Back in college the Wombie and I were in a fraternity. It was the best on campus, the Phi Delta Theta fraternity which, while social was also keen on good grades. It is no secret that the Phi Delts were the best and brightest. Alas, there is no longer a chapter on campus due to declining enrollment and a shift away from the Panhellenic life on campuses these days. In fact I don't think there are any Greek charters at IWC today. When we were there, however, no less than 7 fraternities and sororities existed off-campus. Fortunes and social needs change. The Elks, Kiwanis, Jaycees, and Masons are all struggling to get people interested. Back in the day fraternities and sororities were the best ticket in town.
Your loyal blogger is in the middle of these two great gentlemen. Nick Van Winkle sadly lost his son a few years back and has seemed to retire from life. Russ Foust, aka Rascal, lives in a small town in Iowa not too far from Omaha. I hear from Russ on a regular basis and is a reader of this blog. Funny and nice guy.
Tom Ross-Barnett lives in Colwyn Bay Wales, UK and if interested in his life you can travel back to the February 28, 2011 post titled The Grasshopper Boy to discover his fascinating life. Go to the right side of the blog page and see the years/months to find the appropriate one. To sum it up if you havent the desire to navigate the archives, RB was discovered in Liberia at an early age by a British philanthropic doctor. he had polio and hopped around like a grasshopper. She sent him to Britain to get braces for his leg and then off to IWC for an education. Perhaps we educated him too well.
A gentle, quiet man with a smooth British accent. RB was a ton of laughs and we chat often via Facebook.
Next to RB was Tom Sandersfeld, or Sandbag. His flaming red hair seems to have given way to some gray. Tom lives in a small Iowa town, Marengo, and is a realtor.
Wombie Mark is in Aledo and is the water superintendent. Mark and Holly have THE best porch in Mercer County, perhaps in all of QC area. I swear. I am not given to hyperbole, but I enter that porch and I am transported to Relaxationville.
This young man is Dr. Daniel Kolbow. He lies in Kansas City and was my Pledge Son. Wickedly charming and incredibly smart he obtained his doctorate in chemistry and plays in our fantasy baseball and football leagues. Like his former fraternity Big Brother, he too, is a long suffering Met's fan.
We ran into each other at Homecoming in 2003.
Mark Neish was a big guy who could have been intimidating if he wasn't such a nice guy. Mark introduced us to Iron City Beer (he was from Pittsburgh) and he had the only copy to Stairway To Heaven on the floor. It ran almost non-stop for awhile. We had some reunions a couple times after graduation but like many things, they died out after the shared experience of college no longer seemed relevant.
Ricky Behncke was famous for one line. After having all piled into a car to go see a scary flick when we returned back to the dorm a bit scared and began to discuss the flick. Ricky then said: "Gee, do you have a kind of unsettled feeling deep in the pit of your stomach and it just won't go away?" Some smartass said, "No", to which he then replied, "Me neither." Atta boy, Ricky, be your own man.
There are two points to this post I'd like to make. One, the fraternity thing was pretty neat for me and a great experience. Besides the fun, and the acquaintances, it proved that one of the timeless needs for individuals is to "belong". I held a couple offices while I was there and we learned the value of community, sharing, and discipline. The parties were pretty fun, too. The Wombie and I were kidnapped by our sorority sisters on our birthday one year. That was an experience. We also learned that what happens at IWC stays in IWC long before anyone else coined the phrase. I recall fondly the end of a year and we piled boxes in the living room at home to empty the car. Our dog, magic went over and grabbed a plastic bag and went to the center of the room gnawing on it while Mom and Mark and I chatted. Glancing down at the dog trying to get in this bag I immediately remembered it being a bag of grass. Marj, bless her heart, wanted to know what it was and I think I just said something like a science experiment.
There are those who keep their hand in fraternity affairs and wear the emblems long after graduation. I imagine, much like the Elks or other associations, it becomes ingrained and you just don't want to let it go. Me? When college was over, so was the need to be a frat freak. I enjoyed the experience and brotherhood and enjoy friendships to this day. But I seldom think of myself as a Phi Delt, it was a point in time that was useful, entertaining and a building block to adulthood. It's like I put away my childish things.
And secondly, if possible, keep up your contacts with your friends as you go through life. Like my Uncle Ed told me many times, he never knew anyone with too many friends.
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