Rush Hour

Being a teenager is all about living life in the fast lane. Actually that's completely false, because if you all know me you know I can't stand driving (it's scary as hell) and that I always drive 5mph under the speed limit (everyone hates me). But teenagedom is really about being constantly on the go. It's a crazy thing to perpetually be on the move, heading to this meeting and this and pretentiously living by a calendar. I've actually reached that age. But other than being a speedy Gonzales (is that still a thing), it's about joining something bigger than yourself. This is Rush Hour (no Jackie Chan or Chris Tucker references necessary).


Have you ever done something you never thought you would ever do? No, I'm not talking about killing someone and improperly disposing of the body, robbing a bank via teleportation (Jumper style), or eating blow fish. I'm talking about taking a chance and doing something completely outside of your comfort zone. For me, that was joining my fraternity. The word fraternity has so many negative connotations behind it, and with some valid reasons. When I hear the word "frat" (which we do not use) it brings to mind douchey bros, inconsiderate nimrods and raging alcoholic creepers reminiscent of Mike "the Situation" Sorrentino or Dom Mazzeti. Basically, the worst of the worst. I'm not going to lie, all my ideas surrounding the Greek community stemmed from TV, movies, and new stories all with exaggerated portrayals of what actually goes on. After being recruited I jumped right on in the deep end and struggled a bit to find my water wings before realizing my fraternity, the Nu Gamma Chapter of the Phi Mu Delta National Fraternity was right for me. I was skeptical. I was worried it wouldn't be my social scene, I'm most deff not a "guy's guy" or a partyer at all. I was scared about being forced into something I wasn't comfortable worth or having my ass hazed off. But all my fears were calmed and the rumors dispelled. None of that ever happened to me while going through the new member process. I was always comfortable, free to be myself, and to really connect with the other brothers. All my convoluted ideas of massive Rush with secret parties, debauchery and demoralizing hazing from Greek, American Pie: Beta House, 90210, Jimmy Tatro YouTube Videos and the webseries Dorm Life were just that outrageous generalizations. Time to live a little, try something totally different, and commit to rush hour.

Once you've decided which fraternity or sorority is right for you it's time not only learn about the organization you're joining, but who you're committing yourself to, and in return what your brothers/sisters get as well. It all starts with a bid, where a fraternity or sorority formally extends an invitation for you to join their masses. You're inducted, and you take an oath as a pledge or new member to uphold the morals and standards of your Greek organization. There begins your journey into brotherhood or sisterhood. It's amazing, the bond that forms between everyone and it's almost instantaneous. You go to new member education classes, mine were biweekly with our beloved Britishmen himself, Campby, and they were most of the time to highlight of my week. I learned the values and pillars that my fraternity is built upon and it really solidified what I was doing. It's the little things that matter that make it all worth it. Just being able to hang out, making new friends, and being joined together by something that's bigger than any one of individual is amazing. Time winded down, and it was time for the induction ritual to become a full-fledged member complete with actual voting privileges. I finished my biology exam and ran back to my room to get properly dressed in formal attire before power walking hardcore to the Waterman building where I was fashionably late (with good reason). I just remember standing outside the induction room and feeling nervous. I couldn't actually believe I'd made it this far. All of a sudden we were lining up and the rest is a secret. But throughout the ceremony I would hear words and the impact they had was astounding. Personally, I felt elevated, elated, and forever bonded to these people I call brothers.That is something I will never ever forget, for as long as I live. We finished took some silly pictures, and mingled. I finally found out who my big brother is as well, it's Gabe. He's our kind hearted, and absolutely down to Earth dude, goofy, and ridiculous in his own way. The mystery has been solved, finally and I was more than happy with the outcome. Now I'm VP of Records and takes minutes in the meeting, color code our calendar, and kind of keep things organized. I get to do the community service like community clean ups and fundraising. Then there's the socials and brotherhood events that just make your friendships even more apparent. You learn something new about people everyday. That's what brotherhood is and that's what makes fraternities different. We're together, no matter what, no matter when or wherever. We give back, have fun, and make memories. Rush hour is finished and I'm completely a brother, forever and always.


Being a teenager is about finding your niche. We all belong somewhere and when you've figured out where that actually is it's the greatest feeling. You feel welcome, wanted (like the Wanted), and adored. Everyone deserves to know that people truly care about them. It's a necessity, no matter your age, but especially in college where friendships and people can easily come and go. This is rush hour (not one of those crazy sequels).


My blog post question for the day is ... would you ever consider joining a fraternity or sorority? I never thought I would ever do it. I was absolutely against it, but when you find a group of people that you really gel with, you've just got to make a leap of faith and go with it.