Phi Kappa Psi - University of Michigan

Page 2 the sophon Fall 2020 J ohn Doss '83 lived in South Quad at U-M his freshman and sophomore years, where he met Scott Russell '83 through a roommate. Scott knew some of the former Phi Kappa Psi brothers at the university, and together they worked to bring Michigan Alpha back to campus. John and Scott became part of the new charter class, recruiting their own South Quad friends as well. "We were the new kids on the block—it was exciting!" John recalls. "We had the highest GPA of any fraternity and were pretty competitive in athletics." During his early years, the chapter even won the intramural volleyball championship, which shocked the other fraternities. Most importantly, John formed great friendships with the brothers that last to this day. John graduated from U-M with a double major in history and economics. He began his Wall Street career in 1984 and is now a managing partner of a family investment office. John and his wife, Maureen, have been married for 30 years with one son, Matthew, who is a senior in high school. John leads a busy life in New York but has returned to Michigan three times since graduating—one of which was for a campus visit with Matthew. He wasn't able to visit the chapter house, but he noted that the campus hasn't changed too much. John stays in touch with many of his brothers on Facebook, and pre-pandemic they've periodically met for dinner in New York. You can reach John at johnfdoss@gmail.com. Memories from the Charter Class John Doss '83 Reflects on Bringing Phi Psi Back Lights, Camera, Action David Koll '01 Reflects on His Time with Michigan Alpha and His Career in Film and Television D avid Koll '01 joined the Michigan Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi because he immediately recognized the quality of the active members within the chapter. "One of the brothers took me to the gym and I ended up joining the boxing team with him," David said. "I told a different brother that I was Jewish and he invited me to services for the High Holidays." David was grateful that the brothers had an interest in him as a person. These bonds he developed turned into deep friendship as the year went on. As an active member, David's favorite event to attend was Home for the Holidays, a gift-wrapping philanthropy with Tri Delta and Kappa Kappa Gamma. "One brother would dress as Santa Claus and give out gifts to kids," David said. "The Tri Delts' moms came one year. It was a fun time." Outside of that, he just tried to cherish the little moments with his brothers. "To be honest, it was less about those epic individual nights—though they certainly exist—and more about all the time in between," David said. "Just hanging out with my friends in the house, grilling on the porch, going to Dominick's together… that's what sticks with me the most." David graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in film and television. Throughout his career, he has worked in freelance film and television production. "I've worked as a screenwriter [he did an uncredited rewrite on Disney's Call of the Wild, out earlier this year], but production pays the bills," David said. "I've been fortunate to work primarily on big-budget studio features including several Marvel Studios projects." One of his favorites was Thor, one of the first movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "That was the first set I ever worked on and I really lucked out," David said. "It was a blast to make, which isn't always the case, and I got in with a really good group of people. Literally every job I've gotten since has come from someone I met through that show." One of his recent movies called Let Them All Talk, starring Meryl Streep and directed by Steven Soderbergh, is set to launch on HBO Max this December. Currently, David is on the set of a Netflix mini-series with a working title that will release next year. "I've always wanted to work in film," David said. "For as far back as I can remember, it's what I wanted to do." Though David hasn't been able to visit campus since the chapter house move a decade ago, he still loves staying in touch with his brothers. Over a year ago when he was moving from Los Angeles to New York City, David stayed with brothers along the way in San Francisco, Boise, Chicago, and West Bloomfield. "I was just reaching out to friends who I knew were along my route," David said. "It wasn't until the third guy that I realized they were all Phi Psi brothers." That's one of the things David loves about the brotherhood, seeing how relationships change and develop serious depth over time. David shares that he struggled with his alcohol use for a time after college, but it was one of his best drinking buddies from Michigan Alpha who helped him get sober 15 years later. "Drinking was such a big part of the culture," David said. "I was a little nervous to be open about my sobriety. But the people who one might stereotypically expect not to be as supportive turned out to be my biggest support system. I owe them everything." David lives in Brooklyn, New York, and can be reached at koll.david@gmail.com.

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