Phi Gamma Delta fraternity received a long-awaited gift on Valentine's Day. The University's Omicron chapter of the national fraternity, also known as Fiji, officially was re-charted Feb. 14. The re-chartering gala was held at Alumni Hall.
The festivities included the initiation of the current 54 brothers into Fiji, and it was attended by several national officials, Fiji President Chris Anderson said.
The event was the culmination of two years of work and dedication on behalf on the Fiji brothers, according to Anderson, who added that this is just the beginning for his chapter.
"For the past two years we've had well-specified tasks to do -- our challenge now is to continue with the same momentum," he said.
Almost six years ago in May 1999 the brothers of Fiji voluntarily gave up their charter after not living up to their own expectations, Anderson said.
After a four-year break, the Fiji nationals approached students at the University in an attempt to reinstate a chapter in spring 2002. Anderson said the Fiji nationals wanted to create a brotherhood-based fraternity with men who exemplified all of the fraternity's values.
Twenty-eight men were chosen from across the University to begin the new colony.
Fiji maintained colony status for two years until Feb. 14 of this year when it officially received its charter from the national headquarters, Anderson said.
"Fiji nationals have really stringent standards for the colonies that they re-charter -- they require us to be [of] the highest caliber," said Dan Laufer, co-event coordinator for Run Across Virginia, Fiji's philanthropy event.
Laufer also said Fiji had to display a strong philanthropy, demonstrate that the brothers were involved in the community and prove they were academically driven.
He added that all chapters of Fiji had to unanimously vote to readmit the colony to the national organization which took place last semester.
In November of last year Fiji completed its "Run Across Virginia" philanthropy in which the fraternity members of the University chapter, along with the members from the Virginia Tech chapter, ran 157 miles from Blacksburg to Charlottesville for the football game against Virginia Tech. The brothers completed the distance, passing off the game ball along the way.
The run raised $36,128 for The V Foundation for cancer research.
Fiji boasts one of the highest average grade point averages of Inter-Fraternity Council fraternities, an average that is well above the all men's average, according to Laufer.
The re-chartering "is a tangible piece of evidence of our hard work over the past two years," Laufer said.
IFC President Ryan Ewalt also acknowledged the work of the Fiji brothers.
"They've worked really hard, and the things they've done speak to the impressive character of their guys," Ewalt said.
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