Philanthropy at Work, and Some Great Press
 

I thought I'd share this letter to the editor of the Syracuse Post-Standard about our Theta Chapter participating in our national philanthropy, the Mills Music Mission.* It starts like this:

Quote:

I feel I must share something. While visiting my wife at Crouse Hospital Feb. 26, something I thought was inspiring happened to us. We were sitting in her room, and just sharing in some “small talk” when a well-dressed young man showed up at the entrance to her room and asked if he and his group of friends could sing a song to my wife. My first reaction was one of skepticism, and I said, “Who are you affiliated with?” We are a fraternity from Syracuse University, he replied, and I must admit my “street smarts” gave way to his request.

The entire letter is here: Music helps couple reflect on their life.

On one hand, I'm sorry that my brothers at Theta (and Phi Mu Alpha as a whole) didn't specifically get credit in the letter. (My guess is that they said which fraternity, but the gentleman just remembered "fraternity.") On the other hand, this makes it great press for Greeks in general.

BTW, the song they sang -- "Brown Eyes" -- is not one of the recently popular songs with the same or similar name. You can hear it here (sung by the Furman Singers, for whom it is a staple) or here (sung by our Iota Kappa Chapter (Lebanon Valley College)). The lyrics:

Brown Eyes, I've lost my heart to you.
I can't forget, I can't forget.
You may be faithless, but I'll be true.
I'll love you 'til the sun has set.
O, Brown Eyes sweet as the soft twilight
that lingers from soul to soul;
and I will love you 'til the sun grows cold
and the stars have turned to gold.
O, Brown Eyes, good night.

Well done, brothers!


* From our website: The Mills Music Mission (MMM) is Sinfonia’s official philanthropy, and is a modern day revival of our Founder’s charitable spirit and work. In the 1880s, Ossian E. Mills began a "Song and Flower Mission" to hospital patients in Boston. His work utilized the healing power of music long before there were professionally trained therapists, and was one of the largest and most well-respected charities in Boston at the time. Today, through this grassroots project, Sinfonians perform for countless thousands of nursing home and hospital patients nationwide. As brothers exemplify the spirit of self-sacrifice, they more personally experience music’s power to elevate the human spirit, and grow better as men from helping others.

You know, when I saw that the other day (I think in the Daily Orange--SU's student newspaper), I thought of you.