Alpha Iota Brainstorm Phi Gamma Delta at Iowa State University President’s Address Brothers, On behalf of the undergraduate chapter, I would like to thank you all for the tremendous amount of support and guidance you have continuously provided us with. Thank you for being the role models we strive to be and for setting the high standard we hold each other accountable. Our former cabinet has exceeded their goals and expectations further progressing the prosperity of our chapter and holding our undergraduates accountable to the high standards set forth by the generations of brothers before them. Stephen Soko (2018), Nick Costello (2019), Andrew Messina (2019), Hunter Busyn (2019) and Marcus Knouse (2019) have contributed spectacular efforts ensuring our chapter upholds its values and continues to grow stronger every day. The current pledge class stands 24 members strong, full of quality men seeking the excellence we uphold. Eager to learn what it truly means to be a brother of Phi Gamma Delta, they have been demonstrating a hard work ethic, qualities of teamwork and unit. They express initial traits of brotherhood amongst each other. Our successes in the past academic semester encompass various aspects of our community. Our philanthropic efforts have exceeded previous years totaling over $2,700 in donation to the United Service Organization, in addition to providing Christmas gifts for two local families in need. Through hours of community service together, we have given back, participating in service events like Dance Marathon to raise money for the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital and Reggie’s Sleepout to raise awareness for youth homelessness. Our chapter achieved an increased GPA of a 3.20 putting us in the top third of fraternities academically. With 109 members, we stand as the second largest fraternity on campus, extending our values and ideals to the community. Looking forward on the next year to come, our new cabinet is ambitious and driven to push Alpha Iota to an even higher level of excellence. Treasurer Daniel Montemurro (2020), Recording Secretary Ty Williams (2020), Corresponding Secretary Jacob Steinberger (2020), Historian Joel Champion (2020) and I look to build on the successful leadership before us. Under the direct guidance of Purple Legionnaire Paul Dudley (2012), Section Chief Lynn Schroeder (1976), BCA President Caleb Evers (2013) and Director of House Corporation Jon Dohrmann (1983), our cabinet is enthusiastic to motivate the undergraduates to set high goals and persist through any obstacles that fall in their path. Lastly, the undergraduate chapter owes our sincere gratitude to the graduate members of Alpha Iota. Without your efforts toward success, display of true character and living out our values every day, we wouldn’t sit atop the high pedestal we do today. Thank you for your contribution to our brotherhood; it is to you we owe when we express that we are mighty proud! Fraternally, Austin Sehnert (2020) Pergé! \r\nSection Chief GREETINGS, AI PHI GAMS! Some random observations of ISU Fijis from the perspective of a Section Chief (yeah, I’m a glutton for punishment). The students over the last year have done a good job. Strong points are recruitment (AKA – rush), 27 fall pledges & a total membership of around 100. Good IFC/Panhel involvement (Homecoming, Varieties, Greek Week, etc.). Also, good chapter events like formal, Family/Parents Weekend, Pig Dinner & Christmas Party. Scholarship remains strong with an average of 3.16, good for 6th out of 30 men’s chapters. A lot of brothers are engineering or business majors with liberal arts, human sciences, AG & design rounding out the group. The last field secretary report called Alpha Iota a “high-performing chapter,” and I would tend to agree. Can they do better? Certainly! More community service hours, tweaking record-keeping and improving grad relations (more Brainstorms and an updated website) are a few things that come to mind. Plus, it can be a challenge to keep strong areas of operations humming along. Graduate support is very good. We are fortunate to have talented brothers serving on both the House Corporation/Association Board and the Chapter of Advisor Board as well as in the PL post. There are enough grads willing to serve that no single person has to feel stuck in a position. There might be a few slots to fill on the Chapter Advisor Board this spring. Please consider answering the call when it comes. Pig Dinner went well. There were about 200 attendees (about 60% grads). Tom Waldon (1979) and Matt Alexander (1979) did a great job as speaker and toastmaster, respectively. A significant change being explored for 2018 is moving the Friday dinner and brothers’ gathering to the new Jethro’s restaurant. This would allow more space and would keep the whole group together. More dinner details to follow. Speaking of Tom Waldon, he communicated to me last fall that his folks were seeking a home for their baby grand piano. Not