The Gamma Tau Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at Georgia Tech GAMMA TAUK Fall 2012 THE END OF AN ERA The moment we all have been waiting for has finally happened. Creighton-Veil Hall is no longer. On October 1, 2012, the beginning of the new house has started with the demolition of the old one. With our official groundbreaking that took place on August 26, we saw 100+ graduates come through to say their final good-byes to an old friend and relive long lasting Inside this issue: Another Great Year of Athletics 3 Run for the Kids Nov. 26 5 Welcome Pledges 6 We Encourage Service 7 The beloved Creighton-Veil Hall. memories. It has been a bittersweet feeling watching the Creighton-Veil come down. However, knowing what is to come is very exciting and we are all looking forward to what the new house will bring. A NOTE FROM THE CHAPTER PRESIDENT By: Trey Zepernick (2013) - Chapter President “Mighty proud to be a Fiji.” It’s the timeless phrase that has never been more heartfelt. As gentlemen of quality we Phi Gams have always strived for excellence. This year has been no different. During classes, brotherhood retreats, intramurals, socials, philanthropy events, and campus organizations, we Fijis have pushed each other to be all that we can be. As a product of this pursuit of excellence, this year our chapter has attained many awards and achievements. Phi Gamma Delta is the 4th largest fraternity on campus and has 16 brothers in executive positions in school organizations. This year as a chapter, we completed a combined 400+ hours of philanthropy work. During the summer at Phi Gamma Delta’s Ekklesia, the Gamma Tau Chapter received the Zerman Trophy for Best in Campus Involvement and influence. We also placed 3rd in the Cheney Cup for best overall chapter. During the spring of 2012, FIJI was rewarded by Georgia Tech IFC with the Dean Dull Trophy for best fraternity on campus and best philanthropy on campus. In addition to these awards, we also received the Georgia Tech Intramural Trophy, while keeping a strong brotherhood and thriving social (Continued on page 2) \r\nGAMMA TAUK Page 2 Right - Ground-breaking ceremony. Thank you to all our graduates for your support! We couldn’t make this happen without you! Left - Brother Trey Zepernick driving the backhoe during demolition. Right - 841 Fowler St NW as of October 13th, 2012. A NOTE FROM THE CHAPTER PRESIDENT continued... (Continued from page 1) schedule. This fall semester the Gamma Tau Fijis are being faced with hard times as we relocate to campus apartments during the construction of the new house, Landon-Nelson Hall. Despite our temporary relocation, the chapter has kept an unwavering positive attitude. During fall recruitment, we still managed to gain one of the largest pledge classes on campus. This semester we have a busy schedule packed with brotherhood events, philanthropy affairs, game day tailgates on 5th Street Bridge, and a budding social schedule including three sorority mixers. Regardless of our current housing situation, the strength of the brotherhood has kept an even keel in Fijiland. “Regardless of our current housing situation, the strength of the brotherhood has kept an even keel in Fijiland.” It should come as no surprise to myself, or anyone, that the Georgia Tech Fijis remain a strong and thriving brotherhood. With the support of the graduates, includ- ing BCA members and our Purple Legionnaire, the chapter continues to be fostered in excellence and proficiency. Make no mistake that the FIJI Gentlemen are alive and well on Georgia Tech’s campus, carrying with them the great legacy the Gamma Tau’s have wrought throughout the years. To sum up the undergraduate mentality when asked, “How can you all continue to be the best, especially without a house?” One brother quietly laughed and said, “Persistence.” As a brother, I can truly claim that I am, “Mighty Proud to be a Fiji.” \r\nGAMMA TAUK Page 3 ANOTHER GREAT YEAR OF ATHLETICS 2012 has been yet another great year in FIJI athletics thus far. This past spring, the chapter won the intramural trophy for its tenth straight year. This trophy has again stayed in the last year of Creighton-Veil Hall, finding a home here the last 15 out of 16 years. Our diverse athleticism has proven beneficial in the hunt for the intramural trophy. Our intramural dominance has included a complete sweep of fraternity championships during Fall I phase, as well as 11 fraternity/school championships. We look to continue the winning ways as intramurals have started for the year and hope keep the IM Trophy in its rightful place in the new house. 