Alpha Gamma 2015-2016

The Ralph L. Saroyan
Brotherhood Report
Alpha Gamma 2015-2016
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2015-2016 Social and Brotherhood Events
Introduction
This past year, the Brothers of the Alpha Gamma Chapter of Phi Delta Chi aimed to make the Brotherhood stronger than it’s ever been. Although we have a large Chapter, there are many opportunities for
Brothers to get together, have a little fun, and strengthen our Brotherhood. Many events were held
this past year to further brotherhood in our fraternity: including those events that allowed us to behold brothers, become brothers, and be brothers. We felt as a fraternity our duty to hold events during rush that would find valuable members, during pledging that would educate them on the meaning
of brotherhood, and continuing this brotherhood experience throughout our time in this fraternity.
Beholding Brothers...
Amazing Race: The Amazing Race event
is one of our most popular recruitment events year
after year. For the past two years, it has strategicalcurriculum transition changes that were implely been placed as the first recruitment event after
mented this year at UNC Eshelman School of Phar- the Information Session for a few reasons. First, it
macy, there were a number of necessary changes is a budget friendly event that is normally held
to be made with the Phi Delta Chi recruitment
around the school, thus making it extremely conschedule. Recruitment was on a delayed schedule venient for everyone involved. Secondly, potential
and we felt it best to work closely with the other
new members as well as current brothers are ranGreek organizations on campus to ensure that we domized into predetermined groups making introhad the best schedule possible. This is why we
ductions less intimidating than a recruitment event
chose to have our rush information session as a
with a one on one setting. Lastly, the fast pace of
collaborative effort with both Kappa Epsilon and
the event prevents uncomfortable interactions and
Kappa Psi fraternities. At this session, we provided helps form fast bonds between brothers and
pizza to the potential new members as they
rushees through the team based exercises. This
learned about the recruitment process for each
event is modeled after the TV show with clues
organization as well as the similarities and differleading to areas of the school where a task must be
ences between the three Greek groups at the
completed before continuing on to the next event.
school. It was a great idea to work together to set The first team to complete all of the events is the
the stage for the academic school year as these or- winner. Snacks and drinks are provided and it has
ganizations worked together instead of competing proven to be a very successful and fun event!
against each other. It was beneficial for the potenAppetizer Night: For one of our recruittial new members that had an interest in more
than one of these organizations so that they could ment events we headed to a local Chapel Hill esuse their time efficiently by hearing from all three tablishment, Fitzgerald’s, for some appetizers. This
organizations at once. This event was a great way event was for brothers and potential new members
to kickoff our recruitment for the Fall of 2015 and to come together to socialize and enjoy some food.
we are looking forward to continuing this tradition Potential new members were allowed to go
through the line first, so that it was emphasized the
in the future.
event was planned for them. After an hour or so of
socializing, one of our brothers who used to emcee
Rush Information Session: With the
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trivia led us in a trivia event. Each table made its
own team, and brothers bonded with potential
new members as they answered questions about
history, sports, and pop culture. Next year we are
going to plan for more food because it was such a
success!
Field Day: Field day was a new recruitment event this year. It was a dreary morning in
Chapel Hill, and it looked like it was going to rain
that afternoon. Luckily, the clouds cleared out, and
it turned into a beautiful afternoon as brothers and
potential new members alike made their way to
Hooker Fields. We split everyone into four teams
at the beginning, and they remained in these
teams throughout the day. The first event was
kickball, and it was a nice relaxed way for everyone
to mingle on their teams. After that, the teams
competed in dizzy bat, tug-of-war, and water balloon toss. One potential new member was so into
tug-of-war that he even ripped the sole off his
shoe. Those who were not participating in the
team events and wanted to socialize enjoyed ice
cream and cornhole on the side, which allowed
something for everyone to do. Everyone had a
great time, and it was a great way for the brothers
to get to know potential new members.
Here brothers socialize with rushing members while
enjoying great food during our Cookout!
