Part III

Second Year of Graduate School-Fall Semester 05

I comeback in full force, ready to take on any challenges, especially that of becoming a member of the only gay fraternity on campus: SIGMA PHI BETA.

The fraternity became turned national while I was in Mexico and because of that, they were featured in THE ADVOCATE. That is how I learned about them. I was surprise that after a whole year at ASU, I didn’t know anything about Sigma Phi Beta. So, as soon as I read about them, I researched them. I found out they accepted students from ASU and surrounding areas as longs as they were students in an accredited educational institution. I got excited and as soon as I was back in school, I applied and attended their rush events.

After a week of rush events, I was invited to a bid dinner where I had an interview. And after that, I was given a bid. I accepted and for 8 weeks of my life, I have no life but Sigma Phi Beta pledging period.
At the same time, I was working on my one-man show, which was going to be produced in November 05. That was tough! Unfortunately, there were no students who could carry the role and the director, after talking to the Chair of the department, decided that I was going to play the role.

At first, I was excited but then, reality sunk. I am not a great actor and my rehearsal time was going to clash with the fraternity pledging. Luckily, the director was very understandable of the situation and we worked out a schedule where I rehearsed early so I could be free for pledging activities at night.

It was a very hard semester for me, mentally, physically, psychologically, emotionally, and economically. But by the end, I accomplished several things:

1. I was initiated into Sigma Phi Beta.

2. I had a successful run of my one-man show.

3. I wrote my thesis play.

4. I was invited to present part of my one-man show at the Chicana/Chicano Conference taking place in Guadalajara Mexico over summer 06.

5. My “midlife crisis” had completely disappeared.

By the end of the semester I was so tired and so overworked that for the first time in a long time, I looked forward to the Christmas break. Yet, before I went away on Christmas break, I attended my first SIGMA PHI BETA winter retreat where I had the most fun I have ever had in a long time. And the best part of it all was that I became part of a family of gay guys who now are my brothers.

If you want to check out my fraternity just click on the link in the sidebar titled: SIGMAPHIBETA