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Joseph Polin
Phi Kappa Psi

Every year, Phi Psi brothers across the country have an amazing and unique opportunity. That is, to spend their entire spring break at a resort in Los Cabos, Mexico—for free. And we aren’t talking about some run-down motel or dingy apartment complex. Marbella Suites en la Playa is an ocean-front resort with a private beach, hot tubs, and three bars. Trip Advisor gives it four and half out of five stars, and ranks it the seventh best hotel in Cabo San Lucas. Not too shabby.

The key to this too-good-to-be-true scenario is a man named Jerry Nelson. As the founder of Ticketmaster (and more than 40 other companies), Nelson certainly lives very comfortably. Despite his staggering wealth, he has always been passionate about giving back. In 2002, he bought the Marbella Suites resort in Los Cabos and promptly dedicated it to the needs of his fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi.

When United flight 1477 touched down at 2 p.m. local time, the world that lay outside the windows differed vastly from that of the New Jersey landscape we had parted with six hours earlier. In every direction, dark red desert paved the flat plans, running towards the mountains on the horizon. Stepping out of the plane, we embraced the climate that would characterize every day of the coming week: a perfectly dry 84 degrees under a cloudless sky. In this moment of pure bliss, spring break began.

Upon arriving, we mingled with the 150 other Phi Psi brothers attending the conference. Chapters from across the country sent members to the conference, but Penn boasted one of the largest presences with twelve people.

This free week in Cabo though was actually considered a leadership conference. Every morning and early afternoon we  attended speaker sessions by Phi Psi alumni. When we settled in for the first speaker session Monday morning, I braced myself in much the same way that I prepare for engineering lectures. My attitude could not have been more misplaced.

Nelson himself kicked off the speaker series and moved the audience with his inspirational story and practical wisdom. Among his pieces of concrete advice, he told us to “take risks” and “always write things down.” After Nelson spoke, Don Fites, former CEO of Caterpillar, took the stage. Hands down one of the most impressive men I’ve ever been in a room with, Fites explained how he climbed rung-by-rung through the corporation before beginning a tenure as CEO that would change the company and country forever. Following his talk, Penn Phi Psi brother Tim Lynch mentioned that his Management 101 class spent a good portion of the semester studying Fites and his business strategies. Maybe these talks would be worth something after all, I thought.

That afternoon, we caught a bus to downtown San Lucas and explored the stores, bars, and beaches. Along the public beach, dozens of peddlers trudged through the sand selling everything from sunglasses to cowboy hats. When afternoon turned into evening, we walked a few blocks inland and discovered the vibrant Mexican nightlife. All in all, not a bad first day.

The week roughly followed this routine. Every morning brought a speaker more motivating than the last. We listened to a former Navy SEAL talk about the lessons he’d gained and the friends he’d lost while serving. Ed Jensen, former CEO of Visa, graced us with his time and experience. Two recruitment experts ran a workshop for helping chapters improve rush and new member education. In the afternoons, we played volleyball (second place in the conference tournament), went snorkeling or simply fell asleep on the beach. But as relaxing and dreamy as this was, the highlight of the trip turned out to be the speaker series.

One of my favorite stories came from Kent Billingsley, a very successful business consultant and Phi Psi alum. A few years back, his friend gave him two tickets to a Dallas Mavericks basketball game. Although the tickets were in the nose-bleed section, Billingsley was shocked to learn that he had been picked to shoot a three-pointer during half-time for a chance to win a free vacation. With shaking knees, he took the court and bounced the ball nervously in front of 40,000 spectators. When it seemed there was nothing else to do, Billingsley reluctantly threw up the ball. The minute it left his fingers, he was certain it was an airball. And then… swish. The crowd erupted, the national media gave him his five seconds of fame and he found himself with a free vacation to anywhere of his choosing.

That night, the friend who had given Billingsley the tickets called, offered his congratulations and asked where they would be vacationing. After an awkward moment, Billingsley informed him that he was inviting his girlfriend instead. “Before you feel bad for my friend,” Kent warned us quickly, “let me tell you what happened to him.” Long story short, his friend was none other than Mark Cuban.

Wednesday night, we all had a little taste of the craziness that is Mexico. Throughout week, a free shuttle ran back and forth between the Phi Psi resort and downtown Cabo, a great amenity considering the language and money complications associated with cabs. Unfortunately, our host missed one of the bureaucratic hoops (i.e. registering the shuttle with the taxi drivers’ union). After a day or two, the cab drivers caught on and immediately took action. While the last shuttle of the night was loading up, a fleet of taxi vans swarmed the bus and formed a blockade that totally prevented the shuttle from moving. When the local police arrived, they sided with the taxi drivers and reinforced the barricade.

If there’s one good friend to have in Mexico, it’s Jerry Nelson. Within 20 minutes, a convoy of five white SUVs driven by Phi Psi personnel rolled into the parking lot next to the bus. The drivers hustled brothers out of the stranded shuttle and into the vehicles and sped away before the cabs could block all exits from the parking lot. The next night, the taxis had no problem with our shuttle.

Friday morning, a very special speaker took the floor. He never ran a company, and probably won’t be studied in any of Tim Lynch’s classes. Coach Nady, a Texas high school football coach, led us through bits of his life story, weaving in some incredible pieces of wisdom and perspective. Any attempt to reiterate, or even summarize his talk would be futile. He was the only speaker all week to earn a standing ovation.

The evening before we left, Nelson invited a number of Phi Psi brothers to his house for dinner. By “house,” I mean “mansion.” And by “mansion,” I mean “the Nelson compound.” Complete with two pools, two bars, a grass field and more, his home matched the size of our entire resort. In its early years, Nelson hosted the the American Leadership Academy on the property.

Following a dinner of steak, catfish and pasta, Nelson joined us at his favorite club downtown, El Squid Roe. He found a table and, to shield himself from the laser lights, pulled out a classic pair of cheap plastic frat-sunglasses. The 83-year-old waved over a waitress and ordered two giant tubs of beer for all the brothers who were of age. When those were exhausted, he ordered more.

Our non-stop flight back to Philadelphia gave me plenty of time to reflect upon the previous week. When it came to relaxation, fun and pure enjoyment, Cabo blew away my expectations. The impressive array of speakers was icing on the cake. But if there is one thing that we all brought home from Los Cabos, it was a deepened relationship with one another and our fraternity. Whether we were debating the views of the latest speaker, searching for a club at 2 a.m. or merely enjoying each other’s company while reading on the beach, we began experiencing that elusive sense of brotherhood that drew us to Phi Psi in the first place. Crazy things happen in Mexico.

Joseph is a sophomore studying mechanical engineering. You may contact him at jpolin@seas.upenn.edu.