It’s all Greek to me

Friday, October 16, 1998

It’s all Greek to me

Many fraternities and sororities aren’t

affiliated with the university or

national organizations, giving them

more freedom to offer different

options to students

By Meghan Ward

Daily Bruin Contributor

In white T-shirts, black pants and colored neck scarves, eight
Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters performed a step routine to
hip-hop and R&B selections in Westwood Plaza on Wednesday.

The one-hour yard show was not for the purpose of entertainment,
but rather to promote the history of a black people who stand
together in solidarity under oppression.

Raymond Richardson, president of Alpha Kappa Alpha fraternity,
supported his brothers as they concluded the show.

‘There has been a tradition of stepping that goes back into
slave days,’ he said.

While over 1,000 men and women rushed the eighteen fraternities
and ten sororities that comprise the Interfraternity (IFC) and
Panhellenic Councils at UCLA last week, other students opted to
join one of the smaller Greek organizations on campus.

A total of 17 alternative Greek organizations exist on campus,
ranging from Delta Lambda Phi, a gay fraternity, to the newly
chartered Delta Sigma Pi, a co-ed business fraternity.

The National Panhellenic Council (NPHC) consists of six
African-American fraternities and sororities.

The Asian Greek Council is comprised of two fraternities and two
sororities, and there are seven independent Greek organizations as
well

The only housed organization outside of the IFC and Panhellenic
Councils is Alpha Gamma Omega, a Christian fraternity.

According to Scott Carter, fraternity advisor at the Center for
Student Programming, Alpha Gamma Omega is the only truly
independent fraternity on campus.

Alpha Gamma Omega is not recognized by the university because of
their religious affiliation.

In contrast, the NPHC, Asian Greek and other independent Greek
organizations have an open membership policy that enables anyone to
join regardless of their ethnicity, religion or sexual
orientation.

Naomi Takahashi, president of Kai Alpha Delta sorority,
dispelled a misconception that the Asian Greek Council is
exclusively Asian.

‘There is a Caucasian guy pledging this year, and there have
been a couple of Indian guys and black guys in the past,’ she
said.

Delta Sigma Pi, the only professional fraternity on campus, is
an exception to the rule in that only students majoring in business
or economics can join.

‘We are co-ed, we have no house and we stress professional
activities,’ said Tony Yu, president of Delta Sigma Pi.

‘Some of the top alumni we have are Mayor Richard Riordan, the
CEO of Price Waterhouse and the CEO of J.C. Penney,’ Yu added.

Although some independent organizations like Delta Sigma Pi have
national organizations in which they belong, to, many do not.

Daniel Tung, president of Omega Sigma Tau, an Asian Greek
fraternity started at UCLA, has refused requests by UC Berkeley and
USC to organize their own chapters of the organization.

‘We want to have our own identity ­ we want to be
original,’ Tung said.

Disadvantages of belonging to an African-American, Asian or
independent Greek organization include lack of funding and lack of
guidance.

Although Delta Lambda Phi, UCLA’s gay fraternity, is nationally
recognized, it lacks the funding necessary to provide housing and
conduct formals.

Ron Caranza, president of Delta Lambda Phi, said once membership
increases, they will consider getting a house.

‘It isn’t economically feasible for us at the moment,’ Caranza
said.

As for guidance, the Delta Lambda Phi brothers prefer to look to
the other chapters in the area, like California State Northridge
and Long Beach State, rather than their national headquarters.

One of the advantages of belonging to one of the smaller Greek
organizations on campus is very low dues.

While members of the IFC and Panhellenic councils pay up to
$2,000 per year in dues, members of Omega Sigma Tau pay less than
$200 per quarter and members of Delta Lambda Phi currently pay just
a $20 pledge fee.

Another advantage to choosing an alternate Greek organization
over a larger one is the opportunity to meet other students who
share similar backgrounds and interests.

