N I T E L L U B ARS BE PTER A H C U M THE PSI A DELTA M M A G OF PHI ISSUE # 1 winter 2017 Letter from the President Dear Brothers, As we move into the new term, I want to express my thanks on behalf of the 2016 executive board. Each of us has put in a substantial amount of work to ensure that the Psi Mu Chapter continues to expand and develop, and to solidify our position as some of the best of Missouri State Greek Life. However, none of this would be possible were it not for the many hardworking brothers in the undergraduate chapter and the graduate brothers who laid the foundation before us. I wish to express my gratitude to each and every one of you. TABLE OF CONTENTS Recruitment.......................2 Bar-B-Que..........................2 Graduate Spotlight........3-4 Fall Philanthropy...............5 Scholarship & Service.......5 2016 has been a rewarding and challenging year. We have continued our strong traditions of philanthropy and service, competitive drive and positive engagement with our campus community; but as always, there is work to be done. The Chapter seeks to expand to new heights through developing graduate relations, renovating the chapter house and creating new opportunities for professional development. As each executive board reflects on their experience and asks, “what could have been?”, we hopefully instill the same spirit and drive into the next class of Phi Gam leaders. 2017 looks to have much in store for our chapter. As many of you may already know, we are coming up on the 10th anniversary of our charter. We are hoping to make this year’s Pig Dinner and golf tournament worthy of such an occasion! I hope to see as many of you as possible this coming spring. Lastly, I would like to encourage all brothers, graduate and undergraduate alike, to stay involved with our chapter. The fraternal experience is reflective of our own contributions to it, and our continued involvement in the lives of Fiji men will safeguard the Chapter’s future success. I thank you all for allowing me the privilege of serving as Chapter President. The last year has brought me a plethora of invaluable life experiences that I will not forget. As always, I am proud to be a Fiji! Sam Miller (2017) P! Picture taken just after elections in November/December. From left to right: Sam Miller (2017) President, Blake Kobel (2018) Treasurer, Michael Harris (2017) Recording Secretary, Thomas Ganaden (2018) Corresponding Secretary, Ryan Poertner (2018) Historian. \r\nREcruitment This fall, we pinned 37 new men after the recruitment period. Of the 37 pledge brothers that were pinned, 28 of them will be initiated at the beginning of the Spring 2017 semester. The Chapter used a variety of events to have success this recruitment, including a field day with the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, a stellar F.L.O.W. (Fraternity Life Orientation Weekend) presentation and relied on strong member involvement. Not only that, but we retained classic Psi Mu events such as noodle hockey and the ever useful open house BBQ. The field day with Sigma Phi Epsilon is our 2nd annual recruitment evert with them. We decided that having a coordinated event with another chapter would drive higher numbers of potential new members to the event, because it showcases two of our school’s top fraternities. During the fraternity life opening weekend, each chapter is allowed to give a presentation to the PNM’s. After this presentation, we received positive feedback from both university administration and other chapters on our professionalism and how Fiji stressed the importance of Greek unity. We made it clear that Phi Gamma Delta wanted men to rush the chapter that fit them best. I believe this was an important step to make sure that we only offered bids to new members that would help the Fraternity, while growing as gentlemen in their own right. As always, brothers focused on recruiting new brothers that meshed well with the rest of the Chapter, and demonstrated strong character that corresponded with our Fraternity values. Finally, I want to stress how important chapter involvement was in the success of this fall’s recruitment. We had heavy participation from the whole chapter that allowed the recruitment committee to successfully plan and orchestrate each event. Tommy Garnier (2017) BAR-B-Que The men of Phi Gamma Delta and the women of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority partnered to host a BBQ to honor service members and first responders in the Springfield, MO community. We personally invited local veterans, Springfield PD, Springfield Fire & Rescue, Missouri State administration, city leaders and a general invitation to the Springfield community. The BBQ was free for all service members and their families. At the BBQ, we collected donations to be given to a charity chosen by the service men and women in attendance. As customers entered, they voted on a charity of their choice that the proceeds could go to. At the end of the day, FIJI and Tri-Sigma donated over $700 to Newborns In Need. It was an honor to work alongside other members of our Greek community, and to interact with those who put their lives on the line