ROSE FIJI WINTER 2007 a publication of the rho phi chapter of phi gamma delta rose-hulman institute of technology Homecoming 2007 Sticking to tradition, homecoming started a little early this year for FIJI, with graduates showing up as early as Thursday to begin the festivities. Thursday night, several grads had already begun sharing in the brotherhood by visiting the house and meeting several members of the undergraduate chapter, all the while sharing stories, traditions, and good times. From there, things only got better with grads rolling in throughout the day on Friday and meeting up for the friendly reunions that occur this time each year. Later that night, the official celebration began with the annual Pep Rally, which was highlighted by the great speeches, homecoming queen selection, and senior recognition - FIJI was proudly represented by 13 senior football players, 3 of whom led the team as captains. Fireworks lit the sky as people moved to witness yet another of our amazing bonfires. Afterwards, FIJIs could be seen all over the city at various bars and restaurants, telling stories as usual and celebrating the long-lasting brotherhood that joins us all together. The day couldn’t have been any nicer of a Saturday as everyone flocked to campus to see our Fighting Engineers take on the Panthers of Hanover College. The stories and good times continued at the FIJI tent as everyone watched Rose trample the Panthers in an exciting 24 - 7 victory, giving the Engineers their first 5 - 2 start since 1995. Afterwards, people were invited back to the FIJI house to catch up with each other, meet new brothers, share stories, and exchange contact info. Those who came got the pleasure of seeing all of the new work that had been done on the house over the summer including a completely repainted and retiled basement, repainted rooms, and brand new leather furniture adorning the house’s formal room. More impressive than all of the events throughout the weekend was the sheer number of Phi Gams we had in attendance. Present for the festivities included our 67 undergraduate brothers, over 60 graduate brothers, several family members and girlfriends, and even a few FIJI dogs. The FIJI tent had so many people that we even ended up spilling over into the two adjacent tents! Homecoming, as usual, was a welcome event for undergrads, grads, and families alike to meet new friends, create new bonds between generations, and share the memories from our college days that we all hold dear. Next year should be an even greater event with even more FIJI brothers in attendance as we just welcomed a record breaking 35 member pledge class into our amazing fraternity! We hope everyone will be able to make the trip, celebrate our brotherhood again, and continue to show that Phi Gamma Delta truly is, “Not for college days alone!” Bradley Herman ’08 \r\nRho Phi Chap ter of Phi Gamma Delta From the chapter president Brothers and Parents, House Corporation Officers My name is Nick Klaserner and as president of the Rho Phi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta it is my honor to bring you up-to-date on the events and actions of the fraternity throughout this quarter. The 2007 2008 school year has started off with a bang for Rho Phi as we have had many fun and exciting events as well as some obstacles to overcome in the first couple months of this fall semester. President Todd Hubbell ’96 Todd.Hubbell@us.edress.com 317.881.2742 Treasurer Joe Weist ’87 jweist@gmail.com 812.229.0983 Secretary Chip Bradway ’97 CSBradway@sbcglobal.net 317.579.6896 House Corporation Directors Rob Bunch ’75 Andy Horton ’97 Cecil Whitaker ’73 Ryan Thompson ’04 Ben Giant ’03 Kurtis Muehlenkamp ’10 Shaun Quirk ’10 Board of Chapter Advisors Chairman Drew Lopshire ’07 dlopshire@rosefiji.com 812.870.5377 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 Due to a rush infraction during the summer, the Interfraternity Council (IFC) placed a restricted rush upon the chapter. But, in the true Phi Gam spirit, we rose above the adversity and had an outstanding recruitment period by taking 35 of the best men on campus. This class represents the largest in the chapter’s thirty-eight year history and is comprised of Lilly Scholars, athletes, and students involved in many campus activities. These men have already shown excellent leadership qualities and will make an immediate impact on the already outstanding chapter consisting of SGA and IFC officers, athletic team captains, and many other leaders in campus organizations as well as in the community. The fall pledge class of 2007 can look forward to the years to come as some of the most rewarding of their lives as they form lifelong friendships, gain knowledge that will better themselves and all FIJIs, give back to the community through service, shape their morals as true men of character, and strive for excellence in all aspects of life. Even with rush being a large focus for the chapter at the beginning of the school year, the FIJIs have taken part in many other activities. Since class began in August, the chapter has been involved in Brush Up for Homecoming, Highway Clean-Up, TREES, and Up Till Dawn (an all-campus service event for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital). The chapter also had an event with the ladies of Chi Omega Sorority to carve pumpkins for local schools and businesses. Upcoming events for the chapter include pledge retreat, Bikes for Tykes, and the annual Happiness Bag Christmas party. It was a