The S igma O micronicle Oklahoma State University of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity ‐ Winter 2010 Edition SOHA CREATES ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP By: Jason Turner (1993) On February 26, 2010, OSU alumnus T. Boone Pickens made a surprising and incredible announcement to provide a testamentary matching gift of up to $100 million establishing the Pickens Legacy Scholarship Match (PLSM). In September, he further expanded the program by increasing the match and extending the deadline for commitments to February 26, 2011. Given this extraordinary opportunity, in December the Board of Directors of the Sigma Omicron Housing Association (SOHA) responded with an initial donation of $50,000, establishing an endowed scholarship for future generations of Phi Gams at OSU. This decision was not made lightly by the SOHA Board; however, given the Register Now for Pig Dinner! Pig Dinner will be held at the Conoco Phillips Alumni Center on Saturday, February 26,2011. Patron of the Pig will be George Ramey (1966). ability to triple our donation of $50,000 to $150,000 with the 2:1 Pickens match, it was an easy decision, not to mention a decent return on investment! “The board was overwhelmingly in favor of giving this legacy gift for our chapter and believes it lays the foundation for many future generations of Phi Gamma Delta at Oklahoma State” said Chris Neurohr (2003), SOHA Treasurer. The growth and success of the Sigma Omicron Chapter in the last two decades has been remarkable with many exceptional men joining our ranks, including three straight Wilkinson Award winners (as well as four out of six from 2002 to 2007), an accomplishment unmatched in the fraternity’s distinguished history. This success has greatly improved SOHA’s (Continued on page 4) Get the details and register on our website www.phigam.org/ netcommunity/okstate. Your official invitation will arrive in the mail soon. Inside this issue: A NOTE FROM THE CHAPTER PRESIDENT Tentgate Donors 2 By: James Riter (2012), Chapter President Graduate Spotlight 3 Thank You Donors 5 Ad Astra 6 House Corp Update 7 Sigma Omicron has had a successful fall 2010. We are proud to share a healthy list of achievements including: 1st place in Homecoming Sweepstakes with women of ChiOmega, 1st place in Homecoming House Decoration, 1st place in Homecoming Harvest Carnival, 3rd place in Home- coming Football Frenzy, 2nd place in Chi-Omega’s “Chi-O Wish Week” 1st place in Kappa Kick off, and numerous placings in Intramural Sports. As the semester comes to a close, the men of Sigma Omicron are still working hard to finish off the semester strong. We are hoping to meet or ex- ceed last year’s third place GPA of 3.25. We are also working hard to finish off the intramural season; currently we are in 1st place overall. Earlier in the semester, we paired with the women of ChiOmega for Varsity Review and all members of the show have (Continued on page 2) \r\nSigma Omicronicle Page 2 HOMECOMING TENTGATE DONORS On October 23, the following brothers made a donation on behalf of their pledge classes. Michael Knam (1994) - High bid for club seat tickets- $750! Total contributions to date - $3,450! Mike Hill Terry Potts Max Pischel Randall Whittaker Rocky Hill Phil Webb Robert Keating Steve Dennehy 1968 1968 1968 1970 1971 1972 1972 1972 What has Sigma Omicron done for you? Steve Fooshee Tony Tweedy Jason Turner Eric Knam Michael Knam Dan Freet Aaron Wilson 1974 1974 1993 1993 1994 1995 2008 What have you done for Sigma Omicron? Homecoming Deck A NOTE FROM THE CHAPTER PRESIDENT continued... (Continued from page 1) been working hard to create the best show possible. Recently, new Cabinet Officers were selected for Sigma Omicron. The undergraduate chapter owes a big thank you to the outgoing Cabinet—James Riter (2012), Shane Gibson (2012), Taylor Venus (2011), Bennett Holloway (2011) & Justin Wheeler (2012)—for all their hard work and dedication the past year. Congratulations to the incoming cabinet—James Riter (2012), Travis Fennessy (2012), Corey Gable (2012), Jordan Mayes (2013) & Brady Scheer (2012)—we look forward to your service to Sigma Omicron for 2011. Our fall 2010 pledge class, the Phi Deuterons, have also been working hard this year to prove themselves to be worthy candidates for initiation. They won the Absolute Pledge Class Competition earlier this se- Phi Deuteron Pledge Class mester & have helped contribute much to the chapter’s achievements listed above. They have grown & improved significantly over this semester. We look forward to their progression next semester. \r\nPage 3 GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT - LUKE PHILLIPS (2004) Why did you choose Oklahoma State? Parents are alumni and I had always been an OSU fan. I was recruited to walk -on at OU, Auburn, Tenn, and Tulsa. What kind of influence has the Fraternity had on your life? HUGE! The morals and ethics it has taught me. Teamwork and the ‘Persistence’ that life overall takes. Why did you pledge Phi Gamma Delta? I pledged fall ‘99 (Go Omegas!) because of the diversity in the house… grades, athletics, partiers & non partiers, it just had it all. Joel Embry (1999) & Micah Anderson (2002) were big influences on me as we all attended Metro Christian Academy in Tulsa. Joel was someone I looked up to for athletics, how active he was, and just how he handled himself overall. He is still someone I try to model myself after in the business world and he has mentored me since college. Micah is someone I grew close to in high school through a couple of classes we had together. Simply a phenomenal man who will always be considered a great friend! What activities were you involved in during college? FIJI & OSU Football. At the time, we had the longest pledgeship, probably got into the most trouble, but also contributed so much as the Ironman winners (best pledge class on campus). I redshirted my first year of football and knew I would have the time for Fraternity, but when spring came around, it was tough as I was earning my spot on the team as well as still being a pledge. Spring morning workouts at 5:30 am while your friends were sleeping the night off wasn't easy for me. But in the end, it was all worth it! What is your favorite memory as an undergraduate? Way too many to pick just one, but pledge sneak to CO. We decided to do it up big and travel to Denver where Robert Rademeyer’s (2003) older brother, Rick (1999) was at the time. Going to the Rockies baseball game and hanging out and then the next night we went to Colorado Springs to stay the night at pledge brother Jon Dodson’s ‘03 uncle’s house where we had hung out. It was cool for me as we "kidnapped" my Big Todd Rosenthal (2002) so we got to bond there as well. What is your favorite memory as a graduate so far? Being out in the Tulsa area and seeing other brothers of all ages. The Tulsa guys do a lunch every month, which is always a fun time if you can make it. With whom do you stay in contact? Beau McMillin (2003), Beau Snider (2004), Joel Embry (1999), Todd Rosenthal (2002) & Micah Anderson (2002). Facebook has also helped keep in touch with others where there has not been any real communication. Tell us about your family. I married a beautiful, intelligent OSU Pi Phi, Katy Oden Phillips. We have been married for three years, now and August 27th welcomed our first son, Carter “Beau” Phillips. We currently live in South Jenks. What is your nickname and how did you get it? “Kicker” or Charlie Brown “because I am the nice guy who can’t be mean to anyone” but I have an alter ego, Chuck Brown, because if I enjoy too many cocktails, I do have a mean streak that can come out. Who were your roommates in the Fiji house? Travis Gaines (2003), Andrew “Buck” Buchwald (2003), & Jack Fisher (2004), Beau McMillin (2003) & Ryan Reynolds (2004). Tell us about your career. I am currently the East Coast Territory Manager for an exothermic grounding company thermOweld. I have been there for a year and a half and travel to the east coast (Maine to Miami) about twice per month. I was also a part of starting Vype High School Sports The Magazine back in 2005. What are your major interests now? Family, friends, sports, & traveling. My wife and I love warm weather and love to go to Excellence Riviera Cancun in Mexico. I recommend it to anyone & suggest upgrading to the Excellence Club as well. What are your goals for the next few years? In 2-3 years, I pray that God blesses us with another healthy beautiful child and to continue to advanced my career and make a wonderful living for my family. (Continued on page 4) \r\nSigma Omicronicle Page 4 GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT continued... (Continued from page 3) What is your favorite Pig Dinner memory? Just hanging out with the guys again in Stillwater. My last