In The Beginning

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Written by Dr. Reggie Smith | 09 May 2010

I have been asked to provide some historical information on the Eta Iota Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at Voorhees College and to elaborate on what the Fraternity means to me.

As I think back 39 years ago there was a movement on campus to establish fraternities and sororities at Voorhees. This was taking place in my opinion under the backdrop and height of the Black Power Movement.

Eta Iota was born in 1971, however if memory serves me correctly, the pledge period began in the fall of 1970.  We were on line for a brief period of time due paperwork issues.

My band of brothers and there were 12 of us were a very tight group. For six weeks we had to learn the history of fraternity accommodate our big brothers mostly by providing them with candy and running errands. Other duties included shining shoes with a toothbrush into the late-night hours of the night and going without sleep for most of the day. This was an exciting and challenging time for us as we developed sharp survival skills while continuing to demonstrate our intellectual abilities.

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Experience of A Lifetime

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01 July 2010

I never saw myself as "college material". What is that anyway? I recently had an opportunity to go back to my high school in Philadelphia, PA last week where I once again reflected on my journey from Philly to Denmark, from high school to college, from a boy to a man.

I always considered myself an intellectual person, but I did not always apply what was within me. In high school, I played around a lot and did not value education for what it was worth. Upon barely graduating in 1997 (after summer school & night school), I was asked by my mentor ( An Alpha Man of course) if I wanted to attend school in South Carolina; at which time I respectfully declined (no offense). For the next two years I worked odd jobs (Post office, UPS, etc.) trying to find my way. But destiny and purpose has a way of making things happen even when we can't see it coming.

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My Friend

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Written by Tony Brown | 25 May 2011

I first met Mr. Elester Garrett in the summer of 1984. It was the start of my freshman year at Voorhees College. I was a skinny kid that was painfully shy trying to adjust to the culture of the South, the gnats, the Dorms and that unbelievable heat. I was truly a duck out of water and Mr. Garrett knew it. He come over and introduced himself, “Hello young man, I’m Mr. Elester Garrett, the Dean of Student Services”. Great, I thought, this is just what I need, a Light-Skinned Black-Man with a blonde Jeri Curl talking to me. But strangely enough it was exactly what I needed. Mr. Garrett asked me to stop by his office every day to check in, he just wanted to know that I was adjusting to life on campus OK. We began having long conversations about making good decisions and acting responsibly. Soon, I started referring to Mr. Garrett as Mr. G and then, just “G”. This was not met as a sign of disrespect. In fact, for me, it was just the opposite. “G” was my friend and we didn’t have time for titles or formalities. He saw me make the mistakes of youthful exuberance and was always supportive.

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