Tech Topics - Summer 2008 - (Page 24) StudentLife Electing to Serve GARY MEEK Congressman encourages student leaders to continue involvement as young alumni By Kimberly Link-Wills In Reality, Greeks Urge Pursuit Of Scholarship I n the fall of 1960, 18-year-old Phil Gingrey of Augusta, Ga., arrived on the Tech campus. That fall, the freshman voted in the presidential election for the first time and cast his ballot for John F. Kennedy. “He’s the only Democrat that I ever voted for for president,” quipped Gingrey, Chem 65, now a Republican congressman, in a speech to student leaders during a campus event in April hosted by the Young Alumni Council, made up of 30 people from across the country who graduated from Tech within the past 10 years. Council member Bert Reeves, Mgt 00, said the organization gave the students the opportunity to meet Gingrey to show its appreciation for their contributions to Tech and to let them know that they could continue to contribute after graduation. Reeves told the students, “You can get plugged in as soon as you graduate and start giving back to Tech as an alum.” Gingrey said he was pleased to learn about the Young Alumni Council, an organization that did not exist when he graduated, a time when he was ready to put the academic rigors of Tech behind him and focus on pursuing a degree at the Medical College of Georgia. “When I walked off the stage at the Fox Theatre in June 1965, I just wanted to get so far away from Georgia Tech. I didn’t want to hear anything about Georgia Tech,” he said. “If anybody at that point had asked me, ‘Phil, would you join this group?’ or ‘Would you make a little pledge?’ I probably would have said no. “I would encourage you to get involved,” Gingrey told the students. “They’re not going to ask you for a $50,000 contribution or pledge. You might not be in a position to give $500, to make that kind of commitment as you just start your first job. As time goes on and you reflect back, as I’ve had many, many opportunities to do, then you love this place, you really do.” He recalled taking seven courses his first year at Tech and meeting the twoyear requirements of physical education and ROTC. Gingrey admitted to rarely cracking a book in high school. The The Young Alumni Council brought Rep. Phil Gingrey, Chem 65, back to campus to encourage student leaders to maintain their strong ties to the Institute after they graduate. salutatorian was in for a rude awakening as a Tech freshman. “The first year I wasn’t really involved in anything on campus other than just trying to survive academically,” said Gingrey, who went on to serve on the student council, as a fraternity president and as the designated driver of the Ramblin’ Wreck. “I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I got selected.” Gingrey also was a member of Koseme and Omicron Delta Kappa. “I was not a member of Anak. I wanted to be,” he said to a swell of laughter from his audience. “You learn at Georgia Tech to work hard, be tough, not expect any breaks, make your own way,” he said. “Your degree from this place is a tremendous asset.” To illustrate his point, Gingrey spoke of a recent event he hosted to boost his campaign coffers. “This fundraiser was going to be focused on the Atlanta business community so I started looking through the Tech Alumni Magazine to try to figure out who did I know, who did I go to school with, what names were prominent. … It was just unbelievable the number of people that had been tremendously successful that were graduates of Georgia Tech. “I was a little hesitant to call, but I did make myself do those cold calls,” Gingrey said. “It was amazing the positive response. They went through the same hell that I went through academically at this place, and there’s a bond there. We had the most successful fundraiser that I’ve ever done. It was because of my background and my connection to the Tech family.” Gingrey was an obstetrician/ gynecologist in Marietta, Ga., when he TECHTOPICS was elected to the local school board. Four years later, the Republican was elected to the Democrat-controlled state Senate. Four years after that, in 2002, he won a bid for Congress. “When the congressional seat came up, even though it was drawn for a Democrat by what we refer to as gerrymandering, I decided that I would run. I was getting a little tired of being in the minority in the Georgia Senate. Had I lost that election, I would have kept practicing medicine and I’d probably still be delivering babies today.” Gingrey admitted that giving up his medical practice took some getting used to and that he still missed it sometimes. “But this job I have now is so much more important. There are lots of doctors out there delivering babies and doing a good job. There are only 535 of us who are serving in Congress representing almost 300 million people. I think I’m where I need to be.” Gingrey still isn’t used to the political bickering between parties. “I see Democrats who I know are good people. They are mamas and daddies and … they go to church. We have a weekly Bible study group that is bipartisan. And yet we go about our daily lives on the floor trying to discredit one another. I’m not real comfortable with that.” Two of his four children are Tech alums, Billy, IntA 94, and Phyllis, ABiol 97. He offered some fatherly words of wisdom to the current students. “I think the most important advice I can give you is show up early with a smile on your face and just be determined to outwork everybody around you.” And Gingrey sounded like he was still giving doctor’s orders when he said, “Try to stay healthy spiritually, mentally and physically.” house full of guys can be fodder for reality TV. Greek life at Georgia Tech might not pull in the ratings. It’s too good. “Fraternity houses have the same framework as a reality television show. They put a bunch of 18- to 24-year-olds in the same house, with a limited amount of money, few jobs and opportunities to win or lose. However, the culture, values and community of Georgia Tech Greeks make this place a better place,” said Amy Stalzer, the Institute’s former director of Success Programs. Stalzer spoke at an Interfraternity Council reception to reward excellent scholarship within the Greek community during the spring semester. And the Greek system produces exceptional scholars. For example, more than 119 fraternity men earned a 4.0 grade point average in the spring semester of 2007, and seven chapters had a collective GPA greater than 3.0. “There are researchers in higher education who say that being Greek negatively affects a student’s GPA. These studies may be applied nationally, but that is not true at Georgia Tech. It’s not true because in the Georgia Tech Greek system, you have house cultures that invite faculty to come speak and share in the fraternity. You encourage your brothers to do better academically. And those things don’t show up in the research,” Stalzer said. “They only happen at Georgia Tech.” The awards for most improved individual, most improved chapter and best overall chapter were selected by John Stein, dean of students, and the IFC scholarship chairs. Phi Gamma Delta’s Jordan Kramer, who raised his GPA by 1.2 points over two 15-hour semesters, received the award as most improved individual. Pi Kappa Phi was named the most improved chapter. Phi Gamma Delta, which has maintained a chapter GPA greater than the all-men’s average for five consecutive years, received the best overall chapter recognition. Chapter members who have a GPA greater than 3.0 receive a steak dinner, and the member with the highest GPA receives a financial stipend for the semester. The top three fraternities recognized for GPA in 2007 were Delta Chi, Theta Xi and Beta Theta Pi. | SUMMER 2008
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