tbs Sooner Fiji Published by Nu On^ega Cfjapter of tf)e Fraternity of Pfji Gamma Pelta at ttje University of OHlaf)oma NORMAN,OKLAHOMA SPRING 1999 NU OMEGA PLEDGES 55 GREAT MEN Fall 1998 was a great semester for the Nil Omega Chapter of Phi Gamma made for a great semester. With that many people returning Delta. for work week, we were able to not The school year began with over 60 members returning early from sum only clean but make some much needed improvements as well. With the help of some generous donations, the formal living room was completely refurnished, greatly adding to the look mer vacation for work week. That was followed with perhaps the best rush that Nu Omega has seen in the last five years. The excitement from the membership that stemmed from rush, coupled with our great pledge class. of the house. With the cleaning efforts of a ma jority of the members, the house was in top shape for rush. Thanks to the great work week and the relentless effort of the rush team, we were able to sign a fantastic pledge class. Under the leadership of Rush Chairman Doug DeJamette,Nu Omega signed 55 men for our 1998 pledge class. With a great group of guys from all over the state, as well as Dallas, TX, we are expecting the pledges to make a tremendous impact in the house for years to come. Helping them make this transition into fraternity life have been Jim Troiano and the rest ofthe pledge edu cation team. Helping the pledges learn about the fraternity, become active on (Continued on page 2) House Improvements The Phi Gam graduates and Par ents Club have gone above and be yond all of our expectations. New furniture, which was needed for the formal living room, was made pos ) sible with the assistance of Dr. Don Haskins and Sonny Boyles. In addi tion to providing us with a more com fortable place to live, it also benefited us tremendously during rush. The The lovely new furniture in the formal living room Graduate Opens Mountain Retreat John W.Griffin '85 is president and CEO of Griffin Holdings, a food manufacturing and broadcasting com pany. He and his wife, Polly (Arizona State HBO), have two children. Fleet, more. A vear-round retreat can also house looks great, and we are taking great pains to keep it that way. Support has been coming from everywhere. We would like to recog nize several graduate groups, particu be usedfor corporate outings andjet- larly the ones in Tulsa and Edmond/ aways. For reservations, call (505) Oklahoma City, that have gone out of their way to provide us with much 588-7950." Brother Griffin is active in the needed aid. We can't thank them He tells brothers, "My wife, Polly, Salvation Army, Ducks Unlimited, Rotary and Oklahoma Medical Re and I have started a mountain inn at search. He enjoys hunting,fishing and enough for their generous donations and help. In addition, the Parents Club has 5, and Greer, 3. Clama, NM, located two hours north golf. Nu Omega brothers can get in been very active this school year. of Santa Fe. You can enjoy hunting, fishing, horseback riding and much touch with him at 1 101 N. 81 st St. W., Muskogee, OK 74401. Thanks to President Linda Bacher (Continued on page 2) \r\nPage 2 Spring 1999 THE SOONER FIH The Sooner Fiji is published by the brothers ofthe Fraternity ofPhi Gamma Delta at the University of Oklahoma for members and friends. Graduate news items, photo graphs and change of address no tices should be sent to Nu Omega of Phi Gamma Delta, do Newslet ter Program Headquarters, P.O. Box 410708, Kansas City, MO 64141-0708. ^ NU GAMMA PLEDGES 55 MEN (Continuedfrom page 1) campus and keep their grades up, this group of guys has committed tremen dous time and effort into the future of our chapter. In October, we held officer elections, choosing the men to represent the house for the next year. The great Fiji rug, given to us by the Parents Club With a group consisting oftwo juniors A Pledge's Point of View and three sophomores, we are excited to have the responsibility of leading the chapter into the new millenium. made great progress in our quest for membership. Now, with 48 pledges, we are stronger than ever and are having a The entire membership of Nu Omega has excelled in the past semes The 150th year of Phi Gamma Delta was a very interesting and ex tremely productive one for our pledge ter as well. Grades have continued to class. improve, with the chapter now consis tently in the upper half scholastically. Intramurals have remained an impor From Bid Day to Homecoming Week to finals week, our pledge class tant part of the house. Also, teamed HOUSE IMPROVEMENTS when we combined our efforts with with the Pi Phis, Fiji was able to place second at Homecoming '98. With this and our preparation to compete in Scandals, the membership has re (Continuedfrom page 1) and Secretary Suzanne Pardue, we now have a great new Fiji rug in the multipurpose room. They have also done numerous the women of Pi Beta Phi, we earned a mained involved. Looking to the future, this year's cabinet