A Publication of the Rho Phi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta, Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology: Winter 2016 Edition Rho Phi Athletics Football wins HCAC Championship and Earns Playoff Birth Submitted By: Coleson Carmell Upcoming Dates:  Pig Dinner May 13th  Baseball Outing May 20th In this issue: Athletics 1 Athletics 2 2016 Fall Pledge Class 3 2016 Fall Pledge Class List 4 Pledge Retreat 5 Union Renovations 6 Philanthropy 7 Scholarship 8 Updates 9 Phi Gamma Delta The Rose-Hulman football team earned its first ever post-season appearance, and a share of the HCAC title in their 2016 Campaign. Led by Rho Phi brothers and Senior Captains Austin Swenson, Kevin Nowak, and Shawn McCown the Fightin’ Engineers finished 8-3, including a historic win over Franklin College (23-22). Brother Alec Fisher ends his notable career with 2,555 The football team celebrates the HCAC Conference title after defeating rival Earlham 74-6. yards and 35 touchdowns, both of which are school records. Quarterback Austin Swenson also finishes his career with 81 TD’s and 8293 yards with a completion percentage of 63.8%. In addition four Rho Phi Brothers, Shawn McCown (OL), Parker Young (OL), Alec Thompson (DB), and Kevin Nowak (DB), were named All-North Region. Alec Thompson was also named All-District academic. The Fightin’ Engineers took on 5th in the nation, North Central (IL) in the first round of the NCAA D3 playoffs. This strong senior class of Rho Phi brothers has set the standard for Rose-Hulman’s football program, and gives motivation to the younger brothers to advance further in the playoffs in the coming years. Brother Alec Fisher stiff arms a North Central defender in the first round of the NCAA DIII playoffs 1 \r\nAthletics Rho Phi Athletes Earn All Academic HCAC Honors Rose-Hulman’s academic excellence was yet again highlighted by honoring 67 academic all conference athletes, the most in the HCAC. The criteria to be awarded academic all conference is the student athlete most carry a cumulative GPA of 3.5 and be in at least their second year at the institution. The following Rho Phi Brothers earned the honor: FOOTBALL  Cam Hart  Drew Hobick  Carter Hounshell  Chris Johannigman  Kenny Kowalski  Parker Lappin  Zach Murphy  Jon Poore  Nick Prather  Griffin Steffy  Alec Thompson  Brandon Volmerding  Jacob Whitacre CROSS COUNTRY  Walt Dearing  Sean Sullivan Submitted By: Coleson Carmell Phi Gamma Delta Brother Nick McGrail in action against Bluffton. BASKETBALL Rose-Hulman’s Men’s Basketball team started the year off strong with a 3-1 conference record going into the winter break. Members of the Rho Phi Chapter include Senior Collin Wojcik (33), Juniors JT Whitaker (45) and Michael Landwehr (5), Sophomores Nick McGrail (30) and Luke Callahan (40), and Freshmen John Czarnecki (50) and Eli Combs (54).        Collin (11.8 ppg) Nick (6.5 ppg) Luke (20 ppg) JT (4 ppg) John (8.6 ppg) Eli (4.2 ppg) Landwehr (1 ppg) Submitted By: Nick McGrail 2 \r\nThe 2016 Fall Pledge Class Submitted By: Tim Harlan Fall rush for Rho Phi began in early September and ended in late October with the chapter engaging in a variety of events throughout the period to meet and get to know prospective brothers. We kept up our tradition of pledging men who are involved in campus, whether it be athletics, student government, clubs and organizations or intermurals. While we always rush hard, this year we were pleasantly surprised at the number of men who RUSHED US HARD. We had large numbers of men who chose to return to us for First Formals—over 80. So when we had to cut and decide who to invite to Second Formals and ultimately bid, it was a tough decision in many cases. However, we chose to bid in the upper 30s and ended up with a pledge class of 34, losing only a few to other houses. Again, we had the largest class on campus, not because we tried to achieve that, but because the interest in us was so great, and we were left with so many quality individuals seeking a bid. As I told the guys, it was “an embarrassment of riches.” (Not sure they had heard the term before; I told them to Google it!) For the first time in several years, we had a real interest from upperclassmen—some of whom had rushed as freshmen, some of whom waited to rush until they established grades. Because of that, we included several sophomores—and one junior—whom the brothers felt meshed well with the chapter. Included in that group is an international student, Zheng Fu, from China who met two of the brothers on a summer trip to Germany and became interested in fraternity life. The brothers enjoy his input and sense of humor! In addition to Zheng, other sophomores include Jacob Ewing, Carter Hounshell, Kenny Kowalski, Zach Thelen and Sawyer Young. Our junior pledge is Zach Murphy who has lived with FIJI brothers for two years. As the reputation of Rose-Hulman continues to grow, the number of our-of-state and international students likewise grows. This fall, the Rose student body is around 70% out of state. For many of you reading this, this seems shocking. I have spoken to brothers from the 70s and 80s who remember that having brothers from anywhere but Indiana was a rarity—no more! This year, ONLY 7 pledges hail from the Hoosier state. The other 27 come literally from coast to coast—including New York, Pennsylvania, California, Arizona, Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana and—of course China. They represent a variety of majors as well. Included in this group are a few legacies including Matt White whose father, Greg, is a Rho Phi grad and Corey Vincent whose older brother, Josh, is a junior in the chapter. Phi Gamma Delta 3 \r\nThe 2016 Fall Pledge Class Name Hometown Major Activities Alex Anderson Anthony Batista Dante Betti Luke Buehler Eli Combs John Czarnecki Nathaniel Eble Jacob Ewing Zheng Fu Travis Hannan Caden Hellyer Carter Hounshell Justin Klein Kevin Kling Kenneth Kowalski Clayton Mayfield Cole McCreary Eric Morris Nicholas Morton Zachary Murphy Alejandro Perez Zachary Phillips Matthew Robinson Christopher Robison Karl Schumacher Bailey Sheldon Ryan Stachowski Matthew Stevenot Richard Tabarrini Zachary Thelen Corey Vincent Matthew White Garret Wight Sawyer Young Cincinnati, OH Orange County, CA Chicago, IL Carmel, IN Bloomfield, IN Bettendorf, IA Indianapolis, IN Birdsboro, PA Hangzhou, China Columbus, GA Tipp City, OH Cincinnati, OH Island Lake, IL San Clemente, CA Ypsilanti, MI Brentwood, TN Brookville, IN Clifton Park, NY Lafayette, LA Casey, IL Grand Rapids, MI Gilbert, AZ Krum, TX Lafayette, IN Orange County, CA Fort Wayne, IN St. Joseph, MI Hudson, OH Schwenksville, PA Chicago, IL Frankfort, IL Greenwood, IN Williamsfield, IL Hayward, WI ME ME BE CHE EE ME ME ME ME BE CPE CHE ME EE CHE ME CE ME ME CE CE CHE CE SE ME ME ME ME ME CS CHE ME ME ME Football, FCA, Escalate Football, FCA, Escalate Baseball Baseball Basketball Basketball Football Army ROTC IM Basketball, SSC Baseball Football Football Football, FCA Football Football Baseball IM's, Escalate, ASCE Football Football Football Football Football Football, FCA, ASCE Football Football, HPV Baseball, Rose GPE Baseball Cross Country Football Football Football IM's, Ski Club Football, FCA Football, FCA Phi Gamma Delta 4 \r\nContinued from page 3… None of this could have been accomplished without the strong leadership of Rush Chair Logan McDaniel with help from a variety of brothers including special thanks to Michael Landwehr, Trevor Dallio, Nick McGrail, Ben Qualters and Tommy Tintera. And as usual, the WHOLE CHAPTER pitched in when needed. We would also like to give a big THANK YOU to many of you GRAD BROTHERS who took the time to send us recommendations on young men who you thought would make good Rho Phi brothers, and a special shout -out to brother Shane Boschert from Rolls Royce who spoke at our final invitation-only event, the BROTHERHOOD BANQUET. As always, these graduate efforts are a HUGE HELP and the brothers greatly appreciate that effort. We are including a list of the pledge class so you can see the wide variety of men we have chosen to carry on the chapter legacy. It is my pleasure to serve as PL and especially to be a part of the rush process for this excellent bunch of young men. Pledge Retreat Brothers gather in the dining hall as pledges begin to tell stories. Submitted By: Coleson Carmell Saturday December 3rd marked the annual pledge retreat at cabins in Brown County. The all day event started with over 100 brothers and pledges participating in paintball. Protect the President, speedball, and capture the flag were just a few of the games played. Following the paintball battle royale, brothers and pledges organized the traditional pick up football game before dinner. Dinner was generously made by a group of pledges who served BBQ chicken and ribs. Brothers and Pledges attended the dinner in formal attire, as the formal pledging ceremony directly followed dinner. After being pledged, brothers and pledges gather around to tell stories, play cards, and eat snacks. Phi Gamma Delta 5 \r\n$25 MILLION STUDENT UNION EXPANSION Submitted By: Coleson Carmell The beginning of the summer marked Photo courtesy of Rose-Hulman the beginning of construction for the $25 million student union expansion and remodel. This project will add an additional 19,010 square feet onto the existing student union, and will feature a new outdoor patio, main dining room, conference rooms, and expanded student lounges. Additionally, “scum pond” has been drained as part of the expansion. The project was made possible largely due to a $9 million donation from Linda and Mike Mussallem. Mr. Mussallem is a 1978 chemical engineer alumni and served as the keynote speaker at the class of 2015 commencement. This project which began on June 1st, is expected to be completed in September of 2018. Young Cabinet Leads the Way Submitted By: Coleson Carmell The 2016-2017 Rho Phi Cabinet is led by Junior President Jack Butler from Plainfield, IL. Jack has continued the legacy of excellence set forth by the previous generations of Rho Phi Brothers and strives to be an example of what it means to be brother in the fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta. Jack is accompanied on cabinet by Treasurer, John Kirby, Recording Secretary, David Borden, Corresponding Secretary, Coleson Carmell, and Historian Jason “Oldman” Waldenmeyer. David Borden Recording Secretary Class of 2019 Phi Gamma Delta John Kirby Treasurer Class of 2019 John Butler III President Class of 2018 Coleson Carmell Corresponding Secretary Class of 2019 Jason Waldenmeyer Historian Class of 2017 6 \r\nPhilanthropy Submitted By: Jacob Whitacre 2016 marked the seventh running of the annual Fiji Football Run for The Red Cross. The game ball covered the 150 mile distance from Hanover to Rose-Hulman with time to spare, and the Brothers of the Tau and Rho Phi chapters were able to help the community as only Fijis can. The Rho-Phi chapter alone was able to raise nearly $5000 for the Vigo County Chapter of the American Red Cross. The funds will go towards helping local Indiana residents suffering due to fire, flooding, or other disasters to get back on their feet and rebuild. Jacob Whitacre, this year’s chairman, said “it was great to see the overwhelming support from both the Tau and Rho Phi chapters towards this amazing event. The success of this really is because of the generous donations received from not only the surrounding community, but the hundreds of people from across the country. We look forward to continuing this support towards our local Red Cross chapters.” Brothers Zack Glick, Ben Wewe, and Brandon Benedict run the football in the Rho Phi’s annual football run for the American Red Cross. Despite the success of this year’s event, the work is not over. Donations can still be made through PayPal by going to rosefiji.com/fiji-football-run and clicking on the link. However, work will soon begin on making next year’s event bigger and better than ever, as we will be looking to take the Fiji Football Run to the next level. Thank you to all who donated!!! Winter Service Events Submitted By: Coleson Carmell The winter season is a busy time for Rho Phi service events. Brothers participate in Bikes for Tykes, Happiness Bag, and Clothe-a-Child. This marked the 18th year that Rose has been a part of bikes for tykes. This year brothers woke up early on a Saturday morning to help build 412 bikes. The bikes were given to needy children who were delighted with their early Christmas present. Happiness Bag is an annual event where the Rho Phi Chapter hosts the women of Rose-Hulman’s Chi Omega Sorority and mentally handicapped adults for a Christmas dinner. The dinner is proceeded with the singing of Christmas carols and the arrival of Santa to hand out presents to the guests. Many of the guests come yearly and look forward to this tradition. Brothers Will Byers and Josh Vincent provide help during Clothe–a-Child. The final service event brothers participate in before the Christmas break is Clothe -a-child. This is another early morning event where brothers take underprivileged kids through Walmart and get them winter essentials such as coats, hats, and gloves so they are dressed and ready for the cold Indiana winter. Phi Gamma Delta 7 \r\nBrothers Ben Wewe, Nick Keller, and David Burnside help local children pick out winter clothes. Brother Nick Prather watches as a guest eagerly opens her gift from Santa at the Annual Happiness Bag Dinner. Scholarship Brother Derek Hornbeck helps out freshman pledges prepare for fall quarter exams. Submitted By: Ben Walker The scholarship committee continued its efforts to aid the success of brothers in the classroom. Throughout the quarter study materials were available to help prepare for exams. Brothers were also rewarded with gift cards when receiving either an A or B letter grade on an exam. To ensure finals went well, the chapter held a study session on campus where tutors were available and collaborative learning was encouraged. All in all, the brothers of Phi Gamma Delta worked together to better themselves in the classroom. Phi Gamma Delta 8 \r\nRho Phi Chapter Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity PO Box 3047 Terre Haute, IN 47803 Mailing Address Line 1 Mailing Address Line 2 Mailing Address Line 3 Mailing Address Line 4 Mailing Address Line 5 Not For College Days Alone Find us Online! rosefiji.com 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 or email info@rosefiji.com for your information to be published. 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