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March 3 Greek Round-Up
The Beta Sigma chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., was accused of hazing and the accuser is offended by the actions that members of this organization are saying took place.Dean of Student Life, Robert Bennett reviewed all of the information concerning this case and the "not guilty verdict" given by the Southern University Pan Hellenic Council Judicial Committee and made the decision to place the Beta Sigma chapter on a three-year suspension.
The chapter has recently appealed this verdict, which according to Melvin Robinson, chapter adviser, the appeal was not granted and they are still facing the punishment set by Bennett.
The accuser said the incident began when he was contacted by telephone by an Omega to meet at a specific location and park his vehicle. He got in another vehicle in which he was then blindfolded and taken with two other people to another location. Once he got to the location, his blindfold was taken off and excessive beating then began to take place. He said a similar situation took place the next night also.
"Saturday night I went to the doctor's office, by the time I parked my truck and walked up to the double doors, blood just started coming out," he said. "The doctors came down from upstairs and cut open my shirt. They had to stick tubes down my throat."
According to the accuser, after the Feb. 18 issue of The Southern DIGEST, he began receiving phone calls from the Omega's involved petitioning for a deal. With the help of an SU faculty member they agreed to pay his rent for six months along with all accumulated doctor bills to persuade him to drop the charges he said.
He agreed to the alleged deal and told Deion Dorsett (chapter Basileus and friend) and the Pan Hellenic Judiciary Committee on Feb.14 that the charges were dropped.
"The day that the meeting (Pan Hellenic Judiciary Committee) took place; no calls, no show," he said referring to the deal. "So I felt like a fool because I was trying to help the fraternity and a friend, which I have known since '96-97.'"
The accuser said that Dorsett did not acknowledge their friendship at the hearing.
"So the charges are not dropped, I have brought no legal form from downtown saying that those charges were dropped," he said. "Deion Dorsett is one of my best friends and Deion did not say anything about us being best friends. That really hurt me to see how he is trying to protect his fraternity. And that really bothered me. Deion Dorsett that's my friend; I'm going to love him for life. But something's got to be done."
The accuser said that what he did not mention at the hearing is that due to the alleged beating, he almost died.
"I was throwing up blood and the doctor told me that if I didn't come in on Saturday that I would have went home and died because I was bleeding so much internally."
In the Feb. 22 issue of The Southern DIGEST, Dorsett said, "I, in no way deny that this man was hazed-the pictures of his bruises prove that. However, it was not my chapter that did it."
Along with the unfortunate physical harm that the accuser endured, he is also hurt by the friendship that was lost because of it.
"Me and him (Dorsett) have been through a lot," he said. "For him to try and protect his fraternity knowing that I almost died I have lost all respect for Deion. I knew who called me that night; it was my friend Deion Dorsett. And because I knew this was coming from him, I didn't know that they were going to do what they did that night. That was a real shock to me. Deion was the one that blindfolded me."
The accuser said that in the past he would think about what it would be like to be an Omega. This was something he longed for.
"Do I still want this...no I really don't," he said. "I would advise no one to join this fraternity."
Pitt Steppers tear the roof off
mitation is the most sincere form of flattery.More...And imitation of the other fraternities' acts is what got the brothers of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. first place in the National Pan-Hellenic Council's second annual Steel City Step Show, held Saturday at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall.
The winning Sigmas were wheeled to the stage on dollies during their performance, wearing straight jackets and masks -- a nod to the movie "The Silence of the Lambs." The four brothers pulled off their bindings and exposed crisp, button-down shirts showing Greek letters.
With dry ice evaporating in the background, the fraternity members warned audience members not to try this at home. Then they began making fun of other fraternities.
They started by mocking Kappa Alpha Psi, an NPHC fraternity that did not perform at the event. They used "Vogue"-like gestures to mimic the Kappas.
The men daintily stepped, bounced their bodies and raised one hand to show the complexity -- or lack thereof -- of the stepping style traditionally used by the Kappas. They brought out canes -- a Kappa calling card -- and danced crazily to "It's Raining Men" as the audience broke in to uproarious laughter.
Nicholls State Step Show
Corey Williams and the members of Alpha Phi Alpha perform in Saturday´s step show.
Step dancing has long been a traditional part of culture in black sororities and fraternities, and Nicholls students have also embraced this historic custom.Inspired by previous step shows held during Homecoming festivities and spring Jubilee, Student Programming Association hosted the first annual Divine Nine Step Show on Feb. 20 in Peltier Auditorium
This event, honoring the nine historic African American fraternities and sororities of the Pan-Hellenic Council, was one of many University activities held in celebration of Black History Month.
Rochelle Jones, accounting junior from New Orleans and multi-cultural chairperson for the Student Programming Association, organized the event.
