No-Shave November!

A photo posted by Alex (@themadb1shop) on


As everyone knows, I have a real aversion to all things shaving! I’ve kept varying lengths of a beard for the better part of decade and the last time I shaved clean was April 2013. So in honor of No-Shave November, I will be growing my beard to it’s full potential utilizing the fantastic products of Mountaineer Brand as always. However, my intent to #LetItGrow this November (as always) will be taking on a special meaning for me. I’m growing my beard for the official No-Shave November charity in support of finding a cure for colon cancer. If I reach my fundraising goal of $1,000, I will shave my beard completely on December 1st!

 

I know it sounds shocking (it is!) and many have asked me, why would you do this now? You’ve grown a beard for many years and have supported multiple charities every year so what’s changed?

 

The answer is simple. I am ready to support a cause that has been too painful for me to even look at because it hits too close to home.

 

 

My Father lost his battle with colon cancer July 20th, 2007 and I held his hand while he took his final breaths.

 

His death has fundamentally changed me in ways that I would not even be aware of until many years later. He was more than just an awesome father, he was a middle school teacher, basketball coach (and fanatic!) and influenced thousands of students within our community during his life. It’s no secret that he did not always take care of himself which manifested itself in the worst way possible, not getting routine colonoscopies. His death was 100% preventable which angered me greatly as a teenager. If only he would have gotten screened, he would likely still be alive and well today. At the time, it was difficult for me to accept but I made sure to let him know that I loved him and that I would make him proud of me as I left childhood behind and entered adulthood without him.

 

As I write this, I’m still finding it difficult to express my thoughts even after almost a decade. It was by far the most difficult thing I’ve gone through in my life but I would not be the man that I am today without his guidance and wisdom. He always pushed me to strive for excellence and to be kind to everyone and I am incredibly sad that he will never get to meet my future wife, hold our children or hangout with my in laws whom he would absolutely adore to their love of sports and craft beer!

 

I will be articulating further thoughts on my father, cancer and what all of us can do to help put an end to colorectal cancer. In addition to raising funds for my No-Shave November initiative, I am running a month long giveaway contest for a $25 Gift Card for Mountaineer Brand which has amazing beard and skin care products for men, a Starter Pack for Heroes of the Storm including multiple heroes, an exclusive mount and the bad ass Ronin Zeratul skin in addition to 5 random premium Steam keys! Check out the giveaway below:
No Shave November Giveaway!

Chair League Madness!

chairleaguelogo

 

I played my first Chair League match the other night and it was amazing! CLM needed an extra player so I gladly queued up 15 minutes prior to the match. I had never played with the whole team so I was a bit intimidated at first but settled in for the draft and mentally prepared myself! Well played all around, ETA was scary and I learned a whole lot about how to play Heroes of The Storm within the structure of a team.

Here is my favorite part of the match, after losing a 3-2, we dove back in knowing we had the damage output to even things up:

Check the full recap of the stream over on Twitch, scrub to 1:23 for the start of our game or back to 1:15 for the draft.

It’s truly incredible how Chair League has created an avenue for amateurs and pros to come together and grow the game. I love HoTS and mostly play by myself, but the fantastic community around CL is too much fun to not be involved! A huge shout out to all of those who make Chair League what it is: Friendly, fun, fierce and entertaining!

I played Sylvanas, a hero that I feel comfortable with but I noticed I played so safe early game that I missed some key shut downs on enemy structures to help push lanes. I’m proud that I held my own but there is always room for improvement! Ready to hit the Nexus again with the Chair League in the near future!

I would like to  add a special note of gratitude to the both casters for their fantastic commentary. It’s amazing how much I learned from watching the replay and hearing their perspective! Check out OneMegaManFan here!

Post Grad Life // Not Just 4 Years

“You’re still involved with your Fraternity? Aren’t you an alumni”

I sure am

Working in a Lean/Agile company, I find myself using skills that I only acquired in one place: The Gamma Alpha Chapter of the Theta Xi Fraternity. It’s why I’m still involved as board member for our alumni association. It’s the reason I persevered through adversity and also how I met my future wife.

Had to throw that last one in there!

My biggest takeaway out of the several thousand I could choose from is that finding yourself in the deep end is not a disaster! Applying critical thinking to complex challenges that I had never faced became the norm after associating. Leaning on my brothers when I needed support and collaborating in a structured environment to advance a shared vision taught me the logistics of notepad dreams into a reality. Translate those to the business world and it’s easy to see why I’m still so involved.

What I believe is important for the new generation of active brothers is not reinventing wheel. The plethora of pitfalls a fraternity faces are vast and making the same mistakes twice can end the show. It’s a difficult undertaking to consult and guide them. Sometimes, they even need to make their own mistakes to learn but providing a helpful network to draw upon for these young men is what we’re here to do!

I’m far from the only alumni who has gone on to be successful and is still involved. We instill a sense of tradition and bring years of combined knowledge to light the way for our younger brothers. Even if they feel like they’re in the weeds, there is always a shared lesson to be taken away after.

Throwback!

I give back to the younger brothers with my time, knowledge and fraternity acumen not because I have to but because it is my responsibility. To the family that provided me a home, taught me how to truly be a man and empowered me with skills to be successful in the real world, there isn’t much I wouldn’t give.

So yes, I am:

Still involved, still wearing letters and always representing what it means to be a Theta Xi long after graduation.

Juncti Juvant