[Albert109]

I know I am going to regret getting in the middle of this pissing match, but this is getting rediculous.

First of all, Gamma you're insistance that there's no real reason to buy old pins for thousands of dollars is perfectly valid. However, people collect stamps and prices do go up for rarities (no, I'm not comparing our badge to stamps, but you get the point). Also, I think that personal history (your brick, certificate of Initation, etc.) is more valuable intangibly and couldn't have a dollar sign attached. Up to that point, I can agree; however, past this, I can't see myself thinking likewise. When I do get my first badge (being a recent initiage of fall '06), I can't see myself just dismissing it, saying it never means anything to me. When I'm as old as Earp or so, I hope to still have my first badge on me to remind myself and to remember the days of StLCoP and Pi Lambda Zeta. And if I happened to come along a nice shiny gem of a badge that has historical significance, it'd be nice to get in on the action.

However, your response to Brandon was highly inappropriate. Granted, some things he said were inflammatory and shouldn't have been said, but to lash out and say asinine and rude things is completely antithetical to ZAX.

It's sad really. You only wanted to be a Lambda Chi to wear the letters? To wear a badge? You can take my badge, because obviously you don't know what it means. You don't know what it is to be a brother.

Without even knowing your Brother, you start ripping on him, implying he is just superficial, wanting to wear the letters and badge. True, there are shallow people like that out there, but to just debase someone without knowing them is generally rude.

It doesn't matter. Unlike you, I don't measure being a Lambda Chi by a badge. Unlike you, I put value into the important aspects of being a brother. Unlike you, I'm there for my brothers, and not off in my room polishing my BADGE.

It may be great to tell of your actions of what makes you a better person and a more genuine Lambda Chi than somone you don't know (though it kinda makes comparison hard, but go figure). We shouldn't wear the badge to show off, but rather show where we're from. Also, the snipe about him not being there for his Brothers is not only unbased on fact, but is also false.

I started my chapter. It was my brainchild. I enlisted help and together we built our Zeta from the ground up.

Noone takes the time, effort, and sacrifice to start a chapter just to wear letters. At our beloved St. Louis College of Pharmacy, the campus had 4 or so "professional" pharmaceutical phraternities. But, the second we got on stage, the hate began, and though it has lessened, still exists to a degree. So, our Founders to fight to stay on campus. Which explains:

I fought for that badge, and I'll be damned if I'll *ever* look at it as "just a hunk of metal."

Were you even awake for ritual? Did you even understand it?

No matter how much the first jab was wrong, this is unacceptable. This is just a low blow that was uncalled for.

In ZAX,
Adam