After struggling to gain a presence on campus, Lambda Chi is now fighting to keep active.
Walk down the uneven and cleverly decorated hills of North Carolina A&T’s Greek lane and you’ll see many different organizations, each laying claim to their various plots of land.
On a good day, you may even catch some members practicing for a step show or cleaning up their territory. But search and search as you may, there is one thing you won’t find right away, Lambda Chi Alpha.
A social fraternity based in Christian values, Lambda Chi has struggled to make a significant presence on campus for the organization. Once over 35 members strong, the Pi Iota chapter has found themselves in a unique situation: induct a minimum of 20 members to restore their charter or lose their presence on campus.
The organization has temporarily rebranded themselves as the Lambda Chi Alpha Interest Group, which allows them to still have activities on campus and try to build interest in aspirants to boost there numbers.
As they sat in the Memorial Room of the Memorial Student Union on April 24 around 6 p.m., roughly 20 people enjoyed an end of the year banquet with sautéed chicken breasts, salad and mashed red potatoes. For the interest group, this dinner was not only a reflection on the end of the year, but a charge to continue their efforts next year.
“This year we set our goals pretty high for this year. We wanted to re-colonize the Pi Iota chapter,” current President Matthew West, a 21-year-old junior business education major with a concentration in computer technology, said.
“In an effort to drive interest, we’ve sponsored more programs such as professional leadership programs with focuses on the 7 core values of Lambda Chi Alpha. Through the Lambda Chi Alpha Interest Group we can plan programs without having to work through our headquarters as a fraternity.”
Those seven core values; loyalty, duty, service & stewardship, respect, honor, integrity and personal courage, are the foundations of the organization and drive all the programming. West admits, they are similar to the values that most all fraternities share, but he says they still have a level of distinction.
“There’s always a different way to implement values in people,” West said. “I would say that as a group we are a social fraternity and we will teach the 7 core values and that those 7 cover values will make you a better person in life.”
“We will continue to put out more programs that interest the campus. Our other programs have been internal; study sessions to help the aspirants and members improve their grades, workout sessions to improve their physical character as well, and informational sessions to get to learn more about Lambda Chi Alpha. I did want to plan a class step show since the Student Government Association and Student University Activities Board already have different step shows for the dorms but their isn’t anything for the classes.”
Keeping interest high in the group has been difficult, but the efforts of the organization are beginning to pay off. While the group may be losing one student to study abroad next year, and two are graduating in the fall, there are 12 new faces that are truly interested in joining.
Freshman journalism and mass communications major Taylor James has a concentration in broadcast productions, and is excited to be a part of the resurgence of the Lambda Chi’s.
“I’m interested in Lambda Chi Alpha because of the true feeling of brotherhood-I felt it immediately,” he said. “I remember walking in the room and feeling accepted by everyone despite my hair, shoes, clothing or finances. I was interested in being around people who share the same values I do and the organization does that. “
“I enjoy being around people who share the same values as I do, so the people I hang with should also feel accepted bus as an organization we have to be on our p’s and q’s as far as recruitment.”
“To say the least I’m very excited to be a part of getting this charter back and bringing back the brotherhood and making it big on A&T’s campus,” James said.
While the excitement among the aspirants is brewing, what’s more interesting is the strange set of circumstances that led to Lambda Chi’s current troubled state.
“There were some internal issues before my line actually crossed and with those issues were the problems that got us removed such as financial issues,” West said.
“People not paying their dues to the national office. Most Greek letter organizations have this problem, but the difference is that the majority of us were having financial difficulty with paying. The people we recruited were also having financial difficulty.”
It’s not common for the majority of an organization to be delinquent in financial obligations. Mix that in with attitudes towards dedication and you have a recipe for failure.
“Also personal attributes, from what I remember here, were some personal attitudes that caused the downfall of the chapter such as commitment to the organization in 2008. My line came in spring 2009,” West said.
But despite the challenges the group faced earlier, out of the 37 members they once had, several still remained.
“The most memorable thing was meeting everybody. I remember thinking ‘this is not for me’ but this has created a very universal experience in my life. I’m truly glad to be a member,” said current A&T student Meshach Jackson. He, along with others, gave reflections on their experiences with Lambda Chi that were focused on how much they benefitted from being a member and the level of brotherhood they all shared.
“We have earned the right to be here,” said A&T student Derrick Waller. “It’s been a very interesting situation since I’ve joined Lambda Chi Alpha.
I’ve had a moment with every brother in this fraternity. I’ve interacted on various levels with each and every one of them. I’ve become a better person than I’ve ever been.”
Even alumni of A&T and of the chapter came back to participate in the celebration.A&T alumni and first year UNC Charlotte graduate student William Saunders joined Lambda Chi Alpha in the spring of 2009, the same year the charter was terminated.
He says that it was tough, but that despite the challenges the group knew they faced, he continued on. He shared with the group his most cherished moments, and spoke with a confidence and aurora of hope for the future.
“One memorable moment would be the night of our initiation and the silent dinner we had,” he said. “We had numerous friends, classmates, and others trying to talk to us and we could not talk.
It’s important because we were unified. Also if it had not been for my brothers my last semester would not have been as great as it was.”
No matter what they may face as a group, the Lambda Chi boys seem determined to find their niche on campus.
Dr. Cliff Lowery, a former A&T administrator, helped to start the chapter and was also present to reflect on the status.
“Watching you guys pull all of this together. When you guys were applying for the charter, all the support you provided for each other was extremely memorable,” he said.
” A lot of folks didn’t want to change tradition and let these ‘bad’ organizations on campus, even when I was at UNCG.
“The students passed the resolution to get 20 members and even the national level had an appreciation for the students because the national office said that they couldn’t override the students. It just showed me how much the students drove this organization. When something means a lot to you, and to have that taken away…has a significant impact.
Those of you that stuck around, that’s significant. I remain confident in spite of the have been willing and I obstacles but somehow you all have been willing and I hope that you will continue.”
Lowery wants what once were only 37 to become a strong 50 or more.
The organization faces a long road ahead. They still have to a gain 20 members by the next intake period, and get their standing right with the university and their national office.
But that doesn’t seem to be much of a concern for anyone. With any luck, the Lambda Chi’s will be back in full swing before the end of 2011.
- Dexter R. Mullins