad. Chris Geronimos 2008, who saw some playing time as a midfielder last year, chose to focus on his studies this fall but remains a part of the team. starter, Soph. Brett Castano. and stability as the Big Red floundered early in the season. Doctors told him he would not be able to play again, especially after the wound became infected. However, Vallee proved them wrong and returned this year to score four goals for the Big Red. The Sophomore Phi Gams look forward to continue the excellence set forth by past brothers on the field. Last years team reached the NCAA playoffs but lost a close game to Lynchburg. This year the team looks to build on its past achievements and have another strong season. The Phi Gams who are not on the team can always be found at home games supporting their brothers who are on the field. - Taylor Nissi, 2008 Soccer The Denison varsity soccer season of 2005 was very average. However, without the bothers of Phi Gamma Delta, the team would have scored a messily 21 goals in 17 games. Sr. Troy Botha and Sr. Scott Vallee both recorded 4 goals and three assists, while Soph. Brian Collins added a goal and two assists. They gave the big red a necessary jump on offense, while first year sophomore starter goalie Matthew Greenlees went 6-7 with a GAA of 1.84. Greenlees gave the Big Red stability in net after the incoming freshman recruit allowed 7 goals in just three games. He was aided by first year back/midfield Many feel the team’s best game was played in a loss to OWU. The Big Red outplayed the then third nationally ranked OWU and almost pulled out the upset victory. At the end of the season, Troy Botha (Toledo, Ohio/St. John’s) received his first All-NCAC first-team honor after coming back from a twoyear hiatus. Additionally, Scott Vallee returned to the Big Red after severing his tibia and fibula in a gruesome accident early in the 2004 campaign. His hard work and determination provided leadership - Name of Author, Class Year ATTENTION GRADUATES! Would you like to stay updated on chapter happenings, be reminded of events and simply stay in touch? Become part of our mailing list by contacting Taylor Nissi 2008 at nissi_t@denison.edu. We look forward to hearing from you!