just any piano, but the one salvaged from the fire back in 1982. Tom’s dad had lovingly done some restoration work on it, but it wouldn’t fit in their new home. As the chapter already has another piano, it has found a home with Mary and me. Mike Ennis (1994) lives across the street from Tom’s old home in Clarion and was a BIG help getting the piano loaded. THANKS, MIKE!!! THANKS, TOM!!! It goes to show that helpful Phi Gams are everywhere, ready to pitch in. A large group of grad brothers from the ‘80s gathered this fall for a football game. Steve Caldwell (1986) did a lot of organizing. Joe Price (1986) scored a block of tickets, and Brock Larson (1986) (as an exile in Indonesia) sent funds for the tailgate. About 35 guys gathered from all over. How many groups can you think of that can bring together an engineer from NYC to Iowa to spend time with a close friend that farms? Or a self-possessed city-kid living in Chicago to reconnect with brothers from small-town Iowa? What a great thing fraternity can be! Until next time, THANKS BROTHERS! Lynn R. Schroeder (1976) \r\nHomecoming & Pairings Homecoming Placings: Placed 2nd in Float Placed 3rd in Tournaments Placed 3rd in Banner Homecoming 2017 Pairing: Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority & Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity Philanthropy & Community Service Community Service Info A total 843 hours of community service were completed by 60 people. We volunteered for Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, blood drive, church organized volunteer park clean ups, youth sports coaching, Feed My Starving Children and HACAP Meals on Wheels. Philanthropy Info Our annual Fiji S’more Roast raised $2,800 for the United Service Organization (USO). \r\nHouse Mom Mom’s Club - Parent Weekend 2017 Each fall semester, during the weekend of a home football game, Alpha Iota hosts a Parent Weekend. This year Iowa State played Kansas with the victory going to ISU! The weekend started on Friday with a tour of the chapter house and then parents spending the evening with their son. Saturday, Mom Jo hosted a tailgate brunch before the 11:00 a.m. game. After the game, everyone gathered for appetizers, awards, the Silent Auction and spaghetti dinner. The Silent Auction consisted of creative gift ideas that the moms brought to be auctioned off. All proceeds went directly into the Mom’s Club bank account. The yearly meeting of the Mom’s Club is held each year after the Silent Auction. This is the time when Mom Jo presents the current balance in the account and reviews the record of prior year purchases. Each year before the auction, the Chapter gives Mom Jo a wish list. The list is then presented to the Mom’s Club members and voted on as to what is approved for purchase. Over the past few years the Mom’s Club has purchased formal living room furniture, foyer pieces, a ping pong table, a pop machine, man-cave furniture and a new volleyball court. Shared expense with the House Corporation has provided for fencing the parking lot, hockey bus trips and most recently, new furniture for the Man-Cave. In prior years, the Silent Auction has raised between $4,000-$6,000. This year, $6,000 was raised. The Chapter requested a new “state of the art” color printer and scanner this year. The Mom’s Club voted 100% approval for the purchase. Before the Silent Auction started, undergraduate brothers were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements. The following were recognized: AAA Scholarship Luke Dunteman (2020), Jason Neville (2020), Austin Sehnert (2020), Sam Guillemot (2020), Jake Pudenz (2020), Jake Steinberger (2020), Connor Naumann (2020), Daniel Montemurro (2020), Daniel Nystrom (2020), Jake Raymer (2020), Halen Hunter (2020), Stephen Mcmahon (2020), Quinn Celske (2020), Justin Fishbach (2020) Byron Toot Scholarship Matthew Scattergood (2018), Nick Costello (2019), Stephen Soko (2018), Eric Bergquist (2019) White Star Pledge Mitch Hammond (2020), Max Kiley (2020) Once again, Parent Weekend was successful and everyone enjoyed the weekend. Mom Jo \r\nBoard of Chapter Advisors The Board of Chapter Advisors is comprised of alumni who collaborate to determine chapter goals. We also assist in developing and executing operational plans for committee heads and cabinet members. Advisors are assigned specific committees with which they feel most knowledgeable. We are looking for borthers to volunteer their time to serve as members of the Alpha Iota BCA. Brothers interested in volunteering, or those interested in learning more about the opportunity should contact: BCA President Caleb B. Evers (2013) Phone: 563-249-4066 Email: cbevers@iastate.edu Perge! Pig Dinner Info 110th Pig Dinner April 14, 2018 Iowa State Alumni Center 420 Beach Ave, Ames, IA The cost is $120, and you can pay online or at the event. Diamond Owls: Brothers initiated in 1943 Golden Owls: Brothers initiated in 1967 Silver Owls: Brothers initiated in 1993 \r\nCareer Tips and Tricks