ace of diamonds phi gamma delta EI Phi Gam’s Dive Into Politics Important Dates: Michael Bolton’s 60th birthday February 26th Middle Name Pride Day March 10th 131st anniversary of the assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford April 3 rd Epsilon Iota Open April 27th winter 2013 While some may view the US election season as a time to purge argumentative Facebook friends and fast-forward through all the campaign ads on during Jeopardy, others see it as the peak period of their working lives. Epsilon Iota FIJI’s are increasingly finding themselves in the latter group. Having spent their undergrad careers recruiting new members, running for Cabinet office, and navigating the murky politics of the chapter, government seems like a natural receptacle for their Fraternityhoned skills. Whether organizing, campaigning, or teaching, EI FIJI’s have dove into politics as a natural outgrowth of their Fraternity experience. Peter Hanscom (EI 2010) and Ben Deutsch (EI 2011) both spent the election season working for the Indiana Democratic party. Deutsch spent his time in the 8th District, working to get Dave Crooks elected to the US Congress. Along with 2 other coworkers and their supervisor, Deutsch was responsible for identifying persuadable voters, and then coordinating volunteers throughout the entire district to reach them, including several Epsilon Iota undergrads. This Herculean task was aided by a tracking progam, administered by Hanscom at the statewide level out of his office in Indianapolis. As a Deputy Campaign Manager for both the Joe Donnelly Senate campaign and the Judd Gregg gubernatorial campaign, Hanscom found himself criss-crossing Indiana many times over. His long list of responsibilities included analyzing how voters come into contact with campaign material, supervising and training staffers like Deutsch and more than thirty others in best practices, and taking part in strategic meetings. While Deutsch and Hanscom were drumming up support for their chosen candidates, Wes Bishop was knocking on doors for himself. Running as a Libertarian for the 96th state representative district in Indianapolis, he hoped to bring his beliefs of limited government, in all arenas, to the Indiana Statehouse. As a first-time candidate with limited resources in a Drew Landry, stressing that the blue of the map is the water. predominantly Democratic district, Bishop spent time at community events, ranging from the state fair to Tea Party events. Bishop also worked closely with Rupert Boneham, the Libertarian candidate for governor, helping his campaign organize its activities. Drew Landry (EI 2006), the world’s biggest West Wing fan, brought his passion for politics and government into academia. An instructor at South Plains College in Texas, Landry took advantage of the election as a teaching aid. He regularly used the day-to-day functions of both local and national races to elucidate terms and processes that would have seemed more abstract in an election off year. Landry could easily demonstrate the importance of a soundbite in a political campaign every time a presidential candidate was unwittingly recorded at a Florida fundraiser. \r\npage 3 page 2 EI Phi Gam’s Dive Into Politics, continued Have You Heard The Good News? Despite their hard work, Deutsch and Bishop were unable to get their candidates, or themselves, elected. Hanscom had more success, as Joe Donnelly is now the junior Senator from Indiana. He couldn’t be too disappointed in losing the governor’s race to Mike Pence (Hanover 1981). At least he’s also a FIJI. When asked what they’ve taken from the election, each brother had a different reply. Deutsch is no longer with the state Democratic party, but after months of arguing for his side, he feels he’s gained a lot of insight into himself, people that feel differently than he does, and the political process in general. Bishop, undeterred by his loss and buoyed by his strong standing among non- Democrats, feels that much more ready for the next election. Landry found himself surprised by the way many races upended accepted wisdom, and has since converted to the cult of Nate Silver. Hanscom, now political director for the state party, learned that a political candidate shouldn’t talk about rape in an insensitive way. All anxiously await our country’s and our state’s next round of elections, even while most of the rest of us are just glad to see 85% less waving corn fields in our television commercials. 