pig dinner was 2008 and it was a lot of fun. I went and stayed with Joel Embry and some of his best friends from his days at the Fiji house. Seeing how they all live their lives yet come together every year and pick up like nothing had changed was pretty amazing. Even though they are 35ish now, they still act like they were back in college wrestling each other, joking and making fun of each other, and always trying to out do each other. Very good times and it really represents what Fiji is all about, fun and friendship. What are you famous for doing as an undergraduate? Being an OSU football player most likely. But FIJI athletics my freshmen & sophomore years. And winning the Pass, Punt, and Kick Competition as a freshmen, and not even having to ‘Pass’. What are you famous for outside of PGD? Football. OSU and the Tulsa Talons. After OSU, the NFL was in sight and I had a tryout in Tampa Florida in March 2005 with the Chiefs, Saints, Titans, and Falcons. The Titans and Falcons were there to sign me and bring me in. I was practicing the week before and pulled my hamstring. I tried to go down to Tampa and still kick where I completely tore my hamstring, groin and hipflexor. No team would really touch me after that so I took a year off and decided to play for the Tulsa Talons arena football for fun. I knew about four guys on the team and my brother was a huge fan and ended aging for four years. Winning the championship in 2007 was probably the highlight of AFL for me. OU’s stadium on the bus and seeing Beau McMillin tailgating on the front circle steps in 2001. Also, having a brotherly hand shake with head coach Bill Snyder after the K-State game. My routine after I made kicks was a fun way to say thank you and hello to the FIJI brothers. I tossed them a little sign only they’d recognize! I through in some helmet knocks and arm signs to my Fiji roommates back in Stillwater, Blake McMillin (2005), Jimmy Ivey (2004), Brian Roberts (2002), Beau McMillin (2003), and Beau Snider (2004) at away games when we were on national TV. You can contact Luke at lphillips_27@yahoo.com. Luke Phillips ’04 currently ranks 7th in total scoring all-time at OSU. Memorable game experiences with Fijis home/away games?Pulling up at SOHA CREATES ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP continued... (Continued from page 1) financial condition over the years, resulting in a cash reserve of $127,000, giving the board the ability to establish this endowment without seeking donations from our graduate brothers. The endowed funds can be withdrawn at levels decided annually by the OSU Foundation; and in 2011, up to 5% of the funds can be used for scholarship awards to members of the Sigma Omicron Chapter. There are many benefits to our chapter from having an endowed scholarship fund. It will reward and promote academic achievement, provide a selling point for recruitment, and give our graduate brothers a tax-deductible means of contributing directly to the Sigma Omicron Chapter at Oklahoma State University. The gift provided by the SOHA Board meets the minimum funding requirement to be eligible for the 2:1 Pickens Legacy Match. As a result, all additional contributions to the fund received before February 26, 2011, are eligible to receive the matching gift. Please contact the OSU Foundation at (800) 622-4678 and specifically reference the Phi Gamma Delta – Oklahoma State Scholarship if you wish to make a contribution. While the PLSM provides an unprecedented opportunity to establish an endowment for undergraduate scholarships, the SOHA Board remains committed to its top priority of providing quality housing. As the university and other fraternities continue to renovate and modernize their facilities, Sigma Omicron must keep pace in order to remain competitive and viable on the Oklahoma State campus. Our brothers in Norman at Nu Omega set the standard this fall with the opening of their new $6 million chapter house. Our main competitors in Stillwater, Sigma Nu, SAE, Beta and Sigma Chi, have also recently completed major renovations, adding additional space and modern amenities. With this in mind, SOHA is currently developing plans and exploring funding options for the construction of a new chapter house. These plans will be shared with our graduates in the near future and will not be realized without significant financial support. Please keep these plans in mind as you consider