Few understand the value of true brotherhood better than my friend Cortez, one of the newest and arguably most popular members at Sewanee’s fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon. When I first met him in October I was shocked by the look of fear and panic in his eyes. A simple red bandana, looped around his withered neck, was all he wore, and he could scarcely walk up a flight of stairs. Some four months, two hundred pounds of dog food, and countless pairs of chewed-up shoes later, Cortez is surprisingly in the prime of his life, marching around campus like a stallion, and wearing his red bandana with pride. Biologically he might be a White Lab, but students at SAE consider Cortez one of their own.
It was mid-October when Sophomore John Breckenridge heard a faint whimpering in the parking lot of the Smoken B’S BBQ. Behind a dumpster he found the source of the cries, a malnourished, abandoned puppy, looking close to death. Obedient to his conscience, John quickly rushed the breathing corpse to a local veterinary clinic, where he was told the puppy had only two weeks to live. That simply would not do, John decided, and together with some fraternity brothers he took the ailing pooch to the SAE house.
SAE members Michael Johnson and best friend Jimmy Porterfield soon took over the operation. They provided all that was needed for the dog to pull through; antibiotics to treat an infection of worms, Pedigree Puppy Formula to build up a ravaged frame, and endless hours of canoodling to restore a trust in man. In those early days of uncertainty Michael searched for a strong, fearless name that might offer some sense of hope for the future, and he chose “Cortez.”
The humanitarian mission paid off, and today the miracle dog has a clean bill of health. You can find him romping in the SAE yard, sleeping peacefully on a moldy couch, socializing at one of their parties, or chewing on one of his many toys that litter the floorsdownstairs. As any member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon will tell you, Cortez makes SAE house a more happening place.
“Everyone loves his personality. Especially the ladies,” says Sophomore David Gallagher, who worked alongside Michael and Jimmy to nurse the puppy back to health. “He’s in our composite, our fraternity picture,” David added.
Likewise, Jimmy values the cross-species companionship, noting that “without Cortez SAE wouldn’t be the same. He sleeps with me, and wakes me up in the morning. We’re made for each other.” Some of Cortez’s quirks make for light-hearted fun among the fraternity brothers, such as his tendency “to urinate on the Theta Pie lawn.”
On one occasion this seemingly ordinary dog may have even saved lives. SAE pledge Alex McCrickard recalls that this past Febuary 12th, Cortez alerted house residents to an intruder, who was later apprehended by Sewanee police, and who also turned out to be a wanted felon. Each passing day brings another unforgettable Cortez moment.
Part of the broader appeal of dogs, according to Dr. Peyser, Chair of our Pyschology Department, is that they offer “unconditional positive regard,” which means they love us no matter what. They also demonstrate an uncanny ability to read emotions in others, which is why animal-assisted therapies “almost exclusively use dogs.”
All of us, then, could use a Cortez. His wagging tail and drooping tongue spread joy in a world heavy with sorrow, and each of his slobbery love-bites reminds us the strength of life. I congratulate Sigma Alpha Epsilon on offering this dog a well-deserved bid.
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