has identified improving gradu ate relations as a major goal. With the decline of this area in the past, we are projects such as planting flowers, installing bike racks and adding benches to the deck, and, during the holidays, the moms put up a beautiful making plans to make it easier for Fiji tree and decorated the house. graduate brothers to stay involved. Pig Dinner is the easiest and most exciting way to remain active in the fraternity We also have two new excellent smokers, compliments of the par great spring semester. Last fall, we accomplished a great deal. During Homecoming Week, second place overall finish in the com petitions and festivities that took place during the hectic week. The activities in which we participated included a blood drive, a canned food drive and a float-building competition, in which we placed second. In the end, the week was a tremendous success. Also, we completed a successful chapter enhancement. We added an other door to the storage area, and we big-screen TV and possibly a pool also purchased a power washer, which greatly helped with cleanup efforts throughout the fall semester. These table. two additions to our house have hope chance to further improve. With the Through the years, many graduates and parents have given us not only enthusiasm felt throughout the house, contributions but also their time, fully increased the productivity of our chapter. Overall, fall 1998 was a great learning experience, filled with and is a great time to meet some new faces and visit with other graduates. With such a great semester behind us, we are using this semester as a the Nu Omega Chapter of Fiji has no where to go but up. Be sure to attend Pig Dinner this year. Remember, Fiji is not for col lege days alone. President Bryan Erntan ents and graduates. Currently they are working on ideas such as a new which we appreciate more than they know. The support the graduates give al memories that will last a lifetime. As the spring semester approached, we lows the rushees to see what Phi anticipated our journey as a pledge Gamma Delta is all about and what class towards Fiji membership. graduate support really is. Steve wakens \r\nSpring 1999 Page 3 THE SOONER FIJI Nu Omega Graduate News and Views Heath A. Rutz '92 works for The Rock Island Group. His e-mail address is heathr@rigroiip.com and brothers S. Atlanta PI., Tulsa, OK 74105. the current president ofthe Oklahoma State Historical Society. He also served as president ofNu Omega." Trent Gastineau '94 is a buyer and rence Ave., Tulsa, OK 74105. clude golf, skiing, fishing and hunt ing. Lindsay currently resides at 4735 Brother Rea lives at 3214 S. Flo can contact him at 13505 Green Cedar Ln.. Oklahoma City, OK 73 13 i . merchandiser in wholesaler relations James A. Hyde '68 is president ofthe Bone and Joint Hospital. Write to him at 1 1 1 1 N. Devvey Ave.. Oklahoma City, OK 73103. Lindsay Perkins '63 is president of Lindsay Perkins Development, a real estate development company. He and his wife have five children, Teresa, David, Brandon, Mariow and Mark (Nil Omega Fiji). "Perk" shares this news with broth ers, "My youngest son, Mark, recently was initiated—my first son to he a Fiji. / attended the initiation, and it was a great experience. Mark is doing exceptionally well in school." Lindsay is a past president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa and serves on the board of trust ees of tiie Gateway Foundation. He is a member of the Tulsa Task Force on Infill Development. His hobbies in with Horizon Pharmacies, Inc. His wife, Melissa(AAA), is a teacher. This former Nu Omega president tells us, "I live in Dallas, where a number of Nu Omega Fijis live. We get together once a week and play Softball with a team composed ofPhi Gams. It's amazing the camaraderie andfriend.ships that still exist and con tinue to grow after college days. Phi Gamma Delta was a great influence in mv life and continues to be a part ofit every day." Brother Gastineau enjoys Softball, golfand basketball. His e-mail address is tgastineau@hotmail.com, and you can drop him a line at 12109 Rushing Creek Dr., Frisco, TX 75035. William J. Rea Jr. '52 writes, "Brother Lee Stidham. who graduated in 1951. is CEO and owner ofPeoples National Bank ofChecotah. OK. He is Gregg Overstake '82 is operations manager for 1st Global Inc., a finan cial services company. His wife. Tammy, is a bank branch manager. They have two children. Tanner, 9, and Carvey, 6. They currently make their home at 2208 Shady Grove Dr., Bedford, TX 76021. Kenneth L. Greer '89 owns Marylou's, a restaurant. His wife, Traci(FOB), is a senior claims exam iner for the US Government. Kenny enjoys fishing, boating and traveling. Catch up with him at 2603 Galahad Ct., Muskogee, OK 74403. Andrew J. Hendriek '96 is project manager for Argent Consulting, an in dustrial engineering consulting firm. Reestablish the bonds of Fiji with Andy at 1004 S.W. 96th St., Okla homa City, OK 73139. Graduate Assistance Ensures