Phi Gamma Delta - University of Kansas

PI DEUTERON CHAPTER OF PHI GAMMA DELTA • SPRING 2023 M uch has already been written in past newsletters about the momentous steps taken by the Graduate Trustees, Board of Chapter Advisors, House Corporation, and Chapter in the whole-house reformation that has occurred since the incidents from fall 2020 and the subsequent five-year suspension by KU in January 2021, but I must say again that I could not be prouder of the progress that has been made to restore Pi Deuteron to the place we have all known and loved for each of the house's 140 years. I'm even more pleased to be able to share two other items of good news and progress that have been in the works for the past several months. We've Reached a Settlement with KU! While we did not condone the unauthorized events that occurred in September 2021, we never agreed with KU's findings or the suspension that was levied. Many have worked behind the scenes since that time to formally and informally lobby Chancellor Girod and his staff for a reconsideration of the punishments imposed. I am excited to report that through the work of Brothers Rex Henoch '79, Doug Draper '92, Jim Bloom '80, Kevin Nunnally '83, Sam DuFort '23, Shawn McClaren '25, and myself, we have reached a formal agreement with KU to reduce the current suspension from five years to three and a half years (including the 15 months already completed), which will enable the Chapter to remain fully operational and return to full student organizational status by the fall 2025! Moreover, we also negotiated for greater clarity around the terms of the shortened suspension period as well as the restoration of student services and access to available scholarship funds through university resources that had previously been blocked. We didn't get all we wanted; the Chapter is still prohibited from participating in Greek League intramurals and Rock Chalk Revue; however, the remaining terms are reasonable and will be over soon enough. More importantly, through a series of meetings with Chancellor Girod's staff and other key university representatives, we have been able to begin changing the narrative with KU regarding the Chapter and all the good things happening at Pi Deuteron. The university's staff will be engaging and assisting with ongoing Built to Lead programming and other mandated anti- hazing training. In the end, we appreciate the steps taken by KU to meet us in the middle and reach a more favorable resolution. I must thank our Pi Deuteron team, who took time out of their busy schedules to attend multiple meetings with KU representatives and establish a level of credibility and understanding that helped achieve our objectives. This includes Section Leader Dave Schreck '69 and Purple Legionnaire Clark Conover '93, Iowa State University as well as Fraternity Executive Director Rob Caudill '04, University of Akron, who all lent their time and input to the discussions. And finally, I must thank Stewart Horejsi '59, Rich Barr '59, John Baumgartner '64, and many other Brothers who reached out to the Chancellor and others through this process to help keep the momentum going. Renovations to Second and Third Floors More will be shared as the project unfolds, but I am also pleased to share that with the oversight of the House Corporation's Brandon Jackson '92 and a team of Graduate Brothers, we are embarking on a two-year project this summer to fully renovate the second- and third-floor rooms and bathrooms. This will expand on the renovations made in 2015 on the main and fourth floors. By the end of this project, the active Chapter will finally have living spaces more in line with the needs of today's students and the house will have a fully updated HVAC system that will operate more efficiently and reduce energy costs. A separate project, which will include replacing the parking lots, renovating the lower level, and repurposing the fourth-floor space, will be next. Our goal is to keep the Chapter in a state we can all be proud of for years to come. Stay tuned! Mighty Proud, Brothers! Brian Johnston '87 House Corporation President Perge! Persevering through Every Trial P I D E U T E R O N P R E S S E S F O R W A R D T O A B R I G H T F U T U R E Pressing On toward the Goal Letter from the Editor T hese past few months have been very good for Pi Deuteron. To start, we had a GPA of 3.3 for the fall semester and had 42 brothers make FIJI Honor Roll. They were all awarded a steak dinner to celebrate the great triumph. We continue to strive for the best GPA on campus! We recently hosted a canned food drive for local shelters in Lawrence as one of our spring philanthrophies. With help from Brothers and other donors around Lawrence, we were able to raise over $200 worth of goods. The donations didn't stop there! We allowed blankets, clothing, and personal hygiene items to be donated as well; we thank everyone that donated for a good cause. FIJI is well-represented on the Kansas lacrosse team. From left: Alden Breford '26, Owen Gulick '26, Jensen Schnurr '26, Tyson Smith '26, Aiden Beaulieu '26, and Logan Gulick '24. (Continued on page 2)

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