4-on-4 Flag Football team on its way to another school championship. 2012 Gamma Tau Accomplishments 7-on-7 Flag Football Fraternity Champions 7-on-7 Flag Football School Champions Sand Volleyball Fraternity Champions Cornhole Fraternity Champions Ultimate Frisbee Fraternity Champions Basketball Fraternity Champions Softball School Champions 4-on-4 Flag Football Fraternity Champions 4-on-4 Flag Football School Champions 3-on-3 Basketball Fraternity Champions Brother Ryan Kerns (2014) warming up for an intense dodge ball match. 3-on-3 Basketball School Champions GAMMA TAU AAA SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS Academic Achievement Awards (AAA) are just one benefit the Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation provides to undergraduate brothers - a $250 check to new initiates for achieving at least a 3.0 GPA during their pledge term. Phi Gamma Delta is the only national fraternity or sorority to offer this blanketed scholarship that helps get our new brothers fo- Caleb M. Appleton Gerald M. Demeunynck Richard S. Park 2015 2015 2014 cused on their academics. Thanks to those donors who support the Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation. Since its inception in 1999, AAA scholarships have been awarded to 132 Gamma Tau brothers, including the brothers listed below who received the AAA this calendar year: Austin M. Poole Nathan H. Williams 2015 2015 \r\nGAMMA TAUK Page 4 LOST BROTHERS We have lost contact with the brothers below and we need your help. If you know the home address or email address of a brother below, please send the details to address@phigam.org so we can update our information. James D. Hedges 1929 James P. Silver 1959 Ray P. Flowers, III 1977 Charles T. Martin, III 2001 Walter Krueger , Jr. 1930 Jerry M. Figgins 1960 Joseph C. Harrison 1977 J. Kenneth Morgan, III 2001 Kenneth D. Foster 1931 John A. Parker 1960 Steven M. Andrews, USA 1982 Michael W. Swift 2001 Peter H. Buckley 1933 Richard E. Hazlett 1961 Charles E. Potts 1982 Allen S. Lin 2002 Robert B. Caterson 1934 Ben H. Holcomb 1961 William L. Yeager 1982 Lucas Gangone 2003 John B. Hale 1934 Thomas J. Beaird 1962 Mark J. Judson 1983 Michael A. Bartolo 2004 Robert A. Carson 1935 Lloyd D. Bird, Jr. 1963 Kevin D. Ryan 1983 Kurt S. Rowland 2004 Charles H. Reed 1935 Michael M. Larrowe 1963 Russell L. Carter 1984 N. Inchull Lee 2005 William C. Park , Jr. 1936 John B. Marbury, Jr. 1963 Miles Mercer 1984 Kesler A. Pollard 2005 Anthony L. Kocsis 1937 Robert P. Murray , Jr. 1964 Sidney A. Brown 1986 L. Darby Bryant 2006 Edward C. Guilford 1938 Greg A. Potter 1964 Carlos E. Caceres 1987 Justin P. DeMeester 2006 Erich Weissenberger 1940 Stephen A. Rinehart 1964 Alfred L. Christianson 1987 Raheel A. Goheer 2006 Daniel B. Williams 1940 Mario J. Torre 1965 Jon M. Jenkins 1987 Ryan N. Swingruber 2006 Stanleigh F. Elam 1941 Ben H. Mitchell 1966 Ronald F. Kirk, Jr. 1987 Christopher M. Bair 2007 Franklyn H. John 1941 William M. Palmer, Jr. 1966 Jack W. McDaniel, Jr. 1988 Brent T. Baxley 2007 Franklin B. VanValkenburgh 1941 Jimmy L. Woods 1966 Thomas F. Sieja 1988 William J. Bridges 2007 Richard M. Hill 1967 Joel K. Wood 1988 Ryan J. Doherty 2007 Wallace L. Paton , Jr. 1967 Jeffrey L. Crumley 1989 Christopher F. Fehn 2007 Eric A. Borges 1968 Kirby C. Pruett , Jr. 1989 Auroop M. Roy 2008 G. Patrick Putnam 1969 John W. Drury 1990 James C. Waring, III 2008 Sherman D. O'Brien 1970 Derrick R. Duell 1990 Perry E. Williams 2008 Michael T. Woodall 1970 Thomas J. Bryant 1993 Pericles E. Demestihas 2009 George L. Smith, Jr. 1971 Jason A. Hill 1994 Mateo Garcia 2009 Ronald H. Benson 1972 Scott F. Oran 1994 Andrew Kohrs 2009 Stephen J. Farrell 1972 Wallace H. Pruitt , Jr. 1994 Paul M. Sansom 2009 Stanley W. Lowe, Jr. 1973 Stephen J. DeLancey 1996 Sidik C. Abubakari 2010 Robert D. Blythe, Jr. 1974 Daken L. Engmann 1996 Stephen J. Hench 2010 Foster E. Brown 1974 Fredrik J. de Geer 1997 John M. Hoffer 2010 Robert W. Hooper 1974 C. Dustin Johnson 1998 Kristofer J. Johnson 2010 J. Wesley King, Jr. 1974 Steven Zachok, III 1998 Akira Matsuzawa 2010 William R. McLellan 1974 C. Shane Carver 1999 Benjamin E. Reyes 2010 James T. Voglino 1975 Michael A. Gibbs 1999 Michael J. Abbott 2011 