[17718] in APO-L
Re: All-male chapters/A-Phi-Q chapters
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Willow Shanti)
Sat Nov 22 11:13:16 1997
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 11:11:27 -0500
Reply-To: Willow Shanti <kws0182@GARNET.ACNS.FSU.EDU>
From: Willow Shanti <kws0182@GARNET.ACNS.FSU.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <199711220040.TAA81118@garnet.acns.fsu.edu>
What is A-Phi-Q?
Willow
On Fri, 21 Nov 1997, Jason Jones wrote:
> To: multiple recipients of APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
>
> Hey brothers:
>
> Sorry I got in late on this all-male discussion, but you know how it is. I gotta answer a question that a fellow brother asked on APO-L
>
> On Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1997, Jeremy Licata wrote:
>
> >Why do the A-Phi-Q chapters consider themselves a distinct part of the frat-
> >ernity?
>
> That's a VERY good question, Jeremy, and I have an answer. Because IMHO, it is because we have traditions, rituals, and events (and even service projects to some extent) unique to the mainstream of Alpha Phi Omega. We are proud of who we are, we just express ourselves a little differently than the norm. Yes, we do tend to hold the all-male tradition near and dear, but frankly, we like it that way. We hold the fact that we was founded by the Boy Scouts very sacred. We don't reveal all the details about our fraternity. We like to keep some stuff "secret". We do mention that we are co-ed, and we are not ashamed of that, but the chapters do not wish to become co-ed because Black campus culture dictates that fraternities are for men and sororities are for women, period, end of discussion. Only 2 A-Phi-Q chapters are co-ed (Alpha Epsilon--Louisiana State and Chi Upsilon--Dillard U., Dillard being co-ed by accident).
>
> I have in my e-mailbox a letter forwarded to me written by an angry Black female brother of Alpha Phi Omega resentful of the all-male attitudes of A-Phi-Q brothers (She is the wife of the brother who made Rho Omicron a petitioning group several years back and who was an alumnus of Pi Zeta chapter, which IMHO is/was the epitome of a hardcore A-Phi-Q chapter--Keep representin, to those who are/were bruhs of the Bloody Pi Zeta, ha ha). I also have the responses to her e-mail. If you are interested, I can forward you the message(s) BUT you must show me how to forward e-mail, cause I have never done it before.
>
> Our traditions, Jeremy, parallel to that of the nine "social" Black Greek organizations (BTW, the Pan-Hellenic Council do NOT considers themselves social organizations, regardless of how the law, Baird's manual, or any other source interprets them. They are SERVICE fraternities and sororities). We have step shows, hand signs, calls, chants, terminology ("dean of pledges" as opposed to "pledgemaster", "line" instead of "pledge class"--I'm sorry, but "joining a pledge class" does not roll off my tongue or have the same effect as "going on line to cross the burning sands" Now that's DEEP! Joining a pledge class to get initiated--and know when you will become a brother sounds rather wimpy to me, but that's just me), paraphernalia only in the fraternities colors, not in colors alien to the organization. Anyway, one of my bruhs has an "A-Phi-Q/Gamma-Sig Webpage" on line. Here is the address if you want to visit it:
>
> members.tripod.com/~APQGSS/
>
> Don't forget to sign the guestbook (Thanx, Randy).
>
> If you would like to understand Black Greek culture better, visit the Brothers and sisters site at www.stepshow.com and visit Shout-Out Central.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Layta! (Skeet, Skeet) *fraternity sign*
> Jason M. Jones
> #1, Ep-Psi, Spr. '92 ACES RUN THANGZ!!
>