2012 Pig Dinner a Somber, Joyful Affair In 2011, graduates and undergraduate made the joint decision to move Pig Dinner to the fall. While this change fit in much better with the undergrads’ yearly schedule, it had the unfortunate one-time side effect of no Pig Dinner being scheduled for 18 months. The two Epsilon Iota Open’s held in the interim helped to ease the pain, but there is no substitute for badge attire and roasted, squiggly-tailed animals. As the Doxology lyrics slowly faded into memory and grads forgot each other’s names, the undergrads have not missed a beat. Despite the long hiatus, Epsilon Iota still knows how to throw an intimate and meaningful Pig Dinner. From Chicago to Atlanta, brothers from all over the country reunited at the Cambridge Country Club. Additionally, we were deeply honored to welcome the wife, brother, and mother of the recently deceased Geoff Keller (EI 2008) at Pig Dinner. Master of Ceremonies Peter Hanscom (EI 2010) got the evening started with a few jokes, and after a rousing Exile’s Toast, we sat down to an excellent dinner. To the congregation’s collective dismay, no desserts were smashed. Once all the dishes had been cleared, the keynote speaker, IHQ’s Educational Director Bill Bracewell (Georgia 1968), brought the house down with his speech. Brother Bracewell had been in town since Friday afternoon, and had spent a portion of that time learning interesting things about some of the brothers. He then incorporated what he learned into his speech, earning a raucous response from all in attendance. After everyone calmed down, Brother Bracewell made a seamless transition into a deeply meaningful speech about the value of his Fraternity brothers and their friendship. The Ace of Diamonds gives Brother Bracewell its full endorsement as a Pig Dinner keynote speaker, and looks forward to a repeat performance. The evening concluded with a tribute to Brother Keller. First, for his joyful countenance and for reminding them that their time together is precious, the undergrads named Geoff the Graduate Brother of the Year and presented his wife with the award. Then, a new award to be called the Geoffrey Warren Keller Sweetest Influence Award was presented. In perpetuity, this award will be voted on by the undergrads and will be given to the brother whose presence most improved the lives of his fellows. After a speech and a slideshow of moments from Geoff ’s life, the award was presented to Jordan Stoltz (EI 2013) by Geoff ’s wife, Ashli. Brother Stoltz tearfully accepted. Framed certificates of the award and its description were also presented to Geoff ’s family in attendance. After many tears and hugs, undergrads and grads both adjourned to Ginny’s Place, a questionable decision that was soon discarded. The much better location of Bar Louie was decided upon, where we enjoyed a beautiful fall night and annoyed the staff with our loitering long after closing time. Chris Cook (EI 2002) proposed to his girlfriend, Kathy, in September. They’ll be married next summer. Jon Sturgeon (EI 2012) and his wife Jessica were married in late September. David Kirkwood (EI 2012) was recently hired as a New Model Engineer at Greenville Technology in Greenville, OH. Joe Setnor (EI 2007) has accepted a new job at Theoris Engineering/Theoris Scientific. Ryan Cramer (EI 2012) and his fiancé Hilary were engaged to be married in October. Eric Roberson (EI 2005) and his wife Sara are expecting their first child, a son, in February. Phil Love’s (EI 2005) wife Stephanie gave birth to their son Cooper in November. Matt Korn (EI 2005) and his wife Kim welcomed their second child and first daughter, Adalyn, in August. Andrew Bradley (EI 2006) was married to his wife Amanda in October. Scott Gurgol (EI 2003) and his wife Lisa were married in November. Sean Riley (EI 2005) and his wife Mindy welcomed their second son Kellen in January. What’s Distracting FIJI’s? Jon Sturgeon and his new wife, Jessica. This issue, the Ace of Diamonds caught up with Ray Baker (EI 2008). He’s got a lot on his plate. Special thanks go to Grant Hales (EI 2015) who organized this year’s excellent Pig Dinner celebration. Many in attendance named it one of the best in recent memory. We all look forward to next year. I've recently taken up hunting at the Michael Hughes (EI 2008) Hunting Lodge in Boonville. I'm less interested in deer hunting than I am in critter-level animals. A few more trips and I'll hopefully have bagged enough squirrels to sew my wife a fur coat. She's always wanted one. Planning for the annual Pi pledge class reunion has fallen to me this year, after 2012's very successful excursion to the Wonder Spot in the Wisconsin Dells, and I've been busy making arrangements for it at the Burning Man Festival. Dave Knox (EI 2008) told me he's been looking for a place to show off his fishnet shirt, and Burning Man would be extremely appropriate. I've also got a new job as the Chicago liaison of the World Roofball Association. The WRBA, pronounced WoRBA, has identified Chicago as a fruitful new market, what with all the roofs. It's Ray and his wife Becky, dressed a lot of hard work, but if I can help teach just one kid how to needlessly put his parents' satellite up to see their favorite dish at risk, it'll all have been worth it. Twilight movie. 2013 Epsilon Iota Open Fever! Catch it! Bill Bracewell, crushing it. Registrations are now being accepted for the upcoming Epsilon Iota Open. On April 27 th, FIJI’s, friends of FIJI’s, the press, and fans of the game will assemble once more at Clearcrest Pines for the right to call themselves the best. Current champions Steve Sanders (EI 1999), Sean Riley (EI 2005), and friends of the chapter Nick Burch and Don Stucki anxiously anticipate a repeat of their 2012 glory days. Meanwhile, Kevin Brown (EI 2012), Brandon Watkins (EI 2012), Ben Broadhead (EI 2015), and Josh Stauber (EI 2015), the best-performing all-FIJI team and holders of the EI Open cup, hope to hang on to the trophy for another year. Lots of interesting threads to follow for what should be an epic contest. To take part in it, contact Jon Kissel at jonkissel1848@gmail.com or at (812) 550-4476. Entry fees are $50, a significant chunk of which goes to support the Epsilon Iota chapter. We hope to see you there, unless you think you’re not good enough. \r\nA Letter From The President Brothers, My name is Austin Lauer, and I am honored to tell you that I have been elected as the next president for Epsilon Iota. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to all of you. I am a junior theatre performance major with an associated study in marketing and communications. During my tenure as president, I aim to significantly improve three aspects of the chapter: scheduling, apathy, and recruitment. Furthermore, I hope to establish a concrete framework to expand upon in these areas by the end of my presidency. Before addressing the future, I should inform you of our recent accomplishments. In the fall, we had a total of eight men sign bids with Fiji, thus becoming the Theta Deuteron pledge class. All eight Austin Lauer, grateful for that rope barrier. members of the fall pledge class have successfully completed their pledge education and will be initiated at IHQ in January (pending grades). More recently, we have had two men sign bids with us to become the first Iota Deuterons of the spring pledge class. We plan to recruit more heavily in the spring and add to the initial two pledges. To that end, we have set a goal to sign a spring pledge class of at least six members. The chapter has also held a successful parents’ dinner this semester, as well as a deeply meaningful Pig Dinner. We finished second overall in homecoming. In the individual events, we made the tastiest chili in the chili cook-off, and finished in second place in the dance crew, game show, and homecoming booth events. Additionally, several brothers have received job offers, scholarships, and internships, and we finished the semester with another unforgettable gift exchange. With the fall semester in the books, it is now time to focus on the future. The new cabinet and I analyzed the chapter’s scheduling this past semester and discovered that the chapter did not spend enough time on important areas, specifically on brotherhood development. As a result, some brothers have become less connected to the chapter and have developed more apathetic behavior. In order to combat this, we will be establishing a point system where brothers will have to acquire a to-be-determined number of points through chapter involvement to either live in the house or attend formal. With regard to recruitment, we will be marketing our chapter in new ways and we will be reviving the summer recruitment workshop so that every brother is completely prepared to bring the best young men possible into our chapter. The chapter agrees with our assessment and is extremelyenthusiastic about these changes. We are willing to work hard to make our goals successful. I am incredibly honored to take on the responsibility of president and I am very passionate about leading the chapter. Feel free to contact me personally with any questions. I will relentlessly strive toward the excellence that all Phi Gam’s aspire to and I firmly believe that this next year holds great things for the Epsilon Iota chapter of Phi Gamma Delta. Fraternally, Austin Lauer (EI 2014) (502) 777-7062 Perge! Jon Kissel, Ace of Diamonds editor jonkissel1848@gmail.com Austin Lauer, Chapter President austinclauer@gmail.com Phi Gamma Delta 227 S. Lincoln Park Drive Evansville, IN 47714 Hot-Tub-O-Thon information phigamhtot@gmai.com Visit Epsilon Iota on the web at www.eifiji.org deepC is the musical alias of brother Geoff Keller. His music can be found on iTunes, and for exclusive deepC merchandise check out the new deepC shop: http://www.deepc.bigcartel.com/ 90% of proceeds will be donated to the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS)www.mhaus.org