Recruitment Chairman
Contact our current recruitment chairman, John Boehm (2025) . Feel free to reach out to John to start the recruitment process, give referrals for potential new members or to get an update from the recruitment team!
Recruitment Chairman
Frank Simonsen (2026)
(612) 849-2678
fsimo26@iastate.edu
Assistant Recruitment Chairman
Contact our assistant recruitment chairman, Sean Svoboda (2026) . Feel free to reach out to Sean as well to start the recruitment process, give referrals for potential new members or to get an update from the recruitment team!
Assistant Recruitment Chairman
John Boehm (2025)
(224) 360-4482
jmboehm@iastate.edu
Join FIJI
Over the last century, the Alpha Iota chapter of Phi Gamma Delta has grown in many ways. We pride ourselves on accepting and molding good students into excellent Fiji gentlemen. We look for many qualities in potential Phi Gams, including a hard work ethic, academic achievement, community involvement, social capabilities, and the drive to succeed in higher education.
Our goal is to best prepare young men for the challenges that the real world presents. We do this by displaying and encouraging the importance of receiving top-tier grades, getting involved on campus, and being a leader in all aspects of collegiate life. This creates well-rounded individuals with an accelerated view of life outside of college.
As one of the longest continual running chapters on the Iowa State campus, we're confident in the brotherhood that we have, and the success it creates for our members. This is shown through the numerous leadership positions that Phi Gams consistently fill on campus. A few examples of Fijis in leadership roles include Interfraternity Council officers, President of Engineers Without Borders, Dance Marathon executives, many Club Soccer Team executives, and 3 Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity presidents in the last few years.
Make sure to read the About Us page for information about our chapter, our history and to see photos of our house.
How Does Recruitment Work?
The Alpha Iota Chapter of FIJI is a member of the Iowa State Interfraternity Council (IFC), a council of many social fraternities at ISU. The Iowa State IFC participates in a recruitment method known as "year long, informal recruitment." This means that there is not a traditional Rush Week, but a process that occurs on a personal basis at any time. At FIJI most recruiting is done throughout the summer to begin in the Fall, although some new members choose to begin in the Spring. This process is used to allow extra time for potential new members and individual chapters to get to know each other and seriously consider their choices.
To begin with the recruitment process you must get in touch with one of the FIJI recruitment officers. The officers may contact you based on referrals and other resources, you can call a recruitment officer, drop by the house or get in touch with any FIJIs that you may know already! Taking initiative and making the first move shows a genuine interest and will help your recruitment efforts. Once you touch base with a recruitment officer, he will schedule a time for you to meet each other or you may possibly be invited to attend a recruitment event with many other potential new members. The year long, informal recruitment process incorporates mutual decision making, meaning that the potential new member and the chapter must both choose to move forward. Once a relationship has been established and a potential new member is carefully considered the chapter may choose to offer him a "bid" to join. This is a formal invitation to join the Fraternity and once signed finalizes the recruitment process.
As of 2017 the Iowa State IFC has also introduced another method of recruitment known as the Interfraternity Council Recruitment Weekend. This event is open to all Iowa State students who are interested in joining a fraternity and gives students the chance to meet with representatives from different chapters. This event is held in the fall at the beginning of the school year and is a great way to meet some current members and talk to our recruitment chairman.
Housing and Meals
FIJI's home is located at 325 Ash Ave., Ames IA 50014. Although our chapter is generally 85-100 members, our house holds 58 people. This means that most members live in the facility, although many choose to live in residence halls, apartments and homes nearby. Members usually live in the house for 5 or 6 semesters depending on house capacity, number of credits and other factors. Since Iowa State's fraternities use the year long, informal recruitment process new members may live in the chapter house their first year at ISU if they choose to. Our large parking lot allows us to offer every in-house member a parking spot. Should the lot fill up, the chapter will purchase spots elsewhere as overflow. Photos and more information about the house can be found in the About Us page.
All in-house and out-of-house members are encouraged to get meal plans! Monday nights are used for formal dinners which consists of members dressing in a suit and tie and eating a meal together as brothers. Our house mother, Mom Jo, invites guests to many formal dinners including University President Stephen Leath and his wife Janet, Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady, ISU Dean of Students Dr. Pam Anthony, and more. Our private chef, Sean, prepares meals for the chapter. Small breakfast items, lunch (Monday-Friday), dinner (Monday-Thursday) and a 24 hour snack room are provided. Each meal is served along side a salad bar. When unable to make it back for a meal we also offer "late-plates." Meal plans are based on the percentage of meals planned to have at the chapter weekly (10% for each lunch and dinner for the week and 10% for access to the snack cart). A 100% meal plan (144 meals) is usually around $1,662, much less expensive than university meal plans.
Cost
Total In-House Projected Costs (with a 100% meal plan)
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Meal Plan Projected Costs
Common Terms
Alcohol Free Recruitment - A process ISU follows in which members and potential new members may not consume alcohol throughout the recruitment process.
Bid / Bid Card - A formal invitation to join the fraternity. Once signed the recruitment process is completed.
Cabinet - Our executive board including the President, Treasurer (VP), Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary and Historian.
Chapter - A branch of the international fraternity at one university.
Cold Airs - The room in which all in-house members sleep. Used to seperate study rooms and roommates from sleep.
Graduate Brother - A member of Phi Gamma Delta that has graduated from college (alumnus).
In-House - Members living in the chapter facility.
Informal Recruitment - A recruitment process that can occur over any period of time.
Interfraternity Council (IFC) - The governing body for social fraternities at ISU.
Office of Greek Affairs - The University Office for Fraternities and Sororities.
Out-of-House - Members not living in the chapter facility.
Study Rooms - The rooms in whcih all in-house members keep their belongings, desk, TV, etc.