BROTHER’S NEWS & NOTES

Photo and content submissions can be sent to terryspahr@yahoo.com

Fall 2022

Philanthropy Success

Hello Brothers!

Our names are Evan Haralampoudis and Tristan Maslar and we are the current Philanthropy Chairs for the Beta Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta. So far this year we have had ambitious goals and great success in our Philanthropic efforts. Read more about our past and future efforts for the 2022-2023 year!

So far this semester we have had two amazing philanthropy events. To support the recent passing of a Penn student, we paired up with Chi Omega in order to run a bake sale where all funds were donated to the American Heart Association. This effort resulted in a donation of $300+ from a single day of sales.

We also hosted a very successful event at a University City restaurant, City Tap. We planned and executed a Quizzo night open to the brotherhood and the broader Penn community. We generated money to donate through the sale of wristbands to anyone who came and participated in this trivia night. These sales and donations totaled $400+ donated to The Community Grocer. TCG is a local nonprofit that aims to help create health and nutrition through the reimagining of the local corner store. They have been promoting an importance on nutrition through Philadelphia and we are glad to help them along the way.

On November 4th at 4pm, FIJI will open its doors for Coffeehouse once again. This event will showcase talent from across campus with all you can eat donuts and coffee provided by Dunkin Donuts - because America RUNS on Dunkin. All proceeds collected from tickets at the door and other donations will go towards helping homeless youth in West Philadelphia. After this event, on Giving Tuesday (November 29th) we're joining with Active Minds to host Slushies and Puppies. All donations and proceeds collected will go to Camp Kesem, a club that raises money to take children whose parents have cancer to a free week-long summer camp. Followed by this event we will be ending the semester with “Are you Smarter than a Frat Brother,” with brothers Tenzin Ngabtak and Emre Duvenci going against three sorority teams to save their pride.  

P!

Evan and Tristan

Winter 2022

Roger Colley W60 has written a new book, Forging a New America: American Liberalism and Climate Change Landed Us in Siberia. He writes, “It is a short story describing what socialism would be like in America 12 years from today. Part of the tale takes place on the Penn Campus. Its target audience is young adults and American voters regardless of political affiliation.” More information can be found at rogercolley.com.

December 1, 2021

Clothing Drive

Starting on December 1st, UPenn Fiji held a campus clothing drive aimed at raising any used or new clothing for Green Drop who, in turn, delivered the clothes to the National Federation of the Blind. We were able to produce a cart full (3 boxes) of clothes to donate.

December 1, 2021

Charity Soccer Match

On December 1, the Fraternity rounded off our philanthropic semester with a charity soccer match in which we took on Zeta Beta Tau. With the losing team donating $15 per player to the winning team’s charity of choice (with $5 per player on the winning team also being contributed) we were able to raise $300 for Fiji’s charity - America Scores. We won the match 4-2 and featured over 20 different brothers on the pitch! Nicholas Anderson, the Philanthropy Chair, claimed MVP by scoring a hattrick, and claiming the assist on Fiji’s other goal.

November 19, 2021

Friendsgiving

The original plan for the event was for both Fiji and sorority partner Chi Omega to cook and serve food on November 19th from Noon until 3PM, encouraging friends and passersby to stop outside the Fiji Chapter House on Locust Walk for a $10 All-You-Can-Eat Thanksgiving feast! All proceeds from the event were meant to go to Philabundance. However, due to a school-wide COVID outbreak, we were forced to eliminate the interactive aspect of the event, instead donating all of the food ingredients directly to Philabundance. In total, we donated roughly $200 worth of Thanksgiving food and ingredients to the organization.

November 12, 2021

Coffeehouse

On Friday, November 12th at 4PM, the fraternity to pregame held our PREMIER philanthropy event of the semester. Coffeehouse featured live music, comedy, art, creative performances, and more - all from our Penn peers! Coffee and donuts were provided to the audience, with ALL PROCEEDS from the event being donated to the Philadelphia Cultural Fund ($5 entry tickets). In total, we raised $489.

November 5-7, 2021

Parent’s Weekend

A newer tradition at the Beta Chapter has been a parent’s weekend for fiji brothers separate and distinct from the whole Penn campus parent’s weekend. The weekend of festivities has had tremendous success forging bonds amongst parents of undergrads broadening and extending relationships within the fiji family.

Fall 2021

Back2School Drive: Fiji's first philanthropy event of the semester took place over the week of August 30th! The Beta chapter held a week-long ‘Back 2 School’ drive where we asked for school supply donations that went to low-income Philadelphia youth. We worked with the Tasker-Morris Neighborhood Association who took charge of distribution. Brothers volunteered to spend time tabling outside the front of the chapter house - raising awareness and donations for the cause. The chapter ended up raising $1000+, 50+ backpacks, and two crates of supplies, marking the success of the event.

