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This summer provided Brother Wade Haga and I the opportunity to live our values of friendship, knowledge, service, morality and excellence. We travelled to Ecuador to serve the struggling community of Santa Ana while taking classes through the Kentucky Institute for International Studies. Brother Haga and I worked in a four-person group on our own project to construct a playground in the community to give younger children a place to play as older children dominate the soccer field. It was here that I learned many things about myself and this fraternity. I came to Ecuador an uncaring young man, naive to the world outside America and still

struggling to grasp the core values of this fraternity. At my worst, I viewed the world for what it could give me. At my best, I viewed it for what it could give to those around me— my best attempt at friendship. But as I reached out to serve Santa Ana, I found something com-pletely unsought. I found excellence. It existed in the love and respect of a foreign people, in the smiles of their children, and the joy in knowing I found those things through humbling myself. As I dug hole after hole, erecting the structure our group spent months raising money to build, I grew closer and closer to these people on another continent. I may have given a play-

ground, but I gained compassion and new friends. And that is what we are here for— to love those around us. There is no greater joy than lifting up oth-ers, whether in Ecuador or not. My favorite moments in Ec-uador came in times when I shared my happiness with those around me. Before my journey, I would have viewed Santa Ana as an ex-pendable part of a vast world that can’t be changed by one person. Maybe that’s true. I can’t change the world. But to the people in that small village, I did. Now there are so many worlds yet to be changed, and my brothers can help me change them. That’s why I joined.

FIJI: A million reasons to join, one way to live

Photo and Commentary by Nick Bratcher

Brothers Wade Haga and Nick Bratcher pose with a FIJI flag after constructing a playground in Santa Ana,

The skinny:“I joined FIJI because...

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“I found a group of people that were like-minded and better and would push me to be more like them.”

-Corey JohnsonLexington Junior

“It offered me the chance to help build something I thought I could never be a part of.”

-Josh AmosBowling Green Junior

Brothers pose for a picture at Chi Eta’s Pig Dinner, an annual event to celebrate and reunite WKU FIJI alumni.Photo by Brian Campbell

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“I love the brotherhood that helps me out and holds me accountable and gets me in-volved here at WKU.”

-Trip CarpenterOwensboro Sophomore

“I saw an opportunity to grow as a person. That’s something I definitely wanted to do here at WKU.”

-Chris KinneyLouisville Junior

Graduate Spotlight:

In the fall of 2008, gradu-ating senior Brandon Bowman put his faith in a Greek organi-zation dreaming of something greater than himself, envision-ing something much different than what he could currently see on WKU’s campus. “WKU’s fraternities didn’t suit me or what I was looking for in a fraternity,” Bowman said. “I wanted to join a group of guys who shared both similar values and goals.” “I joined Phi Gamma Delta because I knew it had the potential to fit me.” For anyone that has spent five minutes with Bow-man, this statement is not a light one. “Brandon dreams big,” freshman Sam Knott said. “He doesn’t see a ceiling to what we could accomplish through our brotherhood. His goals are always a little bit higher than what I think is possible, but that’s what makes him a great brother.” That forward vision and maximizing personality have benefitted the Chi Eta chapter of FIJI since before its existance. “Before I even pledged, I had high hopes for our group-to-be,” Bowman said. “I was just so amazed by the quality of men I kept meeting while we were being recruited.”

Since Bowman gradu-ated in the fall of 2011, Chi Eta has won an award for the best FIJI chapter internationally. But Bowman’s not resting on Chi Eta’s laurels. “I’m so proud of my brothers and our chapter,” he said. “They amaze me, but more than anything, I hope that our successes are merely just scratching the surface of what we can do and what we will do.” Though Bowman has influenced the chapter greatly, he says that street has gone both ways. For Bowman, friend-ship has truly been the sweetest influence. “Our chapter has devel-oped every part of me in some way. Each brother was a model for some trait that I could im-prove— humility, scholarship,

discipline—everything,” he said. There is more to a fra-ternity than the friendships and bonds that hold it together, though. Events such as charter-ing weekend and positions such as Corresponding Secretary have had a profound impact on Bowman. “Each project or issue provided me the opportunity to lead, follow, or serve,” he said. “Brothers always sharpened me by encouraging my successes and reflecting with me on my mistakes and failures.” As Bowman moves for-ward in life, he said he is waiting to make a rigid career plan. “No matter where my path takes me, though, I always hope it intersects often with our chapter,” Bowman said. “That, I never want to change.”

Brandon Bowman (2010)

Pledge Brother Clay Simpson and Brandon Bowman pause for a picture during a Home-coming tailgate in October.

-Photo by Katie Knecht

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