pleasure to see so many familiar faces and to meet many graduates during the homecoming festivities. The FIJI tent had excellent representation as it does every year at the football game. I want to thank everyone who came to the game and stopped by the house. All of the undergraduate brothers were pleased to spend some time getting to know the graduates and hear stories of their undergraduate days as Phi Gams. Through you we truly see that Phi Gamma Delta is, “Not for college days alone.” I encourage all brothers to come back for Pig Dinner on March 8, 2008 and all parents to visit for our annual Parents Dinner on April 26, 2008. We always look forward to seeing our regular visitors as well as meeting those attending their first event. Fraternally, Nick Klaserner ’08 Chapter President 2 Rose FIJI - winter 2007 \r\nWebsite resources You may have noticed a few changes to the chapter webspace over the years, the latest being completed this fall. With the much appreciated help of some devoted graduate and undergraduate brothers, the Rho Phi websites have been updated to include numerous features, all of which are aimed at connecting graduates, undergraduates, and parents. With keeping in mind that Phi Gamma Delta is, “Not for college days alone,” we encourage you to take a look at what the current chapter is up to as well as find new and old friends. The chapter website can be found at www.RoseFIJI.com. Here you will find links to the Phi Gamma Delta International Headwww.RhoPhiFIJI.org - Home Page quarters website at www.PhiGam.org, the chapter pictures website at RoseFIJI.SmugMug.com, and various sections of the chapter information website at www.RhoPhiFIJI.org. Sound too complicated? Not at all. Each site contains an easy to use quick links bar that allows one to navigate to whatever feature desired. Visit www.RhoPhiFIJI.org to do the following: ◊ Read about Rho Phi’s history ◊ Get chapter news using the publications archive ◊ Check up on future chapter events (both upcoming and distant) ◊ Locate and contact fellow graduates and undergraduates using the member directory ◊ Connect with parents using the parent directory ◊ Update your contact information to be stored in the directories ◊ Get information about rush or recommend a potential rushee (for Rose-Hulman or any other school) ◊ Make monetary donations to the chapter ◊ Find out how to volunteer your time to assist undergraduates ◊ Post messages and sign up to receive chapter updates via e-mail ◊ Obtain information for parents (great for new FIJI parents!) ◊ View links to various outside professional development including but not limited to: financial management, career development, leadership development, and Greek Life information ◊ Contact the undergraduate chapter, Rho Phi House Corporation, or Fraternity Management Group (FMG) ◊ View undergraduate brother profiles including resumes for potential hires (all brothers have a profile!) Additional resources found on the picture website at RoseFIJI.SmugMug.com include: ◊ Photo albums including tens of thousands of pictures from various events (from 1969 to present!) ◊ Virtual tour of the chapter house (things have changed, it’s worth a look!) ◊ Profile pictures of all current undergraduate brothers For friendship truly is the sweetest influence, the undergraduate brothers hope that you will check out the Rho Phi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta and rekindle those bonds of brotherhood that we all hold dear. These resources are available for your convenience, and we encourage you to share comments and suggestions on the effectiveness of our websites. Fraternally, Zach McCarty ’08 Graduate Relations Co-Chairman Rose FIJI - winter 2007 3 \r\nFALL RUSH 2007 Fall rush for the Rho Phi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta exceeded all expectations, thanks to an amazing commitment by the total brotherhood with an especially strong effort by the senior class and assistance from several graduate brothers. We pledged 35 of the finest men at Rose, all from different backgrounds, majors, and interests, yet all of whom we felt embodied our chapter values. The 2007 fall class includes 30 members of the class of 2011 and five sophomores: Janes, Kysilka, Neal, Perry, and Wesley - who will graduate in 2010. This number is the largest Rho Phi pledge class ever pledged on Bid Day. Robert Gale Alumbaugh Matthew Bart Baber Matthew Clarence Behling Charles Randall Biggs Robert John Bordner Clayton Dale Britton Nathaniel Joseph Butkauskas Anthony William Celebucki Lucas Jordan Crites Austin Taylor Davis Thomas Reed Eason Scott Andrew Eaton Ryan Kenneth Elliott Stephen William Frazee Michael Ryan Hackman Robert Aaron Hanna Samuel David Harmison Andrew Alexander Huddleston Michael Robert Janes Steven John Juszczak Christopher Steven Kysilka Navjot Singh Lakhan Brett David Lattire Sean Michale Maher Jonathan Randall Marmouzé Stutay Monga Travis Stewart Neal Alexander Christian Pantages Leon Wheless Perry, IV William Christopher Runo Drake Joseph Sayre Bradley Dawson Seibert Adam Whitten Somerall Samuel Isaac Stockrahm Adam Louis Wesley Mooresville, IN Galveston, IN Columbus, IN Indianapolis, IN Morris, IL Newton, IL Pana, IL Chesterton, IN Solsberry, IN Franklin, IN St. Louis, MO Fishers, IN McHenry, IL Stevensville, MT Seymour, IN Pittsfield, IL Valparaiso, IN Chesterton, IN Hinsdale, IL Portage, IN West Chester, OH Plainfield, IN Canaan, IN Avon, IN Springville, IN Leesburg, VA Saint Marys, OH Akron, OH Wake Forest, NC