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Fraternity takes 'Chapter of the Year' honors 5:20 p.m., March 7, 2006--Even though you can count its brothers on one hand without using the thumb, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity's UD chapter has been named the College Chapter of the Year for the fraternity's Mid-Atlantic District. While UD fraternities and sororities often win awards from their national organizations, they typically have 60 to 70 members. Alpha Phi Alpha's Xi Omicron Chapter has four. Xi Omicron Chapter is so small that everyone is an officer. Tyrone Jeffress is president. Cy Wilkins is vice president. Tre Davis is secretary, and new member Tim Yancy is treasurer. The four seniors sponsored an open-mike contest, staged a Miss Black and Gold scholarship pageant, collected money for Hurricane Katrina victims, helped stage a step show, held Kwanzaa festivities, sponsored a safe-sex program and pitched in for an Urban League phone-a-thon. The fraternity attracted a large cross-section of UD's 2,800 fraternity and sorority members when it staged a panel discussion featuring white members of historically black fraternal organizations and black members of historically white fraternities and sororities. “When you compare them to larger chapters, they've done more stuff than the large chapters. More people brings a larger budget, and they don't have anything like that, so I'm impressed,” Matt Lenno, assistant director of student centers said. “I'm very proud that they accomplished all this.” “It's amazing to see four students put on the kinds of programs that they've done,” fraternity adviser Chuck Tarver, assistant director of student centers and an Alpha Phi Alpha alumnus, said. “They are students who have been involved in not just the fraternity but a lot of other things on campus. And they work well with the other students. They also take part in a good number of the events that the alumni chapter in Wilmington sponsors.” The chapter also won a district award for interaction with its alumni chapter. “It comes down to the fact that it's quality over quantity,” said Jeffress, the chapter president said. “We look for gentlemen who are looking to do work within the fraternity. We let people know we really are about service, and we're not just about fooling around or whatever.” Jeffress said fraternity alumni, especially Tarver, have made his job easier. “They've been around the area for a long time so they've given us insight on how to run things on campus. And Chuck is just helpful every step of the way. He'll help us make flyers, help us put together our presentation packets. Whatever he can do, he will,” Jeffress said. Lenno said the fraternity has a 100 percent retention rate this year--meaning new recruit Yancy stayed. Jeffress said the four members, all seniors, have been actively recruiting new members. He urged interested students to contact him via e-mail to [mightyxio@yahoo.com]. Next up, the chapter vies for the regional chapter of the year plaque. In the meantime, the members are not sitting on their laurels. They are collecting donations to honor a fraternity member who is well-known even among a membership that has included Thurgood Marshall, Jesse Owens and Duke Ellington. The chapter is raising funds for Build The Dream, the group that plans to put a Martin Luther King memorial on the Washington Mall. Article by Kathy Canavan |
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