NITTANY FIJI NEWS PHI GAMMA DELTA | GAMMA PHI CHAPTER | FIJIPSU.ORG A LETTER FROM OUR HOUSE CORPORATION PRESIDENT Dear Fiji Penn State Alumni, Gamma Phi was very fortunate this spring semester to secure 22 new pledges during recruitment. The backlash of the unfortunate death at Beta and the restrictions placed on fraternities and sororities by the university made this process very difficult. Another matter that hinders the excitement of fraternities is the ever-growing influx of new apartments. Their advertising and lease contracts reach sophomores before recruitment is even a thought on their minds! Our 22 new pledges are as follows: James Peterson Phoenixville, PA, Business, Undecided Alex Bowman Phoenixville, PA, Electrical Engineering Brendan Ferraioli Long Island, NY, Supply Chain Management Brett Richardson McLean, VA, Entrepreneurship Brian Hufnagle Richmond, VA, Finance Chris Crimi New City, NY, Finance Dan Barnes Buffalo, NY, PGM Gage Frye Ashburn, VA, Marketing \r\nGarrett Pumilia Collegeville, PA, Computer Engineering Harrison Pierno Long Island, NY, Finance Jason Silverman North Potomac, MD, Finance Josh Heffner Reading, PA, Criminology, Spanish Minor Marcos Saquicela Mount Olive, NJ, Mechanical Engineering Mark Gallagher Ashburn, VA, Mechanical Engineering Matt Morgan Ashburn, VA, Film Matt Schierling Ashburn, VA, Industrial Engineering Matthew Schwartz Washington Township, NJ, Mechanical Engineering Noah Rothernberger Reading, PA, Finance Owen Dubble Bernville, PA, Economics Tom Miller West Chester, PA, Finance Will Becker Basing Ridge, NJ, Finance Will VanRuler Monterey, CA, Communications HOUSE NEWS Many of you have kept up with the fall-out of the unfortunate death of Beta Tim Piazza. His parents are now suing 28 Beta brothers individually and new legislation has been passed in Pennsylvania addressing penalties designed to prevent fraternity and sorority hazing. This past fall we filled the house with 45 brothers, more than I can remember in years past! This spring it fell to 28 due mainly to internships and study abroad programs. We continue to compete with many apartments being built around campus and the pressure they put on the sophomores to sign leases before recruitment takes place. The apartment scene is advertising that new students want single rooms and to socially interact with their Play Stations and computers more than other students. Several houses help new pledges financially by getting them out of apartment leases once they accept a bid and commit to moving into a house. The House Corporation is considering this move but has made no final plans to do so yet. We have been fortunate to be able to keep our fees just under the university’s cost for a standard dorm with a mid-level meal plan. Though the university is raising their fees about 2.6% for 2019, we now have to compete with their new and the newly renovated single or double room dorms with private bathrooms. To this extent, we we forced to fine 5 members this year for breaking their contracts with the chapter and moving out in between semesters. For those brothers who have not paid the initial fine, the fine is increased and if not paid, are placed for collection. 2020 will be a challenge for Gamma Phi as approximately 40 brothers graduate in the spring and their places must be filled with new members! With the aid of Brother C.J. Wagner (1980), the House Corporation has filed its Exempt Organization IRS tax forms. Total revenue for the year ending Aug. 31, 2018: $175,372; total expenses: $118,157; income $57,218; net assets excluding house and property: $378,034. Our purpose is to provide housing for approximately 40 students at Penn State. Anyone who would like a complete copy of the return should contact Bill Oliver, ollierock44@gmail.com. \r\nTHE LODGE REPAIRS Earlier in the year we have had some problems with our new boiler heating system. For about a month one of the brothers had to reset the unit every hour or so to keep the heat on. We had our plumber troubleshoot the boiler to solve the problem. It ended up being an electronic device built into the burner that we replaced; problem solved, almost! A few weeks later the boiler shut down on a high-water alarm! This then filled our steam pipes with water instead of steam and we had leaks flow from a third floor radiator, down through the second floor, through the kitchen, and into the party room. We were lucky, as the damage did not cause any real damage to the rooms that made them uninhabitable! We did some repairs in the kitchen and party room and will repair the other areas over the summer. Our insurance company has reimbursed us $4,329 after our deductible to make the repairs. PRESIDENT ERIC BARRON WITH FIJI ALUMNI Pres. Eric Barron with FIJI alumni Karl Fink (1963), Dick Stover (1963), Dr. Barron, and Harry Streamer (1963) attending an alumni reception in Naples, Florida in February. CLASS OF 1969 REUNION Gerry Curtin, with help from others, is putting together a class of 1969 reunion over the weekend of September 28 & 29. He has many great responses (more than 20) with hopes of more joining. If you are a FIJI brother available around the graduating years of 1969, let Gerry know and he can give you the details (Gerry.curtin@att.net). Rooms have been reserved at the Nittany Lion Inn and most functions will be held there. The group code is PHIG19F for a room reservation, and the number is 