Bellevue, WA Alexandria, IN Tulsa, OK Birmingham, AL Scottsburg, IN Clinton, IL Mechanical Mechanical Mechanical Mechanical Mechanical Bio-med Civil Chemical Mechanical Mechanical Mechanical Mechanical Mechanical Chemical Chemical Mechanical Bio-med Mechanical Chemical Mechanical Chemical Civil Bio-med Mechanical Civil Chemical Mechanical Mechanical Electrical Civil Mechanical Mechanical Chemical Mechanical Mechanical In addition to these pledges, we have several men who have expressed an interest in being included in Spring Rush 2008. (continued on next page) 4 Rose FIJI - winter 2007 \r\nfall rush continued.... FIJI “FUN FACTS” So you know the name, hometown, and major - the same information asked over and over during rush. Who are these new brothers, anyway? We surveyed the class and came up with some interesting “fun facts” that may help define these 35 men. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 3 were class valedictorians 1 was class salutatorian 4 were National Merit Scholars 3 are only children 32 have siblings ranging in number from 2 - 5 20 play a musical instruments including: 5 guitar, 3 trumpet, 3 trombone, 3 violin with others mentioning the saxophone, clarinet, drums, cello, tuba, and piano 35 participated in some high school sport with 18 lettering in two and 9 in three 26 participate in a Rose varsity sport including football, baseball, and track 14 have family members who are members of fraternities or sororities 35 were active in high school clubs or organizations including National Honor Society, band, orchestra, class officers, student body officers, multicultural clubs, political organizations, foreign language clubs, and religious organizations VOLUNTEERING Something we stressed this fall is Rho Phi’s dedication to giving back, whether it be to the Rose-Hulman community, Terre Haute community, or local or national organizations. We discovered that our new class comes to us with a rich history of giving back in their own right. Some areas of volunteer work our 35 pledges have participated in include: American Red Cross, Relay for Life, YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, the Good Cheer organization, Gleaner’s Food Bank, as well as local blood drives, canned good drives, religious youth group assistance, community and school clean-ups, hospital service, reading aloud to elementary students, coaching and counseling local youth groups, and time spent helping out local churches. Several also were members of their local Scout troops, but five of our new brothers distinguished themselves by receiving Scouting’s highest honor, that of Eagle Scout. By most accords, fewer than six percent of all those who have ever been Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts rise to the ranks of Eagle Scout, so we certainly “beat the odds” here! Rho Phi’s fall 2007 pledge class includes these Eagle Scouts: Charles Biggs, Brett Lattire, Jonathan Marmouzé, Brad Seibert, and Adam Somerall. We are proud of the unselfishness of ALL our new pledges and look forward to what we, as a chapter, can give back. WHAT WORKED We want to send a big THANKS! to all our graduates who helped us out with visits, donations, recommendations, speeches, kind words and encouragement, both during rush and after. A special thanks also goes out to our group of football parents, many of them senior parents, who worked diligently for us by saying good things about FIJI to families of freshmen players. We were truly blessed and could not have accomplished what we did this fall without good help and good thoughts from so many. FRIENDSHIP (truly is): THE SWEETEST INFLUENCE! Rose FIJI - winter 2007 5 \r\nhouse improvements When brothers returned to school this year, many did not recognize the chapter house they moved back into. This summer our home on Sixth Street went through its most dramatic face lift in over ten years. The Rho Phi House Corporation tackled over sixty different projects throughout the interior and exterior of the house at a cost of nearly $70,000. These projects addressed safety concerns, structural issues as well as a host of scholastic and aesthetic improvements literally from the roof to the basement floor and everything in between. While one might not immediately recognize the improvements to the exterior of the house, these were extensive. The roof of the house was completely removed and the decking mostly replaced. New dimensional shingles were installed which should hold back the rain for another 30 years. Significant repairs were made to the fascia on both the house and the garage. Some of the damage repaired probably pre-date the chapter’s ownership of the property. New gutters were installed along with new downspouts. These improvements will fix water management issues the house has struggled with the last few years. Newly refurbished chapter library Additionally all trees on the property were trimmed and two stumps ground out. The exterior of the garage was painted as well as the trim and doors on the garage. The exterior doors were rebuilt for increased security. In the garage the pool table room and main room were cleaned and walls painted. This compliments the new pool table and fairly new big screen the house corporation purchased for the chapter. Inside the main house is where most of the improvements are first noticed. All six bedrooms were patched and painted. Although the same room colors were maintained, older graduates will probably note that the colors are more what they