[13206] in APO-L
Chapter goings-on
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jason Jones)
Tue Nov 7 09:28:54 1995
Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 09:20:41 -0500
Reply-To: Jason Jones <jjones@CAPITAL.EDU>
From: Jason Jones <jjones@CAPITAL.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
To: multiple recipients of APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
Hey, Brothers:
In case some of you was wondering, I am going to tell you what has happ-
ened with two of our chapters in Ohio: Epsilon Psi (still active-Kent State
University) and Iota Epsilon (inactive-Central State University).
As some of you already know, my line was the last one to cross at Kent
State (May 7, 1992). The chapter is still active, but if no new members cross
by February, the Regional Director will render it inactive. Here's the story.
The chapter was in rough shape when I expressed an interest in joining.
The chapter had two undergrad bros in it and one alumni (two other bros who was
initiated previously transferred to Cleveland State--referring to the Fantasy
Four line, May 9, 1991). Anyway, at the smoker, I encouraged 5 or 6 other
prospectives to join me and a seventh was encouraged by an active bro. In the
end, three of the 7 went on line (me, Dave Wallace and Robert Dunewood III) on
February 25, 1992. Our period on line was 11 weeks long (counting Spring Break)
Our service projects centered around the center of Pan-African Culture, the
Mbari Mbayo Theater (Center of Pan-African Culture Annex), and the Progressive
Education Community School, which we would pick up African-American children
from Stow, Ohio, take them to campus, tutor them in school subjects they were
having difficulty in, and take them back to Stow in the afternoon. We also
helped in the production of the set of two Black plays: "The Gentleman Caller",
and "The Quest". Me and an active were actors in the plays (I had 4 years the-
ater experience under my belt) and the two other pledges helped with the sound
and light system. The theater projects begun about 6 p.m. and many lasted until
3 and 4 in the morning (better being up late doing something positive while
pledging as opposed to getting your a** kicked all night long, knowwhutahmsayin?
Anyhow, we also helped out in the African Heritage Festival, held in mid-April.
Went off w/out a hitch. Dave dropped in late April, and me and Robert crossed
on Thursday, May 7, 1992 at 10:31 p.m. and 18 seconds.
The problems began when I guess that since I was popular among the black
students, the bros assumed I could be a driving force in recruiting more dudes
(Women were initiated during reactivation, but among all-Black GLOs it is assume
d that such organizations were for one sex, no other women were interested in
joining). Anyway, I left Kent State after that semester due to financial
difficulties and all expectations of my recruiting fell through. The bros did
put two pledges on line, but both dropped due to academic problems. No new
recruiting attempts was put to use after that. All active bros graduated and
the advisor (the nerve center of the fraternity) resigned in '94. Presently, t
there is an attempt to have an all-new E-Psi chapter by a different group of
students (one of which has a Scouting background), the problem from what I hear
is since all interested in joining are commuters, they can't find a mutual time
to get together. I think they will have some members before the semester lets
out.
As for Iota Epsilon chapter....it was founded May 20, 1950 at Central
State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. Information on this fraternity was VERY
hard to come by. They were never shown in the Centralian yearbook. But I did
see seniors who listed Alpha Phi Omega as an organization they was a part of.
However, 60% of the brothers were in other Black GLOs (A-Phi-As, K-A-Psis, and
Q-Psi-Phis) which may account for their non-mentioned status. Anyway, I read
some old school-newspaper articles, in which I found out that the chapter, among
other things, was involved in sponsoring a gospel-fest, campus beautification
(planting flowers), and even had an A-Phi-Q sweetheart in 1951. Her name was
Lula Lang, and back then, she was a FINE looking little sweetheart. I also
found out that Dr. Charles Wesley, president of the university at the time, was
initiated as an honorary brother and advisor on 2-28-51. In the paper's "orcolumn
"Orchids and Onions", our organization got an orchid for one of the many service
projects executed on campus.
But w/out explanation, the chapter disappeared without explanation by
1952 (I said that twice, didn't I?). In the early 1980s there was an attempt to
reactivate the chapter, but never came to pass. I attended the university in
the Fall of 1994. I found two brothers there, one who pledged at Alabama State
and is a member of Delta Psi Chi (a black service fraternity), and a female who
pledged at Bowling Green State University. Because of some unknown reason, I
guess we did not feel we would be enough of a force to reactivate the chapter.
I did not wear 'nalia during the time I was there. But I later found out that
a brother of Phi Mu Alpha and some cohorts was interested in restarting the
chapter. I gave him the Nationals Phone # and our regional director's name.
(BTW, Barb Anderson and the Section 56 chair, if you are reading this, gimme a
e-mail message so we see if that spark is still @ CSU). But that's the story.
I spent over an hour typing this, so PLEASE feel free to give some feedback.
Gotta go to class.
Peace.
Jason M. Jones
now w/Rho Theta chapter
Brothers of the Rising Sun!!