Pinning/Bid Day: Bid Day is a day filled
with excitement and nerves as the brothers of the
Alpha Gamma chapter eagerly awaited the acceptances of the new pledges. Our publications
committee created beautiful bids that were passed
out to the rushees that were voted on by the chapter. At the end of the day we ended up having 40
wonderful new members that were eager to begin
their pledging process, which began with the formal Pinning Ceremony. The ceremony was held at
the school, where each pledge received their
pledging pins and a “Pinning Buddy”, who was a
current Alpha Gamma brother, to help guide them
through the first steps of the pledging process.
Often times, these buddies become bigs to these
Cookout: The cookout was our final event pledges and the bid day allows them to have a
of the recruitment process and was held at a club- unique first interaction that welcomes these new
house and pool area at a nearby apartment com- brothers to the organization.
plex. At this point in the recruitment process,
many brothers had formed friendships and special Becoming Brothers…
bonds with rushees that had attended the previous
Friday on the Front Porch: The first
recruitment events. The event this year was special event of a new pleducation initiative titled “Pledge
as it was the same night as the South Carolina/UNC -Brother events” was Friday on the Front Porch at
football game and the location where we had the the Carolina Inn on Friday, September 11th. The
event had TVs where we could watch the first
event was incredibly well attended by both new
game of the season. Food was provided for all of
members and active brothers. The Carolina Inn
those in attendance and our “Sailing” recruitment provides a great environment for socializing and it
theme became extremely appropriate as people
sits in perhaps one of the most picturesque parts
swam and lounged around the pool. We were for- of campus. There was live music, food, and drinks,
tunate enough to have been blessed with excellent all while everyone bonded during a beautiful lateweather and the event went off without a hitch.
summer afternoon. Even Ramses, our University’s
The brothers were excited to welcome the new
mascot, stopped by long enough for our brothers
members after the completion of recruitment.
and new members to snag a quick photo!
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-48 win for the 2015 ACC Coastal Division Champipleducation meeting on Thursday, September 17th, on Tar Heels.
both brothers and pledges were encouraged to
Monterrey’s Dinner: The fourth Pledgeattend an ice cream social event at Maple View Ice
Brother event was a group dinner at Monterrey
Cream. Dozens of brothers and new members alike
Mexican Restaurant in Carrboro on October 1st.
came to taste some delicious hand-dipped ice
This event provided everyone the chance to sit
cream and socialize amongst each other. Everyone
down and talk to get to know each other a little
enjoyed the best ice cream in town while taking in
better while enjoying one of everyone’s favorite
the gorgeous farmland scenery. There was much
meals. It was easy to see how many brothers and
bonding to be had while sitting out watching the
new members had bonded with each other over
sunset, relaxing in the rocking chairs on the porch
the previous weeks with how easily conversation
that evening. This event not only helped brothers
followed and the amount of laughter that filled the
get to know their new members, but also helped to
room. Overall, this was a hugely successful event
perpetuate a growing comradery between new
that showcased the brotherhood of the Alpha
members.
Gamma chapter at its finest.
Maple View Ice Cream: After the
Soccer Tournament: The final PledgeBrother event was a soccer tournament for new
members and brothers. A hurricane forced the
Pleducation committee to postpone the event but
we were able to squeeze the event into the later
part of the pledge process on October 25th. The
participants signed up ahead of time and were divided into three teams to compete. The tournament had two teams playing each other with one
team on the side-lines. As soon as one team
Brothers posing with our University’s mascot, Ramses,
scored, the losing team would sit out and the team
at Friday on the Front Porch.
on the side lines would come in and play. This alTailgate: As part of the new member edu- lowed some time for bonding while the other the
cation process, the Pleducation Committee decided two teams engaged in the game. Despite the wide
range in skill level, everyone had fun being outside
to host a tailgate to the UNC vs. Illinois football
game for both the new members and the brothers and kicking the ball around for a while. side-lines.