Luke Manwiller (2017) I’d say that being in Fiji definitely helped me get my first internship because it’s an instant way to meet a large amount of guys and network through them. Chances are, one of them has a parent, relative, or friend that works in a career related to what I want to land an internship in. For example, I met Max Loebig through Fiji. When we went out to his place in California for spring break, we would always drive by this really cool looking building called Advanced Bionics. I looked into what they do and they design cochlear implant systems. Long story short, I applied for an internship there last year and got one. Through them, I was able to network to one of their research facilities in Germany, where I was fortunate enough to do an internship with them this summer. If I never joined Fiji, I would’ve never met Max and then, following the ladder, would’ve never gotten the incredible internship experiences that I’ve gotten before. Nate Burger (2016) Being in Phi Gamma Delta had the single biggest impact on my future career path. From the values taught during my time there to having brothers help me understand the importance of getting internships and the value of networking, by joining Fiji I was more prepared than any of my classmates outside of the Fraternity. When going most my freshman year without an internship I was persistent in continuing my search, and with the help of my brothers, I got my first internship, which helped me get my second, third and finally a great first job. Outside of the given networking and brotherhood helping progress my career in college, being an active leader in Fiji gave me real experience to help me stand out against my competition. The Fraternity gave me the opportunity to serve as Social Chair as a Freshman and Sophomore, Recruitment Chair serving as a sales internship, and the opportunity to work in a team setting as Homecoming Chair. With all the opportunities in Phi Gamma Delta, and the brothers to help with wording on the resume, I learned real leadership skills that have helped me gain promotions in the early beginnings of my career and will carry with me the rest of my life. Scott Horvath (2018) I think being in Fiji helped me learn that networking is everything in life, especially in one’s career. I’ve noticed that the aspect of being persistent cannot be stressed enough on going after a job or getting to know someone through networking. The sky’s the limit if you apply yourself and put in hard work in trying to network. Keep trying to contact that person you need to get ahold of and it will eventually work out one way or another. Fiji also teaches that pledging shapes one in life, on being able to get through anything as they went through pledging and all the hard work and even networking which occurred during it. All in all, persistence and networking can allow you to get into opportunities you don’t think you could ever have gotten into. \r\nBobby Dunteman (2016) Every young man that comes into the doors at Alpha Iota has aspirations to achieve excellence. It is a common denominator of the men we select to join our ranks. However, most of the men that come in the door are leaving their parent’s house for the first time, have never been challenged academically or have never had to work hard both in the classroom or workplace. I was no different. In order to be excellent, you have to set yourself apart from the rest. Fiji is one of the biggest reasons I was able to achieve excellence at Iowa State and in the engineering world. The demands and lessons of the fraternity taught me how to balance my responsibilities to perform in the classroom, to be active in the organization and community and to my other brothers. Persistence is not just a quote on paper, it is the culmination of your achievements in the face of new challenges that make you question your abilities and push them to the limits. Not many people in this world are gifted with the mentality and grit to accomplish the things that you and I have accomplished. This is the greatest skill at your disposal. Use that lesson to push your limits well beyond that challenges of college. Push your limits in your new job, while learning a new skill, when moving across the country or world and in your relationships. Remember this lesson and be confident to take risks. Cabinet Information President Treasurer Recording Secretary Austin Sehnert (2020) (303) 902-1564 asehnert@iastate.edu Daniel Montemurro (2020) (630) 418-3559 dmonte98@iastate.edu Ty Williams (2020) (763) 607-4321 tkw@iastate.edu Corresponding Secretary Historian Jake Steinberger (2020) (847) 400-6811 jsteinb@iastate.edu Joel Champion (2020) (319) 404-9820 champion@iastate.edu \r\nAlpha Iota Chapter of PHI GAMMA DELTA IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY 1201 Red Mile Rd P.O. Box 4599 Lexington, KY 40544-4599 Nonprofit Org U.S. Postage Paid Lexington, KY Permit # 540 Alpha Iota Brainstorm Phi Gamma Delta at Iowa State University