Volume CXV, No. 3 July 2023 * TH E KNOX G.D. FIJI BLOTHE # H 218 Published by Gamma Deuteron Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta - Knox College G. D. FIJI PAGE 2 Pig Dinner will be combined with Knox Homecoming 2023 on Oct. 28 Gamma Deuteron will be combining our go to Pig Dinner mostly also go to Homecoming. traditional Pig Dinner with the 2023 Knox Homecoming, celebrating both events A record 112 graduates attended our gala 2017 simultaneously at the 102-year-old chapter Pig Dinner, celebrating Gamma Deuteron's house, 218 S. Cedar St., on Saturday, Oct. 28 150th anniversary. Yet only about 30 grads came beginning at 4 p.m. or right after the Knox to Gamma Deuteron's chapter house centennial College football game VS. Cornell College. hog roast event in May 2022, the first event on campus in more than two years; otherwise, We plan to offer upscale food and non- attendance at spring Pig Dinners has always alcoholic drinks in a casual setting, with a been low, before and after those anniversary brief Pig Dinner-style program. All Phi Gams, events, averaging 20 grads or less. family members and friends of the Knox Fijis are invited to this free event. Guests who must So, we thought, why not combine the two attend another Homecoming-related event events Homecoming and Pig Dinner - into may do so - but we hope they can drop by for something grander this fall, when there is a full at least a few moments - while others can weekend of campus and fraternity activities, remain at the chapter house into the evening. and maybe more grads will come to Knox (and Pig Dinner)? This will be our primary on- Why are we combining Pig Dinner and campus graduate event for 2023-24, so we hope Homecoming?: This scenario may seem to be you can attend. Look for more details in your a departure from the traditional spring Pig inbox. We will add a spring 2024 event if we can. Dinner (and our second Pig Dinner of 2023) - and, yes, it is. There's a reason for the change, SAVE THE DATE (OCT. 28): Knox/Gamma Deuteron though. With a majority of the under- combined Homecoming/Pig Dinner, Saturday, Oct. graduate membership playing spring sports 28 at the Fiji chapter house at 4 p.m. Please watch (15 baseball and 6 golf) in 2023, sports your email inbox for more details. We hope you schedules required a Pig Dinner date at the will be able to join your Fiji brothers for this annual end of the sports seasons. As a result, this event of fraternity, food and fun. year's (first) Pig Dinner was May 13, the day before Mother's Day. The attendance was FUN FACTS: Homecoming 2023 marks the 102nd predictably low, about 20 grads. Our surveys anniversary of Knox Homecoming, first held in show that only a handful of members who 1921, the same year the Fiji chapter house at 218 attended a recent Pig Dinner did not also go to S. Cedar St. opened. Gamma Deuteron held its first a recent Homecoming - meaning grads who Pig Dinner, 13 years earlier, in 1908. G. D. FIJI PAGE 3 THE KNOX Lawani earns Young Alumni Award Gamma Deuteron alum Ladipo Lawani ('08) G.D. FIJI was presented with the Knox College Young Alumni Achievement Award in the spring. A native of Nigeria, Lawani holds an MBA from PUBLISHED BY Columbia University in addition to his GAMMA DEUTERON CHAPTER OF undergraduate degree from Knox. In 2016, he PHI GAMMA DELTA was the winner of the Columbia Business KNOX COLLEGE School Shark Tank competition. GALESBURG, ILLINOIS In 2015, Lawani founded L&L Foods, a food July 2023 (Vol. CXV, No. 3) processing and packaging company centered Editor: Cole Andrews ('26) on the Nigerian market. He was named by Contributors: Forbes magazine as one of Africa's "most David Brackman ('81) promising young change-makers" on its Marty Glickman ('80) "Forbes Africa 30 under 30" list. Less than two Norm Hillner ('79) years after founding L&L Foods, his company Cole Shepherd ('24) won the Nigerian Economic Summit startup President: Cole Shepherd ('24) competition. Treasurer: Edward Brees ('24) The Gamma Deuteron Recording Secretary: Nick Stan ('25) chapter expresses its pride Corresponding Secretary: Cole Andrews ('26) in Lawani and all that he has Historian: Joe Krantz ('26) accomplished in such a short Purple Legionnaire: Randy Cox ('88) time. We wish him the best Field Secretary: Jeffrey Stinson of luck and plenty of success (Western Michigan '20) in all of his future endeavors. Ladipo Lawani Faculty Advisor: Tianna Cervantez CONNECT WITH US! O E-mail: gdgradinfo@gmail.com Mailing Address: 2 E South St., K-Box 1805, Galesburg, IL 61401 G. D. FIJI PAGE 4 From the chapter president's desk Dear Brothers, The chapter organized a clothing drive for Galesburg's Steele Elementary School. We The 2022-23 Knox school year has come to an collected enough clothing donations to fill five end. All of the active brothers have finished large boxes to the brim, and collected $1,092 in their finals and have gone their separate ways cash donations, blowing our initial goal of $600 for summer break. Additionally, this year's out of the water. The cash donations went seniors have crossed the finish line on one of directly to the purchase of clothing for the the most memorable chapters of their lives. students at Steele Elementary. This transition is bittersweet for me. Over the As for social events, the active brothers were three years I've spent as a part of the Gamma able to celebrate Flunk Day, host two registered Deuteron chapter, I have made genuine parties, and most importantly, hold yet another connections with each of the graduated Frank Norris Pig Dinner at the chapter house. At seniors. I have learned a lot from them, and this year's Pig Dinner on May 13, undergraduate will have fond memories with them long after and graduate brothers were able to come my time at Knox is finished. While I will miss together, share a meal and reminisce. spending time next year with my graduated brothers, I will remind myself that Phi Earlier this month, two of our new brothers, Joe Gamma Delta is "not for college days alone!" Krantz ('26) and Joe Williams ('26), volunteered to attend the Leadership Institute As I have with all the graduated brothers from at Phi Gamma Delta's IHQ in Lexington, Ky. and 2021 and 2022, I know I will stay in contact participate in leadership education with with the Class of 2023, and be able to hear undergraduate Fijis from chapters all across the what they are up to. I am eager to see what the country. They also developed a realistic action future holds for them, as they are each plan in consultation with other brothers and intelligent and upstanding gentlemen. facilitators for guiding themselves and their Whatever path their lives take, I know they chapters. I am very excited to take this will find success. Look for profiles of our opportunity to use what they have learned to seniors in this issue of the G.D. Fiji. improve our chapter's operations. During the spring term, the chapter Fraternally, participated in a range of activities related to service, philanthropy and social events. Zob Brothers completed approximately 200 hours sty of service combined during the spring term Cole Shepherd '24 through avenues such as Blessings in a Gamma Deuteron Chapter President Backpack, blood donations and promoting campus engagement in various events. P!