ROSE FIJI SPRING 2007 A publication of the Rho Phi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology - Spring 2007 Fro m Brothers, 2006 turned out to be a very successful year for the Rho Phi chapter. Many of the difficulties of the past several years were overcome by the chapter. I would like to say thank you to each and every undergraduate brother for their hard work. The most notable accomplishment as it relates to the House Corporation was the chapter was able to entirely pay off a fairly significant outstanding debt to the Corpora- the President fraternity for previous years shortcomings. This, however, does not make for a healthy situation for the long-term growth of the fraternity. Instead, it leads to brothers not living up to their financial responsibilities, spending more than they are bringing in, and frustration between the undergraduate and graduate base. During the past few years, the House Corporation has been very limited in what it could do to make investments back into the chapter, the house, etc. We simply did not have the cash flow in place to make any necessary improvements. Now, the chapter has been able to pay off its debts and is on the road to being financially stable, we are once again able to look at the chapter house and make improvements. We are starting this process by looking at the exterior of the house. We realize that a new roof will be needed in the next several months. We are also looking at both the interior and exterior paint as areas to spruce up the house. We discussed these needs at the December meeting and have started the process of getting contractors lined up. Brothers helped assemble some of 420 bicycles for Wabash Valley children tion. Several factors led to the creation of the debt and the chapter leadership worked very hard to correct these factors. It seems funny to most to think that the undergraduate chapter would have a debt to the House Corporation. Many believe that we should just look the other way on these types of things. When you look at the financial health of the Corporation, it is easy to understand why this belief is so common. In the past, there have been occasions where the House Corporation has in fact, relieved the debt in order to not punish new members of the Rose FIJI - Spring 2007 I am very happy to announce that a group of graduate brothers have come together to form a new BCA (Board of Chapter Advisors). Mike Dockins ’02 and others have graciously agreed to lead this effort of working with the undergraduates in different areas. The best part is that the undergraduates openly promoted and asked for the BCA in order to carry on the strong traditions of the chapter. The BCA is not directly affiliated with the House Corporation, but will receive funding from us. This allows the undergraduates to seek advice that does not conflict with the interests of the House Corporation. It also allows the House Corporation to move some of the activi- Continues on next page 1 \r\nRho Phi Chap ter of Phi Gamma Delta House Corporation Officers President Todd Hubbell ’96 Todd.Hubbell@US.Endress.com 317.881.2742 Treasurer Joe Weist ’87 JWeist1848@Yahoo.com 812.229.0983 Secretary Chip Bradway ’97 CSBradway@SBCGlobal.net 317.579.6896 House Corporation Directors Rob Bunch ’75 Mark Ress ’76 Andy Horton ’97 Aaron Weishaar ’97 Andy Gullone ’04 Ryan Thompson ’04 Tim Wilson ’07 Zach McCarty ’08 Graduate Website www.RhoPhiFIJI.org Undergraduate Website www.RoseFIJI.com Photograph Archive RoseFIJI.SmugMug.com Rho Phi House Corp. P.O. Box 3047 Terre Haute, IN 47803 E-mail: Info@RoseFIJI.com Brian Telljohann ’10 and Cameron Hummel ’07 celebrate Bid Tuesday From the President Continued ties that we have been performing out to the BCA where it is a better fit. As in the past, the House Corporation will continue to be a strong promoter of educational and leadership activities. The House Corporation pays the entry fees for activities such as Ekklesia, Leadership Academy, State Day, and other leadership retreats. We also work with the chapter on house occupancy, quality of living, insurance, and other aspects of the chapter. We fund scholarships for members including the house manager and kitchen steward. The House Corporation also attempts to look into the future for the long-term health and growth of the chapter. An example of this is the long-term