Hello Gentle Reader:
While I'm writing a longer post for this blog about some other things, I would be remiss if I didn't reach out to the over 200 men that have decided to stand with me as my Chapter Brother and celebrate our 17th anniversary. It has been a long road, full of trials and tribulations, happiness and sorrow, and love and hate. I thank each and everyone of you for helping me become the man that I am, and the man that I further aspire to be.
What a long way we have come from that fall, slightly cold morning when 29 of us, clad in our tuxedos, walked over to St. James Church and pledged ourselves to be lifelong companions in this journey. And we have done just that - we have travelled together, laughed together, cried together and be there in good times and bad. We have fought with each other and helped each other through the times that weren't as happy. But we've done that because that's what Phi Psis do. This is why we are the preeminent men's group at DePaul. This is why young men, over the last 17 years, have come to Lincoln Park and decided that they wanted to be a part of the Noble Fraternity. Men with names like DeFina, Schoefernacker, Reynolds, and Maza. Intelligent men named Hernandez, Medio, Hanichak, Trotter, Mattzela and Fenedick. Exuberant men named Mandel, Lieberman, Cavallo, Bill T, Wojtonik and Weaver. Pensive, thoughtful men named Spurlock, Haro, Harvey, Dimasi, and Condren (both versions 1 and 2). And everyone else that has, for no matter how long, called Illinois Zeta home.
Thanks also to all of those Brothers of Phi Kappa Psi across the country, from the time I was a bright eyed Colonist until now, that have guided me and allowed me to live and to flourish. Men like Knapp, Watt, Ong, Blazer, Kent, Harper (wow do I miss you, Terrry), Dud, Tryon, Chic,all the guys around the bend at dinner and my Fraternal Father, Nez (i could never thank you enough for all that you have done for me...and my contemporaries who strive, as I do to continue to live by the guiding principles set forth by Thomas Campbell over 150 years ago - Lee, Knacks, Dusty, Chaty, Hauck, Marks, Will H, Trig, Patterson, LeRoy, Ben, Luke, Hall, Nicky, Jon A, Rich Rozycki and his brother Tom, Poobah, and our ED, Collie.
Last but not least I want to thank all of the people in my life who have been a part of this amazing journey with me that are NOT my Brother...you have allowed me, and probably all of us in Phi Psi, the ability to be strong, intelligent men who want to do good in the world. To the women who took a leap of faith in college when it might have been social suicide to be seen with the new guys on campus to the ones that still talk to us to this day, thank you! The ladies of Phi Psi are indeed an amazing bunch, and without them none of us would be here, so my heartfelt thanks to you all.
As we move into year 18, I leave you with the most poignant modern words about our Strong Band:
"Let us be who we say we are...a Fraternity, not a Club; run by Men, not Boys; and based on Ideals, not Expediency."
Always In the Bond,
Marc A. S. Dumas (003...)
