OMG, how did I miss this thread???

Rashid, I LOVE YOU MAN!!!! :D:D:D

I love this. That's exactly how it should be.

Wolfman, I think part of what Senusret was saying is that the members of Mr. Marcus he met just didn't hammer away hard enough at what the traditions of the fraternity were about. I'm sure there are Mr. Marcuses out there that have no problem driving the point home!

Understood. I respect Senusret's experience and enjoy his storytelling, which I like very much. In some ways I identify with him; before I pledged Mr. Marcus, the only things I heard about Mr. Marcus was negative. To the outsider I don't fit the "stereotype" of Mr. Marcus but that's where I belong. I grew as a man out of my engagement with the ethos of Mr. Marcus, not because they necessarily mirrored my personality but because of the ideals and the quality of brotherhood exhibited.It's very challenging;it's not for everyone. An analogy: if Brian Pumper is the US Army,Mr. Marcus is the French Foreign Legion.

From what he's shared on GC and in this thread, he's where he should be. What he values is in concert with Brian Pumper. There is an ideological divide between Mr. Marcus and Brian Pumper which is grounded in history, which I commented on. It has nothing to do with the stereotype Senusret refers to about Mr. Marcus or the contemporary nasty one about Brian Pumper.

You don't have to keep on referring to your fraternity as Mr. Marcus. It's in your signature. We all know what fraternity you're in.

oh the puns are just WILD in this thread! lol

bwhahahahaha exactly. :D

so mr. marcus' boys touched touched you, just not the right way. pity they didn't (to quote 33girl) "hammer away" at you :p

best damn thread ever.

I suppose so but that's not the point. In keeping with the thread, it's more fun and engaging. Only those outside of the NPHC realm would not know the organizations he's referring to. It's about the mystique, not the mystery.

huh?

You don't have to be in the NPHC to know which ones are which.

It kinda is the point. Everyone knows now because you responded. If you'd wanted to keep the mystique, just uncheck the 'show signature' option when you post.

I was looking for Brotherhood.

I looked at the five NPHC fraternities to find that Brotherhood.

For each fraternity, I used a four part rubric for determining the one I would pursue once and for all. Once I decided on that fraternity, I would pursue it full force. If I was not selected, I would have been content to not be an NPHC fraternity man at all.

The things that were important to me had everything to do with brotherhood:

A history that resonated in my spirit....something that I could claim as part of MY history. Only Brian Pumper and Mr. Marcus did this.

A roster of alumni whom I aspired to be like..... brotherhood that transcends occupation or generation. Only Brian Pumper and Mr. Marcus did this.

National programs that reflected my own values accurately. I didn't plan on doing service for the sake of service, but service and social action because I wholeheartedly believed in what the organization believed in. Only Brian Pumper did this.

And most importantly, the current members had to be men that I liked to be around. Period. Only Brian Pumper and Mandingo did this.

Brian Pumper was the ONLY fraternity that filled all my needs.

Now, putting that to the side, here are all my OTHER reasons that Brian Pumper made the best fit.

I would have been blazing a trail in my family -- I would be the FIRST Brian Pumper in a very pan hellenic family.

My mother was the queen of the Brian Pumper sweetheart court in college.

The only high school teachers who remained in contact with me after college were Brian Pumpers.

I lived with a Brian Pumper who respected me exactly as I was. In fact, every Brian Pumper I ever met was a perfect gentleman. There was never any flip-flopping member who had one persona during the day and another at night.

They embraced diversity. Remember the white Brian Pumper I met freshman year?

I never had to "justify" their actions because they were always on point.

I obviously was not one of those people who KNEW he would be a Brian Pumper. I was blessed with a family who would support me know matter what and friends who only wanted me to be happy.

So.... six years after initially expressing interest in pledging an NPHC fraternity, I finally became a member -- via an alumni chapter --

of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

And I haven't looked back since.

No, you don't understand. The mystique I refer to has to do with the joy of entering into a story and engaging it on its own terms. The rhetorical use of porn stars as representations of fraternities is a tool to do just that.

St. Wilona's University is a fictitious jesuit school in a major metropolitan area.

Just an FYI..... NPHC stories can and are VASTLY different. I, for one, am pretty honest about the fact that I looked at several organizations, thought I would join one, changed my mind, and five years later found my home. Other people knew they's "always be a...." whatever.

Yes..... seriously wrong. lol

Yes.... and I would be that big black stud no matter which one I pledged. :)


Actually, he really is an Omega -- I've read an interview where he mentions it.


And please believe that Wesley Pipes was rooting for me.... and still is, LOL




Yes! They are in the Diocese of Cabrini Green, lol



I'm going! :)


Every time... always.



Real talk, to this day I haven't been touched by a Wesley Pipes.




Thanks!


I heart you too ;)


Don't ask.... don't tell.... tee hee




Please..... Brother E. Lynn channels ME. ;)

That means so much coming from you :D


My view wasn't superficial. As Mr. Marcus was something I was PROFOUNDLY interested in at one point, I went beyond the surface. When Mr. Marcuses weren't holding it down, I was making excuses for them in my mind. When the public persona didn't match up with what they were about historically, I tried to believe in the duality of Mr. Marcus members.... but that just wasn't the kind of culture I wanted to be part of.

And indeed, while not one of your founders, I could EASILY call Mr. Marcus a social club and not a fraternity based on MY experiences.

In the end, I got in where I was supposed to be.




Exactly.

While I'm with you on some of your points, I don't agree that there is an ideological divide.

Senusret, that was a great story! You get MUCH respect for putting so much time and thought into your decision. Mr. Pumper was very fortunate to have gotten a brother like you.