DELTA COLONY ~ PHI GAMMA DELTA! SPRING SEMESTER 2010 The Charleston FIJI Published jointly by the men of the Undergraduate Body of the Delta Colony of the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta at the College of Charleston PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS Brothers, As the Delta Colony of Phi Gamma Delta begins its third semester at the College of Charleston, we stand strong as a colony, excited for chartering and the upcoming events of Spring 2010. As I look back on this year’s accomplishments, it is hard to believe that the Delta Colony was established as an interest group on campus only a year ago. With each month of our presence on campus, our determination to develop men of character and inspire leadership has increased greatly. United by the desire and motivation to become a chapter, our pursuit of excellence this past semester has also grown dramatically. Both through our triumphs and difficult times as a colony, we have grown closer as brothers. We continue to represent the Fraternity in many positive aspects on campus. We enter this semester continuing to hold the highest fraternity GPA of 3.26, far above the all-fraternity average and the all-men’s average on campus. There is at least one Fiji member in 73 organizations on campus. Of those, there are 22 organizations in which there is at least one Fiji on the executive board. In the Greek community, we have had many accomplishments, such as placing first in our first Greek Week competition. We have also raised over $1000 on our very first philanthropy event. We compete actively in intramural sports, representing our prized colony with dedication, hard work, and good sportsmanship. As we continue to grow, our values of knowledge and service have become more evident. As a colony we have served over 580 community service hours this semester. Colony members such as the Student Government Association President continue to inspire leadership, while members such as an Mark Wiersma (2012) Colony President (Continued on page 2) CHARTERING INITIATIVES $ The Delta Colony of Phi Gamma Delta at the College of Charleston was founded by four members at a summer leadership conference. These men wanted to start an organization that would create a body of leaders who wanted to give back to their community. They found their values to align perfectly with those of Phi Gamma Delta. The Colony pledged its first class on January 22, 2009, consisting of 36 members. Since then we have pledged two more classes and are in the process to ! pledge a fourth class by February 2010. We currently have 39 men, all of whom are extremely active in the college community. $ We are currently heavily engaged in the process of chartering. In order to do this, our Colony is required to accomplish many tasks. This includes having a minimum of 250 hours of community service, successfully planning a philanthropy event, and raising $24,000 to fund the chartering fees. (Continued on page 3) PAGE 1 \r\nDELTA COLONY ~ PHI GAMMA DELTA! SPRING SEMESTER 2010 REMARKS FROM THE PURPLE LEGIONNAIRE By Rick Minassian (Syracuse ’76 Sigma Nu Chapter) - Purple Legionnaire $ As the Purple Legionnaire of the College of have had an awful lot on their table, so I continue to Charleston Colony it has been both an honor and a give them a real pat on the back. Do they have privilege to work with these young men. Now that is faults? Interestingly enough, I must say, absolutely a statement that could be interpreted as well worn or not; nothing that would be classified as a "red flag" even worn out, unless of course you know these fine or that sticks out like a "sore thumb". There is men. Having had the opportunity to sit in on their nothing that draws attention and calls itself out to regular meetings, observe their social skills and read be fixed. And yet, they are humble enough to the emails sent to and from on understand that what they do and various issues, it is clear that do well, can still be “tweaked” to “...I am thankful for all of achieve even greater results. And they personify what “fraternity” should be about and further, their efforts in our behalf achieving great results are what give true honor to the meaning these guys are all about! for I know that this of “brotherhood.” They have $ Why do I say these things? I group can only make Phi should give a few examples: tremendous pride in each other and as well, how they as a group Gamma Delta stronger.” Leadership, it is not just solidified are perceived throughout the within the colony. Our colony college’s campus. brothers have taken significant $ This is a group that you will find we can all leadership roles throughout the campus and student be very proud of. Do they have room for body; Scholarship, the grade point average of the improvement? Absolutely, but then I suspect we can brotherhood not only exceeds the campus average all improve. What's nice is that I can honestly say but the colony ranks in the top 10% of all NIC "these guys are working on it" and let us not forget, fraternities in scholastic average; Philanthropy, they since this colony began less than 18 months ago, they are committed to a minimum of 15 hours of (Continued on page 3) PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS CONTINUED... Emergency Medical Technician motivates us to give