Dear Brothers,

Looking back, it is kind of crazy to think that I decided to go Greek when I didn’t even know what going Greek meant. I learned about you guys when I came to Montevallo in April to register for classes. That was when a brother who graduated a year earlier brought me onto the fraternity hall and introduced me to some of you. I remember thinking, “These guys won’t remember me.” Over the summer, I decided I would give recruitment some consideration. I almost decided to not even go through with it, but changed my mind. I'm really glad I did.

On bid day, I remember standing backstage waiting to announce which bid we accepted and not knowing any of the other guys who were accepting bids. I remember walking up to a group of guys, and they all asked, “Who did you decide to pick?” I told them which fraternity bid I accepted and we celebrated in silent joy because they all accepted the same bid. It’s crazy – I didn’t even know these guys but in that moment we all knew that we were embarking on the same journey together. That’s the first time I realized that maybe going Greek wasn’t so bad after all.

After announcing that I accepted a bid from FIJI, I remember walking to you guys and tearing up because you were all screaming and cheering. I was in shock because many of y’all were hugging me, including some who I had only met three days before. I had never experienced anything like this before which is the second time I realized going Greek wasn’t a bad decision.

It's crazy to think that a year ago I did not know who a majority of you guys were. And now, I know all of your names and have some sort of memory with each of you. Whether it be the ones who came up with my nickname, or the many practices we had for Anchor Splash, Lip Jam and Greek Week, the brotherhood event where we went roller skating, or whether it be just the small things that we all somehow remember. And to think, all these wonderful memories have occurred in the short nine months that we have only known each other. All these memories have made me realize that I am so happy that I decided to go Greek.

So with that, I want to say thank you. Thank you for taking me in with open arms. Thank you for the wisdom that many of you have passed down. Thank you for the memories that we have created together. Thank you for helping me step out of my comfort zone. Thank you for supporting me as I grow into a FIJI gentleman. Thank you to my Big, my Twin, and my Little for always being there when I needed you and for giving me those looks like I did something dumb. Thank you for the late night Taco Bell runs or the mid-day Subway runs. Thank you for the laughs, the tears, the anger, the frustration, the happiness and any other emotions you all have given me; I honestly wouldn’t want life any other way without these feels.

Most of all, thank you for giving me a lifetime of brotherhood and family. I know that I can text or call any of you for anything. To those who have graduated, thank you for creating a legacy. To those who are still active, thank you for the memories we have already created. To the brothers who have yet to join, thank you for the future memories we have yet to create. Thank you, Phi Gamma Delta. Press on.

Love,

Jonathan "Bulldoza" Mendoza