John H. Clark 1976 Anthony C. Watson 1999 Austin M. Lynch 2011 Charles E. Harrell, Jr. 1976 Lovett G. Young 1999 Mohsin J. Zuberi 2011 A. Mc Kinley King 1976 Nicholas D. Johnson 2000 James K. Quina 1976 Justin M. Witty 2000 Robert O. Dodd , Jr. 1943 Lionell H. Nelson 1944 James C. Brooks 1945 Cleaborn S. O'Kelley 1946 William L. Peel 1946 Richard C. George 1947 Billy W. Williams 1947 Wayne G. Shear 1948 Claude S. Swift 1948 William K. Melton 1951 Samuel H. Scott , Jr. 1951 William A. Ross, III 1952 Adrian D. Bolch, Jr. 1953 Jan Bundsen 1953 Orlando J. Caluff 1953 Martin J. Kaiser 1954 James W. Thompson 1955 Hugh E. White 1955 Russell D. Jessee 1957 Jerry R. Mitchell 1959 \r\nGAMMA TAUK Page 5 RUN FOR THE KIDS - NOV. 26 80 brothers at both chapters, alongside generous donations from friends and family, we were able to raise nearly $13,000. Our goal this year is to raise $15,000 with the help of friends, family, and corporate sponsorships. Since 1998, the Gamma Tau Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at Georgia Tech and the Kappa Deuteron Chapter at the University of Georgia have hosted the annual FIJI Run For The Kids fundraising event. Both chapters collaborate to run a football between Athens, Georgia and Atlanta, Georgia for the Georgia-Georgia Tech football game on Thanksgiving weekend. This year, the 2012 FIJI Run For The Kids event will be held on November 26, as a football is run from Bobby Dodd Stadium to Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. Last year, with the help of over 100% of the money raised is donated to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Children’s mission is to become the leading voice for the health of Georgia’s children as they provide treatment and enhance the lives of children with illnesses in Atlanta, Georgia. If you would like to support our chapters and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, please visit http:// fijirunforthekids.weebly.com/ index.html to donate through our secure online portal. If you prefer to send a check, please mail your check to: FIJI Run for the Kids c/o Scott Horvath 324909 Georgia Tech Station Atlanta, GA 30332-1030 FIJI Run For the Kids Route Please make your check payable to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and be sure to include FIJI Run for the Kids in the memo line. You can also donate online at the following website: http://www.helpmakemiracles.org/ index.cfm? fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=1167 Any support for Children’s Healthcare is greatly appreciated by both of our chapters and the Atlanta community. \r\nGAMMA TAUK Page 6 DEAN DULL AWARD RECIPIENTS! The Gamma Tau Chapter has won the coveted Dean Dull Award for the second year in a row! The award goes to the best overall fraternity at Georgia Tech. Fraternities are scored on scholarship, athletics, leadership, philanthropy, Homecoming, Greek Week, educational programming, and other aspects of Greek life. The award was announced this fall at the Georgia Tech Homecoming game against Clemson University. best fraternity on campus year in and year out. The award has been a great mo- Winning Dean Dull has been a major goal for the chapter, and the brothers have worked extremely hard to become the tivation for us to excel on campus, and Gamma Tau will strive to outstandingly represent the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta at Georgia Tech. The winner of the 2011-12 Dean Dull will be announced at halftime of the Homecoming game vs. BYU this year, Saturday October 27, 2012. We have high hopes that we can maintain our title as best Fraternity on campus. Come out and support us! “The award has been a great motivation for us to excel on campus, and Gamma Tau will strive to outstandingly represent the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta at Georgia Tech.” For those who are planning to see the undergraduates, feel free to come by our tailgate on the Fifth Street Bridge for some fun, food, and fellowship. WELCOME PLEDGES After another year of successful summer and fall recruitment, Gamma Tau had 17 quality gentlemen decide to pledge this fall. Georgia Tech recruitment was down by another 10%, yet the chapter strived with over 500 possible candidates. The rush chairs organized a summer full of excitement: Tech Regional baseball tournament, dinner nights, Braves games, trips to the lake, and of course, the annual whitewater