Thursday, November 30, 2006
We will never forget you Brian
Brian was the most caring and giving person I have ever met. He was always positive and fun to be around. He was the type of type guy that no one could have anything bad to say about him. He is loved by so many, and myself and my brothers really miss him. Greeks will never be the same with out him. We will always love you and keep you in our hearts Brian Fredrick Schlittler.
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How do you explain something to someone that can’t be described in words? How do you explain what a Fraternity really is to someone who has never been in a chapter or to a potential new member? Sure you can say that your chapter has brotherhood, that your brothers hold different positions on campus and in the community. You can brag about what awards you have won or that your chapter has the highest GPA, or won Greek Week a number of times, but what does that really say. What does that really mean? How do you tell a new pledge that their pledge brother, the guys that they might not have ever known before, will become their best friends? How do you tell them that they will be the guys that will be there for you if you need ANYTHING, the guys that would go through hell with you to be apart of something.
My story is different than anyone else’s. When I transferred to the University of Missouri – Saint Louis, I never imagined that I would be Student Government President, I never imagined that I would live in Washington DC for a semester working for the UM System, and most of all I never imagined that I would become a brother in a Fraternity. I can say this with all honesty that I would not be where I am right now if it were not for Pi Kappa Alpha. More over, I would not have been given these opportunities if it were not for my pledge brothers in Gamma Beta. When I pledge this house, the first time I was ever up at the house was on formal pinning, I felt like a stranger. I remember that night like it was yesterday, I walk up the front steps and in the front door. The first person I see is Dave Mann, sitting on the couch smoking and watching the game. I was wearing jeans and a polo, when everyone was wearing a shirt and tie, I felt out of place and thought about leaving right there. Perhaps the best decision that I have ever made was to stay that night. When I first meet the guys that would soon become my brothers in Gamma Beta, I felt like “that guy”, that guy that comes in at the end of rush not knowing anyone. Every guy in Gamma Beta was there that night, except Chris Mabie who was out of town, and they all welcomed me with open arms. The night of formal pinning our first activity was a scavenger hunt (me being the new guy to campus and to the group knew nothing. I had to rely on my new brothers for help. That was the first time I needed their help, it would not be the last.). Not knowing anyone, the first guys that really said anything to me was Brian. He asked me if I wanted to ride with him. So Jon and I climbed in to Brian red van and we were off on our way, when that is what we thought. As Brian backed down the drive way, with that movie posters filling the back seat (his mobile Blockbuster), the back left tire blew. Go figure two of the biggest guys in Gamma Beta in one car. Brian backed his van across the street to the liquor store parking lot and we switched the tire. That was the first night and only great things would come after that day.
Being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma before I pledge the house changed a lot of things in my life. It changed a lot of things in the house. These guys that I had never meet before formal pinning would become my support not only during pledgeship but during chemotherapy treatment. My pledge brothers would end up going to more treatments with me than friends that I had known my entire life. I remember sitting in a chair for what seamed like forever, with a needle in my arm having drugs that were killing my body getting pumped into me my pledge father, Todd Renner (who is one reason why I’m in the house right now) and Mark King, Gamma Beta Pledge Class President, right there with me for the entire three hour endeavor.
At a later point during winter semester 2005 at a pledge meeting, the eight of us in Gamma Beta picked our officers. At the point all the guys knew what I had been involved with and knew that I could have taken a position, but they told me that they wanted me to focus on my health and that they would take care of everything else. Sitting in that meeting, I told them that I couldn’t just sit there and let that do all of the work. I wanted to help out in any way, Brian turned to my and said “Nick, I’ve got it…you are the pledge class drunk.” From that day on, I was the pledge class drunk, merely in title. The funny thing about that is every guy in the house knew that I couldn’t drink during treatment, but with Brian’s sense of humor he decided that I was the pledge class drunk. At every party that I was at and every time that I would get crap for drink water Brian was one of the first ones there at my side to defend my sobriety.
There are so many different events that have thought back on over the past two days. From walking into Greeks on Tuesday and getting my hand stamped and seeing him DJ, walking up the stairs to his room and seeing him play video games or watching movies, I will NEVER forget the good times or the bad ones. There were times that we didn’t see eye to eye, I always knew where he was coming from and he knew where I was coming from. There was never a question in my mind about how much he loved this house. The first story that stands out in my mind stems from Gamma Beta Pledge retreat. I was not there (and I beat myself up inside that I was at home recovering from chemotherapy treatment from the day before and not with my brothers) but the next time that I would see anyone in Gamma Beta the first thing that they would tell me was what Brian did on retreat, and for those who knows the story would all agree that one events showed everyone how much Brian wanted to be in this house. No one could ever question Brian’s heart or his love for the house. I can look back and still see several meetings where Brian was sitting on the steps, looking down on everyone else giving us his advice. There were several times were he started to cry during meetings when he spoke about different things because they meant that much to him.
Since I have been in the house, Gamma Beta has held some important positions in the house and I feel that we all have come closer than what we did during pledgeship. Before I left to go to Washington DC, I would call each member of Gamma Beta each week to keep in touch, which continued when I was in DC. I left like I was there with them every time I talked to them. When I was in DC, I worked at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial (NLEOM). One day it dawned on me, one thing that I learned during pledgeship came back to me and that were the Chapter Eternals. The last member to this club that we never wanted to add to was Michael Jansen Barwick. I knew that he was a St. Louis Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty. The NLEOM celebrated the lives of all Law Enforcement Officers who were killed in the line of duty. One day when I was working I walked out to the wall and saw his name carved into the memorial. That day I knew that no matter where I went, I was not alone, that there was always a brother with me in some way.
When I got back from DC, I moved less than a mile from the PIKE House and was up there a lot more. Several times this past summer, I would go out for a run to the PIKE house and every time I got to the house I would go up to see Brian, hanging out in his room playing video games. I asked him several times if he wanted to go run with me sometime, and every time the response was the same, “My fat ass doesn’t run.”
Every time I drive by the house now, I remember the great times that happened in that house. I was looking through my phone last night and I can across the PIKE House number, and I realized that there is no PIKE House. Every time since last Wednesday I scroll past Brian’s number I know that there will never be anyone on the other end. I have called the number, just to hear his voice one last time. So many people that I have talked to over the past two days that have offered their assistance and they have asked the same question and it is “If there is anything that I can do, please let me know.” Well there is one thing that I need and that is my Brother back.
The fact that there is no PIKE House left is something that we as a chapter will get over. That house was just brick and mortar, which housed great memories. There will be a new Pi Kappa Alpha – Zeta Phi Chapter House, but our Chapter will never be the same.
I can not thank everyone in the Greek Community enough for what everyone is doing. We have received so much support from not only the UMSL community and other Pi Kappa Alpha Chapters but from other Greek chapters across the country. For everyone that was at the memorial service on Wednesday night, and saw the number of people that loved Brian, I thank you, my chapter thanks you, and Brian’s family thanks you. To Sigma Pi and Sigma Tau Gamma, all of your guys have been amazing; we can not thank you enough. If some one would have told me at the beginning of the semester that Sigma Tau Gamma and Pi Kappa Alpha would be hosting a party together, or that Sigma Pi offered their house to us for our ritual, I would have said that they were f***ing crazy. The sororities have been amazing to us. As everyone knows a little over a month ago, we the Greek community lose another amazing person. I would give up anything for this to never happen. I would not wish this feeling on my worst enemy.
How do you explain what Greek life is or what a Fraternity is? Sure you can say you will have brotherhood. You can tell a potential why your house is the best, but that doesn’t hold a candle to what we have seen over the past two days. A fraternity or sorority is one thing: LOVE. Sure our letters are different, but with share the same things in our hearts and that is the love for our brothers and sisters. That is what a fraternity is.
I said that I would not be who I am today without Pi Kappa Alpha, that is so true. I would be just another student at this campus. I would commute to campus each day, take class, go to work and then go home. I did this; I know what this is like. Pi Kappa Alpha has changed my life. The Greek Community has changed my life.
I remember every thing about that house. Standing in the shell of what is left of the PIKE House on Wednesday looking around; I can tell you where everything was. I talked about the Chapter Eternals earlier. When we were pledges we learned their names and dates but other than that it was hard to imagine what it would be like to be around when the first three happened. I can tell you right know that nothing will be the same. Nothing will ever be the same.
Brian you were one of the most amazing guys that I have ever meet. You were always there it pick me up when I was down (emotionally and physically), you were always there to push me to continue to strive to be the best that I can be, and you were always there at my back if anything ever happened. You were the teddy bear that we all knew and that we all loved. You might be gone, but you will NEVER be forgotten. You were always there for me in my hardest times, I’m so sorry that I was not there for you in your hardest time.
This past Wednesday was the worst day of my life. Learning about what happened at 3:45 that morning was worse to me than when I would out that I had cancer. I went into that doctor’s office on my twentieth birthday knowing that something was wrong and that I was going to beat it, but you had no idea what was going on. There was nothing that you could have done. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!! Brian you don’t know how much I want to go to sleep right now and wake up from this a nightmare.
Gamma Beta for Life:
April 17, 2005
Nicholas Keith Angle
Jonathon Travis Fore
Mark Patrick King
Nicholas Marvin Koechig
Christopher William Mabie
Marc Stephen Kramer
Steven Michael Kramer
Brian Fredrick Schlittler
In the Bonds of PHI PHI KAPPA ALPHA,
Mr. Nicholas Marvin Koechig
Big Brian,
You had such an impact on all of us and we wont ever forget you. I guess everyone is supposed to tell their stories. I have so many but none of them stick out as the best because just spending the everyday occurances with Big B. was something I loved the most. After I got off work I would always come home to see Brian sitting on the couches talking to and teaching the pledges. He would always welcome me into these little conversations and talk to me about my day. After seeing his interaction with the pledges, It breaks my heart to know that hundreds of kids will never be able to have Big Brian as their favorite teacher. I am sure they would have loved him as much as we all did.
I know that story wasnt anything out of the ordinary of special, but what makes it special is Brian. I have known him for only about a year and a half and he has taught me so much and was always willing to be there. I love you Big B. RIP
Brothers,
The Brothers of Epsilon Lambda Chapter at Murray State University [Murray, KY]extend to you our most sympathetic regards in memory of Brother Schlitter. Although we did not know Brian, through the great support of your campus, we are sure that he expressed the great and lofty ideals of Pi Kappa Alpha everyday of his life. We wish you peace in this tragic event and success in overcoming this very difficult time in your lives. Please know that the family and friends of Brother Schlitter, the Brothers of Zeta Phi Chapter, and the students and faculty of Missouri-St.Louis are in our thought and prayers.
In the Bonds of Phi Phi Kappa Alpha,
Alumni and Brothers of Epsilon Lambda Chapter
Murray State University
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