OMEGA PHI GAMMA DELTA PRESIDENTS ADDRESS Hello friends, families, and brothers. My name is Ben Wasserman, and I am the current chapter president for the Omega Chi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at Chapman University. In this edition of the Omega Chronicle, I am excited to share all of the amazing things that have happened for our chapter in our tenth year at Chapman University. On April 13 this year we held our 10th annual Purple Tie Affair and raised well over double the amount we have ever raised. We ended the night donating $88,000 dollars to The Make-A-Wish Foundation. This donation easily eclipsed our previous record of $30,000 and was also a Chapman fraternity record by a wide margin. Thank you to all the parents and graduate brothers that attended the event. To show further appreciation, we have listed Black Diamond donors at the end of the program. The Purple Tie Affair was organized by Kyle Marshall (2020), Jordan Greenhall (2020) and Sean Gallagher (2021). In another philanthropic endeavor, Keahi Favela (2021) spearheaded our first ever “Coasters for Consent”. With this event, we partnered with CARES (Creating a Rape Free Environment for Students) to raise money and generate awareness around issues of consent. Students on campus were asked to donate and decorate coasters that highlighted consensual behavior. The money was donated to SAVS (Sexual Assault Victim Service), and the coasters were donated to a local bar. We were extremely excited with the creativity and TABLE OF CONTENTS Purple Tie................................................................................2 Parents' Weekend.................................................................3 Senior Spotlight.....................................................................3 Graduate Brother Spotlight.................................................4 Greek Awards.........................................................................4 CARES and Coasters for Consent......................................5 Pig Dinner................................................................................5 Ekklesia.........................................................................5 Skit...............................................................................6 Our First Initiate.....................................................................6 Pledge Education..................................................................6 Alpha Alpha Pledge Class...................................................7 Omega Pledge Class............................................................7 Black Diamond Donors.......................................................7 HRONICLE CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY Fall 2019 success of this event, and hope to continue to improve upon it in future years. In November, we held our 10th annual Pig Dinner. We were pleased to have graduate brothers attend not only from Chapman University, but also from other universities in the area and all around the United States. At this Pig Dinner, we had the privilege of having Jeff Downey (UCLA 1983) give the Exile’s Toast once again (a FIJI tradition that we all greatly enjoy). We also honored the Omega Chi Chapter’s Purple Legionnaire, Steve Caine (New Mexico 1997). Steve has been an incredible leader in his role since he became involved with the chapter 10 years ago, and we couldn’t ask for a better advisor. Since I’ve been a member of Omega Chi, Steve has won “Advisor of the Year” at Chapman’s Greek Awards twice, in addition to the Durrance Award, given to the best Purple Legionnaire out of all 146 FIJI chapters. Furthermore, we would like to thank Dave Todd (USC 1967). Dave has been crucial to the success of this chapter since its inception, and this year has been no different. We joke that if we meet an involved FIJI brother from another school or part of the country, they are likely to know Dave! It is truly incredible the amount of meaningful FIJI connections Dave has nurtured over the years, and we couldn’t be more grateful for his generous support. continued on page 2 Website: fijichapman.com/ Instagram: @chapman_fiji Facebook: facebook.com/ChapmanFIJI/ Twitter: @ChapmanFIJI \r\nPRESIDENTS ADDRESS CONTINUED... In the fall, we welcomed the Alpha Alpha pledge class. As the name of their pledge class suggests, they are a great group who will continue to push our legacy forward. We also welcomed the Alpha Beta pledge class in the spring; another well-rounded group of gentlemen. I can’t wait to see what both groups accomplish personally, academically, fraternally and professionally. As a member of this chapter and now as the president, I couldn’t more assuredly say that I am exceptionally proud to be an Omega Chi FIJI. This chapter is made up of an incredibly talented group of men who have pushed boundaries at this school and in their respective interests. Thank you to everyone who supports us, and makes this possible. