30 Years!

BY JOHN RUSSO, KLEOS EDITOR

I have not written a personal note in The Kleos for many years, but I thought I would this issue as it marks my 30th year of being the editor of this magazine. It’s been a long run nearing an end.

I was first appointed editor of The Kleos in 1984 by then National President Michael Zerega. Mike and I were undergraduates together at Duquesne University and had known each other since 1971. Mike had recruited me to join the fraternity as he liked my last name ending in a vowel. So, he ended up recruiting me again into the national workings of the fraternity.

I stayed as editor for nearly seven years until I became our National Vice President. By 1998, The Kleos needed new blood, then National President Tom Carroll asked me to return as Editor. Not exactly new blood but blue blood (or in our case purple for our colors). It was the early days of desktop publishing, and I was able to incorporate new ways of putting together the magazine—much easier than using a typewriter and scissors for the original way to cut and paste.

By 2005, we were able to bring a professional designer on board to help and turned The Kleos into a color magazine—which is not bad for a volunteer organization with a limited budget. We have since made improvements and enable a digital issue as a companion to the print issue. In the 2010 s, paper media was getting minimized and eliminated, but we have persevered to document the history of Alpha Phi Delta through The Kleos

One of the best things I was able to do was to add assistance. Several brothers have stepped up to make a staff for the magazine. Emil Imbro has been documenting our Italian Heritage for a decade. Mike Iacovelli and Joe Caldarella have given us content on the APD Foundation. Emil Coscarelli has been a God-send as our photographer. He has professional camera equipment and photographs our national events (council meeting and convention) as well as local ones he can make in the NYC area.

During the past year, I had COVID-19 and experienced firsthand the effects of that nasty virus that put me in the hospital for 11 days. While I was one of the fortunate ones who survived, I think I used up several lives, and certainly aged four to five years in a few months recovering. There is a side effect of COVID called brain fogging, and I had it and still might. It diminished some of my energy, and even though I am recovered, I am not the same.

I also witnessed the passing of an uncle who was not so fortunate after getting the virus. Since then, I have been vaccinated and am hopeful that we all can achieve immunity of the virus and put the pandemic behind us.

While I retired from my full-time job back in 2018, I have been working part-time at my alma mater Duquesne University as an adjunct professor. I am also Psi Chapter’s faculty advisor on campus and enjoy being with the students. They make me feel younger than my age. But teaching the past year has been difficult with Zoom, cameras, social distancing, and masks on campus even while teaching. I have witnessed the disruption on campus and on our students. It has curtailed much of fraternity life—most of the fun aspects of intramural sports, mixers, date parties, meetings and just gathering as brothers.

In addition to being your Kleos Editor, I have also been Convention Chairman since 2004. That has been one of my proudest fraternity achievements resurrecting the convention, which in 2003 drew about 30 people and growing it greatly from there culminating with 500 conventioneers in 2014 for our centennial celebration.

Where do we go from here? I am finishing my term as Editor of our fine publication. Hopefully we can continue printing a paper version of The Kleos and welcome Matt Dixon, an energetic brother from Epsilon Gamma, St. Joseph’s College, who will take over as Editor, bringing new blood into the magazine as it heads for its own centennial in 2029. Faciamus to all my brothers, especially all those who have communicated with me over the years and those of you who might enjoy receiving The Kleos and reading it.

I welcome comments— email me at APDKleos@apd.org. Good luck to my successor. n