back to our college as well as our community. One of our main goals this year is to have successful chartering weekend. We have recently submitted our petition to charter to International Headquarters for approval. To say that we are excited to charter on March 26th would be an understatement. Obviously, our chartering involves a great deal of planning as well as fundraising; areas in which we have been working very diligently in. I can say with confidence that we will be more than prepared to charter as March approaches. We are also aiming to strengthen our recruitment program this year. We will be working with a more structured rush program as well as new media strategies to spread awareness of Phi Gamma Delta’s involvement on Campus. On behalf of the brothers of the Delta Colony of the College of Charleston, I would like to mention several graduate brothers for their ! steadfast dedication which have enabled us to develop and grow faster than we ever thought possible. I would like to thank Bill Valentine (Florida ‘67), Rick Minassian (Syracuse ‘76), and Phil Mason (Cincinnati ‘00 ) for their countless hours of guidance which have lead us to represent Fiji so well at the College of Charleston. I would also like to thank our faculty advisor, Michael Duncan for his dedication to facilitating strong leadership within our colony. We admire these individuals for their demonstration of character and good will. $ I thank you for your support and interest our beloved colony. We look forward to hearing from you as our colony develops and later continues to grow as a chapter. Fraternally, Mark Wiersma (2012)$ Press On! PAGE 2 \r\nDELTA COLONY ~ PHI GAMMA DELTA! CABINET2010: President Mark Wiersma mawiersm@edisto.cofc.edu Treasurer Tim Drevins tmdrevin@edisto.cofc.edu Recording Secretary Sean Bear scbear@edisto.cofc.edu Corresponding Secretary Ben Genn bagenn@edisto.cofc.edu Historian Dan Heredia dvheredi@edisto.cofc.edu Contact us at cofcfiji@gmail.com. SPRING SEMESTER 2010 PL REMARKS CONTINUED... are committed to a minimum of 15 hours of community service projects per brother and are well known for their efforts within the community. This level of commitment again, ranks at the highest level of fraternal expectations. I could and should go on, but it is not my newsletter alone. $ Soon, chartering of this young colony will be upon us. It is a difficult time in that so many other everyday matters must as well be maintained at a high level. As graduate brothers, you should be aware, this is a group of brothers that is working feverishly to not just get it right, but truly make us proud, and I am thankful for all of their efforts in our behalf for I know that this group can only make Phi Gamma Delta stronger. $ And so I urge each and every one of you to think back to your days on a college campus. If in doing so, a past fraternal experience causes a twinkle to come to your eye, or a smile to come across your face, please consider sending a note of encouragement to these fine young men. I know that they will appreciate and draw strength from your words. Respectfully Submitted, Rick Minassian 1976 Sigma Nu Chapter PERGE! CHARTERING INITIATIVE CONTINUED... $ Thus far, we have not only reached, but surpassed, the minimum of community service hours and we have successfully hosted our first Pig Roast that raised over $1,000 to benefit our philanthropy- the American Red Cross. We are currently working on our last task of raising $24,000. We understand that this is no easy task, but we are more than willing to dedicate whatever necessary to make it happen. The Colony raised $7,000 throughout the past semester. To achieve this, we successfully hosted a dance party and a dinner at a local restaurant. Another way we have been raising money has been by reaching out to our friends and families as well as collecting our spare change. ! This semester we anticipate to sponsor another dinner as well as events with local graduate brothers in which all funds will go toward our chartering fund. Finally, we are currently working with companies to let our members work for a company donation. $ We look forward to the continued success of our fundraising efforts as we near our chartering date. Fall '09 Semester Fundraising By Tim Drevins (2012) $224.50 $385.00 $ $1,104.00 Spare Change Dance Party Pig Roast Letter Writing $5,183.00 PAGE 3 \r\nDELTA COLONY ~ PHI GAMMA DELTA! SPRING SEMESTER 2010 Graduate Brother Highlight BEN KUBARYK (2009) Top: Ben found out he’d be located in Chum Kiri, Cambodia Bottom: Ben (le# in blue) made the game Twister and taught it to children Since graduation, what have you been up to? I am currently serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cambodia. Specifically my job is as a secondary school English teacher/trainer and community development coordinator. Roughly this translates to time spent in the class room with high school students, time devoted to training the current English teachers, and time utilized towards community improvement projects. How is being in the Peace Corps affecting your life experience? Being a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) exposes you to so many radically new ways of thought, challenging living conditions, and unimaginable stresses both physical and mental. These challenges only help to solidify a sense of responsibility that we should carry for each other. Some weeks I go hungry all day, but dare not say anything because my host family has already given me largest share of food. There is so much that I knew I took for granted in the US, but once you not only see how others live, but actually toil along side them and gain their acceptance, there is a greater sense of human connectedness that is affirmed. How was being a leading member and founding father for the Delta Colony of FIJI? As interest group president and colony president, I can equate those experiences as being trying at times, but always rewarding. Anything that I am given credit for though, is only a small fraction of the truth behind establishing the colony. A good leader, or president, or whoever is running things is only as strong as those who work with him. My cabinet was incredibly capable and each member served their position exceptionally well. With such an able bodied cabinet, my job was simply to compile the “We have created something special for our campus, and I am moved beyond words at the thought of all the good friends I now possess.” ~ Ben Kubaryk ! efforts of their work and find ways to tie that information into the needs of the organization and further our executive goals. I loved being president and watching our brotherhood strengthen and grow, but if it was not for my cabinet and the shared vision of all of the colony's members, my experience would be radically different. Describe your most proud accomplishments thus far? Coming out of college and having established a new fraternity on campus is certainly one of my greatest accomplishments yet, but as for the future I am still unsure what my life will hold for me. In the summer I will travel to our Embassy and take the first tier of the Foreign Service Officer (FSO) exam. One of the perks of the Peace Corps is a year long non competitive job status within the Federal government. If I do not become an FSO I will probably take advantage of that status and apply for federal employment in the D.C. area. I am fascinated by the field of maritime law and might attempt to attend law school. Above: Brothers Brown, Cape&e, Burkard, and Kubaryk with Director of Chapter Development Justin Burns (Ohio State ’07) [second )om le#] PAGE 4 \r\nDELTA COLONY ~ PHI GAMMA DELTA! SPRING SEMESTER 2010 Undergraduate Highlight - JAKE KELLER (2013) In high school, Brother Hometown: New Providence, NJ $ Keller got involved with the Major: International Studies non-profit organization Hobbies: Sports, hanging with Operation Smile. Operation friends, giving back to the Smile is a corporation that community, FIJI travels to third world countries to perform surgeries on children Why did you choose FIJI? I chose FIJI because it was a great with cleft lips and cleft pallets. $ With high enthusiasm group of guys that I got along and positive energy about the with, and a Fraternity with great organization's goals, in March, history. 2009, Jake traveled on a mission Involvement with the Delta trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Colony? Jake explains, “The great part of I was the Gamma Pledge class Operation Smile is that it uses 2 President and am currently the high school students on every Rush Chairman. mission to teach the patients Beside FIJI, what are you and the parents of patients involved with on campus? I am a member of the Charleston about nutrition, dental hygiene, 40 tour guide organization, part of oral rehydration therapy, and fire prevention/burn care.” Jake’s passion for Operation Smile and leadership skills enabled the Arabic club, and I founded the $ him to establish an Operation Smile Club on College of Charleston Operation Smile Club. campus to expand interest and awareness for students. A Vision Fulfilled - From Undergrad to Grad It feels like yesterday that myself and three of my best friends were among other members of the CofC community at a LeaderShape conference in a nondescript place in the piedmont of South Carolina. Now, a little over a year and a half later, over fifty men have come together with the same ideals, values, and pursuits for excellence. I’ve learned we were all attendants at that conference for a greater purpose. In the beginning, we knew we wanted to start something new. It would be a fraternity that kept brotherhood as a focus and ! would be an example for other fraternities to aspire to. Of the fraternities we looked into, one certainly set itself apart from the rest. Our interest in Phi Gamma Delta continued to grow with each new conversation. At our first Colony meeting, I remember Ben Kubaryk standing with the rest of his Cabinet at his side: Dan Burkard, Sean Bear, John Capelle, and myself. He said that this was the start of something new, something different, and something great. Our goal, he said, was to charter within the year and for those of you who know Ben, when he sets goals, he accomplishes them. So, here we are. I am certain that a vote of full confidence will come from our Chapter brothers around the nation to secure our spot in Fiji history. On March 29, 2010, just one year after our first Colony initiation, the College of Charleston Chapter will be initiated as full brothers of Phi Gamma Delta. And if I’ve learned anything, it has certainly been a great appreciation for this simple