FIJI MISSOURIAN PRESENTED BY THE CHI MU COLONY OF PHI GAMMA DELTA CHI MU RETURNS TO UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Brothers, Having the distinct honor of being elected the first president of the re-colonization at the University of Missouri is not something I take lightly. Not only do I feel fortunate to be a part of the leadership of a pledge class of nearly 70 gentlemen, but I also get to be the face of the greatest fraternity at Mizzou. Being a third generation Chi Mu Fiji (William Sheridan ’62, Steven Sheridan ‘88), I understand the slogan “not for college days alone”. Currently I am a junior Business and Spanish major. Prior to joining Phi Gamma Delta, I was a member of Delta Sigma Pi, a professional fraternity. Additionally, I was elected to the Missouri Student Association Senate and served on the Budget Committee. I graduated from Kirkwood High School in St. Louis, Class of 2008. Thus far in our first semester back, we have established a full cabinet and selected committee chairmen. We have been recognized by the University of Missouri as a student organization and are now associate members of the Interfraternal Council (IFC). More exciting, however, is that we have brought the name of Phi Gamma Delta back to Mizzou. As a fraternity, we have set our sights high and are committed to becoming a top fraternity – one full of gentlemen who exemplify the values of Fiji. For the upcoming semester, we anticipate a strong pledge class, and one that focuses on quality not quantity. On campus, we will continue our involvement with Greek Week and a philanthropy event of our own, among other activities. The Norris Pig Dinner is also scheduled for next semester and will certainly not disappoint. Toward the end of next semester, we will be eligible for full member status in IFC. Looking into next fall, no housing decisions have been made but we are working with the BCA and Housing Committee to make the best HIGHLIGHTS: p. 2 – CABINET MEMBERS P. 3 – P.L.’S PERSPECTIVE P. 5 – INTRAMURALS DECEMBER 2010 choice. Assuming all goes well, Chi Mu will be recognized as a full chapter and be granted a new charter from the International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta. Personally, I am excited for what we have ahead – we have set a foundation for a great future for Chi Mu. Goals have been outlined to guide us along the way and to keep the fraternity focused. I am truly proud to be a part of this organization and committed entirely to helping Fiji to start strong at Mizzou. Aside from academics, my priority is to ensure the success of the Chi Mu Colony and see it through to becoming a chapter and securing a new charter from IHQ. Being new to the fraternity, we are always looking for support and guidance. I encourage all graduate brothers to get involved in some fashion as our success weighs heavily on your involvement. Should you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me personally. Fraternally, Ryan Sheridan, President ryanwsheridan@gmail.com 314-223-5622 Press On! P. 6 – HOUSING CORP UPDATE COLUMBIA, MO Page | 1 \r\nFIJI MISSOURIAN PRESENTED BY THE CHI MU COLONY OF PHI GAMMA DELTA CORRESPONDING SECRETARY: TREVER GRISWOLD Brothers, My name •is Trever Griswold and I am honored having been chosen as the Corresponding Secretary for the Chi Mu colony. From before being officially established back on campus, we have made it one of our key goals to make Phi Gamma Delta known throughout the University. Over the last few months I have been working to spread the FIJI name and restored reputation. One of the main ways I have been doing this is by getting as many of our men involved with sorority activities. On each of the chapter’s founding days, we get a group of men to take them flowers. We paired with Alpha Chi Omega for a pumpkin carving event. We have also participated in Kappa Alpha Theta’s philanthropy flag-football tournament, where we had the largest team, and Gamma Phi Beta’s philanthropy soccer tournament. These kinds of activities are essential for getting people within the Greek community to recognize FIJI as one of the top fraternities at MIZZOU. We have also been getting involved outside the Greek community by having each brother give two hours of service a week to the local food bank. In the future, I plan on getting more events organized with other sororities on campus, as well as non-Greek organizations. I hope this will help spread our name and reputation so that FIJI can be even more influential in the future. Fraternally, Trever Griswold Corresponding Secretary Press on! BRANDON TUCKER: TREASURER MATT BURKART: RECORDING SECRETARY Brothers, My name is Brandon Tucker, and I am a sophomore Finance Major, Chi Mu’s Treasuruer. So far, my time has been spent building a budget, tracking expenses, and collecting dues. We, as a colony, have shown great financial responsibility by having all our dues paid on time. In the future, I plan on finalizing next semester’s budget, as well as working more Brothers, My name is Matt Burkart, a senior here at Mizzou studying International Finance. I was happy to take on the role as Recording Secretary for our endeavors of recolonizing Chi Mu. I am responsible for informing the brothers on the news and events of the Fraternity. In order