(above: My little, Graham, and myself at DCI Denton. Go Cavs!)
Brothers of the Southwest District – Welcome to the shiny,
new blog! We will use this throughout the year to bring you all information,
testimonies, advice, and even enlightening moments throughout the year. Our
brotherhood would be nothing without communication, so feel free to comment and
discuss along with us!
My name is Josh Stickney. I am a senior Political Science,
Pre-Law major at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. In addition to Kappa
Kappa Psi, I am also a member of a social fraternity and several political groups on campus. I am
originally from Edmond, OK and I have two loving parents, Mike and Lynn, and
two siblings, Michael and Sarah. I am primarily a clarinet player, but I play
saxophone in the Pride of Oklahoma. I am an avid distance runner, coffee connoisseur,
and amateur cook.
The word ‘strive’ strikes several emotions for me. First, I
will forever and always hear the word and associate it with our great
fraternity motto – “Strive for the Highest”. As I’m sure you can all relate,
the word is intangible, but there is a satiating feeling I get when I am
working, serving, or playing in the name of the fraternity. There is no greater
feeling than when we are striving for what we know is good. The second thing I
picture when I hear ‘strive’ is the true definition of the word. Dictionary.com
lists several definitions, but the most vivid is this:
To struggle vigorously, as in opposition or
resistance: to strive against fate.
This immediately made me think about what in life we as
brothers are struggling or fighting against. School? Family? Money? Ourselves?
While this is very introspective, it gives us a chance to really reflect on all
that the fraternity has given us. Yes, we struggle with chaos every day. Any
yet when we circle up to sing, or we are chatting with brothers, or we attend a
convention – those struggles leave us. We become focused on something large
than ourselves.
As a person of faith, I cannot help but mention the
parallels between the teachings of our fraternity and the teachings of my own
beliefs. We should continue to strive and
battle for the right, the good, the
worthy, the worthwhile, the honorable. We should do more than just concern
ourselves with our own well-being and consider what is important to those
around us. Remember, you are never struggling alone – you have a whole heap of
brothers there at your side.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. If you have
any topics you’d like discussed, let us know! I’d love to hear your thoughts on
any and everything!
AEA
Josh Stickney
On Twitter: SWDCoMAL
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