March 2010 Upcoming Event Blue/White Game April 10 On the Web How to Log On to www.epsilonpgd.com Find your Member ID above your name and address on this newsletter, and follow the First Time Login link on the home page for full Member ID found here instructions. 123456 Joe Sample You’ll 12 Anytown Drive only need Anywhere, PA 12345 this Member ID once. We keep our site ultra secure because your privacy is important to us! If you ever have trouble logging in, click on the Tech Support link. Thank You! You’re receiving this edition of Epsilon Owl exclusively thanks to your past support of our annual fund. Remember, our graduate relations program relies solely on graduate contributions to continue. If you haven’t yet made an annual fund gift in 2009-10, please do so today. There are three ways to make a gift: ✔ Online at www.epsilonpgd.com. ✔ By calling 800-975-6699. ✔ By returning the response card from your recent appeal mailing along with your gift. The Epsilon Owl Governor Bev Perdue Keynotes at Epsilon’s 158th Norris Pig Dinner Outstanding Brother and Senior Awards Presented More than 130 alumni and undergraduate brothers, traveling from as far as Washington, D.C., gathered at the Capital City Club in Raleigh on Friday, February 19th for the 158th Norris Pig Dinner. This year we were honored to have our very own Governor Perdue speak about the value of relationships formed in the Greek System during one’s college years and discuss the ways in which the morning of the fire brought the strength and importance of these relationships to light. Ted Griffin ’78 emceed the event as has become customary in recent years. Epsilon’s 2009 treasurer, Clay Stockett, was awarded the “Luther J. Phipps Most Outstanding Brother Award,” and our former corresponding secretary, Thomas Rhodes, received the “Most Outstanding Senior Award.” House Corporation President David Batten ’79 made a few remarks regarding the current state of Vance Hall, most notably sharing with the Epsilon brothers that the massive $1.3 million mortgage has only $80,000 left to be paid. Dylan Castellino, the current president of the chapter, spoke about numerous upcoming philanthropy events as well as remarked on the most recent pledge class and the encouraging state of the chapter at present. “House Corporation President David Batten ‘79 made a few remarks regarding the current state of Vance Hall, most notably sharing with the Epsilon brothers that the massive $1.3 million mortgage has only $80,000 left to be paid.” Along with catching up with old friends, many of the brothers in attendance had the chance to meet a great amount of brothers from different generations, as attendance was much higher than in recent years. Graduate Photos Phi Gam Runs in the Family Thank you to Billy Green ’55 for submitting the following. He writes “This picture represents 64 years of this family’s associations with Phi Gamma Delta. It was taken at a family outing during the Christmas season. My brother Dixie pledged Phi Gamma Delta in the fall of 1954. I pledged during the fall of 1951. Ellis and Matthew are my grandsons and pledged in the fall of 2009: Ellis at the new chapter which is to be officially organized on March 19, 2010 in Wilmington at UNC-W, and Matthew pledged Epsilon at Chapel Hill at UNC-CH. We want to see your best Phi Gam photos too! Send your submissions to our editors at content@affinityconnection.com (mention Fiji at UNC). www.epsilonpgd.com 1 \r\nGraduate Profile One Brother’s Story from Phi Gam to the Whitehouse Graduate brother Jordan Whichard ’07 has had some amazing experiences in his short time after college, taking him from the University of North Carolina to the White House. He believes the skills he learned with Phi Gamma Delta gave him the experiences that helped get him where he is today. “When I first arrived to Chapel Hill as a freshman, I didn’t know a lot about the fraternity scene. Both At the National Mall, my father and January 20, 2009 grandfather had been Phi Gams, so I knew Episilon was the place for me.” Jordan pledged Phi Gam as a freshman and quickly became very active within the chapter. “I was a Phi Gam from the very beginning and a brother all four years. I lived in the house for three years, from my sophomore through my senior year. I was house manager and kitchen manager as a sophomore. As a senior, I served one year as chapter president.” As president, Jordan was also very involved with fire safety working with the National Fire Safety Council in Chapel Hill. “After the tragedy that occurred ten years before in Chapel Hill, the brothers and I all felt it was very important to keep aware of and involved with fire safety issues. Other Greek leaders at UNC and I served as part of a council to discuss fire safety best practices and bring those practices back to the houses where they could be put into practice. “ Jordan’s leadership perfectly positioned him to be ready for the challenges that were to come – challenges that would take him all the way to the White House. He currently lives in D.C. and works for the Obama administrating serving as a trip coordinator for the president himself. “As soon as I finished at University, I joined the Obama campaign. I kept working with the campaign as it grew more successful, and when Barack Obama was elected president, I came to be employed full time within the administration.” Jordan’s successful approach working within the campaign may Jordan with then-Senator Obama in Iowa, have in part had its roots in his summer 2007. experiences as a leader within Phi Gamma. insight into what needed to happen to “One thing I learned from my arrange political events.” experiences as a brother is the ability to Through it all, Jordan manages to keep get along with a wide range of people with close with many of his graduate brothers. different backgrounds. I think, if you can “I stay in touch with a lot of folks. The get along with and create bonds with 50 list is long, including most of my pledge different guys from all over the country – class. We see each other two or three times live in tight quarters, interact, and work every year. Of course, this is the time of towards a common goal without killing life when many of us are getting married, each other – then it’s a great baseline to so we get together for weddings and things help you do almost anything.” like that. It’s already clear that we will be in As trip coordinator