By MICHAEL FRANDOLIG

ANTELOPE STAFF

For many students who “graduated” high school in the midst of the pandemic, a lot of memories and opportunities were stripped away from us and we were forced to just forget about it and move on. Many young people my age either took a gap year and worked or took a leap of faith and decided to pursue a degree.

I came to UNK in the fall of 2020. I don’t honestly remember much about what my time was like before I joined the fraternity. I remember living in Centennial Towers West with a few of my friends I had recently met when I moved to Kearney. That fall semester I surprisingly took a lot of my classes in person — which I’m thankful for — with only two classes online. 

That year there were still a lot of experiences our class didn’t get to have like taking a class photo on the football field or other things graduating classes had participated in during their first week. Before I was involved in Greek life, I would just seem to stay in my dorm a lot if I wasn’t at the gym or the cafeteria. I had a decent time, but I missed being involved like I was in high school.

Once the fall semester came to an end, I remember asking myself, “Is this all college is — just waking up, going to class and then going to bed?” I questioned if I should drop out and get a regular job. I had a discussion with my twin brother over the phone, asking him about Greek life. He had joined a fraternity at Nebraska Wesleyan University, and he was having a great time. So I took a chance and started my hunt to learn more about what Greek life was actually about.

I talked to a few of the rush chairmen in other chapters, and all of them tried to sell me on why I should decide to join theirs over the others. The last chapter I looked at was Phi Delta Theta. They invited me to come over to the chapter house for their annual Super Bowl watch party. I instantly felt a sense of belonging that I’d felt before in high school athletics and deeply missed it.

On Feb. 16, 2021, my roommate and I signed with Phi Delta Theta Fraternity at UNK. Since then, I’ve never looked back, and my experience here has been so enriching. I lived in the old chapter house or University Residence South for three semesters. While living there, I made some very fun memories. I woke up every day with my best friends who lived only a few doors down who I could talk to or hang out with whenever I wanted.

Being a part of this fraternity has made a huge difference in my life. It’s improved my grades and my physical health because I regularly hit the weight room with my fraternity brothers every week. They have been there with me in my triumphs, supported me through some of my darkest moments and rekindled my Christian faith. They also pushed me to pursue leadership and gain other important skills I wouldn’t have obtained as a regular student. 

I don’t think there could ever be enough words to say how much love and gratitude I have for this organization. They are here with me now, and they will be there with me no matter the circumstances after we graduate. We may not be the richest chapter or have the most members, but we have the best men. And I can say that from the heart. I’m proud to be a Phi.