A Publication by the Omicron Deuteron Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta THE BUCKEYE FIJI Volume 2, Issue 1 April 2010 FIJI RIVALRY RUN 2009 Another year, another successful Rivalry Run. Following last year’s agenda, we placed an increased emphasis on corporate sponsorship packets, which were sent out to over 100 area and national corporations and small businesses. This, along with generous donations from families and graduate brothers, as well as gameday tailgate donations collected weekly by several brothers helped to get the vast majority of our chapter actively involved in the money raising process. The actual running of the ball from Columbus to Ann Arbor for the game went by without a hitch. The Omicron Deuteron chapter left from Ohio Stadium at 3:30am en route to Findlay. After an efficient 14 hour, 92 mile collaborative journey with Tau Kappa Epsilon, the game ball was transferred over to our respective Michigan chapters in Findlay. Preparations are already underway for next year in hopes that we can once again surmount the previous years total. We would like to once again thank all graduates that helped through donations, corporate sponsorships, or participated in the golf outing. Keep your eyes peeled for information on next years events. Inside this issue: Canned Food Drive 2 Incoming President 2 BCA Update 2 Christmas Lights 3 Buckeyethon 3 Outgoing President 3 Philanthropy Change 4 Chapter Accolades 4 2009 Homecoming & Pig Dinner Autumn Quarter set the tone right for this year. Homecoming was filled with great excitement as brothers Robert Bonacci (2010), Michael Shoenfelt (2010), and Corey Vela (2010) were featured on a homecoming court of only 10 men and 10 women selected from the student body! We are proud to call this year’s Homecoming King, Robert Bonacci, our brother. This marks the 7th year in a row in which at least one Phi Gam has been featured in this elite group of students and the first year since 2004 that a Phi Gam has been named Homecoming King. This year’s Pig Dinner was another great success. We hosted the event at the Columbus Downtown Athletic club . Jason Barger, author of the book, Step Back from the Baggage Claim, served as our keynote speaker. A heartfelt thanks goes out to all graduate brothers that were in attendance! We look forward to seeing you all next October! Save the date for Friday, October 22, 2010 at the new Ohio Union. Brother Rob Bonacci 2009 Homecoming King \r\nTHE BUCKEYE FIJI A Letter From the Incoming President Since the last BuckeyeFiji, our chapter has made some significant changes and has earned several prestigious awards from both the Ohio State University and IHQ. Pig Dinner 2009 I think I can speak for the rest of the cabinet when I say that we are proud of what we have accomplished, but we are even more excited for the potential that this chapter has. We are a very ambitious group and we already have set some big goals for the near and distant future. With our hard work, we believe that there is nothing Omicron Deuteron cannot achieve and we will continue to put our efforts towards making Phi Gamma Delta the premier fraternity on OSU’s campus. Fraternally, Danny Tran Canned Food Drive SAVE THE DATE! PIG DINNER 2010 Friday, October 22, 2010 The new Ohio Union For the past several years, we have organized a canned food drive for the Mid Ohio Food Bank. On two Saturdays in February, brothers drive to Westerville to collect cans in the city neighborhoods. Two years ago, we collected almost 800 pounds of canned goods and last year we collected over 1000 pounds. While we were proud to surpass our previous amount, we were mindful this year not to fall into complacency; as such, we once again surpassed our previous year’s total, collecting over 1300 pounds of canned goods! The success of our winter service event is largely attributed to our service chair, Ryan Sanders. We plan to improve upon the food drive next year by targeting more Columbus suburbs. to expand from a colony and grow into one the top organizations in Greek life at OSU today. The chapter is outstanding in its scholarship, leadership, and diversity in other student organizations. The reputation of Fiji on campus is at an all time high, commanding respect from peers as well as OSU faculty and staff. It certainly is a great time to be an Omicron Deuteron Phi Gam. the torch. Their success is truly deserved and lies squarely on their shoulders. Typically, once a month the BCA has the opportunity to share our years of wisdom or at the very least, share some “when I was a Fiji” stories. It truly is a great thing to witness and if you can find 2 to 3 spare hours each month, we would love to have your support. If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact me through email at Thompson.1147@osu.edu. I look forward to hearing from you and as always, I am damn proud to be a Fiji. BCA UPDATE As a pledge brother, you learn early that giving back to your chapter is a very important part of what it means to be a Phi Gam. There are many opportunities for brothers to do this, but we each must choose the avenue that best fits our abilities. For me, it