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Enjoy! Ben Wasserman Chapter President PURPLE TIE This year we held our 10th annual Purple Tie Fundraiser, benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This year's dinner was held at the Harborside Restaurant and Grand Ballroom in Newport Beach, featuring an inspirational story embodying persistence by previous Make-A-Wish recipient, Matthew Borja, silent and live auctions, and a live band. The night ended with our chapter raising $88,000, which will grant 12 wishes to children with critical illnesses. This donation broke the Chapman fraternity record, surpassing our previous record raised last year by $50,000. We are incredibly proud of our chapter’s ability to bring about a positive impact in the community and we can’t wait for next year’s Purple Tie Fundraiser! Thank you once again to all of those who donated at this event and to all of those who generously provided auction items. It is with your help that we have been able to generate such a positive impact. “Make-A-Wish is honored to work with such outstanding young men who give back to their community and we thank them for supporting our mission.” - Rossana Powell (Corporate and Community Engagement Manager for MakeA-Wish Orange County) “Our 10th annual Purple Tie serves as a prime example of what to expect from the brothers of the Omega Chi Chapter when we come together and collaborate for the greater good of our community.” - Kyle Marshall (Purple Tie Co-Chair) “The generous and charitable donations from family and friends made this event more special than we could have ever imagined. The impact will go beyond monetary value, giving these kids a joyous and lasting memory that they will never forget.” - Sean Gallagher (Purple Tie Co-Chair) “Thank you to all the current brothers, alumni, and family members for their amazing commitment to this year’s event. This event would not have been possible without the amazing help of the entire Make-A-Wish Orange County team, especially Rossana Powell. Also, our auctioneer, Nick Di Nieri, had an incredible impact on the event’s success. I am amazed with what can be accomplished when everyone is committed to a single cause, and am so grateful to have been a part of it.” - Jordan Greenhall (Purple Tie Co-Chair) 2 \r\nPARENTS’ WEEKEND On October 12, 2018 we held our first ever Parents’ Weekend event, and it was a huge success. We had over 50 parents in attendance for the weekend. The gatherings included a meet and greet cocktail hour, a cup pong tournament, a day spent at a beach house in Newport Beach and a Sunday brunch. Each parent that attended also got to leave with a custom engraved FIJI pint glass. Fran Bonadies (2022) and Nico Houser (2019) hosted the inaugural weekend. Everyone that attended had an amazing time and we encourage all parents to attend our 2019 Parents’ Weekend. Where: Orange County When: October 18–20, 2019 What to Expect: Parents' Weekend will be packed with fun and leisurely events! Come to beautiful Orange County expecting to meet great people and have a great time. SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: SEBASTIAN BARAHAL Written by: Joe Pera (2021) This past year our chapter graduated 32 seniors who have dedicated countless hours of energy, devotion, and ideas that have helped our chapter grow to the heights it has achieved today. With the graduation of this year’s senior class, our chapter would like to cast a spotlight on a brother who has made valuable contributions throughout his four years of membership. It would be unfair to Sebastian Barahal (2019) and his accomplishments if we did not take the time to highlight some of his greatest feats and contributions throughout his four years at Chapman University. Since the beginning of his time as a brother of the Omega Chi Chapter, Sebastian has been eager to become a leader and help this chapter grow. One of Sebastian’s largest contributions to our chapter came during his sophomore and junior year, when he was the assistant and head