Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is the nations largest music fraternity. Many people see 'fraternity,' and think 'WOW ANIMAL HOUSE! WHICH ONE IS FLOUNDER.' Well, Rob Grabowski is Flounder, but that's beside the point. Joining Phi Mu Alpha was one of the best and smartest things I've done in my whole life. I've met some of my best friends in PMA that I will know forever. Let's just say this, if I didn't join Sinfonia my first year at Western, I more than likely would have left my first year there. People tend to look down at fraternities as people who 'buy your friends' and haze and crap, but it's simply not true. I've grown so much being a Sinfonian, into a MUCH better person. People also think to join a fraternity, you must be like everyone else in the fraternity. Definitely not true. Although you must have a friendly personality, and be willing to get along with people, by no means must you be alike. We have Christian, Agnostic, Atheists, Muslims, and Jewish members in our chapter at Western alone. That says allot. If people would treat life like a fraternity, I believe this world would be a WHOLE lot better.

Americorps is a program I just recently joined. I am an Americorps member in Anchorage Alaska right now, and I currently work with Nine Star Enterprises where I am the lead computer instructor. I also do allot of tutoring students in computer and Internet skills. But, one of the things I thought I wouldn't enjoy, but have come to love, is tutoring kids. I was asked by my supervisor to teach at the Gateway Homework Club at another site every afternoon from 4-6. She noticed that I wasn't very interested in the job, and assured me it was on a temporary basis until another new Americorps member that wanted the job came in. I agreed and showed up. Premeditated notions of kids that had no manners, didn't listen, and gangs popped up in my head. Man, I really don't want to teach kids that didn't want to be taught. That was one of my main reasons for deciding against being a teacher. However, I showed up. And these kids were great. They were interested in the things me and the other teacher were saying, they asked questions, they were motivated to get better grades. You could tell the kids were intelligent, however they just didn't have the available tools to put that intelligence to use. Anyways, I ended up staying at the Homework club for good. Alaska is an interesting place to say the least, I love it here, but it will be nice to get back to good 'ol Kalamazoo.

The Bronco Marching Band is probably the biggest, and most important things I've done in my life. If I didn't join BMB, I would not know about 90 percent of my good friends right now. I joined BMB my first year at Western, and became good friends with so many people, including the director Mr. Pease, whom now is director of the UVA Marching Band. Being in BMB, I got so many opportunities to go to different places. I've been to Cleveland 3 times, and have gone on trips to Orlando, and California with the band. I've also been on countless away games with the football team. A good portion of these trips were with the Pep Band, where most of the stronger players were chosen to play at the men's and women's basketball games. Without the BMB, I wouldn't have joined any of the organizations listed here... No Sinfonia, Americorps, or CAP. Although I'm taking a year off, hopefully I'll join BMB for one last year so I can get my alumni jacket when I come back to WMU to finish things up!

Civil Air Patrol is another organization I just recently joined upon coming to Alaska. Civil Air Patrol, or 'CAP', is the auxiliary of the Air Force. It basically does the civilian side of things that the Air Force is too busy to do, like SAR (Search and Rescue), and ELT search. I will be certified as a Scanner/Observer, so basically we go out flying in Cessna's (usually a 172) and look for downed aircraft. If an ELT is activated (It's an emergency device), we go out and find it, and either find out if the person that activated it is in actually distress, or if it was activated accidentally. I can't wait to fly out on my first mission!