to help facilitate getting the word out, I have established a Googlegroup to mass email, an account with ‘Txtblaster’ for quick DECEMBER 2010 closely with the housing corporation to get a better idea of what the colony can afford for housing next fall. Please keep in mind, graduate brothers, that as a new colony we are in some what of a financial struggle; donations for future Fiji Missourian publications is greatly appreciated. Fraternally, Brandon Tucker Treasurer Press On! COLUMBIA, MO text messages and also a weekly newsletter I send out to the brothers with a quick recap of chapter and upcoming events. I look forward to establishing more efficient means of contact as well. I have created a Brother(s) of the Week Award in which I announce at each week’s chapter to recognize brothers for those who have gone above and beyond to help establish good character among the chapter and campus. Fraternally, Matt Burkart Recording Secretary Page | 2 \r\nFIJI MISSOURIAN PRESENTED BY THE CHI MU COLONY OF PHI GAMMA DELTA HISTORIAN: ERIK ERNST Brothers, My name is Erik Ernst. I was born and raised in Prairie Village, Kansas, and am currently a sophomore Marketing and Sports Management major. This semester I was elected as Historian of the Chi Mu Colony and I am working on documenting our events and happenings. I am preparing our scrapbook, keeping our journal, and preparing documents for our charter application. Mainly this consists of photographing events and recording a basic synopsis of them. I also have a role as a cabinet member overseeing scholarship, brotherhood, pledge education, and intramurals. All the cabinet member committee heads seem adequately qualified and are doing excellent jobs in their positions. Fraternally, Erik Ernst PURPLE LEGIONNAIRE’S PERSPECTIVE Brothers, It is a great honor to get the opportunity to be the Chi Mu Colony’s Purple Legionnaire. Not only has it been very rewarding to play a small part in our great Fraternity’s return to Mizzou, but it has also been a lot of fun. The quality and enthusiasm of our 67 new Fijis has been more than a pleasant surprise to someone who thought he was getting into a babysitting position. Further, the progress they have made to build our reputation up on campus and to meet our chartering requirements has been impressive. As you are now aware, our class of new founding fathers is now the largest Fiji pledge class to ever set foot on the Mizzou campus. Obviously, this class has far surpassed what any of us could have hoped for over the past four years. Our International Fraternity proved why it has the reputation as DECEMBER 2010 being the best at recolonizing dormant chapters. Joe Gamis (Drake ’09) and Wes Martin (Missouri State ’08) did a fantastic job building this class of founding fathers in only six weeks by utilizing graduate brothers, faculty, and sorority recommendations, in addition to Facebook. As I write this, the Colony has two weeks left before its initiation. The men are well on their way to meeting the requirements of being rechartered as a chapter by our International Fraternity. The Colony must have more members and a higher GPA than the All-Fraternity average. Further, the Colony must perform a minimum of 15 hours per member of service each semester and remain financially current with the International HQ. Currently, the Colony is meeting all four requirements. I am confident that they will continue their growth over the next year and earn our charter back next fall. The one request I have constantly received from our new brothers is that they would like to meet more of their graduate brothers. Currently, the Colony is planning its first Pig Dinner along with exploring the possibility of holding a undergraduategraduate float trip next summer. I would encourage you to make plans to attend the 2011 Pig Dinner in Columbia on March 5. Further, I would suggest that you reconnect with your pledge brothers to make sure every brother is receiving information, such as the FIJI Missourian. Over the past four years, I am sure a lot of brothers were skeptical as to whether our Fraternity would ever successfully return to Mizzou. As someone who has attended every weekly colony meeting in an advisory role, I can tell you that the time for skepticism has come to an end. Our Fraternity is back and we have the type and number of undergraduate brothers who will allow us to become the very best chapter on campus in the next three years. Fraternally, Eric Jasso Perge! COLUMBIA, MO Page | 3 \r\n \r\nFIJI MISSOURIAN PRESENTED BY THE CHI MU COLONY OF PHI GAMMA DELTA WELCOME FOUNDING FATHERS Micah Alsobrook Phillip Arnzen Adam Bixler Tyler Blome Rick Bottoms Tanner Brandell Matt Burkart Jacob Burkholder Michael Campbell Andrew Carter Karol Chwiesiuk Garrett Connolly Kevin Corcoran Louis Dalton Dillion Dean Andrew Dean Allan Deiermann Phillip DiGasbarro Cody Drake Patrick Eklekamp Matt Ely Erik Ernst Jared Fenstermacher Jacob Fletcher David Frazier Drew Gieseke Jonathen Greene Trever Griswold Henry Hemkens Colton Henry Jacob Herrmann Trevor Hill Tad Juilfs Ethan Kissinger Chris Kitchura Chris Kloth Stephen Krieger Nick Lombardo John Maurer Jan Mayer Logan McWilliams Craig Moore Erik Morris Drew Nichols Steve Nittler Jack O’Neill Nick Palmero Justin Rennard Alex Richmond