in service to Springfield, and the United States. Seth Durham (2018) \r\nGraduate SPotlight Letter from Shayne Martin (2008) As many of you upper-classmen, who have dedicated a good portion of your life to the Fraternity, now realize, the time you spend as an undergraduate is incredibly rewarding. It is encouraging to see Phi Gamma Delta at Missouri State be a leader on campus and in the greater Springfield community. It is just as rewarding to know I had a part in starting such a wonderful tradition. For those of you who do not know me, I’m Shayne Martin, a Psi Mu brother from Alpha class that lives in Washington, D.C. Shortly after graduating from Missouri State in 2008, I chose to earn my commission while attending graduate school in Washington, D.C. After a few years in the nation’s capital, I entered Active Duty for the United States Army as an Armor Officer. I also met my wife, Sarah Martin and shortly after getting married, we moved to Germany, where I served in the 2nd Cavalry Regiment. After my time in the Army ended, I returned to Washington and continued my service as a Congressional staffer and Communication Director for U.S. Congressman Tom Latham of Iowa. After he retired, I served in the same capacity for U.S. Congressman John Ratcliffe of Texas. This year, I’ve had several positive changes. I recently have moved off “the hill” and now work in Legislative and Public Affairs at the U.S. Treasury Bureau of the Fiscal Service in a non-political role, and my wife and I had our first child, a girl named Amelie. At the Bureau, I act as a spokesperson, help business lines plan for communicating in a crisis, media train execuInterview with John Bollinger (2011) Q: What have you been up to, career-wise, since you graduated from Missouri State? A: Currently, I’m living in the LA of the Midwest (Bismarck, North Dakota) overseeing three summer collegiate baseball teams in the Northwoods League. And as you can imagine, it’s been a crazy journey, but has been extremely fun along with way. Before I graduated from MSU with my degree in Entertainment Management, I worked for the Springfield Cardinals in a ticket sales internship through the school. I loved the idea of working in sports, having a career that I knew impacted people in a positive way and thought ultimately was going to be fun. After my experiences there and in the fraternity, a professor advised me tives, run our social media accounts and work on select legislative programs. Our Bureau’s mission is to promote the financial integrity and operational efficiency of the federal government through exception accounting, financing, collections, payments and shared services, and I’m honored to work for the American taxpayer. I’m also an active member of the Executive Committee of National Capital Fiji, the Graduate Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta in Washington D.C. I typically am the first point of contact for recently graduated brothers who want to work in Congress or in politics and move to Washington. It is an honor to help brothers start their careers in public service. If you find yourself in Washington, don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re interested in service or working in politics. It is fulfilling helping brothers from other chapters start their careers, but it is a privilege to help brothers from Psi Mu. A final thought – it may seem like an overused recommendation, but to be successful in life, persistence is the most important skill and will never steer you wrong. Fraternally, Shayne L. Martin (2008) Perge! if I was serious about working in sports to apply for the MBA & Masters in Sports Administration program at Ohio University. In part due to luck, but mostly because of the strong experiences I had with the Fraternity and at MSU, I got a spot in the 2-year program and moved to Athens, OH to begin the program. The cool thing about OU’s program is the alumni network. When you get there, they hand you this book everyone refers to as the “The Green Bible.” This book has anyone you can think of at any level in sports and they are all alums of the school. In my time at Ohio, I got to meet some amazing people and was also lucky enough to be assigned an alumni mentor by the name of Dick Radatz. Dick owns the Northwoods League and upon graduating offered me a job to start a brand new team in Kalamazoo, MI. I never thought my career would end up in summer collegiate baseball, but after a few other job offers working continued on next page... \r\nGraduate SPotlight Continued... for NASCAR, I thought the chance to start a new baseball team was just too cool to pass up. Fortunately, we had a lot of success with that team, and eventually became the 5th ranked team in the country for attendance. From there, my business partner and I began operating two other teams, one in Battle Creek, MI and the other in Bismarck, ND – which is starting in the summer of 2017. Q: From the focus on your career and moving from one place to another, how have you maintained those relationships with your brothers? A: Just like with your undergraduate experience, you get out of the fraternity what you put into it. It’s almost impossible to keep in touch with everyone as much as we used to, especially living so far away now from a lot of them, but I’ve really tried to make it a focus to try and attend at least one fraternity function (Homecoming, Pig Dinner, the golf tournament, a brother’s wedding, etc.) each year. I also realized, if I can’t see them all the time then I might as well try to convince some of them to come work with me on starting these teams. This year, I convinced my first victim, Robert Williamson (2010), to follow me up to sunny Bismarck and am hoping he’s not the last! A: College is an interesting time, because they give you four years to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life. I suppose I have three bits of advice for an undergrad: 1. This sounds so cliché, but don’t get a degree or job just because everyone else is and you hope it pays the bills someday — really dig deep and figure out what you love doing. Take your college years to find out what you’re passionate about and pursue that. For example, I found that I enjoy working with people, ideas and making people happy. I learned this from my experiences putting on philanthropy events and things of that nature while I was a Fiji undergrad. Coordinating brother’s talents towards a vision we knew was going to impact people was just so much fun, and I found that I not only was good at it but really enjoyed it. I then turned that experience into my career. 2. Don’t wait to get experience. Take advantage of the Fraternity to get real world opportunities in working with other people, putting on events, and building your resume. You will be ahead of others in your field simply from your efforts in the Chapter. 3. Have fun. Obviously, your academics and experiences are the reason you are in college, but you can’t burn yourself out. Find a balance, and enjoy the time with your brothers, making those memories that you won’t forget. Q: What advice would you have for an undergraduate brother, perhaps a freshman or sophomore? Important DAtes • • • • Spring Philanthropy: Wednesday, February 22 Missouri State Greek Week: March 26-April 1 4th Annual Fiji Fish Fry: Friday, April 21 Golf Tournament & Pig Dinner*: Saturday, April 22 *The 2017 Pig Dinner marks the 10th anniversary of Psi Mu’s charter at Missouri State University. We would love to see all possible graduates in attendance. Keep an eye out for your invitation in the mail! \r\nFall Philanthropy This year for our fall philanthropy, Phi Gam brothers partnered with Alpha Chi Omega Sorority along with the Make-a-Wish Foundation to help send a little girl named Allie on a Disney cruise. Allie is a 5-year-old that was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer called Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis. Allie was admitted to University of Kansas Hospital with suspected diagnoses of Cancer. Initial biopsies told her parents it was either Lymphoma or Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH). In her final biopsy, the report confirmed Multisystem LCH, a very rare form of cancer, which affects only 2-3 children for every one million. She was forced to undergo chemotherapy treatment for an entire year. She had her ups and downs, but the most recent MRI has shown the tumors are stable and not progressing. Our brothers, along with the ladies of Alpha Chi Omega, held their 3rd annual Make-a-Wish BBQ in hopes to raise $8,000. The BBQ was held on September 19, 2016, following recruitment to allow the whole community to participate and enjoy being together. There was an incredible turn out from students, faculty, athletics and other organizations that enjoyed the delicious food that our brothers grilled up, while playing lawn games and listening to music. Though the real excitement began when Allie arrived with her family. Her car arrived to see a sea of students who were there to support her, and when she stepped out of her car she was catered like a celebrity. Allie was not shy in the slightest; the young girl instantly took to being treated like the princess that she deserved. Allie showed off her summersault skills and proved that she could run just as fast as her brothers. It warmed everyone’s hearts that we were able to participate in this event again, because so often it is so easy for us to forget how lucky we really are. Matt Potzman (2018) Scholarship & Service In fall 2016, the Psi Mu Chapter had a remarkable scholastic performance. We earned a chapter GPA of 3.12, placing us 3rd out of 19 IFC fraternities. Additionally, Psi Mu had 10 brothers earn a 4.0 GPA, the 2nd most of any fraternity. These statistics put us .04 above the all campus GPA, .13 above the IFC average, and .22 above the all men’s statistic. In regards to service, our Fiji brothers completed 942 hours, for an average of 9.42 hours per brother. We are proud of the outgoing brothers in our chapter and continue to aspire to new heights in the semesters to come! \r\nPhi Gamma Delta Fraternity Psi Mu at Missouri State University 1201 Red Mile Road Lexington, KY 40544 Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Lexington, KY Permit # 540 Designed and printed by the International Headquarters of Phi Gamma Delta