Fiji founding fathers experience victory and opposition

Heather Buckner

Phi Gamma Delta delegates arrived to Montevallo's campus February 11 and have been busy building a brotherhood ever since.

“We have seven guys who have joined,” said field secretary Josh Wiseman. “We’re looking to have a couple more within the next few weeks. We have about three more weeks left on campus.”

Men interested in joining their ranks are welcome to stop by Student Life, where Wiseman and fellow secretary Adam Wagner set up office—every day from around 8:30 a.m. until about 5 p.m. 

Wiseman says the majority their day is spent
filling out paperwork for other chapters.

Wiseman admitted that, while they do have a lot of work to do, eight hours in that room can be a bit much. So what do they do when they aren’t rushing potential members?

“We do take some time for ourselves. Maybe watch a bit of Netflix. I’ve gotten really big into Parks and Rec lately,” said Wiseman, laughing. 

But they have been busy since arriving, even having the opportunity to share in Fiji’s first unofficial win—Alpha Gamma Delta’s He’s a Lady pageant.

“We brought out all the guys who had been going through the process to support him, and he did a phenomenal job. There’s a picture of Adam and I along with Kevin and two other guys who had accepted bids at that point,” said Wiseman. “That’s going to be the first picture that goes down as the first picture of Fiji at Montevallo—him dressed in his red wig and blue dress.”

Wagner tells the founding fathers they are
"always wearing their letters" now.

But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the new Fijis.

“There are people I have been friends with for years who, at an intramural game this week, wouldn’t even so much as talk to me,” said one new member. “But if that happens to you, brush it off. That’s what we’re here for.”

Another newly pledged brother shared a similar experience: “I was made fun of very vividly on a public platform by one of the other fraternities.”

Wagner however, ended their first official meeting in a fitting way—explaining to the young men that they were now pledge brothers and would be together to support each other as brothers, in his words, “from now until…forever.”