"I wanted to really educate people. We can educate ourselves as a whole if we incorporate step shows and events that make it fun for people to come out and learn," Jones said.
The Divine Nine Greek Organizations of the Pan-Hellenic Council are: Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Omega Psi Phi, Sigma Gamma Ro and Iota Phi Theta.
For Jones, ensuring that each of the nine fraternities and sororities were represented in the performance was a challenge, because only seven of the nine groups have established chapters at Nicholls.
The members of Sigma Gamma Ro of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the members of Ioda Phi Theta of Louisiana State University were asked to participate in the step show to ensure that members of each organization were included in the performance.
Sixty-five performers from each of the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities choreographed their own precision step dancing and liturgical, spiritual dance routines.
"Our show in a large part is a collaboration, from outfits to music and everything," Christina Berry, mass communication senior from Chicago and sorority president of Alpha Kappa Alpha, said.
The members of each performance group spent many hours rehearsing their original dance routines.
"We tried to practice at least four days a week for one hour or more, depending on how difficult the steps are," Ashanta Covington, accounting senior from New Orleans and member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, said.
In addition to organizing dance programs, the members of all nine fraternities and sororities also created Power Point displays to be presented during the step show. The Power Point programs focused on the origins and history of the individual organizations.
"The sorority set up a committee and they came up with ideas for the Power Point show. Then they presented the ideas to the chapter as a whole," Covington said.
Individual sororities and fraternities also compete in local dance competitions. "We've gone to the Bayou Classic. Eventually we hope to compete on a regional level. That's pretty much everyone's goal; to create a show that's good enough to perform elsewhere," Berry said.
Troy State Silent March
The Brothers of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity with Sigma Gamma Rho and the NAACP Troy University Chapter will sponsor the 3rd Annual Black History Month Commemorative Silent March at 6 p.m. February 28.More...Luis Escalante, Phi Beta Sigma representative, said the public is invited and encouraged to participate in the Silent March, which will pay tribute to those who fought and struggled for civil rights.
The National Pan-Hellenic Council is hosting "Unity Week" this week to unite the seven historically black fraternities and sororities it governs.More...Arica Herron, a junior psychology major and president of ISU's chapter of the NPHC, said the NPHC, as a national organization, has been around since 1930. It governs nine historically black fraternities and sororities, of which ISU has seven.
Herron said each black organization has a week dedicated to them, and the NPHC is no different. Herron said the NPHC has had a week "as long as I can remember," but it is not always called "Unity Week."
Northern VA Ques In Search of Talent
Herndon High School started, Feb. 17, what it hopes will become an annual tradition—the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Talent Hunt, sponsored by the Fairfax County Omicron Kappa Kappa (OKK) Chapter.More...Formerly held at Oakton High School, this year's Talent Hunt drew only four contestants, all from Herndon, but organizers and school officials are hopeful that once established it will grow and expand its reach.
Although held at Herndon, the contest, which offers cash prizes, is open to students throughout the school district.
New Herndon High School Principal Frances Ivey, in congratulating the winners, described this first event as an "investment in the future" and said she was "delighted to start a program like this" at the school.
The Talent Hunt is part of the African-American fraternity's youth programming. Founded in 1911 at Howard University, Omega Psi Phi espouses four cardinal principles--"manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplift." Its name translates into "friendship is essential to the soul."
Nine APO Brothers Allegedly Get Food Poisoning at Radford U.
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Nine members of Alpha Phi Omega (APO) became ill after eating some food during a lock-in at Heth Hall. The incident occurred Friday, Jan. 18 during a Campus Activities Board-sponsored casino night. APO members believe the source of the sickness to be a batch of eggs provided by RU Catering Services.“As far as we know, it was not food poisoning, no other individuals sought medical attention, and we believe this had nothing to do with dining services,” said Tom DeLuca, the director of Dining Services.
One student, Lauren Krosiner, became so ill that she had to be hospitalized. Upon her arrival at Carillon NRV Medical Center, she was diagnosed with food poisoning.
APO Coming Back to Alaska
"For lack of a better word, we want to become a workhorse for student government and student activities [at UAF]," said Sven Gilkey, the man responsible for attempting to resurrect Alpha Phi Omega on campus.The co-ed fraternity, previously active at UAF during the 1960's, seems focused more on service projects than the usual college frat fodder.
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Alpha Unplugged at Indiana State
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Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. hosted an evening of talented musicians in the Alpha Unplugged live concert Monday in Dede I.The performances included poems, hip-hop, R&B and gospel songs.
The event proceeds went to the Eric Tramell Scholarship Fund, which will help a Terre Haute high school student attend college.
Tramell was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha who passed away several years ago.
Posted by Rashid on March 3, 2005 7:10 AM
Comments
Yay for new/rechartered APO chapters! : )
Commented by Rachel on March 7, 2005 8:56 AM