800-233-7505. There is no home football game that weekend, only a well-planned weekend of brotherhood fun to get together after many years! The classes of 1963 and 1967 have done this in the past and they were very successful. Come enjoy seeing your brothers of the past. \r\nUNDERGRADUATE ACHIEVEMENTS Our chapter GPA is 3.36, all-men’s is 3.14 and all-fraternity is 3.13. Gamma Phi is in the top 5 of all fraternities and #1 of the IFC members (not all fraternities belong to IFC). While 14 fraternities are on some sort of suspension for violations, Gamma Phi is not one of them! PSU now keeps a Greek Chapter Scorecard which can be viewed on the IFC web site. We should be proud of the academic achievements of our Undergraduates during a time when several fraternities have shut down and houses are for sale. (Believe it or not, several sororities are considering purchasing houses!) THON along with Delta Phi Epsilon Soroity, raised $95,724 and $51,995 alone for the children’s cancer fund! Way to go guys, and thank you to all who contributed. The homecoming float was a snowy, Aspen, CO ‘80s theme and they worked with Phi Sigma Sigma Sorority. FIJI joined with Acacia, ADPi in the fall Greek Sing. Also, in the fall they held a Puppy Jam on the front lawn with Delta Zeta. Additional philanthropy projects include: a Fiji Islander with Delta Zeta, Phi Sigma Sigma and Delta Gamma. A Burrowes Street Bash with Alpha Zeta and West Halls. Brothers participating in campus leadership positions include: Tyler Fuller: VP of New Membership for IFC, and Board of Directors of Nittany Co-Op Tom Thorley: IFC Director of Recruitment Jim Anderson: Community Service Chair East Halls Jackson Brown: Public Relations THON San Corazza: Army ROTC First Sergeant in charge of 60+ cadets Brandon Falzon: Fresh Start Day of Service and Dance Relations Chair at THON Bradley Harris: Fitwell personal trainer and President of Microfinance Initiative Charles Hastings: PSU Ski Team Fred Hayton: Lion Scouts, Pi Sigma Alpha and Life@State Conner Hulslander: Pitcher Penn State Baseball Club Wes Hoffer: Student and IFC Sustainability Councils Sam Roberts: Ad Sales for the Collegian and works at telemarketing Dylan Rich: Fresh Start Day of Service Ryan Okuniewski: Football Student Manager Alex Pichi: Chemical Engr. Undergraduate Research Leader Hasan Nadeem: Photojournalist for the underground newspaper, Eclipse, and Phi Beta Sigma Honor Fraternity Nick Lopez: Sec. Multicultural Undergraduate Law Assoc. and a student conduct advisor! \r\nCHIA LEGISLATION Congress will address the Collegiate Housing & Infrastructure Act (CHIA) once again this year. CHIA will provide our fraternity and sorority houses with equal access to facility upgrades under the law. We are the second largest provider of college student housing, and we provide both housing and one-of-akind experiences for more than 370,000 of the most active students on campuses. Yet donations toward building and maintaining our houses are still restricted from receiving full tax deductions. Please contact your congressmen and congresswomen and urge support for CHIA! DONATE TO FIJI Many of you with invalid emails did not receive our request for your Chapter Annual Donations sent out in February. Don’t be fooled by our tax return because our net assets are not cash on hand! Your donations are needed to maintain your fraternity house, and to keep it in the best livable condition possible. We all know how old our roof is, and how the grout between our bricks continues to deteriorate. These major items are being closely watched by your House Corporation and soon our patching and repairs will not be sufficient! Though the inside of the house is what most people see, those that help maintain The Lodge must evaluate the entire structure. We have completed the project of replacing the waste and water lines throughout the house and have successfully replaced the heating and hot water systems. As mentioned earlier, there are other major items that need attention. Your contributions make it possible to preserve our Lodge! There are many ways that you can give back to FIJI. Remember, we are not for college days alone! 1. Donations can be made online by visiting our Give page, fijipsu.org/give. 2. Alternatively, you can use the Annual Fund Contribution Form on the last page of this newsletter and mail a check, payable to “Phi Gamma Delta – Gamma Phi” to: Penn State Fiji P.O. Box 953 State College, PA 16804 3. If you are looking for other ways to help Penn State Fiji, we are always looking for volunteers. Visit our Get Involved page (https://fijipsu.org/get-involved/) to sign up! \r\nGamma Phi Chapter of Nonprofit Org U.S. Postage Paid Lexington, KY Permit # 540 PHI GAMMA DELTA PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY 1201 Red Mile Rd P.O. Box 4599 Lexington, KY 40544-4599 CONTRIBUTE TO THE 2018Ǧ19 GAMMA PHI ANNUAL FUND Please accept my contribution of: ___ $100 ___ $500 ___ $Other ___ $250 ___ $1000 Please Note: Monthly donations may be made using our secure online donation page at PLEASE PRINT: Name: Grad Year: To complete your donation: Please enclose your check, payable to the Gamma Phi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta and mail to: Penn State FIJI| P.O. Box 953 | State College, PA 16804 OR Donate securely online at FIJIPSU.ORG/GIVE Contributions to the Annual Fund are not tax deductible. Address: Email: Phone: