I am constantly amazed at how the Miami culture has transformed my perceptions and changed the course of my actions since arriving on campus. In my previous blogs I shared how campus life has altered my thoughts on service to the community, academics and people in general. It is only during the reflective stage do I fully realize and appreciate the impact Miami has had upon me. I have come to realize that the shifts in perceptions, principles and values is the essence of the college experience. Taking into account where I was at the start of this journey to where I am now, one semester seems like a life time of growth. However, my metamorphosis is in constant cycles and is continuing even as you read this post. My most recent manifestation comes from an unlikely source that is already leading me down a path towards another self revelation.
When I arrived on Miami’s campus I came in with a set perception of how college life would be. I had forethoughts on all aspects of college life and one of those foregone conclusions centered around greek life. From pop culture I held Miami’s greek life on par with movies like Animal House or Revenge of the Nerds. I perceived it to embody the gross aspects of drunken debauchery and was a vehicle for the derailment of my aim for college. It wasn’t until I became close friends with those in the greek community did I begin to appreciate the qualities they could bring to me.
Now that I am in the pledging process I find the myself surrounded with individuals who are my equals in terms of intelligence and morality. We come from all walks of life but the idea of brotherhood draws us to each other. The idea that our interaction today will propel us into better men tomorrow is exciting and requires much more inquiry. I proudly hail BETA THETA PI and those affiliated because it is those men I call brothers who will take me to the upper echelons in wherever I want to go.