GEM STATE FIJI MU IOTA CHAPTER OF PHI GAMMA DELTA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO FALL 2024 Named Best Chapter Publication Five Times QUALITY AND QUANTITY How Mu Iota Landed Its Biggest Pledge Class in Decades By Don Shelton '76 G raduate advisor Mitch Sonnen's phone lights up. It's Bid Day, and Mu lota's undergraduates are texting and calling with live updates. Most expect 20 freshmen to accept bids, hope for 23 and pray for 25. But these are bigger numbers, crazy numbers, unbelievable numbers. A phone call at 1:25 p.m.: "We've got 28." a breathless Logan Johnson '26 tells him. "I am running back to the house to set up more beds!" A text at 1:28 p.m.: "We ran out of [T-]shirts. Class is big." minute later, another text: "29" One minute later: "31 now" At 1:56, he learns the final tally: 32 Soon Mitch, chair of the Board of Chapter Advisors, is on the phone with Co-Recruitment Chair Brandon Eaton '27. The numbers are confirmed. It's an emotional call: Relief, smiles, tears. Mu lota has just done something few thought The 32-member class of 2028 is all smiles at the University Street entrance of the Chapter House. Co-Recruitment possible: Recruited its biggest class in decades. Chairmen Luke Messerly '27 (upper left) and Brandon Eaton '27 (upper right) proudly hold the Fiji flag. The 32-member class is an astonishing 16.8 percent of all University of Idaho freshmen who received bids. It was nine more than any other The windfall could improve the culture and to each. Brandon realized changes needed to be Idaho fraternity, and more than three times larger brotherhood of a chapter already on a roll. Mu made. "That was a turning point," he says. than the Interfraternity Council (IFC) average for lota has collected nine national honors in each of fall recruiting classes. the past two years from the international fraternity Jaxon Cherry '25 and Kaden Orcutt '25. two and landed the coveted Cheney Cup as Phi house leaders, reacted quickly and began checking Brandon still gets emotional thinking about Gamma Delta's best chapter two years ago. in with their recruitment chairs twice a week. that day, Aug. 12, 2024. "We did nothing but bolstering weekly Zoom meetings with graduate strengthen our house," he says of the freshmen. As one of two new member educators, Logan advisors. Jaxon chalks up the early missteps to "They completely align with our values. It was knows Mu Iota's Class of 2028 better than anyone. inexperience. Both Brandon and Co-Recruitment quality and quantity." He offers an observation and prediction: "The Chair Luke Messerly '27 were sophomores. and amount of initiative in these young gentleman is Brandon joined later in the fall of 2023, SO he had How Phi Gamma Delta undergraduates exceeded phenomenal. The effect they'r going to have on never been through formal recruitment. their own expectations and nearly doubled the this house will be seen for 10 years." number of men living in the chapter house to 66- Both had to learn quickly and find solutions fast. believed to be the most in at least two decades- TURNING POINT A key change was improving communication required strategy, adjustments, persistence, and The emotional high of Bid Day was stunning with prospects, pivoting from mass texts to all-hands-on-deck undergraduate involvement. Mu considering some early struggles. Two recruiting personalized messages that asked them to commit lota's recruiting success confirms our chapter's events early last summer- pizza party in to summer recruiting events. Six freshmen lofty status on campus and throughout Phi Gamma Boise on June 15 and a barbeque in Coeur attended a Boise event at Top Golf on July 13. Delta while reaffirming what we already knew: d'Alene on June 9-drew more graduates and and 16 showed up for a float down the Boise Our Brotherhood and values speak for themselves. undergraduates than incoming freshmen. Only River on July 27. two potential new members (PNMs) showed up (Continued on page 2) INSIDE: New Members I 3 Undergraduate Report 4 Chapter Awards I 5 Graduate Spotlight I 6 Alumni Updates I 7 PAGE 2 GEM STATE FIJI Mu Iota's Historic Pledge Class (Continued from page 1) Ricky Petersen '28, a freshman from Weiser, was help build the class. Nate Hastriter '27 moved Fijis had started recruitment week strong in nervous when he saw how many people turned into the house late last spring and jumped at the previous years only to lose momentum. Not this out for the Boise River float but quickly felt at chance to join the freshmen. He and a handful of time. "This year our energy was high all day, ease. "It was immediately super inclusive," he freshmen who knew they wanted to be Fijis last every day," Jaxon said. recalls. "I thought, 'This Fiji place seems super summer or early in recruitment week helped build cool.' It seemed like the perfect place for me." their own class. Nothing was left to chance. A flurry of Snapchats went out the night before Bid Day, including this Undergraduates throughout the state stepped up Another deceptively simple strategy also worked. one from Nate: "Hey, man, enjoyed talking to and took PNMs out for lunch, coffee and bowling Undergraduates quickly identified things freshmen you. The house is into you. Really hope you're outings. Logan courted six different prospects had in common with members and each other. my pledge brother this year!" himself. "There very much were 30 recruitment Students who wanted to become mechanical chairs," says Jaxon. engineers were ushered into a room with Logan or On Bid Day, freshmen opened envelopes, Hudson Howard '27. Outdoor enthusiasts were learned which fraternities offered them bids and Even graduates got into the act. Howard Foley matched up with Robbie Reinhardt '27 or made their final choices. Mu lota made 42 offers '68 hosted the Boise pizza event. Caleb Strong Max Bell '27. and hoped at least half accepted. A tsunami '24 connected with Ricky on a UIdaho Bound of future Fijis ran out of the Administration house tour last spring and continued to text him "You almost get a sneak peek at what your pledge Building and celebrated on the Ad Lawn across all summer as he started training to become a Phi class looks like," Logan says. "You're saying, from their new home. Gamma Delta field secretary (see related story in 'Here's a real cool guy who also wants to come this edition). here.' It makes you feel good about your decision." Jeremy Sunderland, Ricky Petersen and 29 others- remarkably diverse group spanning 25 WORKING TOGETHER Nate realized things were clicking when about majors, 14 cities and towns throughout Idaho, and The all-house approach continued as 180 freshmen went through the house during four other states-ha made their choices. They undergraduates arrived for "Work Week" to clean "Free Roam," a day when prospects could would be Fijis. the chapter house and plot strategy for formal visit any fraternity they wanted. Brandon kept recruitment week, Aug. 7-11. By then Mu lota's the energy level up, playing loud rock as he Jeremy understands why. "I got to meet a lot of list of potential recruits had risen to nearly 200. showered to get himself pumped for the day. It them during rush," he says. "I had a notion they was infectious. would be the guys I would live with for four "We had a full head of steam going into formal years. They could be at my wedding and meet my recruitment," Jaxon says. Unscripted moments gave freshmen a preview kids. That held some power for me." of what being a Fiji could be. They watched as Two strategies paid off that week: Show Calvin Piggott '26 returned to the house on Day MORE TO COME immediate interest to men we wanted and use 3 after a summer internship and was instantly Word that the Fijis had done something key freshmen to recruit others for their own class. surrounded by his brothers and welcomed back remarkable quickly spread across campus. More The latter idea was born more than 50 years with hugs and handshakes. On Day 4, a mini- freshmen from the dorms have asked if they can ago. During the keynote speech by Steve Oliver party broke out in the rec room as loud music join, SO Mu lota plans to add to its historic class '68 at the 104th Norris Pig Dinner last March, blared while freshmen and undergrads watched this spring. the retired advertising executive from Boise sports together. revealed how his pledge class cooked up the same "We have more people who want to join than we strategy in 1964 to find men who would help win WINNING STRATEGY have room for," says Logan. "With this much talk Mu Iota's second Cheney Cup. Graduates and Phi Gamma Delta also hammered home its about our fraternity, they want to be here." undergraduates decided to use that advice. winning marketing strategy: Join one of the top fraternities in academics, campus involvement The freshmen have quickly become members as Being more open with recruits also was no and social activities, a chapter with unrivaled Mu lota continues to be a trailblazer for Phi Gamma accident. "We talked about expressing interest graduate support that enables every freshman Delta's new model of early membership adopted sooner," Logan says. "We talked about being who achieves a 3.25 grade-point average to earn a in 2022. Our chapter was the first to welcome new more transparent, and saying, 'We really like $1,000 scholarship. Our 105-year history, sterling members three straight years. Now those young you. We want to see you at the house every day reputation on campus, and spotless, remodeled men are voting, joining committees and becoming during recruitment." chapter house across from Hello Walk made involved on campus in their first semester. selling freshmen easy. Freshmen received evening Snapchat messages "In the next two years, they're going to have such all week reinforcing our interest. Ricky was Jeremy Sunderland '28, a freshman from an influence on the culture of this fraternity," Logan visiting other houses when Snapchats from Austin Fruitland, already was drawn to Fiji after a predicts. "All of them understand that, and they want Wattles '26 and both recruitment chairs lit up his UIdaho Bound house tour last spring. He looked to know everything they can to benefit the house and phone. "They made sure Fiji was constantly on at two other fraternities, but was ignored when he push themselves into leadership roles." my mind," Ricky says. visited Beta Theta Pi the first day of recruitment. Then he walked down Elm Street and entered the Members of this historic class are interested in Says Logan, "We forget how scary it is to walk Fiji house. Several men immediately greeted him. becoming the next recruitment chairs to recreate into a house of 50 best friends. When you show more Mu lota magic. One of the men who guided interest in them, they feel connected to us. We "Loyalty is big for me. You could tell Fijis were them to the house still gets emotional when he more effectively got past the small talk and got to loyal to one another and to the house," Jeremy thinks about that day last August. know them on a personal level." says. "And they were SO welcoming. It felt homey. By the end of the first day, I said, 'that's "I will never, ever forget that experience," Brandon Mu lota also unveiled a secret weapon during where I want to live." Eaton says. "It makes me tear up to this day." recruitment week: a friendly sophomore eager to