PHI GAMMA DELTA IMPORTANT DATES: Ace of Diamonds W I N T E R 2 0 0 8 D E C E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 0 8 Pig Dinner March 28, 2009 UE Greek Reunion April 17, 2009 Preparations Being Made for Upcoming Pig Dinner By Jesse Miller … INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Preparations Being Made for Upcoming Pig Dinner 1 Phi Gam Grad Impacting Urban Youth 2 Evansville Phi Gams Lose One of Their Own 3 State of the Chapter 4 Brothers, I hope this finds you well. It is my privilege to update you on the plans for the 2009 Frank Norris Pig Dinner. Once again, we have rented the available space at the Cambridge Golf Clubhouse. Special thanks go to Eric Cioffi (Evansville 2009) and his family. They are residents on Cambridge’s grounds, thus allowing us to use the club’s beautiful facilities at an excellent rate. I am excited to announce that our speaker will be the current Archon President of Phi Gamma Delta, William Miller. Brother Miller is a 1962 graduate of the Zeta Chapter at Indiana University and a 1996 affiliate of the Lambda Iota Chapter at Purdue University. In his illustrious FIJI career, he has served as Field Secretary, Section Chief, and Ritualist of the Fraternity for 25 years. In what must have been one of the highlights of his career as ritualist, he oversaw the chartering of the Epsilon Iota chapter in 2000. He continues to serve the Lambda Iota Chapter as Purple Legionnaire. Brother Miller is also the proud owner of an industrial supply company in West Lafeyette. We look forward to meeting him and sharing in his experiences and wisdom. This year's Pig Dinner is the perfect opportunity to share all of your fondest Epsilon Iota memories. Your presence will be greatly appreciated and will serve to enhance the Phi Gamma Delta experience of all in attendence. As always, it is important to demonstrate to our twenty-one newly initiated members that our Brotherhood is not for college days alone. We will be mailing formal invitations in the few weeks following the new year. I’m personally happy to address any questions or comments. I am available by e-mail at jm351@evansville.edu, and by phone at (765) 623-8884. I hope to see you all at Cambridge on March 28, 2009. \r\nPAGE 2 Announcements • Congratulations to Joe Setnor on his October engagement to Laura Schletzer. Still Time to Contribute 2008 Graduate Dues I am extremely proud to announce that this newsletter has been printed and mailed using 100% graduate donations. Sincere thanks go out to all those who have participated since the introduction of grad dues in September. We hope that anyone who was still planning to make a contribution toward our 2008 total will go to PayPal.com and send their dues to clrafferty@gmail.com or mail a check made out to Phi Gamma Delta to: Chris Rafferty 3853 N Greenview Ave. Apt. 2 Chicago, IL 60613 The base contribution for 2008 is $25, although less is acceptable, and more is appreciated. Any help is equally valued. Thank you all in advance, and as always, damn proud. Phi Gam Grad Impacting Urban Youth By Jon Kissel… At a certain NFL draft party last April, I was distracted from the action and refreshments by Brother Adam Swinney’s (Evansville ’07) stories about teaching English in a lowincome Chicago high school. He told me about the intoxicating highs and devastating lows of his day-to-day experiences. Fascinated, I had to spread the word about his work. Describe Teach for America Teach for America is an organization designed to recruit college graduates who display excellent leadership credentials and place them in underperforming schools. Usually, these schools are at the extreme low end of a school district’s ranking. Because TFA believes that all student action can be influenced by teacher action, the goal is that every student will make a significant gain of two years within one school year. For example, a goal for my junior English students is to make a four point ACT growth in one year. The hidden curriculum is to also increase college readiness and availability for students who may not have the opportunities to make a post secondary education a reality. What attracted you to Teach for America I knew that I wanted to work in urban education setting at the start of my career. The challenge of confronting a daily battle really spoke to me as an educator. Teach for America provided an opportunity to receive training specific to Urban Education, and it continues to provide support in the way of professional development, networking, and a Program Director who visits my class room and reviews my goals and student tracking data. As I consider my next step of moving into a building or district level administrator role, TFA will be an excellent credential to have on my resume. In addition, it provides an opportunity for unbelievable networking both in and out of the education field. What are the most difficult obstacles? All of my students receive government assistance in regards to free lunch and/or school fee waivers. Some of my students are currently homeless, and of those remaining, I would say that about five percent have what I would consider to be a somewhat stable home life. Last year, 40% of my female students had at least one child or were pregnant. It is incredibly difficult to make a class meaningful when your students live in a constant state of survival. After awhile, you begin to function purely in survival mode as well. It becomes nearly impossible to maintain a sense of optimism. Has working in a low-income school changed your attitudes toward teaching? I think I have become a little more realistic and a lot more resourceful. I left UE ready to change the lives of each and every single student I would encounter – sometimes that happens, and other times, you just have to recognize that no matter how much effort you put into fostering a relationship, some students are simply not willing to meet you in the middle. It can leave a person jaded and empty; luckily, I have learned to direct my attention to issues I can control such as my daily instruction and the opportunities I can create for those who are receptive. How did your experiences as a Phi Gam help prepare you for your job? I was definitely able to capitalize on my fraternity experience during the selection process with Teach for America. My experience with organizing recruitment for IFC provided a concrete example of my organizational and interpersonal communication skills. I also believe that my experience bonding with brothers at the chapter, state, and international level helped me to become more comfortable interacting with colleagues in both a personal and professional setting. Aside from all of that, it earns me huge points