Farewell!

     Last night officially closed my undergraduate experience as an active member of my fraternity. It was a wonderful evening with the people I have been bonded with for four years and it was exciting to see the new pledge classes, young men I had not had the chance to meet yet. Men in the pledge classes below spoke about the graduating seniors, retelling favourite memories, pieces of advice, a special roast and even rattling through my past Twitter rants. It was good fun and yet somehow it was sad. It is weird to think that I will never have another Monday night chapter with all of us together, but at the same time, it’s really exciting to continue my membership as an alumnus. 

     Sometimes I look back and wish I would have been more involved, although anyone would say I was over involved, but the important thing is to learn to let go of the past. There’s no good in being bitter over life’s disappointments. My Greek career at Mizzou has been something that I feel blessed for. After applying for a Rho Gamma position my sophomore year, my view on Greek Life quickly changed from the small picture that you receive from being just apart of your chapter, to the large, wide-angled lense that is the umbrella of Greek Life. After Formal Recruitment that summer I quickly started squeezing my way into the Office of Greek Life and quickly befriending Julie Drury (Senior Coordinator), Janna Basler (Director), and Leeann Cravens (Admin. Assistant). I took up any opportunity to help in the office and explore this “behind the scenes” look of the administrative side of the Greek Life world.

     The summer following my junior year I joined the team as an Intern working alongside the councils for IFC and PHA Formal Recruitment. Daily, I presented to incoming freshmen and their parents on what exactly Greek Life is and why it is still important and relevant today. To this day, I find that summer to be in the top 3 summers. I grew as a professional, learned to drive a golf cart at full speed on a university campus, and realised I still have a lot to learn, but when you surround yourself by great leaders, it’s all worth it.

     So, what started out as a post to reflect on my journey of being Greek, actually wound up being a thank you. A thank you to the men of Delta Chi a few pledge classes above me for seeing something in me and knowing that I would make a great man. A thank you to my parents for supporting my decision to go Greek. A thank you to my amazing Pledge Father and best friend. A thank you to Diggit Graphics for putting up with me constantly critiquing their t-shirt designs until I got just what I wanted when I was PR Chair. A thank you to every Greek man and woman on this campus, whether we shared a positive or negative interaction, I learned something from you. And finally, a thank you to the Office staff for putting up with my humour, my rants at breakfast, my lazy tendencies, and for believing in me and providing me with an exceptional opportunity.

Fraternally yours.

[Check out my past posts in regards to Greek Life here.]