would recognize from their time in the chapter house. The Cold Room went through an especially extensive renovation. The bulk of the work (and where one will recognize the most changes) centered around the basement. The first step of this project involved good old fashioned sweat and lots of strong backs. The basement was completely emptied of everything and all the carpet and flooring was removed. This involved several weekends of work by undergraduates (and a few grads). These weekends involved hundreds of trips up and down the steps, about eighty yards of trash (carpet, old desks, couches and outdated test files), and temporary storage on the main floor of everything else (including a copy machine we determined was made of lead). Next at least six sets of contractors began working on everything all at once to transform the basement in the 45 days allotted between the completion of demolition and the return of the football team. Toward the end, some of the contractors were there seven days a week and a few were there until 1:00 am a few nights. In the end every wall had been patched and painted, the entire wireless and wired network in the house was new, the floors in the main area and the library were now high quality porcelain tile, each study room was newly carpeted and many now sported custom fabricated desks. In the library there were new desks, a new floor, and new chairs. The Executive Suite is now a modern office for the chapter. We would be remiss if certain people were not thanked. There were numerous undergraduates that worked many weekends and many week days at odd hours to get that last minute item done so the contractors could keep working the next day. Tim Harlan was there almost every day this summer and personally did all of the painting in the bedrooms and the chapter room. Ryan Thompson helped organize one of the work weekends and worked for two solid days during the demolition stage. Also to the Rho Phi House Corporation, thanks for the funds to do so many projects all at once. Thanks also go out to the workers who worked around an unreasonably tight schedule and literally on top of each other. When the guys moved in for football camp, it was pretty much done. Remodeled basement 6 Rose FIJI - winter 2007 \r\n1977 Reunion This year was the 30th homecoming reunion at RHIT for the class of ‘77 -- and for the Rose Fiji pledge classes from the Fall of 1973 and Spring of 1974. To say that a lot has changed would be an understatement. In the Fall of 1973, Rho Phi of Phi Gamma Delta was a very small fraternity -- the pledge class that Fall essentially doubled the chapter size. One can always debate the relative “greatness” of all the pledge classes, but there was no doubt as to our impact at the time if for no other reason than sheer size. And, there can be no doubt as to the impact on the lives of those in that pledge class. Rose Fiji at that time (both the chapter and pledge class) is hard to describe. The chapter was not particularly involved in student government, varsity sports, etc. and the academic status was fairly average for the campus at that time. We probably had more than an average number of ROTC folks. What I recall most (and I won’t pretend to speak for everyone ....) was a group of guys who formed a bond with each other that was critical to our lives at that time. The common goal was to survive Rose. My recollection of things was a “cycle” of hard study from Sunday afternoons through around noon on Fridays -- a time where there was a lot of (honestly) hard work and cooperation. Then, from Friday evening until the small hours on Sunday, a period of “letting off steam” (i. e. some hard partying). And, the house at 1121 S. 6th Street was the center of all of this. The campus itself at that time was very basic -- remember, this was before PC’s and integrated circuits were something that EE knurds played with in the lab. Digital clocks were a big deal back then. At the reunion itself, many memories flooded back for all of us. While not everyone from our class was there, several were. I’ll try to not miss anyone: Wes Anderson (best man at me wedding), Randy Ridgway, Tom McGuire (creator of the “Magu Awards”), Bob Kuhn, Jim Krogstie, Dale Gobreski, Don Zona, Curt Craig, Jerry Baynes, Don Pickens, Mark Alspaugh and myself (Steve Richey). And, it was great get- ting to meet all the wives. We all knew that the complexities of life would make it virtually impossible for everyone to show, but we still very much missed those not there. We spent a lot of time together at the house, breakfasts at Cracker Barrel, the tent at the football game and at the overall class reunion. Many of the old scrap books have survived -- and many thanks to Don Zona for sending out and bringing all the old photos. I’ll close by listing the unofficial “Magu Awards” that showed up in the various post reunion e-mails: “Hardest to recognize”: Steve Richey “Turned most gray” Don Pickens “Aged the least” Tied: Don Zona and Jim Krogstie “Most distinguished”: Bob “RJ” Kuhn “Could still wear their FIJI shirt, and DID wear their FIJI shirt to their 30th College Reunion”: Jerry Baynes “Got the fattest”: Magu by a mile “Unable to recognize his brothers”: Curt Craig “Brought his wife and pets”: Wes Anderson “Had the best time” Tied: to all the Brothers of “77 that showed up! “Don’t have a clue what they missed”: All you TURKEYS that chickened out and did not show up!!! Steve Richey ’77 This article has been trimmed for space puposes. To view the