As soon as one team scored, the losing team would
on September 19th. Despite a last minute audible
on the tailgate location, the committee was able to sit out and the team on the side lines would come
put together a fun and successful event. Both new in and play. This allowed some time for bonding
while the other the two teams engaged in the
members and current brothers attended and
game. Despite the wide range in skill level, everybrought breakfast items to share. For many of the
one had fun being outside and kicking the ball
PY1 new members, this was their first opportunity
around for a while.
to see a Carolina sporting event and engage in the
Big/Little Reveal: The Big-Little Reveal
Tar Heel spirit! Many brothers engaged in friendly
this past semester was an incredible success. The
competition by playing corn hole while bonding
weeks prior to the event, both new members and
over breakfast foods.After the tailgate, the group
attended the game and got to see an impressive 14 brothers submitted preferences for who they
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would want to be their big and little, respectively.
On October 29th, the reveal took place in Kerr Hall.
After the pleducation meeting had concluded, the
Big brothers handed the pleducation committee
members a puzzle piece they made that had
written on it their little’s name and clues for the
little to follow to find their big somewhere around
the pharmacy school. These puzzle pieces were distributed to the littles and they were asked to follow
the clues to find their big who would be waiting for
them with their own puzzle piece that would fit
perfectly with their little’s. Afterwards, everyone
returned to Kerr 2001 where each big presented a
slide for their little and gave them their pledge
name. Once that concluded, everyone attended a
local restaurant which PDC had reserved to watch
the Tar Heels take on the Pitt Panthers in football.
Big brothers and their new littles were excited for
the chance to unwind outside of the pharmacy
school and have some fun.
was a perfect way to strengthen the brotherhood
before the school year.
Design Night: A group of our brothers
ventured to an art class on a Friday night to explore
our hidden artistic talent. We had all decided to
paint a picture of the Old Well, the most iconic and
beloved symbol of our University. The canvases
were already sketched out with the structure of
the old well, but we still had the chance to add our
own individual touch with the background and colors. While laughing all night with our brothers was
by far the most entertaining part of the night, the
most rewarding was watching all of us embrace our
creativity with no abandonment. What does it
mean to be a brother? It could be considered encouraging and promoting each other to color outside the lines. In this situation, we did this figuratively and literally. So many of us rarely use all of
our creativity when approaching problems, whether for fear of being judged or that the ultimate outcome will fail. This night allowed us to embrace
our creativity and embrace our brothers as they
Being Brothers…
embarked on creating their own idea of a masterRetreat: Before the start of another hectic piece. All of our paintings turned out different, a
subtle reminder each and every one of us can bring
school year, the Alpha Gamma chapter made its
annual retreat to Boone, NC, a small town nestled a different outlook to the table. It is nice to remind
ourselves that we have the opportunity daily to
in the Appalachian Mountains. Over half of the
brotherhood made the three hour drive to partici- embrace this type of creativity without judgment
pate in a weekend of bonding and preparation for within our brotherhood.
the new semester. Faced with transition to a new
Durham Bulls: The recruitment process is
curriculum, a day was dedicated to planning for
one of the most stressful times of the Fall semesrush and playing minigames that emphasized build- ter, so the brotherhood jumped at the chance to
ing leadership and trust. When not in meetings,
take a night off and head to the ballpark to watch
brothers took the opportunity to partake in two
the Durham Bulls, a local minor league baseball
famous Boone activities: hiking and touring brew- team. With over 40 brothers in attendance, the
eries. Taking advantage of perfect weather, broth- game was one of the most successful events of the
ers reunited with a long hike at the beautiful Linyear! Brothers took advantage of a College Night
ville Falls and braved the rocky paths to take in
special to enjoy cheap hot dogs, popcorn, and soda
some stunning views. Another group of brothers
as they sat in a big outfield section hoping to catch
went to Blowing Rock Brewery, where they were
a homerun. Since this was the first social event of
able to learn about the craft beers that the area is the semester, brothers took the chance to catch up
known for. As in years past, the night was ended in and bond with some people they hadn’t seen since
“candle time”, where a candle was passed around the summer. Unfortunately, the Bulls were unable
the circle as each brother shared and remembered to get the victory, but perfect weather and a great
what Phi Delta Chi means to each. The weekend
bonding experience made it a successful night!