how best to support your fraternity in the coming months. The future of our chapter is bright and these are very exciting times for Sigma Omicron! \r\nPage 5 THANK YOU DONORS Sigma Omicron would like to thank and recognize our recent donors. Your generosity has resulted in contributions of over $9,000 between October 1 and December 10. If you would like to make a donation to the Sigma Omicron Housing Association Fund, visit www.phigam.org/netcommunity/OKStateDonations or send a check along with the form on the back page. James Howell (parent) In honor of Dickson J. Howell (2011) Patrick and Charlene Murray (parents) In honor of Shane P. Murray (2011) William and Katherine Nelson (parents) In Honor of Jordan H. Nelson (2012) William and Katherine Nelson (parents) In honor of Clayton E. Nelson (2007) James L. Keating 1974 Duane W. Gagle, Jr. 1967 Robert B. Lindsly 1967 Michael R. Wendel 1967 Michael C. Hill 1968 Philip G. Bowersox 1970 Randall L. Whittaker 1970 Stephen C. Bowersox 1972 Steven H. Dennehy 1972 Richard W. Hatter 1972 James S. Sheehan, USAF 1972 cneurohr@scissortailenergy.com michaelpaulmartin@yahoo.com Lon C. Kile 1977 Jules D. Roberts, IV 1978 In memory of James F. Tredway (1968) Ronald L. Taylor 1980 Stephen K. Boeckman 1992 In memory of Jay D. Reinking (1990) Harris J. Elder 1967 Treasurer - Chris Neurohr ‘03 Thomas A. Pyron 1976 James D. Boyer 1964 George H. Ramey 1966 President - Randall Whittaker ‘70 rwhittaker@pixius.net Secretary - Michael Martin ‘05 Michael L. Lanata 1981 In memory of Mark A. Rice (1983) Thomas W. Lucas 1966 In memory of Ernest C. Young (1966) Association, Inc. Roland J. Heatly 1975 Ernie & Roxanne Sadau (parents) In honor of Zachary W. Sadau (2012) James L. Thomas 1965 In memory of Marshall F. Persson (1967) Sigma Omicron Housing Michael J. Knam 1994 Ryan J. Bebee 1995 Cason E. Grover 1995 D. Scott Henry 1997 Robert A. Cuthbertson 1998 Daniel R. Cahalan 2001 Andrew J. Burnett 2002 Zachary R. Keller 2002 Trenton R. McKnight 2002 Jeffrey R. Pinter 2002 Matthew M. Drouhard 2008 Aaron V. Wilson 2008 Kirk A. Jewell 2009 Gregory Z. Winters 2009 Directors & Members Kim Cunningham ‘75 Tanner Cooper ‘04 Jim Quigley ‘79 Mike Hill ‘68 Omar Hossain ‘10 Eric Lee ‘94 Chris Day ‘80 Aaron Wilson ‘08 Purple Legionnaire Eric Knam ‘93 eric.d.knam@gmail.com Sigma Omicron Board of Chapter Advisors Chairman - Taylor Shinn ‘07 Taylor.shinn@chk.com Member Education Advisor Ross Bebee ‘97 Treasurer Advisor Clayton Nelson ‘07 Advisor At-Large Jeffrey Pinter ‘02 Cabinet Advisor Trent McKnight ‘02 UNDERGRADUATE UPDATE Historian Advisor Wesley Reed ‘02 Once again, Sigma Omicron took the lead in the Greek Life Division on campus during homecoming: Recruitment Advisor Jay List ‘97 House Decorations - First Place (Chairman’s Cup) Harvest Carnival - First Place Sweepstakes - First Place Football Frenzy - Third Place Grad Relations Advisor Joel Embry ‘99 If you haven't been receiving the E-Sigma Omicronicle or other updates from the undergraduate chapter, please email fiji.osu@gmail.com with the subject line “add to email list.” Grad Relations Mike Knam ‘94 Advisor Blake Burger ‘07 \r\nSigma Omicronicle Page 6 AD ASTRA Sigma Omicron was recently notified of the following deaths. These brothers will be greatly missed and we extend our deepest sympathies to their families. Jay D. Reinking (1990) Jay Reinking passed away at 42 years young on October 14, 2010. He was born & raised in Arkansas City, KS. Jay received his bachelor’s degree and MBA from OSU. Jay was in the Alpha class that re-colonized Sigma Omicron in the spring of 1988. He was adored by all, wore a constant smile & enjoyed making everyone laugh. He enjoyed fishing and was always recruiting someone to go with him, particularly younger brothers and pledges. Because of this, Jay commanded mutual respect and admiration, especially to the younger Fijis that came after him at Sigma Omicron. John Duffy ’92 penned a moving tribute to “his best buddy” on Facebook. He was described by all of his peers as the life of he party, always fun to be with and for the fact he was uniquely liked by all who knew him. Jay was a wholesale propane account manager for Ican Energy & a member of Redeemer Covenant Church of Tulsa. Jay is survived by the love of his life, Charlene (Howell) Reinking, and two sons, Justin Cole Reinking and Cale Jeffery Reinking. Contributions to the Justin & Cale Reinking Education Fund