phrase: Friendship, the sweetest influence. Press On! Seaton Brown (CofC ’09) PAGE 5 \r\nDELTA COLONY ~ PHI GAMMA DELTA! SPRING SEMESTER 2010 !e Well-R#nded FIJI-man...at CofC Being an involved member of the community is essential to the well-rounded FIJI. At the College of Charleston, all Brothers are required to participate in at least one organization outside of their Fraternity involvement, with most Brothers far exceeding this requirement. Currently, FIJI is represented in more than 70 organizations on campus and holds leadership positions in more than half of these. While this itself is quite impressive, the men of Phi Gamma Delta are aiming to attain much greater involvement and work for a better, improved community with the help of the College of Charleston student body. CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ Student Government Association - President, Treasurer Honor Board - Chairman Student Alumni Associates - Vice President Asian Student Association Secretary Jewish Student Union - Executive Board member Phi Sigma Pi - Recording Secretary Order of Omega - Vice President George Street Observer - Sports Editor, Photo Contributor Chinese Club - Vice President Cougar Excursion - Facilitator Office of Admission - Student Blogger, Recruiter Tate Center for Entrepreneurship - Student Entrepreneur, Business Owner New Student Programs Orientation Intern Boy Scouts of America - Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ Faculty First Year Experience Committee - Student Representative School of Business Dean’s Forum, Advisory Board - Executive Board member, Founder Alliance for Planet Earth Alpha Chi Sigma: National Chemistry Society Alpha Epsilon Delta: National Pre-Med Honor Society Americans for Informed Democracy Arabic Club Army ROTC Baptist Collegiate Ministry Beta Alpha Psi Biology Club Campus Crusade for Christ Campus Outreach Catholic Student Association Center Stage Charleston 40 Finance Club German Honor Society Honors College ๏ Operation Smile - Founder, President Hot Dogs for Homeless - Founder, President Relay for Life - Event Co-Chair ๏ Intramural Basketball Intramural Floor Hockey Intramural Kickball Intramural Soccer ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ Honors Student Association International Thespian Society LeaderShape Leadership CofC Maroon Mayhem Mu Alpha Theta: National Mathematics Honor Society National Beta Club National Honor Society Peer Mentor Pi Sigma Alpha: National Political Science Honor Society Political Science Club Resident Assistant Running Club South Carolina Army National Guard South Carolina Student Legislature Strategic Planning Competitive Analysis Subcommittee Student Research COMMUNITY SERVICE ๏ ๏ ๏ Dance Marathon - Corporate Sponsorship Chair CofC EMS - Crew Chief, Chief of Operations Alternative Spring Break ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ Habitat for Humanity MUSC Cardiology MUSC Children’s Hospital Neighborhood Sweeps Odyssey Health Care ATHLETICS ๏ ๏ ๏ CofC Hockey - President, Founder Club Golf Club Swimming ! ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ Intramural Softball Intramural Volleyball PAGE 6 \r\nDELTA COLONY ~ PHI GAMMA DELTA! SPRING SEMESTER 2010 !e Colle$ of Knowled$ The College of Charleston Founded in 1770, chartered in 1785, the College of Charleston is the oldest college south of Virginia and the 13th oldest college in the nation. Several of the College’s founders played key roles in the American Revolution and in the creation of the new republic. Three were signers of the Declaration of Independence, and another three were framers of the U.S. Constitution. Other founders were past, present and future federal and state lawmakers and judges, state governors, diplomats and Charleston councilmen and mayors. In 1837 the College became the nation’s first municipal college when the City of Charleston assumed responsibility for its support. For 240 years, the College has been a liberal arts institution, conferring its first degrees in 1796 to a class of six graduates. Since that time, the College has prided itself with providing to its students an education steeped in academic excellence, historic tradition, and Southern charm. Today, the College enrolls more 10,000 students and offers more than ! 100 majors and minors ranging from Marine Biology to Historic Preservation, and has ranked highly amongst some of the nation’s most prestigious universities in various national polls and surveys. This tradition of excellence continues as the College of Charleston welcomes the fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta to its Greek and College community. By Sean Bear (2011) Pictured: (right) Bishop Robert Smith, first president of the Co&ege; (below) Randolph Ha&, National Historic Landmark PAGE 7 \r\nNonprofit Org Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity 1201 Red Mile Road Lexington, KY 40504 US Postage Paid Lexington, KY Permit # 540 te: i s b e ur w o t i s i V i.org j i f c f co DELTA COLONY ~ PHI GAMMA DELTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SPRING SEMESTER 2010 I w#ld ra%er be a FIJI I don’t care for all the rest. My heart beats for that Fiji bunch, Just because I love them best. Royal purple is my color, Fijiland looks good to me; For I’d rather be a Fiji, Phi Gamma Delta, my Fraternity!