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Semi-Formal: One of the highlights of fall group of brothers was able to score seats near censemester is Phi Delta Chi’s Semi-Formal. On Friday,
November 13th, we all put down the books, dolled
ourselves up, and treated ourselves to a night of
dancing and singing with our brothers. Semi-formal
was held at R&R Bar and Grill, an old Chapel Hill
favorite, so it was fun to go back and reminisce on
all of our glory days from undergrad. We had over
70 brothers and their guests there showing off
their dance moves, which was truly an entertaining
sight. Many fourth year brothers came back from
rotation, and it was so good to catch up with them
all. Being the first big event after initiation, there
were also a lot of new brothers there. It was so encouraging having so many new brothers there,
which gave us insight on how fun and successful
Alpha Gamma will be in the years to come. It was
great to have both the old and the new together,
and it was amazing to see how much has changed
and how far we have come over the past few years.
Thurston Thursday’s: This past year, the
Alpha Gamma Chapter continued their commitment to brotherhood by developing a new event
termed “Thurston Thursday”. The ultimate goal of
this new event was to further develop brother relationships and connections. This event brought
brothers together at a local restaurant of the chapter’s choice for an evening of entertainment, relaxation, and brotherly bonding. Thurston Thursdays
were held immediately following every chapter
meeting, and provided brothers with the opportunity to unwind after a difficult week of coursework and other obligations. In addition to dinner
and brother interaction, brothers were also quizzed
on national, regional, and local Phi Delta Chi trivia
and history. The highest scoring Brother received
baked goods of their choosing for displaying continued effort and commitment to fraternal
knowledge.
Crazy for the Canes: Despite being in the
midst of UNC basketball madness, a group of 15
hockey-loving Alpha Gamma brothers took a trip
over to Raleigh, NC, to watch the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Philadelphia Flyers. It was College Night at the PNC Arena, meaning that this
ter-ice, even though they were in the upper level.
Not phased by the upper level, the brothers
cheered every hit and shot as the Canes skated
hard the whole game. The group mostly consisted
of major hockey fans, so everyone had a great time
watching an exciting game with fellow brothers. All
of the great support from the brothers paid off as
the Canes managed to pull out a big 3-1 victory
over the Flyers. This is the second year in a row
that the brotherhood has taken a trip to see the
Canes play, and this looks like a tradition that will
continue for years to come!
Friends-giving: Thanksgiving is such a
special time of year. It’s a time to relax, stuff your
face, and reminisce on all there is in life for which
to be thankful. This year, we decided who better to
do these things with than with our brothers! As we
all stood around the table waiting to gobble down
the feast before our eyes, you couldn’t help but
look around the room at all the people laughing
and loving one another and be overwhelmed with
thankfulness. It’s an awesome feeling to be surrounded by fifty people packed in one house who
you know you can always count on, and who would
do absolutely anything to help you out. At such a
high stress point in the semester, it was an amazing
opportunity to sit back, relax, and enjoy the people
around (and the turkey, stuffing, and chocolate
chess pie). One of the highlights of the night was
watching the guys gobble around in the turkey
feathers one of the brothers had made out of construction paper. They were such a hit, they even
made an appearance in class the next Monday! We
also spent hours engaging in some friendly competition games like “Ninja” and “Wop,” which were
absolutely necessary to burn off all of the calories
we had consumed. At the end of it all, there was a
house filled with crumbs, cats eating leftovers off
the porch, and a car that smelled like turkey juice
for months, but it was worth it to remind us of how
grateful we should be to be a part of such an amazing organization like Phi Delta Chi, with the best
friends and brothers anyone could ask for.
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Jordan Lake: Even though the beach is a few hours away from Chapel Hill, the Alpha Gamma
had its own beach cookout on the shores of nearby Jordan Lake. Despite the threat of rain looming overhead, brothers found some picnic tables, a charcoal grill, and plenty of beach space to have a good time.
It didn’t take long to get the grill fired up as brothers indulged on hot dogs, hamburgers, and plenty of
chips and desserts. While some brothers enjoyed the food, others took part in a variety of beach games.
The biggest attraction was Spikeball, a variation of volleyball in which teams try to spike the ball off a
mini trampoline to get the ball past the other team. It didn’t take long for the competitive spirit to kick
in, as brothers were diving left and right to keep up the rallies. Rain ended up cutting the event short,
but not before the present brothers had a great time. Some PY4’s even took time away from their rotations to make a surprise visit and come join the fun.
End of Year Banquet: At the end of every school year, the Alpha Gamma brothers come together to celebrate the year’s accomplishments and send off our third year brothers on to their year of
rotations. This year, our chapter developed a point system based on splitting the fraternity into four
different houses. At this event, we awarded the house that accumulated the most points with a beautifully designed house cup, made by one of our brothers. It not only recognized these brothers for their
dedication to the fraternity throughout the year, but also celebrated their ability to succeed when working together. The third year brothers were also recognized with superlatives and parting gifts as we sent
them off with the best of wishes while hoping to see them in some of next year’s events. We will surely
miss having these brothers so close by, but look forward to seeing the great things they will do!
Outcomes of Brotherhood
Number of Brothers
Location
Brothers who visited other
Chapters
3
Beta Kappa
Brothers who hosted other
Chapters
12
Beta Kappa
Alpha
5
Grand Council 2015
4
Mid-Atlantic Regional
Gathering 2015
14 interested
LDS 2016
Brothers that attended
Phi Delta Chi meetings
There is no better way to further brotherhood than by taking the opportunity to travel to Phi Delta Chi meetings
and to other Chapters. Five of our brothers came back from Grand Council filled with passion to better our fraternity. Brothers from other chapters, such as Beta Kappa and Alpha, visited for rush events and also during our
Initiation. Brothers from Alpha Gamma also attended Beta Kappa’s, a buddy chapter’s, initiation. Brothers also
socialized with our other buddy chapter, Beta Omega, at the SNPhA hiking social. “It was my first time meeting
brothers from this chapter. We had a great time discussing the different activities that makes our chapters
unique. I hope to meet up with them again at future PDC or SNPhA events!” - Brother Seyram Fudzie
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BY: ROBERT CRAWFORD III
A Brother’s Reflection
I could define my Phi Delta Chi experience in the following three
words: brotherhood, foundation, opportunity. Growing up with a little
brother, I was never able to truly appreciate our relationship until I went to
college. The distance and time away from him compelled me to try to find
a similar relationship among my friends. I found this easily in PDC.
Anyone coming to pharmacy school can appreciate the culture shock going from undergraduate studies to
a graduate level program, whether that change is in the classroom setting, change in level of difficulty in the classroom, or change in geographic location. I was blessed enough to be able to stay on the same campus from undergraduate to pharmacy school; however, that didn’t make the transition much easier. I had to leave my undergraduate fraternity brothers due to the strain of school and also due to the financial and time burden associated with the
fraternity. I was nervous to let go, and I was also nervous to jump into something right after having developed such
a tight bond. Stuck in limbo, I almost didn’t reach out to create those similar relationships. Luckily the time I spent
with students ahead of me in the program, such as Ben Ahlers, helped me overcome my hesitation and I began to
immerse myself in the pharmacy school culture by joining Phi Delta Chi.