can be made by check to Bank of Oklahoma, PO Box 1300, Tulsa, OK 74102 or by making a cash gift or check to any BOK branch. Craig H. Hicks (1972) Craig Howard Hicks, 60, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010, of complications from lung cancer. Craig was born in Berwyn, IL, on May 6, 1950 to Howard and Gladys Hicks. They moved to Oklahoma City in 1958. Craig graduated from NW Classen in 1968 and then attended OSU, where he met Karen, his love and life mate. They were married in Jan. 1971 and have shared nearly 40 years of devoted companionship. He made many lifelong memorable friendships through Sigma Omicron. He earned his BS degree from OU in Mechanical Engineering in 1978. His love of airplanes eventually led him to an aeronautical career, which started with Gulfstream Aerospace and culminated with 21 years of civilian service as a structural B-52 aerospace engineer at Tinker AFB. Craig retired in 2006 and enjoyed working around their lovely home in Edmond and relaxing with friends, family and his beloved pets. He was preceded in death by his father, Howard; and survived by his wife, Karen; his mother, Gladys; sisters: Karen Booth, Kim Morgan, of Edmond; and Judy Milan of Galesburg, IL. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your favorite Animal Charity or Cancer Society of your choice. You can make a gift to Sigma Omicron in memory of these or any brother at any time at www.phigam.org/netcommunity/OkStateDonations. GRADUATE BROTHER UPDATE Joe S. Ellis (Nu Omega 1950) - Joeellis1@cox.net Joe retired from the insurance industry in February 2009, after serving for 58 years. Joe is extremely proud of the men and accomplishments of the Sigma Omicron chapter, particularly its growth, high achievements. He is delighted to be remembered as having helped some many years ago. Joe turned 82 this year but had to give up his lifelong passion of tennis. He still gets to the gym three times a week, to church at least once a week and to the liquor cabinet with a fair amount of regularity! What are you doing now? Have an update you want included in the next edition of The Sigma Omicronicle? Visit www.phigam.org/netcommunity/okstatenews to submit your information. \r\nPage 7 HOUSE CORPORATION UPDATE By: Randall Whittaker (1970), House Corporation President As with many elements of life, there is a duality in defining “the house.” The graduate brothers who serve on SOHA/ BCA understand this double meaning. When there is an issue with the house it involves the physical structure, liability and risk management, event scheduling, rush, and the final number of men living in the house. Decisions must be made regarding how to spend the dollars generated by the rental income from the house. My report on the status of the house is generally positive. The repairs and painting of the exterior woodwork was completed shortly after the start of the fall semester. The kitchen freezer and disposal were replaced with new units. One of the a/c units was beyond repair and replaced. The lawn service was reviewed and the decision made to keep the current vendor. A commitment was given by the undergrads to help minimize the damage done during homecoming and not park on the lawn. The condition of the lawn at bedlam weekend was excellent. We had an invasion of beetles; not bed bugs, and did an initial treatment. There will be another stage of fumigation done over semester break. The damage from construction of the homecoming decoration was minimal, if any at all. All of the ‘naysayers” regarding homecoming have eaten our share of crow and pomp paper as FIJI swept the Greek Life awards for homecoming and cleaned up the mess in and around the house. Since the nature of the universe is toward chaos, and includes the house, there are a number of issues to be dealt with immediately and in the near term. Chapter President Riter reported the dining room heater was not functioning. The leak in the dining room ceiling has returned to haunt us. The leak under the west stairwell never left us and continues to seep water during big rains. Only Gamma, in his infinite wisdom, knows what other issues with the house will arise. In order to eliminate several risk issues, the SOHA Board decided to close the kitchen. Only food service personnel and Mom Rena are allowed into the main part of the kitchen. The result of this action has been a happy and relieved food service vendor, a note