pledge educator, respectively. Out of the jobs you can hold within the fraternity, the position of pledge educator likely requires the most immense amount of time and energy. Sebastian was up for the job and he worked tirelessly to shape the new members into becoming FIJI gentleman. Sebastian, in his time as a pledge educator, secured two pledge classes that would not only make an immediate impact on our chapter, but would become a part of the lifelong brotherhood of Phi Gamma Delta. Another large contribution that Sebastian made to Chapman FIJI came throughout his time as chapter president. Sebastian’s first goal as a brother was to become pledge educator, and once he got that, his next was to become president. Sebastian fought hard for the position of president because he believed his ambitious attitude could help lead the chapter to new heights. He dedicated his term as president to increase chapter involvement on and off campus, strengthen brotherhood, improve graduate relations and enhance the importance of studies in school within the chapter. Sebastian not only brought the chapter to new heights, but also helped improve the chapter’s reputation on campus. Due to all these wonderful contributions and accomplishments, Sebastian Barahal was recently awarded the 2018-2019 Todd Washington Award. This award is dedicated to graduating senior whose devotion, service, dignity and impact on the chapter during his undergraduate tenure is unmatched. Sebastian is more than deserving of the award and our chapter can’t wait to see what is in store for Sebastian’s bright future! Sebastian will be continuing his journey in Los Angeles where he will be working for ADP as an associate district manager. While Sebastian might be leaving Chapman and entering the professional world, his legacy and impact on the Omega Chi Chapter will always be everlasting. 3 \r\nGRADUATE BROTHER SPOTLIGHT: AMIN ANJEDANI (2017) Given Amin’s determination, he was not nearly done Written by: Joe Pera (2021) One of the many things that makes the Omega Chi Chapter special is that it prides itself on the slogan “Not for college days alone”. This quote symbolizes our dedication to the lifelong friendships that we build. Even though a brother may graduate, he will always be a part of the Omega Chi brotherhood. Many of our graduate brothers are doing amazing things outside of Chapman University, and this man epitomizes that notion. This year we would like to recognize Amin Anjedani (2017) for our Graduate Brother Spotlight. Amin, who hails from Orinda, California, joined FIJI during the fall semester of his freshman year. He quickly fell in love with the chapter and had immense passion to get involved. Upon initiation, Amin was immediately elected to one of our most important positions—recruitment chair. This position meant a lot to Amin because it meant that he would be in charge of building and growing the future of our chapter. In his time as recruitment chairman, Amin innovated the process to make it what it is today. contributing to our chapter. In the fall of his junior year, he became the President of the Omega Chi Chapter. Amin was seen as a leader by his fellow brothers and was a no brainer to lead the chapter. During his time as President, Amin brought our chapter to new incredible heights where we increased chapter involvement, enhanced chapter transparency and improved graduate relations. Upon his graduation, Amin was awarded the Todd Washington award, which we give to the senior who shows the most dedication to our core values. This award was well deserved and exemplified the amazing things he did for our chapter in his time at Chapman. Needless to say, our chapter would not be where it is today without the effort and passion that Amin has brought to the Omega Chi Chapter. After graduation, Amin was hired at BlackRock in New York City as a financial analyst; he was the first Chapman graduate to gain a full-time job at this prestigious firm. People who know Amin, recognize that he is a very ambitious person who is always looking to continue his success. After almost two years of working at BlackRock, Amin sent in his resignation papers to pursue an innovative business idea. Amin and two of his peers came up with a new product - alcohol infused cold brew. Their company is called Bomani, which means “to have purpose” in Farsi. Bomani has gotten off to an incredible start, and everyday they continue to innovate and grow. The company has been featured as a start-up to look out for in many articles, including the following: https://www.marketwatch. com/press-release/new-start-up-company-bomani-coldbuzz-announces-launch-of-alcohol-infused-cold-brewcoffee-2019-02-28. While Amin has already made the Omega Chi Chapter proud, he is just scratching the surface in his career, and we are extremely excited to see what him and his new company has in store. To keep up with Amin and Bomani, visit their website https://www.bomanicoldbuzz.com. GREEK AWARDS This year we were awarded Best Fraternity Philanthropy for our 2018 Purple Tie event. At this event we raised $30,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This was a huge honor, and the first time we have won the award. As we mentioned in our Purple Tie section, we easily doubled that number this year and hope to win the award for the second year in a row in the coming months. 4 \r\nCARES AND COASTERS FOR CONSENT This year, FIJI brothers worked with Chapman C.A.R.E.S. (Creating A Rape-free Environment for Students) to organize the first ever Coasters for Consent campus awareness event. The goal of this event was to create awareness around issues of consent on college campuses. Throughout the week brothers tabled in the campus piazza, where other students could come and pay to design a pro-consent coaster. All of the proceeds were then donated to our local SAVS (Sexual Assault Victims Services), an organization that is open 24 hours to help any victim of sexual assault. In total, Chapman C.A.R.E.S. and Chapman FIJI donated over $1,000 to our local SAVS. In addition, many FIJI brothers took part in other C.A.R.E.S. events such as the “Clothesline Project” and “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes”. The Clothesline Project is another on campus event that helps to spread awareness against sexual assault. During the Clothesline Project, people are able to write messages on t-shirts, which are then hung around campus. Many FIJI brothers showed up early in the morning to help hang up these shirts throughout campus. In addition, FIJI brothers participated in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event, which aimed to spread awareness about sexual assault and gender violence. During this event, brothers walked one mile in various types of high heels along with other Chapman Greek organizations. This is an international walk that is done on other campuses as well. PIG DINNER On November 4, 2018 we held our annual Norris Pig Dinner at SeaCliff Country Club in Huntington Beach. This event is the longest standing annual graduate event in all of Greek life. We were proud to host our 10th annual Norris Pig Dinner this year. The event was organized by Grayson Clemmer (2021) and hosted by our Purple Legionnaire, Steve Caine, who was officially made a brother of the Omega Chi chapter (and granted his honorary purple tie). In attendance were 60 graduate brothers and 76 undergraduate brothers. In our tradition, Jeff Downey read the Exile’s Toast from memory. We were also pleased to have our field secretary, Ian Campbell, and our new section chief, Loren Paige, in attendance. We would like to invite all graduate brothers to attend the 2019 Pig Dinner on the first weekend of November. Where: Orange County, CA, Venue TBD When: Saturday, November 2, 2019 Attire: Formal Contact: yeringto@chapman.edu EKKLESIA This year we had four undergraduate brothers and our purple legionnaire attend Ekklesia, the biennial convention of the Fraternity where governing decisions are made. It’s always an honor to have members of our chapter play a role in the decision making of the International Fraternity, and in July of 2018 we had more than the minimum amount of delegates from our chapter in attendance. We can’t wait to send members to contribute to the 2020 Ekklesia in Phoenix, Arizona. 5 \r\nSKIT Each year, the Greek Life Office at Chapman puts on a skit competition among all the fraternities and sororities. This year, Matthew Palomino (2021) led the chapter in a brilliant rendition of Pinocchio. Nearly every brother either participated or watched the Saturday night show, which was a huge success. A video of the skit can be seen at the following link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xrkzmtxg3SE OUR FIRST INITIATE Alphabetically, Jerome Alexander (2008) was the first Omega Chi FIJI. He was one of the brothers who colonized our chapter and we are extremely grateful for that. Jerome was a double major in Dance and PR/Advertising. For FIJI, he was the head