Best Rush Results While much can be said about the recent advancements made in nearly every facet of fraternity and campus life for Nu Omega Chapter, there is a particular facet about which enough can never be said. The chapter's rush chairmen have been doing an excellent job locating and pledging the best young men at the University of Oklahoma, but there is always room for improvement. The Fiji Rushee Recommendation .Age: Name: Home Address: School Address: Phone: Home: _ School: Classification: _ Major: best improvement any of the brothers Comments: can come up with is more interaction by graduates in the rush process— namely, recommendations. If you know of young men who are Your Name and Address: or will be attending Oklahoma—and whom you would be proud to call brothers—please take a moment to get the information to us. With your input, we will be ensured of top rush results for years to come. Mail to Phi Gamma Delta, 1200 S. College, Norman,OK 73072. Please do not send to Newsletter Program Headquarters. Thanks! \r\nPage 4 Spring 1999 THE SOONER FIJI More Graduate News James G.Devinney'86 wrote to us in July '98, "I am an attorney with Boettcher, Ryan & Martin. My wife, Suzanne, and I have two children, Laura, 4, and James, 2 months." Suzanne, also an Oklahoma gradu ate, is self-employed. Get in touch with Jim at 2719 Homestead, Ponca City, OK 74604. to participate in shows and skits as I did while in school." Jim enjoys golf, fishing and music. Of his fraternity experience, he adds, "I have maintainedfriendships since graduation and enjoyed a reunion in Graduate Address Updates W.E. Rowsey III '73 6 Meadow Brook PI. The Woodlands, TX 77382 Adam R. Dean '96 1997." Nu Omega Chapter brothers can contact Jim at 1020 15th St. #38L, Denver, CO 80202. James L. Cunningham '58 works for 4012 Swiss Ave. #101-B Dallas, TX 75204 Patrick M. Jones '92 Sherman & Howard, LLC. He has two James M. Wheeler '92 is vice presi children, Amy and Christopher. Jim is past president of the Univer sity Club of Denver and the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He is dent of ISL United States, a sports marketing firm. His wife, Trudy (KA0), is a paralegal. currently chairman of the Anglo You can send him a letter at 93 Jim enjoys auto racing and golf. American Real Property Institute. Jim Glenbrook Rd. #203, Stamford, CT tells us, "I continue to play music and 06902. 661 W. Sheridan #810 Chicago, IL 60613 pjones2@shrike.depaul.edu Sean A. Blair '88 1317 E. Sheena Dr. Phoenix, AZ 85022 blairs@goodnet.com Nu Omega Chapter Officers President Bryan Erman Treasurer Todd Oney Recording Secretary Joel Edge Corresponding Secretary .... Mark Perkins Historian Ryan Dick Executive Assistant Lawton Political Science Valliant English Oklahoma City Business Law Tulsa Letters Enid MlS/Marketing Blake Whitcomb Woodward Letters William H. Almen 1502 S. Boulder Ave.#16H Tulsa, OK 741 19 Gilbert G. Wright '84 P.O. Box 3200 Moscow, ID 83843 Jerry G. Shelton '75 400 Castle Roek Rd. Graduates Remain Our Best Resource Do you remember saying, "You'll see me around," or "I'll be back," as you carried your last box of college treasures from your room at the Nu Omega house? Once out in the world, you found a You enjoyed your undergraduate ex perience; there's no reason why you can't enjoy your graduate experience too. Sustained graduate support pro vides a strong foundation for proper undergraduate development. Your job, maybe a wife and family. Some how good old Phi Gamma Delta got continued involvement in Fiji can take pushed down a few notches on the the form of becoming a chapter advi priority list. sor, serving as a member of the Nu Lately, though, you've been think ing about how you'd like to get in volved again. But all your brothers have graduated, the active chapter has changed, and there's really no one you feel comfortable contacting anymore to find out what's happening around the chapter. Omega House Corporation, or some thing as simple as attending our an nual Homecoming or Pig Dinner celebrations. You are a valuable resource to the chapter, and we want to hear how we can get you involved again. Just give us a call at (405) 573-5125, or write Yukon, OK 73099 Drop Us a Line! Because The Sooner Fiji is a gradu ate-oriented newsletter, future issues will continue to feature news of Nu Omega graduates. But we need your help to do it! Take an extra minute now to fill in your former elassmates on your life since leaving the University of Okla homa. The interest is two-way:just as you are interested in their busy lives, they are interested in yours. You can make sure you're included by sending your personal news to our Newsletter Program Headquarters ad dress listed on page 2. Let us hear from you, so we can Wait a minute! Phi Gamma Delta is to Attn.: Graduate Chairman, Phi your fraternity, and its unique aspect Gamma Delta, 1200 S. College, include you in a future issue of The Norman, OK 73072. Sooner Fiji. is that it provides membership for life.