The Alpha Phi Alpha chapter of Seton Hall was chartered as a nationally-recognized fraternity on Nov. 14.
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Photo via Facebook/Jimmy Bedoya[/caption]
Alpha’s history is “complex,” said Myles White, a senior finance major and president of the chapter.
White said the fraternity is “prominent, especially in the black community,” and was founded on Dec. 4, 1906, and that the chapter has long been in the process of trying to return.
Jimmy Bedoya, a sophomore marketing major, described the pitch that was given to the graduate chapter. “Right now, it was about letting them know that we were able to sustain the chapter,” Bedoya said. “The plan consisted statistics about why it’s necessary to have an impact and why this fraternity is important.”
Bedoya described his experience joining the fraternity. “I serve as a bridge between the Black and Latino organizations,” he said. “Alpha Phi Alpha was the first intercollegiate fraternity for minorities was Alpha Phi Alpha which stuck out to me.”
Recently, the fraternity has done several projects. Brennan Smith, a senior sports management major and vice president of the Phi Eta chapter, said they helped provide meals on Thanksgiving morning, raised over $1,000 for the chapter and did over 100 hours of service this semester.
White explained that Alpha Phi Alpha has its main pillars, just like any other fraternity, but the way it differs is the standard which it holds its members to. “Alpha is built on scholarship, brotherhood, and academic excellence,” White said. “We want to live up to the mission of what Alpha is. We strive for leadership and the best version of each of our members.”
Smith added, “It’s something that you build. It’s an image that you hold from before you got the letters until the day you depart this world.”
One of the fraternity’s upcoming events is the multicultural expo partnership with the Martin Luther King Scholarship Application on Dec. 6. “It’s basically going to be an event where all students are encouraged to come out and enjoy some food, and a night of networking,” Bedoya said. He added that the fraternity will also be hosting a “Family Feud” game, where they hope to have at least eight teams, of which three will make it to the top of the scoreboard.
Bedoya explained the impact that Alpha Phi Alpha has had on him. “I was able to meet with a lot of brothers,” he said. “I connected with a brother from Alpha Alpha Lambda, our graduate chapter, he is a CIO for Prudential Financial, and I was able to land an internship. The fraternity has polished the leadership and scholar attributes I already had.”
Jason Maryeski can be reached at jason.maryeski@student.shu.edu.
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