Southern Bond

Eitan and I were pledge brothers for AEPi. It was during our trip to the Southern Conclave where I began to crack Eitan’s shell. Before Conclave Eitan was a very shy pledge brother who kept to himself, Ross, and Abe. But once our Master, Master Austin Sandler, “forced” us to go through some funny and embarrassing bonding rituals, Eitan did begin to become more comfortable with the rest of the fraternity.

So this is where the story began: Eitan and I were walking by ourselves from our hotel room in South Carolina to a local club. Eitan saw these African Americans walking on the other side of us and decided to scream out “Eyo Mahh” as a joke. Then he quickly ran across the sidewalk and began talking to them. I of course followed him. Our pledge brother Nate Ward saw where Eitan and I were going and decided to follow us. So we spoke to the three black women and had an amazing experience from the conversation alone. They told us all about their lifestyle and their struggles, but they were only 3-4 years older than us. It helped us realize how grateful we should be for what we were given. But this life lesson didn’t stop Eitan from trying to make the situation as much of a joke as possible. He got the message, but he made it much more fun to receive. I enjoyed every minute I spent with Eitan. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that moment, just because of how weird, funny, and memorable it was.

I would just like to say I am sorry for your loss. I too have epilepsy and struggle with it every day. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this story.