full, uncut article and additional photos, visit www.RhoPhiFIJI.org Rose FIJI - winter 2007 7 \r\nho m e c o m i n g 2 0 0 7 Josh Smith ’04, Arby Tevault ’05, and Jake Vieck ’05 at homecoming Keith Bloomer ’87, Kirkeiner ’87, and Dennis Ison ’87 Fans in the stands for the homecoming game Graduate brothers and their families enjoy the game, food, and old friends at the FIJI homecoming tent Class of 2005 pledge brothers Jon Haw and Nathan Soyer proudly sport their \r\nwkins, Spencer Shipper, Jason Ramsey, r FIJI colors at the homecoming game Derek Eitel ’10, Brandon Nelms ’08, and Joe Valerioti ’08 celebrate after the 24 - 7 Rose-Hulman victory Devin Love ’08 and other brothers prepared food for the tailgate The old smoke stack ho m e c o m i n g 2 0 0 7 , Joe Weist ’87, Paul 7 reunite at the FIJI homecoming tent Rose-Hulman won 24 - 7 against Hanover College. This was Rose’s first homecoming victory since 2002 and the team’s first 5 - 2 start since 1995 \r\nKatrina Mission Trip For seven brothers of the Rho Phi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta, the usual trip down to the Gulf of Mexico for spring break took on a whole new meaning. Sure, the trip included a four night stay only blocks away from a party Mecca, and members of the trip were up until dawn, but the 786 mile trip was for a different purpose. The city of New Orleans is being rebuilt, and Phi Gamma Delta was there to make a difference. Through Harry Connick, Jr. and Habitat for Humanity, colorful homes are being constructed in the Upper 9th Ward of New Orleans. Nicknamed The FIJIs: (back left to right) Mitch Vlaminick ’07, David Lewis the “Musician’s Village,” 72 homes are being cre’09, Kyle Thorp ’07, (middle left to right) Devin Love ’08, Tim ated to revitalize the neighborhood hit hardest by Wilson ’07, Aaron Gerhardstein ’08, (front) Leven Browne ’08 Hurricane Katrina. With funding from the Rho Phi House Corporation and local churches, the group from Rose-Hulman finished painting the inside of the home, building a front porch and stairway outside, and set posts deep into the sandy soil for a backyard fence. Buried cement proved no match for Brothers David Lewis ’09 and Aaron Gerhardstein ’08, who demolished any obstacle with a jackhammer. The carpentry expertise of Brother Tim Wilson ’07 ensured proper drainage on the front porch, and a level railing for the stairs. By lunch break on the first day the volunteer coordinators realized this group meant business, giving the team additional tasks at a second home. The values of Phi Gamma Delta were poured into the home’s foundation, giving the residents a new home, and giving the city new hope. At the end of each day, the group was not without the sweetest influence, and by Friday a celebration was in order. The New Orleans Jazz Festival was in full swing on the last night of the trip. Sounds from the many stages filled the streets, and a musician armed with only a bucket proved worthy of an encore. The local talent expressed their gratitude towards the service of Phi Gamma Delta, and they were quite impressed with the royal purple FIJI jackets that fit right into the backdrop of the town. The ride home to Indiana was a chance for the group to finally get some rest, and with the help of energy drinks and a little music, the group made it home safely. Devin Love ’08 (left to right) David Lewis ’09 and Aaron Gerhardstein ’08 taking care of business in New Orleans with the jackhammer 10 Rose FIJI - winter 2007 The house \r\nundergraduate Meet Doctor Lakey s p o t li g h t Meet G-stein Aaron Gerhardstein ’08 is a rather shy mechanical engineering senior from Fort Wayne, IN. Most people call him G-stein since his last name is a mouthful. One of the first things people notice about Aaron is how he excels in the classroom. He is a ridiculously good student, is currently carrying a 3.99 GPA, and has served as the scholarship chair for two years. If anyone needs help with classes, they usually look to Aaron. Service is another huge part of Aaron’s life. He can be found at virtually every fraternity service event. Going above and beyond, the past two years Aaron has made week-long trips with several fraternity brothers to New Orleans to help with the Katrina relief effort. On his first trip, his group spent most of their time mucking houses - tearing out damaged property so that new structures can be erected. On his second trip, the group helped build a house with Habitat for Humanity in an area of New Orleans called the “Musician’s Village.” This year he hopes to join some of his brothers on a service trip to another part of the country. One aspect of Aaron’s life that should not be overlooked is his moral standing. Aaron has a passion for the Bible and patterns his life after the teachings of Jesus. He really comes out of his shell when he leads a weekly Bible study at the chapter house. He loves dispelling myths about Jesus and the Bible while trying to get others to think critically about life’s tough questions. Aaron spends much of his free time demonstrating his athletic prowess. He has a rocket for an arm which comes in handy for IM football, and he has helped develop an IM basketball dynasty, winning five league championships in the past three years. Also a monster in the weight room, Aaron is currently a member of “Team Huge.” Only the strongest FIJI members are selected to this elite group. Aaron’s plans after graduation include marrying his high school sweetheart and working somewhere in the Indianapolis