Cale Roberts Jordan Rothermel Ray Rutz Daniel Sanchez Carson Sanford Ryan Sheridan Pat Spellman Kevin Staed Jack Stallone Seth Steele Neil Thawani Nat Thompson Alex Thompson Andrew Townsend Brandon Tucker Marcus Veatch Kyle Volentine Nick Worth With the help of Joe Gamis (Drake ’09) and Wes Martin (Missouri State ’08), there have been 67 scholars, athletes, and studs chosen to be Founding Fathers for the recolonization of Phi Gamma Delta at the University of Missouri. INTRAMURAL CHAIR: MICAH ALSOBROOK My name is Micah Alsobrook and I am a freshman nursing major at Mizzou. As the first intramural Committee Chairman for the Chi Mu Colony, I am very excited and eager to build a legacy for Fiji athletics at Mizzou. We currently have a soccer and basketball team that each plays one night a week. Our soccer team has shocked the Greek community by going 3-0 in its opening three games, while our basketball team is working out the kinks at 1-3. Also, tryouts will continue to be held in the spring to ensure that we are competing at the highest level possible. I look forward to the day that other fraternities fear the Fiji name on their schedules, and I will do all that I can to get the Chi Mu Colony there. Its an honor and pleasure to serve my brothers in this position. Fraternally, Micah Alsobrook Intramural Chair Press On! GRADUATE BROTHERS UPDATE Graduate brothers, we need your help in updating contact information so we can efficiently update you on new information and upcoming events. We would like to have all graduate brothers contact information updated, including e-mail addresses. We are diligently working on a process to make this easier for everyone; as for now, an e-mail to address@phigam.org will suffice perfectly. So please, spread the word to your brothers about the need to update information so that we can keep you active and updated with news from the colony. DECEMBER 2010 COLUMBIA, MO We have a community service obligation to serve 7 more hours of service per man this semester, and have been volunteering at the Central Missouri Food Bank. We have been proactive in our duty to serve the community, and have put in 243 hours of service already at the food bank. Page | 5 \r\nFIJI MISSOURIAN PRESENTED BY THE CHI MU COLONY OF PHI GAMMA DELTA A LETTER FROM THE HOUSING CORP Over the last four years, the House Corp or Board of Trustees has been biding its time, posturing itself for the future, and organizing its structure so that when a new Chi Mu Colony was formed, we would be ready to hit the ground running. The ability to provide the members the needs responsible of the House Corp was our goal. To that end, we have been able to grow the investment monies into a nice little nest egg. Among the many committees of the alumni association, one of the more important groups (now that we have a colony) is that of property acquisition. Since returning the charter to the International Headquarters in 2006 and being forced to sell the chapter house at 704 College Ave., we have been keeping our ears perked as to the possible new home for the XM Colony. There have been a few possibilities come and go over the last four years; however, the Board felt it necessary to involve the new pledges in the whats and wheres of a new house. As of the formal pledging ceremony in early October, the Board of Trustees has been listening to the Colony and stepping up the search for something that fits the bill. Of course, with a new residence comes the burden of paying for it. Our nest egg is nice, but not nice enough. One of the problems incurred in the past was the debt load the Board of Trustees needed to service. Therefore, House Corp is in conversations with IHQ as to the best methods to improve our position as the property owner, and you, the graduate brothers of the XM Chapter will be asked to help turn this dream into a reality. We will need your help. This fall, the Alumni board of directors began the search for a new Phi Gamma Delta residence on the MU campus. There are many possibilities, but most present a problem or two logistically. Rest assured, the House Corporation is doing all it can to insure the Colony has a house fitting of the commitment these young men have made. Remember…Phi Gamma Delta is not for college days alone. Stafford M. Swearingen ‘86 President Board of Directors PIG DINNER CHAIR: NEIL THAWANI Brothers, My name is Neil Thawani, an electrical and computer engineering second-degree-seeking student here at Mizzou. I am interested in robotics and entrepreneurship and am involved with MU Entrepreneurs and AIESEC. My cousin was a Fiji at Missouri State University in Springfield and informed me about the recolonization at Mizzou through his friend Wes Martin. Within the Chi Mu Colony, I serve as Pig Dinner Chairman and am very excited to help with this great event. The date we have reserved for the 2011 Pig Dinner is DECEMBER 2010 Saturday, March 5 in the Mark Twain Ballroom at Memorial Union on campus with Robert Albin (XM ’62), former Archon President, as the speaker. We will be getting even more details out to you as we get them worked out ourselves. All of us in the colony cannot wait to meet all of you and begin some great relationships! Fraternally, Neil Thawani, Pig Dinner Chair Press On! COLUMBIA, MO Page | 6