GreekRank is zeroing in on the sororities and fraternities across the country that embody what makes Greek life great. In our Profile series, you’ll have an opportunity to learn more about local chapters and what makes them unique. This week, we highlight the Zeta chapter of Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) at Indiana University - Bloomington.
The Zeta chapter of Phi Gamma Delta, also known as Fiji, has quite a few things to be proud of this year. For one, the new 52,000-square-foot stone mansion pictured below is their new house, and we might pledge just to take up residency there. The house, called a “rush magnet” by one student, is also in the heart of campus, on one of its busiest streets. According to the The Bloomington Herald-Times, the house is made with Indiana limestone from local quarries, and features a faux slate roof, double-hung metal windows and stucco finishing on walls, all meant to mimic what other on-campus architecture looks like.
House aside, take a scroll through their Facebook page to see all the reasons why past brothers (and other fans!) support the fraternity. A brother from the class of 1959 says “four years at Zeta Chapter were the best ever,” a sentiment echoed by others who graduated decades ago and still come back.
Founded in 1848 nationally, with Zeta Fiji's founding at IU in 1871, the fraternity’s mission is “to promote lifelong friendships, to reaffirm high ethical standards and values, and to foster personal development in the pursuit of excellence.” Since its founding, the fraternity has welcomed 162,000 brothers across 107 chapters nationwide.
Famous past brothers include President Calvin Coolidge, golfer Jack Nicklaus, the founder, owner and president of Nike, Phillip Knight, and TV host Johnny Carson.
The fraternity puts a stake in leadership development through their own program, called “Taking the Lead.” Fiji teamed with Dr. Kenneth Blanchard, a Phi Gam and author of “The One Minute Manager,” to develop the cutting-edge, four-part program which uses a bottom-up approach to develop leaders throughout their college years.
Fiji takes an active role in intramurals as well. According to their website: “Phi Gamma Delta strives to be competitive in intramural sports. We play to win.”
Fiji has a strong philanthropic focus, participating in a variety of fundraisers and philanthropic projects throughout the year. Their philanthropy internationally is The Red Cross, and their most popular fundraisers include a pig roast, a “Face off for the Forces” lacrosse game against other fraternities, and more.
But perhaps most notably, the fraternity participates in IU’s Dance Marathon, where Zeta Fiji holds the distinction of being the highest fundraising group since IUDM’s inception. Congrats!
Interested in rushing? Zeta Fiji’s rush process consists of the usual main steps of rush, bidding, pledging, and initiation. They prefer standout high school seniors who take a weekend to visit the campus and Fiji house, where they’re shown room to room and around campus to better understand what life as a Fiji is like. If high school seniors are unable to attend a rush weekend, or if they are already IU students, there are other rush events available as well.
Potential brothers are selected that are believed to best represent the values and attitude of the fraternity. Learn more about the chapter on their website.