of commendation from the Payne County Health Dept., a positive reply from the Fire Marshall, and an expected reduction of our insurance premium. IFC and IHQ report that 80% of campus fires are started in the kitchen, so they also salute our decision. Mom Rena reports that the entire first floor is much cleaner and presentable with the kitchen locked down. Following the request of the undergrads, we have gotten proposals to install a snack bar in the area next to the kitchen. It is expected this project will be done over the semester break. The rest of my report is other side of the coin regarding the house. This facet of Sigma Omicron is the Purple Pride we share in our accomplishments. It is the Brothers, both undergrad and graduate, who make up the house. Granted, most of the responsibility of presenting a positive picture of the house rests with the undergraduates. They are the ones who achieve academic excellence, win the awards for homecoming, VR, and Freshman Follies, They are the jocks who win the NUJI basketball games and other intramural accolades. The leaders of the house, with the help of other members, plan and execute our annual Norris Pig Dinner, as well as the Islander and other social and philanthropic events. It is their influence that brings outstanding young men to pledge FIJI and eventually transition into a graduate brother of Sigma Omicron. At a meeting with SOHA/BCA and the undergraduate brothers a couple of semesters ago, I made the point of this duality concerning Sigma Omicron. I also noted that one does not know what being a graduate brother is until the transition from undergraduate. It is worth noting that we are not FIJI Alumni, we are graduate brothers. Our graduate brothers have stepped forward in many ways to make us all proud of the house. We raised $3,450 for the homecoming and bedlam tentgates. We have a SOHA Board of Directors/ BCA and Purple Legionnaire comprised of graduate brothers who volunteer their time, energy, expertise, and money to further the goals of Sigma Omicron. In our individual way, we all strive to extol the bonds of Brotherhood set forth by the principals that make up our ritual. So it is that the house will fall to mediocrity without the strength and dedication of the house. We are functioning as the house when we meet in Tulsa, OKC , or Wichita for a schooner and some Brotherhood. It is members of the house who visit a brother in NYC or California, vacation in Key West, camp out at Grand Lake, go skiing in Colorado, meet at a tentgate, or go on destination. Indeed, it is the house who donates what they can to our annual fund, steps forward to serve on a Board or Committee, or helps with any task that improves the house. As seen recently, it is the house that keeps the links alive by designating their annual donations in memory of brothers gone ad astra. I am pledging my annual donation to John D. Shaw(1971) and Charlie Abercrombie(1971). Please consider a memorial gift to those gone ad astra. SOHA/BCA is working hard to keep 1123 University functioning. We are dealing with ways to insure our undergrads are safe, comfortable, and competitive in the house. I am pleased to announce that SOHA/BCA, on behalf of the house, has contributed $50,000 to the recently announced OSU Foundation Scholarship Fund. It is easier to go down than up. Please add your strength and support to both sides of the Sigma Omicron coin so that we can continue to say “Mighty Proud to be a FIJI.” We all lived in the house…… May we all live as the house. \r\nNonprofit Org Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity 1201 Red Mile Road Lexington, KY 40504 US Postage Paid Lexington, KY Permit # 540 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 _________________________________________ CONTRIBUTE TO THE SOHA FUND I am pleased to make a contribution to Sigma Omicron of : $1,000 $500 $250 $100 $50 $25 Other $_______________ I would like my donation to be used in the following area: _______________________________________________. Donations can be made on-line at www.phigam.org/netcommunity/OkStateDonations, by phone at (859)255-1848 ext 136 or send checks payable to Phi Gamma Delta - Sigma Omicron to: Sigma Omicron/Oklahoma State Donations, PO Box 4599, Lexington, KY 40544 and include this form. Design, printing and mailing services provided by the International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta.