Clark Siddle's Who, Why, and How

Who am I, why am I in my Fraternity/Sorority, and how do I feel after reading this Blogabus in its entirely?

THE WHO:

My name is Clark Siddle. I am a second-year student, majoring in Political Science and Strategic Communication and minoring in Rural Sociology. Apparent by my minor, I come from a small rural community in southwest Clark County (about 1 hour west of Columbus) called Enon. My hometown's "claim-to-fame" is its ancient Adena Indian mound and giant underground aquifers! Enon's home to just over 2,000 residents and is one of those "everybody-knows-everybody, single-stoplight, Friday Night Football, All-American hometowns". I know many people hate the nuances of living in "Small-Town USA" but I know it's largely responsible for molding me into the person I am today. My hometown has played a huge part in everything from my choice of major to my values (which we'll talk about a little later). My interest in politics even stemmed largely from my involvement with my town council and interest in local policy (i know... dorky, right?)! My home, while growing up, was actually about a mile outside of town. We had a barn, pasture, and of course animals (beef steers, goats, lambs, chickens, ducks, etc.) to show at the the Clark County Fair! :) Now, I know many of you are painting a picture of this pitch-fork-holding, tractor-driving, Beverly HillBilly-style, family but that's far from it. Neither of my parents grew up on farms (or would probably even know the difference between a steer and a bull if you asked them), both of them actually work in the city managing their companies; the agricultural interest ACTUALLY started with my two sisters and I--then turned out to be a great hobby and a way to put some money in the college fund. Some of you might be wondering how cows and small-towns have anything to do with my journey into Fraternity & Sorority Life... trust me, this blog goes full-circle--just keep going.

THE WHY:

Through raising livestock, I became involved in various rural youth organizations (4-H, FFA, Farm Bureau, etc.). I started locally, becoming a club officer in my 4-H club when I was really young. As I grew up I took on more and more leadership roles affiliated to these agricultural organizations (Jr. Fair Board, Teen Leadership Council, CARTEENS, etc.). During High School I became especially interested in organizational leadership and took on roles at the state and national levels. One of these roles was my appointment to the Ohio 4-H Foundation's Board of Trustees. This role led to friendships with many of the older (mostly retired) members of the Board (John Foltz, Irv Bell, Howard Warner, etc.). One of the individuals I developed a close working relationship with was Mitzi Kitchen, a 4-H alum from Kenton, Ohio. Her son (Stew Kitchen), at the time, had an internship with the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and he in-turn offered me a temporary job over the summer working for OFBF. Since the job was in Columbus, he offered a place to stay on-campus at 153 E. 14th Avenue; the house wasn't full during the summer term and there was plenty of space and that way I wouldn't have to make the commute EVERY day! It turned out this on-campus arrangement was the Alpha Tau Zeta House! After staying at the house for over a week, I got to know a lot of the guys (several others worked for OFBF too). Many of the them came from similar backgrounds as I did and I had countless mutual friends and acquaintances with many of them. At this point, I knew NOTHING about fraternities, other than what I saw in the news, on TV, etc. Over that next year, the network of the fraternity became more apparent than ever. First realizing the affiliation between Foltz, Bell, and Warner (the ones from the Foundation Board...) and then even people from back home (my hometown mayor, my 4-H advisor's father, etc.)...all of them members of ATZ. Well, one thing obviously led to another and I was accepted to Ohio State and then came back to campus for move-in two summers after my job with OFBF. You all--I'm sure by now--know how the rest of the story goes with how Greek recruitment operates. Fast-forward, and here I am today.

One of the best parts about joining FarmHouse (previously known as Alpha Tau Zeta) is the connection I have with the other brothers. There's not a single person in the house that I don't share a mutual friend with or have met at some other point outside of being here at Ohio State. The number-one connection being those rural values. Values of hard-work, manners, selfless service, and hospitality, etc.

THE HOW:

Tid-Bits About Me:

• I'm rarely satisfied with status quo
• I enjoy pushing people outside their comfort zones (that's where you learn the most about yourself)
• I am always asking "why?"
• I have high expectations of myself and high expectations of those close to me
• I love being around lighthearted, funny people--even though I am ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE at telling jokes
• I'm a believer that technology is under-used
• I believe in the "pull yourself up by your boot-straps" mentality
• My favorite motto is "Just Do It"

As you can probably tell by the above "about me", I often like to "shake things up". This class is different and I think that's exactly what we need, something different. I find it a little hypocritical that teachers, from kindergarten through college, are always encouraging students to "think outside the box"! How can you make students think outside the box in school if the techniques in which you're facilitating that "outside the box thinking" is as old as school itself. This class is going to be great! I love the videos! My favorite video, I don't know why, is the last one about Entrepreneurs. I'm glad we pose the question of Greek relevance first in the course. I agree that if we define "why" we're relevant first, we can figure out how we can be even more relevant in the near future.

That is all.

Fraternally,