After spending about a semester and a half going through the membership candidacy process, I'm proud to say I'm a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi. Even though I've talked at length about how much I love Phi Sigma Sigma, I've never really talked about how much I love my brotherhood. Though my time within the organization has been short, I already love this group of people so much and can't wait to see where I go with this. So here are 5 things that I've learned as a brother of the Epsilon Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi.

1. Raincoats are my passion

I haven't even had to do anything with this, but let me tell you, we are passionate about our raincoats.

2. Overcoming obstacles is rewarding

Without a music program, we managed to double the size of our chapter in one class (Beta Tau initiated 20 new brothers, just for context). After many worried that the chapter would cease to exist without a degree program, we've managed to prove that incredibly wrong, probably because of spite.

3. Many of us are different and it's okay.

With a co-ed group this large, it's hard to understand how we all work together. Everyone is different and has their own idea of what Kappa means to them. What's beautiful though is how we all take our diversity and run with it. We play on each other's strengths to be better than we were alone and ultimately, we all strive for the highest.

4. Three AM is a magical time

"Oh Boyd, 3 am!" We have a lot of moments during the wee hours of night, some serious some not. Either way, every EPhi brother knows how great 3 am is.

5. We are stronger than we ever thought

Less than a week into my class's brotherhood, we lost a brother in a tragic accident. It was something that shook our group to its core and really challenged our relationships. What none of us saw coming afterwards though was the incredible response we had to each other. We came together to comfort one another and to show each other that brotherhood does not end when it is no longer convenient. We stuck together to handle this situation and did all that we could to be supportive. It's been difficult but I wouldn't have traded these moments for the world.

When it boils down, being a brother is more than just wearing letters. It is supporting each other, being an asset to the band, making an impact in the world, and ultimately always aiming to be the best that we can be. Even when we have our disagreements and our struggles, we are all united by the oath we took and what we stand for and we will always push each other to strive for the highest.