Volume CXIII, No. 2 April 2021 THE KNOX G.D. FIJI AA F 00 100th Anniversary Gamma Deuteron Chapter House April 16, 1921 - 2021 Published by Gamma Deuteron Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta - Knox College THE NAME TAM fill A IVA G. D. FIJI PAGE 2 Gamma Deuteron Chapter House Marks 100 Years The earliest known photo of the Gamma Deuteron chapter house, from an April 1921 Phi Gamma Delta magazine article announcing its opening. The cover photo of the house on the preceding page, taken during winter term 2021, shows how the chapter house today remains remarkably similar in its exterior appearance to the day it debuted a century ago. ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO this month, the Construction was completed the following members of the Gamma Deuteron chapter of spring thanks to a determined group of Phi Gamma Delta at Knox College opened the Gamma Deuteron alumni who had formed a doors of their chapter house at 218 S. Cedar St. "House Corporation" to acquire the land and for the very first time. raise the money needed to build it. Planned since 1904 and delayed for 17 years for The Knox Fijis formally moved into their new various reasons - including World War I - home - dubbed the "Fiji Castle" - at the construction of the Gamma Deuteron chapter southwest corner of Cedar and Tompkins house finally began in late 1920 (the same year streets on April 16, 1921, only one month after Prohibition was enacted and women won the Warren G. Harding had been inaugurated as right to vote). the 29th president of the United States. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 G. D. FIJI PAGE 3 Home to generations of Knox Phi Gams (A handful of older structures currently used as fraternity houses at other colleges in the Throughout the past century (except for about state were converted to such use after 1921; the a year during World War II when the U.S. Knox Beta Theta Pi house also opened in 1921, military used it for housing), the three-story but not until after the Fiji House.) "English style" brick fortress (with a full basement) has been the campus home of Today, Knox College owns the property at 218 hundreds - perhaps as many as 1,000 - of the S. Cedar St. and the chapter house, which the more than 1,700 Gamma Deuteron members House Corporation leases from the college. who have been initiated into Phi Gamma Delta since the chapter's founding in 1867. The House Corporation has indicated to the college its desire to extend the original 1920 And although it has undergone major lease through the year 2118, as the terms of the renovations a handful of times, most notably original lease appear to allow. Negotiations are in 1958 and 1991, the chapter house today ongoing. remains remarkably similar in its exterior appearance to the mid-April day when it Twenty of the chapter's current 27 active debuted a century ago. members live in the chapter house. Long before occupying the current chapter Celebrating a century at 218 S. Cedar house, the Knox Fijis rented second-story halls above downtown Galesburg businesses Current chapter members had planned to host near campus to conduct chapter meetings, a gala celebration this month to commemorate beginning in the 1880s. the 100th anniversary of the chapter house, which would have coincided with the chapter's Later, the members rented a house at 446 N. annual Pig Dinner. Cedar St. for nearly 20 years (where famed House Mother "Phi Gam Mary" is said to have But for the second consecutive year, Pig ruled with an "iron fist"). Dinner was canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In 1917, the Fijis departed for 227 Maple Ave, then soon moved out due to the war, but Knox opted for a "virtual" Homecoming in the returned to Maple Avenue after the war while fall of 2020 and has imposed an ongoing ban awaiting the construction of a permanent on reunion events on campus. home to call their own. However, with vaccines now becoming Fast forward a century and the Gamma available, Knox is moving forward with plans Deuteron chapter house is now the oldest for an in-person Homecoming 2021 on the chapter house of any fraternity at any college weekend of October 8-10, 2021. or university in the entire state of Illinois. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 G. D. FIJI PAGE 4 Homecoming 2021 will mark the 100th To further combat the virus's spread, staff anniversary of Knox homecomings. (Fun fact: were required to sanitize the tables after Willard B. Dean, Gamma Deuteron member of someone ate. For one week, the Phi Gamma the Class of 1919, is credited by the school with Delta brothers took responsibility and organizing the first Homecoming in 1921, in volunteered their time to sanitize tables part so that alumni could return to campus to during meal times. This service initiative see the brand new Fiji Castle.) played a pivotal role in allowing the limited dining staff to focus on other vital tasks. In We have decided to delay the chapter house addition, this service project followed all centennial celebration to Homecoming 2021, COVID-19 protocols while still serving our where we plan to host the traditional open fellow community members. house reception at the chapter house after the Knox football game, approximately 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9. We invite all Gamma Deuteron alumni and their families to visit the chapter house immediately after the Oct. 9 football game for food and drinks, along with a short presentation to commemorate the momentous occasion of the 100th anniversary (plus six months) of our beloved chapter house. Look for more details about Homecoming 2021 in the next issue of the G.D. Fiji, but make your plans to attend now. Hard Knox Cafe modified to accommodate COVID-19 precautions Gamma Deuteron FIJI Cleanup Academics In accordance with the college's COVID-19 guidelines, our opportunities to serve our Scholarship, Fraternity, Self. In that order, community members were limited. However, Fijis strive to prioritize scholarship and we took our watchword "Perge!" seriously. academic-related interests. Loosely, it means to press on. Service chairman, Jack Culbertson '22, reached out to Slowly but steadily, the GPA of the Gamma Knox's dining services to see if they needed Deuteron Chapter is increasing. In Fall 2020, assistance in wiping down tables in the Hard we had a term GPA of 3.25 with a cumulative Knox Cafe. Sanitation of the tables was a top GPA of 3.03. It is a known fact that winter term priority for dining hall staff. is the most challenging term academically; however, the GD Fijis managed to raise their cumulative to 3.06 GPA after the winter term.