of risk management. Jerome remembers holding chapter meetings in Argyros Forum and his initiation at UCI. He credits FIJI in helping him with some of his initial successes. In fact, another FIJI brother was a jumping board into industry for Jerome, and helped him land one of his first jobs: consulting and choreographing for Simon Cowell and his company Syco. As proof that one of our favorite slogans, “Not For College Days Alone”, rings true, Jerome still gets legal advice from one of his FIJI brothers who is now a lawyer. He consistently stays in contact with his FIJI brothers from Chapman. Since college, Jerome has danced, choreographed, and consulted for a variety of companies and ventures on the international stage. He now works as a creative director and show designer, and he runs his own management company. In the last few years Jerome has worked with Ralph Lauren, Adidas, NBA, Maserati, Omega Boutique, Cartier and many other well known companies. He is constantly traveling all over the world to direct large scale shows and events, but he currently uses Shanghai, China as a home base. In the coming years, he claims that his company is “going to expand and try to take over markets everywhere.” Checkout some of his work, and it’s not hard to believe! To keep up with Jerome and his endeavors, check out his social media accounts below: Facebook: Jerome Alexander Instagram: @jerome_dances Twitter: @jerome_danceapp PLEDGE EDUCATION Omega Chi has entered the second rotation through the Greek alphabet with the initiation of this year’s Alpha Alpha and Alpha Beta pledge classes. The 2018-2019 school year was a great year for recruitment and pledge education as the chapter has brought in 34 new brothers between the two classes. The Alpha Alpha pledge class lead by pledge educators Jack Powell (2019) and Tom LaHourge (2020) persisted through a great semester of hard work and brotherhood bonding. Philanthropic highlights of the semester include collecting donations in support of Woolsey Fire victims where the boys raising over $600 for those in need. The Alpha Beta pledge class lead by pledge educators Tom LaHourge (2020) and Trent Beck (2021) truly exemplified the values of the fraternity during their Spring pledgeship. The Alpha Betas hosted a basketball tournament that raised over $300 in support of Kwentyn Wiggins. Two Alpha Betas were honored on this year’s Provost List for academic excellence. Both pledge classes excelled through the pledging semester by finding deeper meaning in friendship, knowledge, service, morality and excellence. As a chapter, we could not be any more proud in the result of the pledging process and in our pursuit to build better men. 6 \r\nALPHA ALPHA PLEDGE CLASS Alex Bonakdar (2021), Huntington Beach, CA Aron Ecoff (2021), Palo Alto, CA Ben Chestler (2022), Chicago, IL Ben Stoddard (2022) , Lafayette, CA Cade Peplinski (2022), Spokane, WA Chad Vasquez (2022), San Anselmo, CA Chris Brugger (2022), Woodside, CA Clay Cranston (2022), Bend, OR Dakota Chaplin (2020), El Dorado Hills, CA David Howren (2021), San Clemente, CA Eli Leibow (2022), Seattle, WA Eric Wasserman (2021), Bend, OR Jack Duboff (2022), San Francisco, CA Kevin Kim (2021), Bronx, NY Lucas Speciale (2022), Singapore, Singapore Luke Carson (2021), New York City, NY Matthew Quamina (2022), Oakland, CA Nate Lopes (2022), San Francisco, CA Omeed Farhadi (2021), San Clemente, CA Samuel Adams (2022), Essex fells, NJ Scott Cooke (2022), Denver, CO Seamus O'Brien (2022), Westlake Village, CA Shawn Lockhart (2021), San Diego, CA Spencer Carlson (2021), Sacramento, CA Tyler West (2021), San Rafael, CA Wiley Bonham (2020), Alamo, CA Zachary Fanch (2022), Denver, Colorado ALPHA BETA PLEDGE CLASS Matthew Skier (2020), Santa Clarita, CA Paul Gutierrez (2021), Denver, CO James Knight (2021), Atlanta, GA Pranav Bhojwani (2022), Hong Kong, SAR Elliot Foad (2021), Sunnyvale, CA Riley Hoefert (2022), Santa Clarita, CA Jaxson Thorton (2021), Austin, TX BLACK DIAMOND DONORS The Fanch Family The Greenhall Family The Buchanan Family The Newton Family The Downs Family The Tafreshi Family The Deskus Family The Engbring Family The Georgio Family The Williamson Family The LaHorgue Family The Clemmer Family The Kline Family The Gallagher Family The Hall Family The Beck Family The Strawbridge Family The Cooke Family The Luberski Family The Revere Family The Todd Family AUTHORS AND EDITORS Joe Pera Jordan Greenhall Kyle Marshall Keahi Favela Beau Bryant Angus Strawbridge Ben Wasserman 7