goal of moving the chapter house onto the Rose-Hulman campus. This is something that we continue to look at and study. Every year, the House Corporation spends most of the money it receives from the chapter on things like educational programming, repairs to the house, and graduate relations activities. In fact, nearly 33% of the money that is paid to the House Corporation by the undergraduate chapter goes directly to the graduate relations program. We have received many compliments about the Rose Fiji, our graduate and parent newsletters, and the past several graduate events. For instance, our Homecoming attendance was better than any other fraternity on campus. In fact, we had more graduates return than nearly all of the other Greek organizations combined. Other graduate activities such as Pig Dinner, the Rho Phi Open, the Rho Phi Hall of Fame, etc., have also been much more successful over the past few years. All of these activities are expensive. In order to keep the costs competitive with other fraternities, we must continue to look for opportunities to raise money outside of the rent that we charge the chapter. As such, we will continue to put an even stronger emphasis on fundraising activities. Brothers, thank you for your continued interest and support of Phi Gamma Delta. My hope is that you enjoy the Rose Fiji newsletter and the opportunities that Rho Phi brings to you to reminisce on your college days. Best Regards, Todd Hubbell ’ 96 President, Rho Phi House Corporation Perge! Rose FIJI - Spring 2007 2 \r\nDonald Deedrick Nolan, Jr. ’74 Donald Deedrick Nolan, Jr. ’74 Don Nolan, Jr. came to Rose Poly in the fall of 1970 filled with pride, passion, and purpose. The pride came from his achievements and stature at Madison High School, and for being the first in his family to go on to college. This was quite an accomplishment for the austere Nolan family. The purpose came from Don’s internal drive to achieve, to see and be a part of great things, and leave a positive mark on the world during his life. It is less clear where the passion came from, but passion seems to characterize the life of Don Nolan the best. Don displayed passion in everything that was of interest to him. If it was a priority to Don, he would speak about it with fervor – a fervor that would fill whatever room he was in. Don pledged Phi Gamma Delta late in his sophomore year in 1972, but quickly made his mark on the chapter. His leadership skills were clear, and he was elected chapter president for the 1972 – 1973 term. Don’s infectious passion for a goal or objective was so strong that it would overwhelm those around him. You may not always have agreed with Don’s Brother Don Nolan ’74 (May 15, 1952 – May 26, 2006) view, but you knew that he believed in his position with such passion and confidence that he would succeed – even if by the sheer power of his will. This passion for the elements of life characterized after graduation in 1974. In the early years, he launched into his career with passion. He married Brenda in 1977, and by 1981 had two sons, Matt and Clint. The first several years of his career, Don was field construction manager for projects with Chicago Bridge & Iron, of increasing magnitude and complexity. But his love for huge cranes and rigging solutions, as well as his desire to travel less and be with his family, prompted Don to leave the nomadic life of construction and focus on the specialized field of moving and lifting the massive loads associated with power plant construction. Don became a Christian in 1986, and this introduced a new area for Don’s passion. He loved guns, hunting, boating, time with his family, cooking, cigars, the crane/rigging business, and the Lord. His eyes would sparkle and his arm-pumping passion would emerge whenever he was pursuing these interests. Brother Don Nolan passed Ad Astra on May 26, 2006. His warmth, his compassion, and his passion for life will be missed. Save the Date! 3 Rose FIJI - Spring 2007 I I \r\nPhi Gamma Delta Fraternity Rho Phi Chapter c/o FMG 2660 North 1st Avenue Tucson, AZ 85719 Presorted STANDARD U.S. Postage PAID Tucson, AZ Permit #224 Return Service Requested Update Your Brothers! Married, working, children? Let your brothers know what you’ve been up to! They’d love to hear of your accomplishments. E-mail RhoPhiFIJI@FMGTucson.com with your graduate update