Summer 2021

Ben Iverson, a junior from Franklin, Michigan, studying Management and Business Analytics at Wharton did a 28-day Alaska Backpacking course with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in the Northern Talkeetna Mountains. Along with 14 other college students, he worked in the field to develop technical skills like navigation and Leave No Trace Principles as well as leadership skills. He looks forward to further developing these skills and pursuing my newfound interest in outdoor education at Penn as a Venture Fellow with Wharton Leadership Ventures.

July 2020

Makeshift Pig Dinner at 34th and Sansom held on July 25, 2020

April 2020 

Class of ‘88 Catch-up

Class of ‘88 gets together for a happy hour on Zoom from top left Randy Boswell, Terry Spahr, Jim Grass, second row Jeff Bernicke, Graham Clarke, Rafe Rosato. Bottom row Bill Randall in Bangkok, Steve Giegerich in France and Bob Scheetz. Also Brig Henderson joined in and Eddie McMahon caught the end of the party. Missing the event were Chris Flynn who is still figuring out how to work a flip phone and The Huckster.

Community Service

Adam Allam, Fiji class of 86, helping bring sustenance and joy to those in need during the Covid crisis.

http://connecticut.news12.com/story/41988513/fairfield-man-delivers-meals-to-danburys-emergency-homeless-shelter-while-driving-with-food-rescue-us?fbclid=IwAR2BWNlZyjjgn9hwZr6iytLcR0C1lr-OSQhaRH4EJK80yroNYXX1B42py54

FEBRUARY 2020 

Community Service

This Valentines Fiji and the sorority, Alpha Phi, partnered to create a Valentine's Day rose drive, wherein we would sell people roses that would be delivered to the person of their choosing, complete with a personalized message. The proceeds went to the Alpha Phi Foundation which supports women's heart health.

Spring 2019 

Remembrance

David Hynes (‘09) died on March 2nd, 2019 after being struck by a drunk driver while riding a bike in New Orleans. Dave was a Founding Father and the first Treasurer of the Beta Colony. He played an integral role both in establishing the Colony’s culture and in ensuring that it survived long enough to be rechartered as the Beta Chapter. We would not have succeeded without his spirit, effort, wisdom, and creativity. We have chosen to honor our beloved friend here by sharing stories and impressions of his life and character. 

- Jesse Chen, ‘09

As a founding member of the Beta Chapter, David embodied the spirit of brotherhood from the beginning. We had less than a year to make Fiji into a self-sustaining legacy, and David was the guy who made it a goal to be lifelong friends with each member of the fraternity. In the decade that passed since we brought Fiji back to Penn, David's genuine desire to maintain his friendships was the glue that kept us all bonded, and for that we will be forever grateful.

With that said, David was one bold, determined son of a bitch. He had a PennRec area rug in his room that everyone thought might cost several hundreds of dollars from the book store. Few people know that he walked into Pottruck gym in broad daylight, rolled up that area rug, and walked right out. That unheeded confidence to get what he wanted is what got him more phone numbers, promotions, and close friends than anyone I know. The number of people that truly loved David is a testament to the spirit of brotherhood that not only extended to members of our fraternity, but to everyone he touched. 

David's legacy is a reminder that our interpersonal relationships are, at the end of the day, the most important treasure any of us have. Friendship, love, and brotherhood are two-way streets, and if each of us could be more like David, we would all be a whole lot richer. 

- Elliot Woods, ‘09

What I remember when I think about Dave is laughing. His laughter and my laughter. He always wanted people to be laughing, even if that meant he needed to be the brunt of a joke—he would make that sacrifice, because he wanted everyone to be having a good time. Likewise, he was always sharing with his friends his latest discoveries: be it a funny video or the latest life-hack to better enjoy life! He was a man who loved life. And we loved him for it. I will miss him dearly. Perge my brother.

- Therlow Huntley II, ‘11

Charismatic, spontaneous, loyal … These are the words that I would use to describe David. During the earlier days of FIJI, him and Jesse were the big brothers that I never had growing up. From the time that we first met, I was never a stranger. I was a brother. I will always remember David as the guy that made sure we were all having a great time. He had a infectious caring spirit, and he will truly be missed.  

- Cameron Anglum, ‘09

As for most who knew him well, David played an enormously positive role in my life. He undoubtedly was the the most selfless, fun-loving, and genuine person we all shared in common, one we'll all deeply miss. Although it’s difficult to imagine the pain of his passing subsiding, it’s my hope that my fond memories of our time together will continue to remind me to approach life as he did - to pursue joy and love above all else and never to take things more seriously than they should be taken. 

- Michael Reiche ‘10

I remember meeting Dave during a rush dinner at a restaurant kind of far from campus in west philly. We both ordered the alligator. He had had it before; it was my first time. Not just because of that, but also because of his claim to having perfected the art of winning online lottery games (in the style of “fill this form out to win an iPhone”), Dave came across as worldly, in an inviting sort of way. Humble, sociable, approachable, kind. Dave visited my home town, Athens, for an extended stay to learn more about the Greek financial crisis. I’m grateful for the discussions we had and his genuine inquisitiveness. A sharp mind with a golden, albeit mischievous heart, he made time go by a little faster. The gap he leaves behind I will strive to fill by honoring his memory in ways practical (drive consciously) and self-reflective (be a supportive friend, like he was).

- Jonathon Strauss ‘09

One of the greatest challenges we faced after being recruited to join the Beta Colony was to make it fun and attractive to new recruits while also following the rules. It was in all honesty an impossible task, made more complicated and fraught by knowledge of the debt owed to those who had invested the energy, time, and capital to bring the chapter back. Nobody knew how to strike that balance, how to make our own code and follow it, better than Dave. He was one of the sharpest, kindest, wiliest people I’ve ever known. And as a 19-year-old transfer student leading a chapter full of people two or three years older than myself, I desperately needed his guidance. He gave it without ever making me feel less-than. I will never forget it.

Dave loved to have fun with his friends and yet he was extremely savvy and disciplined when it came to the reputation and legacy of what we were building. When I agreed unilaterally to hosting a social event with a sorority, Dave expressed such severe disappointment in me I felt like a kid who’d been caught breaking into his parents’ liquor cabinet. In the moment and in the years that have followed, I was grateful that he gave a damn and that he held me accountable. He knew we had to give the chapter what it needed, not what it wanted, if we were to survive. From what I knew of him at the time, his forward-thinking knocked me sideways. It stood in total contrast to the persona he had cultivated socially. But that was Dave. What a beautiful, brilliant mix of qualities he had. 

There was no one more confident in this group when we started, no one more excited when we earned our charter and reclaimed 3619, and no one more proud of what we have all communally built together in the years since. We should all be proud of the man Dave was and grateful for the memories we got to share with him before he was taken from us.

Fall 2018

Edward (Ward) Stokes, '70 writes: Kitchen and floors look great.  Lots better than when I was there. Have a great year! A number of us from my era (mostly 68-70) still get together after 50 years. Great and enduring friendships were made at the FIJI lodge.

Pledge class of 88 had its 30th reunion this past Spring. Brig Henderson, Graham Clarke,  Greg Jannetta, Bob Scheetz , Rafe Rosato, Bill Randall and Jim Grass all got together to celebrate and fit in a round of golf at the fabled Merion Golf Club.

Brother Jerry Kinney writes: this is being done by my voice recorder as my hand shakes so badly. I was the treasurer in 1952 and when Phi Gamma was the very most outstanding house on campus.  One of my most valued memories was when Rich Ryan, the president, and I had the third-floor office suite which had a long narrow bedroom over the front window, and a nice sized room behind. Most weekday evenings about 5 o'clock Rich and I, plus several friends would gather for a glass or so of cheap Gallo Jug red wine and wonderful conversation.

David Kirk, Class of 1965, was instrumental for coordinating a huge effort from his era specifically 1965 -1972 in donating to the kitchen capital campaign. Thank you David and all the brothers from this period!

Undergraduate Brother Spotlight: Alex Fisher 

In the summer of 2018, one of our brothers, Alex Fisher (‘19), spurned a traditional corporate path and instead chose to traverse through Scandinavia, researching the intersection between New Art Media and the internet from an institutional and individual perspective. He spent five weeks in Norway and Sweden, meeting with artists, musicians, elected officials, and even members of the Swedish royal family. In fact, he got to stay at the royal palace and attended a private concert with them!

After his time in Europe, Alex settled in in New York where he worked with COMME des GARÇONS, a Japanese fashion house, on their press team. He worked to develop the brand and coordinate apparel choices with many celebrities. When he wasn’t working at COMME, Fisher was managing the estate of Anna Mendieta, a deceased artist who he began working with last year. Safe to say he was plenty busy this summer!

Now that he’s back at school, Alex hasn’t slowed down. He is the curator of Refrigerator Residency (rerigerator.residency on Instagram) an art showcase he created, is writing a cookbook with a number of FIJIs, and is publishing the third issue of Mugshot, a magazine dedicated to coffee culture. When asked how he handles so much, Fisher simply said “I thrive when I’m busy. I love getting work to with my peers and am constantly amazed by all the incredible things we can accomplish together.”