2nd Interview: Russ Pocaro '00

This week's brother interview is on brother Russ Pocaro '00!  This is brother Pocaro's 2nd interview.  Here is the link to his first:  http://njepsilon.blogspot.com/2013/09/brother-interview-russ-pocaro-00.html

Quick edit.  Before you read any of my pontificating, please take a moment to click one of the banner ads.  We get a ton of traffic through these posts and every ad click is about 20 cents.  Also, in typical Phi Psi fashion, I totally outkicked my coverage when it comes to my wife.

Fraternity Stuff:

1. Did you hold any elected or appointed officer positions as an undergraduate? 

President – Fall 01, Spring 02

Hod, Rush Chair, Social Chair, other dates unknown.

2. What was your favorite service event that you participated in and why?

My favorite service event was when undergrads and alumni got together to help families that were affected by Hurricane Sandy. It was the first time in a while that both sides of the group had gotten together en masse for a service event. I was really impressed by how much we were able to get done in a single day and you could just see how appreciative the residents were of our time and effort.

3. What was your favorite mixer/social event you attended and why?

A lot of people are going to with mixers and formals, so I’ll shake things up. I was fortunate enough to go to other chartering events for other organizations and other Phi Psi chapters. Seeing the scope and effort that went into other events really made me appreciate what went into our chartering. 

4. What was your favorite campus activity/intramural sport you participated in and why?

I loved being a part of our intramural volleyball team. We simply had a ridiculous cast of people and I still laugh thinking of Eugene getting upset at people serving into the net.

5. Name at least 1 brother you admire and why?

Speaking of Eugene, I really admire him and I shouldn’t have to explain it because it really ought to be obvious to anyone that’s met him. Eugene is the kind of guy you would feel comfortable dating your sister (I mean, Duca did so why not?). Joking aside, if we ever renamed the Mr. Phi Psi award, I’d recommend naming it after him because in my mind he is the measuring stick for what it means to be NJ Epsilon.

6. Name 1 moment when you felt the brotherhood at its strongest and why?

I often feel the group is at its strongest around initiation. It’s a really good way to take the group’s overall temperature. Is it a perfect metric to measure the group by? No, but you can get a good semblance of how the past few months have been. Depending on how initiation goes you can tell if the officers are paying attention to details. If you put a priority on the ritual and practice it, chances are you’re focusing on the details of your personal life and fraternity life. If officers can get membership to “buy in” to the concept of a proper initiation, then you can get buy in on other topics. You can gauge the alumni by attendance and attitude. When you see faces that you haven’t seen in a long time, you realize that there is still something pulling alumni back to Glassboro. Even the appearance of the new members speaks to the group’s strength. White socks? Wrinkled shirt? No belt? Loafers? We see it. Is there an expectation to be wearing a three piece suit with a chained pocket watch? Of course not. But when educators and big brothers emphasize that a certain night matters, then these things don’t fall into the gaps. Someone gets lent a tie or someone gets driven to K-Mart to buy socks. 

7. When was the last time you visited Rowan or the chapter?

Spring initiation

Career Stuff:

8. Has your occupation changed since we last interviewed you? If so, what are you doing now?

I am now a high school Business teacher at Camden County Technical School in Pennsauken.

9. What are your personal career goals that you hope to achieve one day?

I’d like to start working on a principal’s certification and lead a school of my own.

10. What advice would you give to an undergraduate in your major today?

For communication majors, this isn’t my advice but Ned Eckhart’s. Eckhart was the chair of the communication program. He told our class that to be successful in the industry you must be willing to be mobile and unattached upon graduation. I wasn’t. I had established relationships that held me in New Jersey and I was afraid to break out of the area. Additionally, I graduated with way too big of a head. I had interned at NFL Films and graduated with a great GPA (I should have, I was RTF for crying out loud). At the end of the internship they offered me a $9/hour job logging footage. I thought it was beneath me. I never had a paying job in the industry again. I look at the guys that are doing well in the industry, Rick Rozycki and Gary Folsom. They’re the models for success in the industry. Another one would be Leigh Paynter. She’s an APO alumni and someone I really admire in the field.

11. If you could go back to college, would you do the same degree or pick something else? If something else, what would you do?

Knowing what I know now, I would either pick accounting, finance or engineering. I didn’t have a great guidance counselor and no one really ever sat me down in high school to go over career path options.

Relationships/Family/Personal Stuff:

12. Has your relationship status changed since we last interviewed you? 

Nope, still married.

13. Do you have kids? If so, remind us of their names and how old they are now? This is your moment to brag…tell us something great about your kids!

No kids.

14. Hobbies that you are currently into? What do you like to do in your spare time?

I recently started studying karate again in Marlton. I’m also the adviser for FBLA and Interact at the high school I teach at.

Questions for Russ! 

Some of these are follow ups to your previous answers, some are completely new. 

15. Tell us what it was like to be part of the chapter’s chartering? 

I could but I feel like unless you were there, the stories don’t resonate with people that weren’t there. Here’s stories that I think will. I drove thousands of miles to conferences and for spring break trips with guys that I still talk to 15 years later. I invited more fraternity brothers than family members to my wedding. I remember drinking a beer in the bed of a truck with a bunch of guys and no one was trying to get drunk or pick up a girl. It was just 5 or 6 guys hanging out.

16. Tell us your favorite moment that you shared with brother Ralph “Dud” Daniel (you may need to explain to the young ones who he was first)?

If I have to explain who Dud was then I need the name of your educator. I had lunch with him at the 2002 GAC and wrote about it for The Shield. Go to pg 232 of the following link http://www.phikappapsiarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2002-03_vol123_no1-4.pdf#search=Pocaro

17. What video games are you playing right now?

Hearthstone, Fallout 3, and Rocket League.

18. Who is your favorite wrestler of all time and why?

I won’t go all time, but I’m going to give some love to Damien Sandow. Here’s a guy that got stuck with a bum deal and managed to spin gold. Essentially his character was that of a “stunt double” for another wrestler. He committed so heavily to the character that he ended up becoming more popular than the wrestler he was copying. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UJcJnuMy9Y

19. You are now a member of the SC. Tell us what it’s like. Is it everything you hoped for?

I could tell you, but Chaty would have to kill you.