for the president, each other’s lives long term.” Jordan has a wide range of responsibilities, When asked what advice he had for requiring tight deadlines and lots of travel. brothers still in school, his words were simple and heartfelt. “Stick with the chapter – what “Stick with the chapter – what you find you find now and what you like to now and what you like to do within Phi do within Phi Gam will help you Gam will help you through the rest of your through the rest of your life. The life,” he said. “The longer you do it the more effort you put into it the more it will longer you do it the more effort you put into it the more it will pay pay off later on.” Jordan also believes in supporting the off later on.” chapter. “There are lots of great reasons for “I’m part the advance office. We stay wanting to support Epsilon, but I think ahead of the president’s schedule, helping it mostly comes from looking at how it to build sites for rallies, setting the stage influenced your life. And it just can’t be for speeches and meetings. It’s our job to done without donations.” make sure everything is set and all the key players are in the right place at the right time.” “Before I came to work with the campaign, my only real management training was my experiences with the chapter. It formed the basis that gave me Do you know of a graduate brother with an interesting story to tell! Nominate him for a future graduate profile. Send his name and background to our editors at content@affinityconnection.com. 2 www.epsilonpgd.com March 2010 \r\nGraduate Updates Alston “Tank” Tankard ’93 (adt0219@netscape.net) Congratulations to Richard and Avery Homes on the birth of a new son Smith Bishop Homes born 12-15-09, weighing 16lbs, 6oz., 12” in length! Garrett Perdue ’98 (102 Torrey Pines Dr., Cary, NC 27513; GPerdue@wcsr.com) Our graduate web site has existed since 2007? Stallings was one of the first to post?!?! Wow. John “John Isaac” Southerland ’00 (4724 Bankhead Ct., Birmingham, AL 35210; jis@hfsllp.com) Jenny and I welcomed the birth of our son, Isaac David Southerland, on August 8, 2009. What’s New with You? Share your news, stories and photos in an upcoming edition of Epsilon Owl. Ideas include: • Updates of the latest news in your life (weddings, babies, job changes, etc.) • The best memories (and pictures!) from your Fiji days • Recaps of recent reunions you’ve had with brothers You can send your submissions to content@affinityconnection. com or upload it at www.epsilonpgd.com. An Update from BT’s Daughter Written December 2009 back dad is making great progress. He is Just wanted to let you know that my We ks! wee 2-3 in e should be coming hom at the rehab center in Pittsboro but I will 40. Hwy to e clos Hill (Durham County) have found an apartment in Chapel of the email. provide the correct address at the end the eful I was to receive the check from grat how I really can’t stress enough him buy to 7, 200 from of the doctor’s bills brothers. It allowed me to pay off all tmee to ard forw look I some new clothes. a new TV for his room, and buy him ths. ing all of you in the upcoming mon [Editor’s Note]: If you’d like to send BT a letter, please use the following address: 6205 Farrington Road APT A4 Chapel Hill, NC 27517 919-225-1071 Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Karen Ray Karenray21@gmail.com In Memory Remembering Duck Donald Thomas “Duck” Bryan, 74, passed away Tuesday, September 29, 2009. Donald was born in Farmville, North Carolina, on July 1, 1935 to the late Hadley Edward Bryan and Lucille Thomas Bryan. Donald was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Julia Taylor Bryan, and granddaughter, Anna Elizabeth Moss. The Epsilon Owl Duck had many great stories to tell about Phi Gam and life in general. We were lucky enough to capture some of those stories in the months prior to his death (read it in the Graduate Profiles section at www.epsilonpgd.com). Help us to remember Duck and the legacy he left at Phi Gam. Share your best stories of him on our message board on the site. www.epsilonpgd.com Since publication of our next newsletter, we have also learned of the deaths of the following brothers: Dr. William Mackie ’47 J. McLean Jr. ’49 Robert Herring ’59 Harry Scherr III ’67 Phi Gam mourns their passing and extends condolences to their families and friends. 3 \r\n778-119 SN MH Email Graduate Reunion Send Us Your Email Address! Phi Gam + Tar Heel B-Ball = A Great Combination Having a high percentage of email addresses is a critical advantage to our graduate association. Why? It saves us money on paper and printing, it enables us to communicate with you more frequently, and it allows us to put you back in touch with long lost Fiji brothers. We will never sell, trade or give away your email address – ever. Your email address will be stored in our secure database and used solely for Fiji communications. So please update your email address today to stay informed on the latest news and activities from Epsilon Chapter undergraduates and graduate brothers. You’ll also receive electronic reminders when we’re getting ready to publish an issue of The Epsilon Owl so that you can submit your latest news and photos for publication. You can send your email address directly to our graduate relations firm at feedback@ affinityconnection.com (mention Fiji at UNC) or update it online at www.epsilonpgd.com. Thanks to Van Martin ’79 for submitting this photo of a few Phi Gamma Delta brothers who reunited on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 for the MSU vs. UNC Basketball game at Chapel Hill. Pictured, left to right, are D. Jordan Whichard III ’79, Van W. Martin ’79, Stuart M. Frantz ’79 and Joseph L. Hodge Jr. ’78. We want to see pictures of your recent reunions with Epsilon brothers! Send your submissions to content@affinityconnection.com or upload them at www.epsilonpgd.com. ily for these brothers. Phi Gam runs in the fam Read the story on page 1. 778-119 SN Address Service Requested - An Update from Pig Dinner - The Story of a Brother on the Campaign Trail with Obama - Remembering Duck - And Much More! In this Issue... Graduate Relations Processing Center P.O. Box 7007 Albert Lea, MN 56007‑8007 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA Epsilon of Phi Gamma Delta, Inc. PRESORTED FIRST CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID State College, Pa. Permit No. 2 4 www.epsilonpgd.com March 2010