The relationships developed faster than I could have imagined. When I reflect on my bond with Ben, it began when he would take time out of his day to check up on how I was doing, whether it be about school or things
going on outside of the classroom. Although calling him my brother didn’t happen overnight, we slowly started
spending time out of school day dreaming about the years to come in our pharmacy careers. Those nights developed into us playing pool, meeting up for dinner habitually, and now he is one of my closest friends from pharmacy
school. All I can think about is how appreciative I am of him as a brother because he fostered the kind of relationship that helped me grow as a pharmacy student and within Phi Delta Chi’s brotherhood.
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Without a good foundation, the world’s largest and strongest buildings cannot stand. Although there were
countless all-night study sessions spent with my fellow PDC pledge brothers (and later brothers), I will remember
most the nights out de-stressing after a tough week or our meetings to gather and bond while reflecting on our excitement to join PDC. I cherish consistently this change from friendship to brotherhood. As I mentioned above, everyone experiences a form of culture shock leaving the undergraduate level and mine revolved around confidence. It’s
tough going from top dog in a room, to a top dog amongst 150 other top dogs. I wasn’t the smartest anymore, I wasn’t the center of attention anymore, and I had to work much harder than ever just to keep up. But throughout all of
those experiences, I grew. I matured and allowed the new relationships to build on one another. I was building myself up in PDC, and that developed into something I could depend on. This foundation helped me stand up through
the adversity associated with leadership, reflecting on philanthropy, and maintaining the highest academic standards.
All these things are pillars of focus in PDC which created a foundation that pushed me to become a better person, a
better brother. I know I would not have been as successful in pharmacy school had I been without my new family.
What a better way to describe pharmacy school than by opportunity. Every decision is an opportunity and
deciding whether to take them defines your experience. I almost didn’t take the opportunity to join PDC and I would
have regretted that for the rest of my life. Within PDC, I not only had the opportunity to grow as a leader, serve my
community by raising money for St. Jude’s, but also the opportunity to find mentors, life-long friends, and more importantly family. The selflessness I see daily amongst this group of individuals is astounding. Whether it is a ride from
the airport at 4:00am, providing guidance on decisions to what leadership and organizations to seek out, or simply
grabbing dinner to catch up on what has happened amongst a hectic week. I see it every day. The closer I get to my
fourth year, the more nostalgic I get. I am sad that I will not be wandering the halls of Kerr and Beard looking for a
PDC brother to accompany my study session. However, it makes it easier because I am happy to know that these
friends I now call brothers will not fade away. They will always be there supporting me and helping me. The opportunities do not stop here as this fraternity is a nationwide brotherhood that is constantly at work. It is exciting to know
that there are people out there who would stand up for me just because we share the same core values of PDC.
Regardless of any decisions I have made to date, I’ve appreciated that PDC has given me a brotherhood
that helped build the foundation for my pharmacy career and expanded my opportunities and, for that, I will forever
be grateful.
Alpha Gamma Brother since November, 2013
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Appendix
Field Day
Rushing members pictured with current brothers during one of Field Day, one of our rush events. On far right,
Brother Tiffany visits from one of our Buddy chapters—Beta Kappa at Campbell.
Big/Little Reveal
Big/little reveal traditionally involves revealing your little by
presenting their pledge name and the reason behind your
choice (to the right.) This year, we added a new part to the
event by using clues on your puzzle piece to find your big at
their hidden location (to the left.)
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Gatlinburg Retreat
Ice Skating
Brothers embrace the cold on our Gatlinburg retreat and also at home at the local skating rink.
Crazy for the Canes
Nothing like a selfie to capture how much our Brothers
love to support the nearby hockey team—the Hurricanes.
Jordan Lake
Brothers participate in “Spikeball” during our cook out
at nearby Jordan Lake.
Durham Bulls Game
This was one of our first times heading over to
the city next door, Durham, to watch the
Durham Bulls play some baseball and it ended
up being one of our biggest events of the
year!
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Formal
To the left, first year brothers enjoy their first
formal while, to the right, fourth year brothers
enjoy their last formal as a collegiate student.
End of Year Banquet
Brothers join together to take a silly picture and celebrate another amazing year!
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