Alpha Gamma Rho - Penn State University

5 alpha gamma rho T his spring semester, we welcomed in a new brotherhood class of 10 members. With our ever- increasing number of brothers in Gamma Chapter, we can afford to be much more selective during our recruitment process, ensuring that we bring in quality young men to the house. Their majors and interests range far and wide. From advertising to engineering to immunology and infectious diseases, the spring 2016 new member class is a dynamic and diverse group of young men. Since joining the brotherhood, they have quickly proven themselves as capable and hard workers, setting high hopes for the future of the chapter. During our THON weekend, the spring 2016 new member class was hard at work cheering on our dancers and holding down our section during the wee hours of the morning. New member Nick Smith '16 (Γ1737) stayed in the stands for the entire 46 hours! Our process of assimilating the new member class into the house has been smooth thus far. They have worked hard to learn the history and traditions of our chapter while gaining a much greater appreciation for agriculture. As a class, they have hiked Mt. Nittany, mulched the house, and joined us for social events and for meals every week. I am confident in saying that these young men are future leaders for Gamma Chapter and will continue to move our fraternity forward in a positive direction. Fraternally, David Ballinger '14 (Γ1672), VNR Membership Development The spring 2016 new members, from left: Ryan Schulte '16 (Γ1735), Tom Albertson '16 (Γ1729), Charlie Ocasek '16 (Γ1732), Nick Smith '16 (Γ1737), Austin Gongora '16 (Γ1731), Cas Wolanin '16 (Γ1738), Tom Conroy '16 (Γ1730), Nick Perilli '16 (Γ1733), Kamakaya Silva '16 (Γ1736), and Matt Schloesser '16 (Γ1734). Onward and Upward Gamma Chapter Gains Strength in Numbers I t has been a very busy yet exciting year at Alpha Gamma Rho. Intramural sports thrived, THON was a great experience, and Greek Sing and Homecoming were wonderful times. Over the years, we have thrived in intramural sports. We have made it to championship and late rounds of the playoffs for multiple sports. It began with our softball team cruising through the regular season and losing in the first round of the playoffs, sadly. Brother Brian Morales '14 (Γ1683) made it to the championship for wrestling, but lost a very close match to his opponent and placed second in his division. Our basketball team went undefeated throughout the regular season, but lost to Sigma Chi in the semifinals off a last- second buzzer-beater. Our track season was short and sweet. We placed fourth overall out of five teams that participated. We finished last in many events but that didn't change our attitudes of trying our best. McKenzie Gary '13 (Γ1626) finished first in the 60-meter sprint; he blew away the competition! The soccer team has just started their season and is off to a 2-0 season. We hope for the best and to bring home a championship! Greek Sing was a great weeklong event to witness. We placed fifth in the overall rankings; however, we believe that we should have won. Our performers gave the crowd the performance of a lifetime, and it was great to witness. We were partnered with Delta Gamma and Phi Gamma Delta. Homecoming this past year went great, and we actually made a float! We were happily partnered with Phi Sigma Sigma sorority. We finished in the top 10 for overall Homecoming points, and our float was easily one of the best! We had a barn party, which included lots of hay, overalls, and plaid shirts. It was a great Ag event, and there will definitely be more to come. THON was such a great time, and we are so proud of our dancers, which included David Ballinger '14 (Γ1672), McKenzie Gary '13 (Γ1626), and Peter Clark '13 (Γ1629). Our dancers danced their big hearts out for 46 straight hours. They received help from brothers in our house who visited them on the floor and boosted their morale and overall wellbeing. Sean Walsh '15 (Γ1715), Nick Smith '16 (Γ1737), and myself stood in the stands for 46 hours. THON was a memorable time, and we even raised a lot of money without having the ability to go canning. Hopefully next year we can raise even more money! Fraternally, Zack Mahler '14 (Γ1681) VNR Activities Intramural and Philanthropic Achievements Abound at ΑΓΡ EnhAnCEd rECruiting EffortS mAximizE poSitivE growth for gAmmA ChAptEr T he goal of Gamma Chapter for spring recruitment 2016 was to replace graduating seniors with quality men eager to learn agricultural values and make a positive difference in the chapter. Our recruitment strategy utilized multiple events that catalyzed brother-to-potential new member interaction, allowing us to make more educated decisions when extending bids. The events ranged from a formal poker and cigar night to laser tag and a volleyball tournament, with a few other events in between. Holding a diverse array of recruitment events provided the brothers of Gamma Chapter a great way to get to know potential new members in a variety of settings, which is key to selecting quality future brothers. In the end, Gamma Chapter had 10 freshmen accept their bids, hailing from agricultural Pennsylvania backgrounds all the way to Brazil and Angola. All 10 members have shown genuine interest and aggressive effort toward improving the chapter and broadening their outlook on agriculture. Going forward into fall 2016, our goal is to recruit a slightly larger class of 15 new members with the same hardworking characteristics exhibited by the spring 2016 new member class. If we accomplish this, Gamma Chapter is in capable hands for the foreseeable future. Fraternally, Ryan Moser '14 (Γ1678) VNR Recruitment

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