The Brotherhood

Rush culminated with eighty guys, including myself, running madly down Fraternity Row. "C-h-i P-h-i" and "Can I get a fuckin' Sigma?" chants bellowed from the top of the row prior to the run, and Kappa Sigma's new pledges followed Foster, Brandon, and myself down the black pavement while cold beads of rain spattered our faces. Once we arrived to thirty brothers wailing "hell yeahs" and slaping high fives, we were immediately shuffled off to curbside cars destined for 770 Park Lane. The pledges were then ushered to the back porch and sprayed down with celebratory Andre. A quick clean up and hour later, the same cars were crammed with brothers and rolled off to Ru Sans for saki bombs.

Sadly an overbooked dining area would delay our 8:00 pm reservation for half an hour. We waited with little patience, while Shohei volunteered to quabble in Japanese to the host, who could not utter "domo" let alone any other words of the language. After the hold up and some more set up, some nine rounds plus of rice alcohol and beer poured among the brothers and pledges. Pledges led bomb rounds, and Gamma Phi Beta chipped in with their own pledge leaders for rounds. I even had the pleasure to reminesce with an Emory student and sorority girl of Gamma Phi Beta who recognized me from my Tapp Middle School days in Georgia. Sure enough, we had gone to the same middle school some seven years ago and wound up at the same college.

The night continued to escalate with rounds ten, eleven, and twelve, and somewhere along the way, the round number was forgotten. After sushi and saki saturated our stomachs, we grabbed our coats from the back of our chairs and set off to the cars. On the way out, multiple brothers managed to sneak the white saki bottles, some still full to the brim with saki. I tried cajouling Lewis into giving me one to return. Instead, his cigarette burned a circular red pop mark onto my wrist, which I look to from time to time for a good laugh. Q had an analogous experience to mine with his "burn" in the form of two saki vases spilled entirely across the back seat of his SUV. His car continues to smell of saki, so much for perks for volunteered, designated driving. Being a great sport and brother, Q's kept his silence about the matter, but I'm sure, at this point, he's itching for a steam clean service or an air freshener for his car.

So here's to the thirty six brothers who made the night possible, both those who attended and not, and here's to the legacy we leave behind as Kappa Sigmas. To thebrotherhood...