Omega Mu Voices, Joseph Colucci

Omega Mu Voices
Joseph Colucci,
1985

Omega Mu Years

Omega Mu Voices
Joe Colucci

We have lost several brothers who were undergrads during my time at The Castle, 1981-1984. For me, Rick Bean was the hardest. Rick and Steve Farrar welcomed me to live in their room when I moved into the Castle. Ricky taught me about the ways of living and thriving in this incredible environment. He was fun-loving, hardworking and dedicated to serving his country. When his B-1 Bomber went down in Colorado, not long after his graduation, we lost one of our best. 

Ricky Bean and Steve Farrar

B-1 Bomber

The many traditions we had were the best part. Many were socially driven, but there were many others that I have such fond memories of: FIJI 24 Hour Marathon, winning the intramural softball championship and track meets, the Fraternity Chorus Contest. Who can forget "King of the Road." I still know the words.

Fraternity Chorus
​"King of the Road"

Some of my favorites were FIJI Island, going to Hazbro’s camp, 11-2’s, and going, as a group, to the Maine football and hockey games. 

Fiji Island

University of Maine
​Football and Hockey Games

Fiji Golf Classic
​Fogler Library

One favorite was the FIJI Golf Classic. I recall thinking this up with a couple brothers at Pats one night. The ‘course’ was the The Fogler Library. Yup, that’s right. We secretly laid out a course of 9 holes through the building and set the tee time for 7:00 PM. We had golf bags toted by caddies (aka, zobies). We held this event twice each year. The best part was we always had a gallery of students who started following us around and clapping, politely. The librarian usually shut us down after 6-7 holes but never turned us in. Pretty sure we have a picture of us with him. I ran into several students walking around campus after each outing. “Hey I know you…..” type moments. The best part was it was really funny, promoted the house in a good way, while, generally speaking, staying within the standards of good behavior, for the time period. 

Leadership

My days in The Castle shaped me in ways that I can never repay. My time as Treasurer, Steward and other roles gave me skills I used my entire career, in life, and as a parent. I managed to develop into a very effective leader in the business world and my community because of the opportunities I had at Phi Gam. However, it wasn’t easy though. I ran for and lost many elections for various positions my first two years. I asked brothers whom I respected where I came up short. There honesty helped; therefore, with diligence, I worked on my communication skills, improved my interactions with the brothers so they could know me better and know that I was responsible. These leaders reminded me to remain persistent, and I still believe this is the most important characteristic that I possess. 

Pig Dinner

During a recent Pig Dinner, I visited a niece who was at UMO, and her friends. They wanted to know what college life was like ‘back then’. They were in awe of the fun we had and what we got away with. The golf story was probably their favorite. I was shocked at how much I remembered, and I had a lot of fun recounting all of it. It reminded me of all the times we sat around the living room in the Castle telling stories, laughing at and with each other.

“What if the space be long and wide,
That parts us from our brother’s side
A soul-joined chain unites our band,
And memory links us hand in hand.”
(Phi Gamma Delta fraternity song)

Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82
Perge