today! www. RhoPhiFIJI.org Head on over to check for news, the directory, and photos of the Rho Phi chapter Rose FIJI - Spring 2007 4 \r\nF I I J FALL RUSH 2006 James Michael Bierman Calvin Michael Bueltel Drew Kyle Christy William J. Crosby Colin Michael Dale Derek Ray Eitel Aaron Lee Fisher Adam Tyler Garrett Daniel Philip Hawk Samuel Claude Hill, IV Matthew Michael LaCross Peter Michael Leigh Riley Culligan Lubbers Kurtis Storms Muehlenkamp Shaun Michael Quirk James J. Rago Kyle David Stevens Brian Alan Telljohann Kirk Michael Thompson Tyler Alexander Thornton Adam Dennis Vogt Benjamin Michael Wassel Raymond, IL Huntingburg, IN Fillmore, IN Merrillville, IN Lebanon, IN Marshall, IL Rockvale, TN Oakland, IL Yorktown, IN Winter Park, FL Alpena, MI Englewood, CO Florence, MT Cincinnati, OH Muncie, IN Woodstock, IL Santa Cruz, CA Cincinnati, OH Harrisburg, IL Willard, OH Doro, MI Robinson, IL Civil Chemical Bio-med Civil Civil Mechanical Civil Bio-med EE Civil Mechanical EE Civil Mechanical EE Mechanical Mechanical EE Bio-med Mechanical Chemical Mechanical Fall rush for the Rho Phi chapter of Phi Gamma Delta brought amazing results thanks to Rush Co-Chairs Alex Dimoff ’08, Brad Herman ’08, and Tommy Lawhorn ’09. We pledged 24 amazing men from varied backgrounds and majors, yet all share the qualities of our five values. Our Fall pledge class includes the following men, all of whom are members of the class of 2010 except for Bierman, who is class of ’09. See the back page for additional rush data. \r\nFIJI “FUN FACTS” Name, hometown, and major - pretty typical new member information, huh? So we decided to survey the Rho Phi pledges and have put together some interesting talking points, random information, arranged in random order! • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 7 come from IL, 6 IN, 3 OH, 3 MI, 1 CO, 1 CA, 1 MT, 1 FL, 1 TN 8 have Michael for a middle name (with Michael spelled the same!) 14 have visited a foreign country including Russia, France, Mexico, Canada, Italy, et al 10 have relatives who are also members of Greek letter organizations 16 are named for either a father, grandfather, great-grandfather or combinations thereof 1 is an Eli Lilly Scholar 6 were commended National Merit Scholars 5 were Valedictorians of their high school classes 3 were Salutatorians of their high school classes 19 volunteer for community service 11 were either high school prom king or homecoming king; 4 were on the court 12 play golf; 3 of those were on their high school team 3 have either parachuted or hang-glided 2 can pilot a plane 10 have one sibling, 10 have two siblings, 3 have three, 1 has four, and 1 is an only child 2 are part of a set of twins, each with a twin sister (and both girls play a college sport!) 6 prefer Coke, 6 prefer Pepsi, 4 reach for a Mountain Dew, and 9 drink bottled water 16 were high school class officers or student body officers All 25 played one or more high school varsity sports: 16 football, 10 baseball, 9 track, 7 wrestling, 7 basketball, 2 soccer, 3 golf, 1 swimming, 1 water polo 19 play one or more Rose sports: 15 football, 3 baseball, 2 track, 1 wrestling, 1 swimming, 1 golf Here are some “talents” reported by our new members: consumes apple cores, has dead shin nerves, won Indiana junior piano talent award, appeared in production of West Side Story, grew chest hair in middle school, is half Lebanese, fly fishes, can do the splits, climbed the Eiffel Tower, shook Pete Coors’ hand, played drums in high school Battle of the Bands contest, throws the discus, has genetically-crooked little fingers, offered a Baltimore Oriole pro-baseball contract, played baseball in Puerto Rico, has whiter teeth than Active Casey Boley ’08, has trouble getting hats to fit, plays guitar, plays the trumpet, played baseball for Team Atlantic, sponsored to play paintball, claims father is one of the Geico commercial cavemen! IF NOT ROSE. . . WHERE? Of course we are glad our 25 men chose Rose-Hulman! But, if they had not matriculated here, then where? Below (in no particular order) is a list of number two choices: Purdue, Cal Poly, Illinois Wesleyan, Georgia Tech, Kettering, Toledo, Illinois, Marquette, Rochester, Penn, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Tennessee Tech, Texas Tech, Michigan State, Oregon, Michigan, Cornell, Stanford, Colorado, Olivet, Georgia