with my students when I tell them I am in a fraternity. Of course, they all imagine something along the lines of Stomp the Yard. Either way, it opens up another line of communication when I begin to discuss the possibilities of college with my students. Where will you look to teach next? Most likely, I will remain in Chicago for one more year. Then, I will be applying to graduate schools across the country as I pursue my master’s degree in Educational Leadership. It is really anyone’s guess as to where I might end up next. Either way, I would really like to continue working in a school system with similar demographics. Continued on Page 3 ACE OF DIAMONDS \r\nWINTER 2008 What's been the most valuable thing you will take from your tenure with Teach for America? This truly has been an eye opener to what I consider to be one of the most crucial dilemmas our generation must face. Educational inequity is at the root of most societal issues today. Unfortunately, I recognize that many times the battle is all but lost before students enter my high school classroom. When you account for the fact that prison rate projections take into consideration 4th grade PAGE 3 reading statistics, it is impossible to ignore the role that early, educational intervention could take in producing more responsible, ethical citizens. I have learned that the answers and policies needed to enact this change will not come easily. However, I know that I now have a greater sense of purpose and immediacy as I look to the future regarding my own professional endeavors. Adam with three of his students. Evansville Phi Gams Lose One of Their Own The Evansville Graduate Chapter has suffered a great loss. Dr. Thomas E. Topper (Wabash 1970) passed away on October 12, 2008. He was sixty years old. His hard-working example will not be forgotten. Dr. Topper was a native son of Evansville’s West Side. After graduating first in his class at Reitz High School, he went on to Wabash College, where he was initiated into the Psi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta. He was also inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi, an honorary fraternity dedicated to scientific research. Dr. Topper continued his education at Northwestern University’s medical school in Chicago. After graduation, he spent time as a surgeon in Crawfordsville, IN and at Madisonville, KY before returning to his hometown in 1990. He finished his surgical career with The Heart Group in Evansville. Dr. Topper was deeply involved with his profession and his community. He was a member of many medical organizations, and he was a Clinical Instructor of Surgery for IU Medical School. Academically, he recruited for Wabash College and had served as president of the National Association of Wabash Men. He was active with the University of Southern Indiana community as well. Dr. Topper also pushed for cultural excellence in Evansville. He was a strong supporter of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, even playing the trumpet for them for two years. Of course, as a proud West Sider, he was also a member of the West Side Nut Club. Dr. Topper is survived by his wife, Gina, four children, Carla Elizabeth Gazes, Ellen Claire Parker, Thomas Harold Topper, and Stephen Matthew Topper, and two grandchildren. He was possessed of the pride known only to FIJI fathers, as his sons Thomas and Stephen were members of the Evansville and Depauw chapters. For those who met and knew him, Dr. Topper was a man of charm and kindness. The Epsilon Iota chapter owes him our thanks for his support in our early history. His generous and hardworking example will live on through his family and through the many people from many different backgrounds who were familiar with his passion and his good works. Tom H. Topper (EI 2004), Ellen Topper Parker, Stephen Topper (Depauw 2006), and Dr. Tom E. Topper (Wabash 1970) at Tom H.s’ May wedding. \r\nLetter from the President As the semester concludes, the brothers of Epsilon Iota are preparing for winter break and reflecting back upon the success of the past few months. In September, we recruited 21 new pledges into the Omega pledge class. This is the second straight year we have signed more than 20 men in the fall. However, the clear difference between this year and last is retention. While last year, we only initiated 14 out of 24 pledges, I am proud to announce that we will ultimately initiate all 21 pledges this year. We initiated 20 men at International Headquarters in Lexington, KY on December 6th, and the final member of the Omega pledge class will be initiated at this year's FIJI Academy in St. Louis. After achieving our goal of a 100% retention rate, the undergraduate brothers are eager to conquer everything that awaits us next semester. This past semester, we have dominated in intramurals, taking home first place prizes in soccer and volleyball. We took third place in Homecoming (with a strong second place showing in the float building contest, in which we spent only $50 and nearly edged out the 1st place group that spent over $900), our annual Black Diamond Semiformal was held the weekend before finals and we have laid strong foundations for upcoming events such as Hot-Tub-A-Thon, Pig Dinner, and Bike Race. We thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you all next semester. Fraternally, Peter Hanscom Evansville 2010 Perge! Fraternity President Peter Hanscom Come Celebrate the Holidays with Phi Gamma Delta The plans for the annual Christmas Luncheon have been finalized. We will be celebrating the holidays at the Evansville Country Club on Saturday, December 27th. Those attending should plan to arrive at 11:30 for drinks and mingling, with lunch to follow at noon. Following the meal, the Graduate Advisory Board will be meeting. All are welcome to attend. The cost of the meal will be $20. Several Epsilon Iota undergrads will also be attending, so this will be a great opportunity to meet some of the twenty new brothers the chapter recently added. If you will be able to attend, please RSVP with Joe Weist as soon as you are able. He can be reached by e-mail at jweist@gmail.com or by phone at (812) 229-0983. Be sure to leave a message if he does not pick up. We hope to see many Phi Gam's in attendance, and for those that cannot, we hope you have a great holiday season surrounded by friends and family! Phi Gamma Delta 227 S. Lincoln Park Dr. Evansville, IN 47714 Visit Epsilon Iota on the web at www.fiji.evansville.edu “Not for college days alone.” Any other announcements can be sent to jk90@evansville.edu. They will be included in the next newsletter President Peter Hanscom ph41@evansville.edu Graduate Relations Chair: James Freeman jf115@evansville.edu