From a powderpuff football game to a dance party, members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., are sponsoring a series of social and philanthropic events for the fraternity’s annual Alpha Week.
The historically black fraternity kicked off the week’s events Wednesday with a members-only community service project and a social event at the Black House.
Other events later this week include a barbecue at the Black House on Friday along with the third annual “Greek Charity B-Ball Tourney,” and a powderpuff football game on Saturday.
The week — aimed at promoting the fraternity’s Northwestern chapter — will end with a party in the Louis Room at Norris University Center on Saturday night.
“It’s just to get our name out on campus and provide quality programming,” said McCormick junior Jordan Allen, Alpha Phi Alpha’s social chairman. “As far as I know, it’s been an annual event for at least the last 10 years.”
Alpha Week is also an opportunity for the fraternity to positively impact campus-wide perceptions of the Greek system, especially after recent incidents that might shed a negative light on Greek life, said Corey Morgan, a junior at Kendall College and corresponding secretary of Alpha Phi Alpha.
“We just want to show people that there’s more to Greek life than just partying and drinking,” he said. “I guess we’re just looking for a sense of community and camaraderie among NU students.”
Alpha Week normally starts on a Monday, but organizers said it began later this year to avoid over-programming so more people could attend the events.
Alpha Phi Alpha advertised the week at other schools, but the events mainly are aimed at NU students, Allen said. He expects about 200 people to participate in the events and more than 400 to attend Saturday’s party.
McCormick sophomore Warren Latham Alpha Phi Alpha’s chapter director of education, said the basketball tournament will raise money for a charity chosen by the winning fraternity or sorority. The tournament is limited to members of the Greek community, but Latham expects about 11 teams to participate.
Although only Greek students can play in the basketball tournament, the powderpuff game is open to everyone. The game switches traditional gender roles and allows women to play football while the men cheer from the sidelines.
“We had a big turnout (to the game last year) because right after the event we had a barbecue, which we moved to Friday this year,” Latham said.
Several Alpha Sweethearts, who act as “little sisters” to the fraternity members, organized Wednesday’s social event and helped plan the week’s other activities.
Medill freshman Raedell Cannie, an Alpha Sweetheart, said she thought the week will be successful because the events are not aimed solely at black students.
“I feel that (the fraternity brothers) are aiming their efforts at the entire community,” she said.
