'Til the Day I Die

      My freshman year of college, I was asked by a friend to join her at an information session for one of the over 600 organizations on the campus of The Ohio State University. I had no idea what I was going to; I just went because she didn't want to go alone. I sat in a room with around 20 other people and sat a little shell shocked as Greek letters were being spoken at me. The members in front of me kept mentioning doing a lot of community service and it seemed a lot like things that I enjoyed in high school. Leaving the meeting, I still had no idea what the organization was called, but I was going to join with my friend. Looking back, that decision was one of the most critical moments of my life. That was the moment I started my journey to become a brother of Alpha Phi Omega.

     It was a huge risk for me. I was that shy kid that kind of sat in the background and didn't say anything. This idea of joining a service orientated brotherhood was terrifying. I came in with no preconceived notions. Back then, I wouldn't even be able to tell you what a brotherhood was. After four years, spending exorbitant amounts of time with these crazy people who kept throwing Greek letters at me, I think I can define it.

What is brotherhood?

      I am guilty of using the mantra, "I came for the service, stayed for the friends." From the moment I joined, I felt like I belonged. Brotherhood is that sense of belonging. Brotherhood is my first pledge meeting when the 'bigs' were introducing themselves and a guy stands up and says, "Choose me, you're going to be jealous if you don't because I'm the best big ever," (I bet you will never guess which big I chose). Brotherhood is when you find out that someone shares your favorite restaurant and proceed to go eat there weekly for over two months. Brotherhood is when someone sits in a car with you for 32 hours in the course of a week and is still willing to speak to you afterwards. Brotherhood is when you were at the hospital the entire night and spent the entire day in bed crying and someone comes to check on you at 5 pm because you hadn't been answering texts and phone calls all day, then when they see that you're in a bad place, invite you out to dinner with them. Brotherhood is when you tell someone that you think you might have to quit the fraternity and they tell you, "No matter what you decide to do, you're always welcome here and you're always my little." Brotherhood  is that someone who goes trekking across campus in the middle of finals to give you a hug and play a game of pickup volleyball because you're having a rough week. Brotherhood is when you are sitting in a hospital bed and someone comes and talks to you for five hours straight just to cheer you up. Brotherhood is when someone picks up their phone at 3 am, opens their front door, and rolls over to let you take up half their bed because you got in a fight with your roommate and can't stay in the dorm that night. Brotherhood is when your dad dies and someone comes to meet you outside chapter because they wanted to be the first one to give you a hug and when you walk in there seems to be a never ending reception line of others ready to do the same. Brotherhood is when someone carries you 400 yards up and down flights of steps because you just shattered your knee and then drives you home in the morning to grab crutches. Brotherhood is when you feel like giving up and someone gives you that push to give it one more try.

      Brotherhood happens in those moments where you form this irrevocable bond with someone. Brotherhood happens when you realize that these people are here for you, no matter what you need, and you want more than anything to be the same to them. Brotherhood is a product of common goals being completed by uncommon people. As a brother of Alpha Phi Omega, I know I am a brother for life and I have built unbreakable bonds with some of the most amazing people that I have ever met. I could speak to my brothers every day or go years without a word and the same spirit of brotherhood would remain. We are forever united in common goals and convictions: socially, academically, spiritually diverse and yet at the concurrently the same. That is brotherhood.