‘Like joining a Chinese or Pilipino club, it’s a good way to
connect with someone,’ Takahashi said. ‘It’s a good way to meet
people from the same cultural background that you can relate
to.’

Richardson, too, emphasized the importance of creating support
groups within one’s own community.

‘When I was in high school, the only people who came out to my
community were from African-American Greek organizations,’
Richardson said.

‘But we don’t limit our work to the African community. We work
for all mankind,’ he added.

Mike Prosper, president of Alpha Gamma Omega, said his brothers
focus on evangelism, as well as philanthropy and brotherhood.

‘We have bible studies every Thursday evening, and our house is
open for prayer every morning as well,’ he said.

Omega Sigma Tau, on the other hand, likes to throw parties with
sororities that are open ­ which means they take pledges from
any college or university ­ enabling them to meet Asian Greeks
from all over Southern California.

Another important distinction between the smaller Greek letter
organizations and those which belong to the IFC and Panhellenic
Councils is their focus on issues specific to the members of their
fraternity or sorority.

For example, organizations belonging to NPHC focus heavily on
community service and educational programming pertinent to the
African-American community.

Monet Moore, president of the NPHC and of Alpha Kappa Alpha
sorority, explains that social events are secondary.

‘Our national goals focus on the black family, male-female
relationships and health awareness,’ Moore said.

‘Another of our targets is the arts, because a lot of times our
community is more focused on sports and we feel arts are important,
too,’ Moore added.

Health care concerns which Alpha Kappa Alpha’s programming
address are AIDS, sickle cell anemia, breast cancer and ovarian
cancer.

Fern Cayentano, a member of Delta Sigma Theta, agreed that NPHC
organizations stress community service.

‘When you join our sorority, it’s a life-long membership,
whereas the sororities on the row seem to forget about them after
they graduate,’ Cayentano said.

Although NPHC, Asian Greek Council and independent fraternities
and sororities do emphasize philanthropy, Wednesday afternoon’s
yard show was proof that joining a smaller Greek letter
organization means anything but all work and no play.

Like IFC and Panhellenic organizations, all of the alternative
Greek organizations throw parties and have exchanges with other
fraternities and sororities on campus.

In fact, Danette Dyer, former president of Sigma Gamma Rho, an
NPHC sorority, said her sorority usually throws exchange parties
with the IFC fraternities.

‘Since the fraternities under the IFC have houses, we generally
throw exchange parties with them,’ Dyer said.

In order to promote communication between all the Greek
organizations on campus, the Center for Student Programming holds a
president’s round table once each quarter to discuss community
issues.

As a result of the meeting, all of the presidents are planning
to meet again next week to discuss what they can do as a group for
the UCLA community.

Takahashi, who attended the one-day retreat, said she was
surprised to learn how similar her sorority is to the Panhellenic
sororities.

‘We all have philanthropy, we all have parties and a minimum
GPA( requirement). I thought it would be hard for me to relate to
them, but for the most part we’re the same,’ she said.

According to Ellen Archibald, sorority advisor at the Center for
Student Programming, all that anyone needs to start any
organization at UCLA, including fraternities and sororities, is to
have three members.

Those members have to draw up a constitution and explain their
purpose to the Center for Student Programming and find a
departmental sponsor.

‘Sometimes we have very successful starts and sometimes they
decide it’s too much work,’ Archibald said.

Yu started up the business fraternity last spring, with the
support of the entire founding class of 35 members.

‘It was really tough at first,’ he said, ‘but if you push
yourself harder, you can prove (doubters) wrong.’

‘I wanted to make a difference at UCLA, so when I come back I’ll
know that I had a positive impact on this campus.’Members of Delta
Sigma Theta rocked the house with their energetic step performance
in Westwood Plaza Wednesday at noon.

The men of Phi Beta

Sigma perform

in Westwood Plaza

to help raise awareness about African American fraternities
and

sororities on campus.

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