Western Courier
David Von Nordheim
Issue date: 11/13/09
There's only one catch to joining the new Western Illinois University chapter of the Phi Rho Eta fraternity.
"We're not looking for boys," said Xavier Sims, Phi Rho Eta president and junior pre-business and conditional marketing major. "We want men."
Sims and Vice President Allen Hood formed the new chapter in September. Western's "C.H.A.R.I.S.M.A.tic Men of Phi Rho Eta Fraternity, Inc." is an offshoot of a larger national group which emphasizes addressing campus needs in a creative way.
"Phi Rho Eta is very active in the Mentor Teacher Brother (MTB) program, which guides high school youth and younger to help them succeed," said Hood, junior biology major.
"We are community service oriented, carry ourselves to a very high standard and set the standard, challenge the norm, think outside the box and above all, exemplify pride and respect."Sims and Hood demand excellence in the group, which they formed in order to combat the negative image sometimes associated with fraternities, which can be viewed as detrimental rather than beneficial to the campus.
"We're trying to create our own history, not just follow the paths made by other fraternities," Sims said. "We're going to be recognized by our actions, not just hide behind our letters."
By Sims' count, the group currently has about 300 members, and he looks forward to even greater numbers as the organization garners more publicity. Both Sims and Hood encourage other fraternities to cooperate with the Phi Rho Eta goal of working to improve the Western Illinois experience.
"Phi Rho Eta aims to make this campus more diverse and put everybody on the same page towards issues in Western and Macomb," Hood said. "We want to be inclusive and work together as Greeks and improve the reputation of Greek life."
Although optimistic about their group's future, Sims and Hood realize the difficulty of their ambitious goals. Both are prepared for the challenge and expect potential members to be as well.
"It won't be an easy task," Sims said. "We expect our members to be able to overcome the struggles of daily life and maintain their grades. They have to be well-rounded individuals."
"We're looking for students who strive to excel, who are hard-working and goal oriented. Failure is not an option," Hood said.
In maintaining a sense of grassroots community, Phi Ro Eta isn't run out of a fraternity house but rather through Sims and Hood's own efforts.
"New members should know that we're trying to bring something new to the table," Sims said. "We're going to extend beyond fraternity rivalries. Don't expect more of the same from us."
And what should students know about the offbeat acronym?
"The true meaning of C.H.A.R.I.S.M.A. is up for personal interpretation," Hood said. "We like to think that puts some mystique behind it."
Interested parties can contact Sims and Hood via e-mail at
XP-Sims@wiu.edu and
AJ-Hood@wiu.edu respectively, or check out the group's national Web site at phirhoeta.org.
Author
