Will You Be One of the 85 for 85?
Dear Brothers –
I joined the Ernie Schmidt club to continue supporting the amazing work that our alumni organization has done in the past several years. They have worked tirelessly to ensure that future Phikaps have the opportunity to build lifelong bonds of brotherhood and friendship, enjoy the house and cherish it as we all have over the years and decades.
I never intended to join a fraternity when I arrived at Case. I fully intended to show up at a smattering of rush events for some free food and activities. I had sketched out a whole calendar across a number of events at a host of different fraternities that sounded the most interesting. However, after meeting the brothers of PKT at my first event, that plan went out the window and I ended up attending just about every event PKT held for the two weeks of rush. As they say, the rest is history.
Like all brothers, I have countless memories of good times and shenanigans at the house. This ranges from playing Guitar Hero so much that the house burned out two PlayStations in six months to being awoken at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday for an impromptu game of sand volleyball. But I also remember the support and encouragement I received to help me through the four(ish) years of college – I could always walk into an open door for help with my thermodynamics homework or to just to have someone to chat with and play Mario Kart after a rough day.
My years at PKT were some of the best and most memorable of my life. But, at the time, the house was, shall we say, not receiving the care and attention it needed to continue being a place for future brothers. For example, we learned just how many flatscreen TVs could be plugged in to each circuit before the old knob and turn wiring gave out. The fire escape was permanently labeled as "don't use this to escape a fire – find another route." And at the time, while we had supportive alumni who would help out as they could, there was a dearth of support for investing in the future and guiding the house from year to year.
When I started receiving the regular email updates from the revived alumni organization, I was grateful to see that time, attention, and funds were being invested in the house and the brotherhood to carry our great tradition forward. While I wish I could be there in person for work days and events, I long ago moved out of the NE Ohio area. Since I cannot contribute labor, I jumped at the opportunity to assist through the Ernie Schmidt club. If you are in the same boat, I encourage you to do the same and invest in the future of our brotherhood.
YITB,
Conrad Gosen '09
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We are sending this to all of our brothers, even if you are already in the Ernie Schmidt Club, to share another brother's message of support. If you are already a member, thank you for your continued support!