area. He hopes to continue serving his community and being involved with his church. Regardless of his next steps, Aaron Gerhardstein is certain to continue to pursue excellence in every aspect of his life. David L. Lakey, M.D. ’86, serves as commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, leading one of the state’s largest agencies with a staff of 11,500 and an annual budget of $2.5 billion. As commissioner, Dr. Lakey oversees programs such as disease prevention and bioterrorism preparedness, family and community health services, environmental and consumer safety, regulatory programs, and mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs. In September, he testified before Congress for the first time, providing the state perspective on planning for Pandemic Influenza. Dr. Lakey became commissioner on January 2, 2007. Prior to becoming commissioner, Dr. Lakey served as an associate professor of medicine, chief of the Division of Clinical Infectious Disease and medical director of the Center for Pulmonary and Infectious Disease Control at the University of Texas Health Center in Tyler. He had been a faculty member there since 1998. At the UT Center for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness, Dr. Lakey served as associate director for infectious disease and biosecurity. He also chaired a bioterrorism preparedness committee for 34 hospitals in East Texas and led the development of the Public Health Laboratory of East Texas - a Bio Safety Level (BSL) III facility - in 2002. He earned a bachelor of science in chemistry, graduating with high honors from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind., and received his medical degree with honors from Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Lakey was a resident in internal medicine and pediatric medicine and completed a fellowship in adult and pediatric infectious disease at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. He is board certified in pediatrics, internal medicine, infectious disease, and pediatric infectious disease. He met his wife, Dede, while he was in residency. They have two beautiful children: D.J. (10) and Katherine (8). Rose FIJI - winter 2007 11 \r\nA Letter from appreciative parents We were first introduced to Phi Gamma Delta Morgan’s freshman year. He mentioned that he wanted to join a fraternity and said that he was going through rush, and thought that he would like to join FIJI. We asked why one over the others, and he said that FIJI had a large number of athletes and that they also maintained a high grade point average. That immediately sold us! Throughout his four years at Rose-Hulman as a FIJI, we have been invited to many functions. We have attended 3 of the 4 homecoming football games and have always been warmly welcomed by his fraternity brothers. We have also gone each year in the past to the annual Parents Dinner in which all the FIJI brothers are recognized. Their accomplishments are a joy to watch when you know how much time they have invested in their individual interests and in their academics. Sophomore year was a very interesting year as parents of a FIJI. I must admit, the idea of my son leaving campus for this big house full of guys that belonged to this brotherhood was a great adventure for all of us. We watched Morgan develop into the outgoing person he is now, while always trying to do his best and keep others in mind. He demonstrated responsibility along the way. I really feel that FIJI has made him a much more outgoing individual and provided him with a group of friends that will last a lifetime. Phi Gamma Delta goes to extremes to roll out the welcome mat. We have attended both Dads’ Day and Moms’ Day. The FIJI family, from past and present, seem to play a vital part of the daily occurrences, whether it is linked to the career fair or to the graduates just coming back in town for a ball game. We have watched Morgan build new relationships and friendships over the phone throughout the U.S. with various Phi Gams. There definitely has been a correlation between his FIJI career links and the next phase of his life. Lastly, I must mention the chapter’s purple legionnaire, Tim Harlan ’72. He has been there for Morgan and our entire family. It is a great comfort to know that there’s been a mentor and role model for Morgan on this four year journey. We appreciate the hours of conversation that Tim has witnessed and the fatherly advice given that has guided Morgan to become the true person that he is. -Robbi Lollar, mother of Morgan Lollar ’08 12 Rose FIJI - winter 2007 \r\ngraduate updates Bruce A. Brown ’73 Bruce was initiated in 1969. He is married to Nancy and has two children, Michael (27) and Marianne (25). Bruce works for the Dow Chemical Company as their strategic sourcing leader in Michigan. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 4809 Moorland Ct. Midland, MI 48640 Home: 989.631.4576 E-mail: BABrown@dow.com qualifying for Boston in the process. Son, Patrick, is living in China for a year teaching after graduating from Miami University. Son, Kyle, is attending THE Ohio State University, and daughter, Aileen, is attending St. Louis University. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ Mike Lee ’74 13745 Daysprings Way Pickerington, OH 43147 Home: 740.927.0639 E-mail: pmcurtin@hotmail.com Mike is living in Colorado Springs with his second wife - Tara. He is involved with an aquaponics start-up in Bob Tippmann ’81 Bob and his wife Dani have had 8 of their 10 children Mexico that has an adjacent restaurant. move out so far (two in college at Miami University in Ohio), the youngest two are 7 and 10. They have 7 grand◊ 1018 E. Dale St. children to-date making any family gathering active and ◊ Colorado Springs, CO 80903 interesting. ◊ Home: 719-578-9979 ◊ E-mail: Ccoldcrete@cs.com ◊ 130 E. 400 South ◊ Columbia City, IN 46725 Allen Ruszkowski ’76 ◊ Home: 219.244.7843 Allen was initiated in 1973. He is currently living in San ◊ E-mail: rttjr@yahoo.com Jose, CA with his wife Mary and has a child named Andrea. Allen is the president and CEO of CVAC Systems Bradley J. Larrick ’82 in San Diego, CA. Brad was initiated in 1979. He is currently living in Plainfield, Illinois and works for the TriZetto Group as ◊ 928 Bimmerle Place the director of development. ◊ San Jose, CA 95123 ◊ Home: 408.972.0394 ◊ 24936 Thornberry Drive ◊ E-mail: ARuszkowski@cvacsystems.com ◊ Plainfield, IL 60544 ◊ Home: 630.699.0808 David Lewis ’77 ◊ E-mail: Larrick@worldnet.att.net Dave was initiated in 1976. He is currently living in Carrollton, GA and works as a corp. leasing manager at Deltacom. He has a wife, Linda, and two grown children; Lynette and Leann. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 285 Balouse Gilley Dr. Carrollton, GA 30116 Home: 770.834.3870 E-mail: DLewis12345@yahoo.com Paul “Chuck” Curtin ’80 Erich Teske ’85 Erich moved from Chicago to Stamford, Connecticut in 2005 and recently he and his wife Janice had their fourth child, Adam. Erich left Amoco after 17 years to take a job trading gasoline in New York with Morgan Stanley. ◊ 2229 N. Fremont St. #3 ◊ Chicago, IL 60614 ◊ E-mail: erich.teske@morganstanley.com Chuck recently completed the Columbus Marathon, Rose FIJI - winter 2007 (continued on next page) 13 \r\ngraduate updates continued.... R. Jeffrey Wheeler ’87 of their third child, Andrew Preston, on September 21, Jeff was initiated in 1984. He has a child, Merdith (4) 2007. Andrew is in addition to Austin (5) and Ashley (3). and lives in Bellefontaine, OH. He works at Midwest Shannon recently accepted a promotion in the Environmental Technology Division of Corning Incorporated, as Express, Inc. as their division manager. product line manager for the heavy-duty diesel business. Additionally, he was recently selected to serve as com◊ 515 Dakota Road mander for 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, in the U.S. Army ◊ Bellefontaine, OH 43311 Reserves, headquartered in Ithaca, NY. Shannon and his ◊ Home: 931.441.3454 family live in Painted Post, NY. ◊ E-mail: JWheeler@midwestexp.com Gary Bates ’89 Gary was initiated in 1986. He is currently living in Woodland, California with his wife, Kim, and three children, Kyle (11), Jenny (7), and Michael (2). Gary is a plant manager at Hartung Industries. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 879 Walker Street Woodland, CA 95776 Home: 530.662.1414 E-mail: GKKJMBates@sbcglobal.net Rodney West ’91 ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 26 Katie Ln. Painted Post, NY 14870 Home: 607.937.0330 E-mail: sclark2417@stny.rr.com Jason C. Bone ’93 Jason was initiated in 1990. He is currently working for General Motors Corporation as their senior product engineer in Warren, Michigan. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 3153 Willet Ave. Rochester Hills, MI 48309 Cell: 248.761.7241 E-mail: JaBone17@aol.com Rodney was initiated in 1989. In 2006, Rod and his wife Laurie became the proud parents of a fourth daughter, Julia, built and moved into a new home, and Rod received his 10th U.S. patent. This year Rod is celebrating 15 years Douglas Sowder ’93 Doug recently moved to Lexington, SC with his wife Lisa with Square D Company in Oxford, Ohio. and three children, Aynsley, Reid and Evan Sowder. He is currently a black belt with the Bose Corporation and has ◊ 877 W. Snake Hill Rd. recently started his own business called Home Renova◊ Liberty, IN 47353 tion Xperts. ◊ Home: 765.458.7476 ◊ E-mail: WestR1@squared.com ◊ 110 Firethorn Ct. ◊ Lexington, SC 29072 R. Troy Dewar ’92 ◊ Home: 803.356.6594 Troy was initiated in 1988. He is currently living in Co◊ E-mail: dsowder@hotmail.com lumbus, Indiana with his wife Melissa and two children, Sarah (13) and Evan (9). Troy works for Cummins, Inc. as their manager of investor relations. Adam Bauer ’96 Adam and his wife, Jennifer, recently gave birth to their ◊ 2266 Berkshire Place N. first baby - Aaron Mitchell Bauer - a future FIJI! ◊ Columbus, IN 47203 ◊ Home: 812.376.8762 ◊ 7954 Ambry Way ◊ Indianapolis, IN 46259 ◊ E-mail: RTDewar@sbcglobal.net ◊ Home: 317.862.5359 ◊ E-mail: adam.bauer@comcast.net Shannon Clark ’92 Shannon and his wife Vicki are celebrating the arrival 14 Rose FIJI - winter 2007 (continued on next page) \r\ngraduate updates continued.... Charlie Holloway ’96 Travis Ihnen ’99 Charlie has been involved in the return of the Upsilon Phi Chapter to the University of Florida. After serving as the pledge educator for their first pledge class, he moved into the role of purple legionnaire for the new chapter. Brother Holloway continues to manage the Plaza Pharmacy in Gainesville, FL and recently assumed command of A Battery, 3/116th Field Artillery (MLRS) with the Florida Army National Guard. Travis recently moved to Louisville, KY from Indiana. His wife, Cherie, has accepted a job as regional HR director for Rescare, Inc. He plans to live off of her salary and the residuals from a recent spot in Girlfriends on the CW. In his spare time he’s spending a lot of time networking at Churchill Downs and Caesar’s across the river. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 4365 NW 35th Terrace Gainesville, FL 32605 Home: 352.256.1417 E-mail: StLRams22@yahoo.com ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 5714 Valley Park Dr. Louisville, KY 46077 Cell: 502.689.5401 E-mail: Travis.G.Ihnen@jci.com Derek Hileman ’00 Derek was initiated in 1996. He is living in Ratingen, Germany with his wife, Ashley. He works at Praxair SurRob recently moved to Houston, TX to accept a new role face Technologies as their project manager. While livas director of marketing for Rolls-Royce Energy’s after- ing in Germany, they have already had brothers come to market business. visit. Rob Wallace ’96 ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 1 Hermann Park Ct., Apt. 942 Houston, TX 77021 Home: 404.872.2234 E-mail: robert.wallace@rolls-royce.com ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ #31103494 PO Box 311 Mendham, NJ 07945 Cell: 317.414.4093 E-mail: Derek_Hileman@hotmail.com Chris Anderson ’99 Chris recently was promoted to the business leader position for Marine & Industrial Engine Operations at GE Aviation. He lives north of Cincinnati, OH, with wife Angela, daughter Alexandria (4), son Case (3), and son Logan (1). ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 6600 Thisle Grv. Morrow, OH 45152 Home: 513.779.3697 E-mail: christophere.anderson@ge.com Jeremy Feller ’99 Jeremy was initiated in 1996. He recently moved to Carmel, IN from Charlotte, NC, to take a region manager position with a start-up medical device company. Jeremy and wife, Jaime, also gave birth to their son, Luke Feller, on October 27th. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 14403 Salem Dr. E. Carmel, IN 46033 Home: 317.696.5156 E-mail: Jeremy_Feller@excite.com Ashley and Derek Hileman ’00 (center) in Heidelburg, Germany. Derek and Ashley are joined by Derek’s parents, Kathleen and Mike Hileman ’74 (right), and Ashley’s parents, Mary and Rick Fields (left). Derek’s dad, Mike Hileman, is also a Rho Phi brother (1974). Rose FIJI - winter 2007 Additional graduate updates located on the accompanying insert 15 \r\nUPCOMING EVENTS Pig Dinner – March 8, 2008 Hulman Memorial Union Featured Speaker, Brother Dennis Paustenbach ’74 Parents Dinner – April 26, 2008 Hulman Memorial Union Rho Phi Open – May 10, 2008 160th Ekklesia – August 7 - 10, 2008 Miami, FL Rho Phi Chapter Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity c/o FMG 2660 North 1st Avenue Tucson, AZ 85719 Address Service Requested Presorted STANDARD U.S. Postage PAID Tucson, AZ Permit #224 \r\ngraduate updates continued Paul Greene ’01 Jeremy Kashman ’03 Paul married Shannon Gibson on October 27, 2007. Jeremy and his wife Megan recently had their second child, Nolan Michael, on August 3, 2007. Jeremy, Megan, and big sister Tori are all doing great. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 9 Twin Oaks Ct. Parkton, MD 21120 Mobile: 615.491.1848 E-mail: PaulDGreene@yahoo.com Maceo Lewis ’01 Maceo was married to LeAnna Matsey of West Harrison, IN on August 25, 2007. He and his new bride reside in Indianapolis, IN. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 9880 Blue Ridge Way Indianapolis, IN 46234 Mobile: 317.408.1570 E-mail: LewisMR97@yahoo.com Andrew Tochterman ’01 Andy was recently promoted to marketing manager, Strategic Drug-Eluting Stints for Abbott Vascular, a division of Abbott Laboratories. Andrew and his wife Sarah reside in San Jose, CA. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 1117 Manor Dr. San Jose, CA 95125 Home: 650.329.8761 E-mail: AJTochterman@yahoo.com Jason Lanie ’02 Jason recently moved from Brownsburg to Zionsville, IN. He continues to work at Beckman Coulter were he supervises the hardware and systems engineering groups in the Custom Engineering Department. Clayton Buchner ’03 Clayton recently assigned to Ft. Lee, VA after completing law school in Chicago, IL. He is a captain in the Army JAG Corps attached to the Combined Armed Support Command. ◊ 7301 Drexelbrook Rd. ◊ Chesterfield, VA 23832 ◊ E-mail: BuchneCM@hotmail.com ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 13151 All American Rd. Noblesville, IN 46037 Mobile: 317.281.1379 E-mail: KashmaJM@yahoo.com Timothy M. Swan ’03 Timothy was initiated in 1999. He is currently living in Chicago, Illinois where he is an attorney for Sidley Austin, LLP. He has recently become deeply involved in holistic healing, has a pony named Buster, and enjoys a good cardigan. He continues his inappropriate, undergraduate-style drinking. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 728 W. Jackson St., Apt. 711 Chicago, IL 60661 Mobile: 773.343.5038 E-mail: Timothy.M.Swan@gmail.com Martin Laritz ’04 Martin was initiated in 2000. He got married in September ’06 in Jamaica to his wife, Abby. They had their second baby in June ’07, Macee Louise. Martin recently took a job on the Indiana side of Louisville for American Commercial Lines where he is a senior programmer/ analyst. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 420 Reba Jackson Dr. Jeffersonville, IN 47130 Mobile: 812.605.0727 E-mail: LaritzMJ@hotmail.com Brent A. Schmitt ’06 Brent was initiated in 2003. He is living in Evansville, Indiana and is a traffic investigation engineer at the Indiana Department of Transportation. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ 3130 Waterman Dr. Evansville, IN 47720 Home: 812.424.3404 E-mail: Brent.Schmitt@gmail.com