has been the active participation on the Board of Chapter Advisors for the Omicron Deuteron Chapter at The Ohio State University. For over two years, I have had the honor to watch and advise the OSU Fijis as cochairman of the BCA, Over the years, the chapter has continued Page 2 If nothing else, I feel being on BCA gives us as graduate brothers the opportunity to boast and brag about the undergraduates and the amazing way they have carried on \r\nVolume 2, Issue 1 7th Straight Christmas Lights Victory The Office of Student Life puts on the "Light Up the Night" competition each December. Off campus houses and Greek houses compete to produce the best display of Christmas lights. We are proud to have taken first place in the Greek competition each year since the competition's inception in 2003. Special thanks goes to brother Derrick Kase- man who has spearheaded our Christmas light design and set-up for the past two years. BUCKEYETHON For the past several years, Ohio State puts on a huge philanthropy event for Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Individual students as well and student body and Greek organizations are encouraged to raise donations and participate in a 14 hour dance marathon. This year, our chapter paired up with Kappa Alpha Theta sorority in a fundraising/social collaborative effort. Together, we raised over $2000. On Saturday, February 20th, Fijis and Thetas headed to the RPAC at noon to commence Buckeyethon 2010. The event included several “color” teams of 60 or more members. Each team competed against one another in dance-offs and other games. We were appropriately placed on the “purple” team. After an entire day of music, dance, and games, the marathon concluded at 2am. We had over 20 brothers in attendance and several stayed for the entire 14 hours! Buckeyethon proved a huge success, raising over $100,000 in total. We are proud to have contributed to such a great cause and to fulfill our responsibility of service. Moreover, we were able to build upon our relationship with Theta and plan to collaborate with the sorority more in the future. This is the beginning of our “One of the most initiative to become more active in the Greek community at large. Next year, we hope to raise more funds and bring more brothers to this phenomenal fundraising event. valuable lessons I have learned is the importance of graduate involvement.” Letter from Outgoing President As outgoing President, I would like to share with you some of the tremendous joys I have experienced throughout the past year. In my role as Chapter President, I have seen the Omicron Deuteron Chapter achieve many great things including recognition from the University as a group that embodies the “Spirit of Ohio State” and the recognition from our International Headquarters as the Chapter finishing in third place for the coveted Cheney Cup. I have also learned a great deal from my role. One of the most valuable lessons I have learned is the importance of graduate involve- ment. Without the dedication and passion that our graduates have for Phi Gamma Delta, our Chapter would not be able to accomplish the amazing things that it has. I am forever grateful for all of the help and support that was offered from graduates while I served as President, and I am excited to see what is in store for the Omicron Deuteron Chapter. Fraternally, Brandon Smith Page 3 \r\nA Publication by the Omicron Deuteron Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta Phi Gamma Delta Omicron Deuteron Chapter 94 E. 15th Columbus, Ohio 43201 E-mail: ohiostatefiji@gmail.com CABINET EMAIL Cabinet on retreat in Washington, D.C. → President: Danny Tran - tran.159@osu.edu Treasurer: Craig Althoff - althoff.19@osu.edu Recording Sec: Shawn Stone - stone.352@osu.edu Corresponding Sec: Michael Coleman - coleman.493@osu.edu Historian: Ryan Lynch - lynch.297@osu.edu We’re on the web! www.osuphigam.org Philanthropy Change/Chapter Accolades Perhaps the most pertinent topic in recent months is our discussion on a philanthropy change. After long thought and conversation, we have decided to switch philanthropies from the American Cancer Society to the Stefanie Spielman Fund for the upcoming year. As members of the Ohio State community, we feel that the Stefanie Spielman Fund is more personal and close to home. Said reasons not only add a more sentimental touch to the Rivalry Run, but moreover, they are powerful motivators for Columbus residents and corporations to donate. In turn, we believe that a philanthropy change will increase our total funds raised as well as better intertwine the Rivalry Run with the Ohio State community at large. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this change, please contact us. This update would be in- complete without mention of our accomplishments this past year. Last spring, we were awarded the Spirit of Ohio State and Outstanding Collaboration Awards by the university. In addition, we placed third in the prestigious Cheney Cup award presented by IHQ. We continue to rework and refine our programming, seeking out new ways to further our individual and collective experiences as Buckeyes and as Phi Gams.