rafting trip down the Ocoee River, which has helped piece together one of the most prominent pledge classes on campus. The chapter is extremely grateful that graduate contacts accounted for four of our pledges. Please feel free to contact the rush chairs at any time with potential new members. Gamma Tau’s new initiates are: Caleb Appleton (2015), Gerald Demeunynck (2015), Eric Ellenbogen (2015), DJ Hoffer (2015), Neal Kozsuch (2015), Merrick Metcalf (2015), Tahmid Mohiuddin (2015), Robert Overholt (2015), Austin Poole (2015), Keenan Valdez (2015), Nima Vojdani (2015), Nate Williams (2015), Devon Hathaway (2014), and Mike Hashimoto (2015). Gamma Tau’s new fall pledge class includes: Jack Anderson (2013), Darryn Hutchinson (2015), Ziran Wang (2015), Kyle Chrzanowski (2016), Brandon Danzig (2016), Quinn Dolan (2016), Carter Eaton (2016), Thomas Henderlong (2016), Eric Hom (2016), Will Kittle (2016), Zach Meyer (2016), Ben Murray (2016), Alex Raabe (2016), Austin Rose (2016), Austin Schoech (2016), Kyle Seebohm (2016) and Adam Theisen (2016). AD ASTRA Gamma Tau has been notified of the following deaths since January 2011. These brothers will be missed and we extend our deepest sympathies to their families. John E. Aderhold, Jr. 1945 William B. Henninger 1966 Douglas W. Chambers 1943 John G. Holey 1956 Bryan W. Fleming, Jr. 1958 James J. Kuhn 1943 Ray W. Greene, Jr. 1954 John F. Richenaker 1943 James W. Hart 1962 John V. Wible 1948 \r\nGAMMA TAUK Page 7 WE ENCOURAGE SERVICE Gamma Tau has participated in several philanthropic events this year. The brothers had several donate blood in the spring campus blood drive for the American Red Cross and already have plans to volunteer for the fall blood drive that is fast approaching. One of the largest philanthropic events of the year is the fall break trip. This year, 150+ brothers and their guests will go to Pensacola, Florida to help out Habitat for Humanity. Lastly, the house has been supportive of IFC sponsored philanthropy opportunities such as St. Baldrick’s, Team BUZZ and GOALS, an organization formed to play soccer with mentally handicapped children, started and sponsored by FIJI brothers. If there are any additional philanthropic organizations you think would be a good idea for the Gamma Tau Chapter to get involved with, contact our Philanthropy chairmen: Brett Kubica (2013) bkubica3@gatech.edu or Bob Overholt (2015) - roverholt3@gmail.com. Brothers supporting GOALS and the Special Olympics. Brothers enjoying their time on the fall break trip in Panama City 2011. \r\nNonprofit Org Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity 1201 Red Mile Road Lexington, KY 40504 US Postage Paid Lexington, KY Permit # 540 STAY CONNECTED - Chapter Website: gtfiji.com - Grad Website: gtfijigrads.com Information Update - Tell us about you! Please detach and return with your contact information so we can update our records. We will feature graduate updates in upcoming newsletters. If you want to share your recent news, fill in the news section for your information to be published. Name________________________________________________ School/year__________________________ Address_________________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip_____________________________________________________________________________ Phone (H)______________________________________(W)_______________________________________ E-mail__________________________________________________________________________________ News to share with classmates: _________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Occupation ___________________________________ Employer ____________________________________ Spouse’s name __________________________________ Anniversary Date ______________________________ Children/Grandchildren Names and Ages: __________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ DONATE I am pleased to make a contribution to Gamma Tau of : $1,000 $500 $250 $100 $50 $25 Other ________ I would like my donation to be used in the following area: _______________________________________________ Donations can be sent to: Gamma Tau Chapter, 841 Fowler St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313. Please make checks payable to Gamma Tau Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta. Design, printing and mailing services provided by the International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta.