- - ---- -,\ 1------------ 11 DIE Wichitan ---NAl•'J'A. ,1grl•e11 lent lllay huve hidd ' en flaws
Photo Poll: Should Clark Student Center he rc111w:1tcd?
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Stplcmhcr 23, 1993
Midwcskrn Slate Unh•crsity
Class ring sparks vivid theories BY K111hryn S.Jr f.Jllor
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lo look for lh f' i11ilial:-i ," :-i111rl V1rk11• \V:1lk1 ·r, i1,·n1 • llll) ' lo lhe Otlk,• nf l,uhli r lnfon11 ntum "Wo fouml thf' 11nm l! ,John E Vosfl m 1 t 111' fl l'O·
of !•IISL w,, .. k, lhr. OOi rt• I nhlic lnform:,tinn
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p r11H:r In n pnrt of Olll' s li fe, u ccrt.nin sndnoss t•xisls wlu ch rn n surk uddrcssed lo lh~ di rcrtor of nl11n111i ofTni r~ only ht• sul1sficd when i.rrum ," Wnlkt•r snit! " \\11! . Undt•rn cn lh th nt . one find s thl' mis:-1 mg wt•nl In trn rk do wn n rnn l- lhon wn~ paper, hrnwn !hinR hi Hntltln•s-., whk li wt• hoa.rd hnnd-aid hnx In 1~!.'")I , .John VosR, n fnund in M11n cl11y, 'l\·:rn s · wcl ,:rndnulrng- senior, prolia- _Inside thut hox , wrup1 "\\11• ra ll• ·ti i11 fo rn111 :an ~o?nn and ~1 lissu, •, lny li on nntl fn1111d om• Vu-.s bly lookrrl UL hi s rulurc 1 ~ln R~ n111: wi th 11 1.l.1 in Muncla v," \\'nlkt·r rrn ul •ilh ~ri1;h1 ex peclnli ons n~1t c wnLt r n on u rnlt\' 'To ou r 11111:11.,•nlf•nl, 11 He wns a hout to close the pupc r whi rh said wn A lfo wurcl \'nss , John ':,; chuprc-r of hrn undc•ri.:rnd- Jll<•c~ ~f 1 11 nrlJ! rlnss nd : ~· Ho hrn tlwr .. uatc colll'J.!'l' career with pc )Ou cun find sonwlluwnrti \'n., s 1:11,·1• his hnc.lu•lur of busi1ws:,1 wny to Wnlk1•r 1h1• plrnm• 1111111 • admini strat io n dc·r.n..! (• return nnd owner lnr.ut.c ofh ,s hrutlwr, wlw lwr The 01w symbol that to him .. now hn:-:-- 111 c:r1•1•1H·m·l' would curry with him afwn s sif.;nctl numci Nu Spnnr.s, Fla Wulkl'I' :-.aid i,r he lefl ~! S U, hesidt·s tn the lotter, onlv n pos1- whL·n sht• cunt111.: t1·d ,I his diploma , wns his cluss murk from Sun ; 11 \111::1:,, lw wn:-1 :mrpri sl•tl ring. And llrnl one token Dnrburn, Culif nnd fo 1 r 1 nnd \ ' l'r\' nuxinu.s l u J!l'l 1t a short time nftcr grndu .' 29 Cl'nt stamps' hnrk · ation , was lus t. "lnsid<• th e nn J!' wn~ "Ht• !<nid he his t 11 Forty-I wu ycnr~ btt•r Lhc irntrnl s ',J EV,' so wt• mnn• lhnn -10 ycnr:-. u~o, the m1 sSlll f.! obj<ict wns ri '. wenl to the rci,'lst rnrs of• !-ihnrtl y nft er he hou1!hl
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ii ," W11lkt•r 1111i1I l<uunitin1~ t.111' nw11t•r nf tho rinl-! i:m·c pl cusun• In Wnlkcr 111ul lier cullt·n J,.'1.JOl'l, l111lt•w n
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inl1•n •Hti11i: wus th e lh t•nrif•~ Lh,•y luul hoh111d lh u myR tL•nuu:-i clcli,·,•ry 111' th ~ dn ~s ringWnlkl'r hml 1111111y t.lU"nrit•s ns lo why lh l• rin~ n•nppcnn·tl ,I() yt•ars lnh'r, 1ndudi11 i.: UIW ,,r lnni,:-lo ~l. lovc:1nnd 11111• in\'o l,•i11J! s111 11 1•11n1• \\'hn miJ!hl huvc hnd n J!tlill y l'llllt'riOt1!'1 .
Whul uvur tlw n •:1:,ain the 1a•r:w11 dt•nclt·d to rl'•
tlw rin1!, om• mnn i s cortninly thrilled lo IHH'l' il buck. Almosl II hnlr II n•n• tury lnlC'r, John Vos~ will turn
he nhlc to wcu r hi:; cluss ri11~ ngnin n111I he nhh· to show orT his pride in Midwestern Stnlc University
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Do \'OU hl'lll'\'CsomL•oue sent hnck n 19S1 MSU cla.•;,s ring In hoJ;L~ or lornllni,: the owner? Would you hove sent it back, loo?
Greek Life
Multi-Greeks support!~~~~,~~"!~wave of~~:~~~~ black culture
SEATTLE (C PS l ·· . What do M,clrnel Jordan, Bill Cosby, Gov Douglu, Wilder or Virginia, the late Artl~ur Ashe nn_d Mac ,Jumison, the first black . woman ostron~u t, have ,n common besides being some oftJ10 nation's :~~~ famous black cili•
·r.~·~~";;~
or i;~1ii-G~e~~ tics and sororities. In spite or the fact that many noted black leaders are members, mnny peapie don't know who and what the Multi-Greeks are. Todd Johnson, firsl vice president of MultiGreek fralernily Phi Beta Sigma at the University of Washington, says thnt community action is the philosophy or the MultiGreeks. ' "We arc Greek by let!tr but our whole goal is to uplifl the black race and community," he said. The Multi-Greek s •·ere found ed at Howard in Univ er s i l y Washington, D.C., at the btginning of the century, and membership has blossomed. The Multi -G reek bouses at UW •. four sororities and four fro· ltrniLies .. offer blnck SludenLs at UW an orgn011 alion where friend· •hip, can be mnde and a sense or cultu ral iden tity can be main tai n ed . Membership in Lho chop·
rr====== == 3 re ''We Greek by letter but OU r whole goal i's to uplift the
black race
and commuIl j t y, Johnsonsaid. 11
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"At the Universily of Washington, Afric anAmerican studenls can easily become separated," said Malik Davis, keeper or tho records for Kappn Alpha Psi. Only 3 percent of tho students at UW arc black, according lo the officeoradmissions. Multi -Greek s orLen maintain slrong tics with alumni, creating networks of support. These networks typify tho commitment Multi• Greeks say they fool for their organizations. "If I moved to Washington , D.C., and needed help or somewhere lo stay. I co uld look up a contact " nd 10 they'd do , anylhi~g help, said Zeta Phi Octa member Brenda Murray. "It's a lifelong co mmit• ment , • really Slrong ~ ... range from four lo 20 bonSdo."me members or the
°"'mbers.
dcnlspnrticip11ti11~i11 . . ~ rush lhis yen r hns in• . Mult1 -Gr('ck fr ntur111tic.s "/J. creased since Inst ~·cnr, choose IO have their lei- ~ June Lcishner, IIS~istunl tors or II sin~lo ll'lter 1 deun orstudcnls snid In fncl, Ute tin ~rl~ brundt•d 011 lhcm. Thi s is ' occ'.1mplisl11•d liy Jlrl'Ss in ~ , signini: hids thi:-1 yea r is tho lnr~est number in II piece of hol melal , USU· ally a hm1J:l'r hcnl rnto nbout to year:-i, LL•ishner lhc desin•d shnpe, int o lhc ski n A s mooth, raised scar is fonn ed.
Approximately 140 young men pnrticiputed in rush. Uecnuse the fra• tcmit1• slructurc is moro ncxibic Lhnn Lhe sorority, fraternities do nol require one to sign bids. Lcishncr snid 70 boys rcgislcrcd nnd another iO pnrlici•
ing.
Eighly-fivo girls started in tho rush procedure but 16 dropped. Lcishncr snid° tltls wus nonnnl because they realize lhat they wunt to do other things.
Being a part of the Greek world
rca·~~~cl}~~ll~rt\ ;~~::r~ said Chri s ~lo sc ly, Omecn Psi Phi member nnd president of 1ho Multi-Greek Counci l. He cmphusizod Lhc secrecy or lhe meaning behind end, person's deci sion tu wcnr tho brand . Davis suid no one is forced to brand, nor docs everyone choose to have it don e, but fo r some Multi-Greeks, il is n vi• sual symbol or tJieir dedication to tJ,eir brothers.
"I personally don't know why anyone would do that; Davis said. The frutornili cs nnd sororities nre loosely con• nccled by the MultiGre-0k Council. The council, made up of rcprcson. t.otives from cnch house, meets weekly and works tin an agendn or projects that include u yearly scholarship owurd, 81ack History Month programs and the yea rly ·step" show which is on exhibition of Afric.sn fol k dnncing lo u hnrd musi cal l,;,.o l .
Uy Kathryn Sol( Editor
Senn Envos, n senior biology major, is an alumnus or Phi Sigmn Kuppa. He is a nomrnl fraternity brother, doing U1ings wilh otJ1or brothers, holding offices while an nctivo and being part of the ovcrnll Greek society. Senn-is ulso black. But the story he tells nboul his Greek experiences hos nothing to do wilh his color, nnd to him, ruce is only whnt o person mnkcs or ii.. '" I don't let race barriers hold me (bock)," Eaves said. "My color is never an oxrusl' for anything I do." Colleges around the
rountry nrc sct:!ing more and moro Greek systems incorpornto tlw black culture, according lo College Press Service. And, these colleges arc seeing the important contribution made b,, blacks not only in U,e Greek sys tem, but ulso in different communilios.. Or course, many of tho colleges across tho U.S.
hnvc froten1 itil".S nnd sonirities for lhe blnck sei:menl or 1110 population, but Oil i1su·s rnmpu~. choicrs aru limited. "I sec n b'l"ndual moveml"nt to wa rd the direction of black st udenls r,•cling comfortable cnnugh to rush Lradilionol white fraternities and sororities; Phillip Birdine, dean of studcnt.s. "At the same Lime," Birdine snid, "I have notic-cd a renowod interest of black females to start black sororities: "I roomed i ith two Phi Sigma Kuppa brothers and they told me one day I was to be initiated.- Eaves said. "I really didn't know much abou t the Greek life." "The fraternity brotJ,ers really lik,-d me ' be said. ·1 was not hesitant to join because of my color." Sean said he folt some pttS.sure for joining o.n
all-white fraternity from some of his black l'rie.nds. '"There was a time when I first l?Ot into the
fraternity, it wns obvious I was gelling it (pressure for joining Phi Sigma Koppa)," ho sai d. Eaves snid h e folt strongly tlrnt people should do what the,· want to do, not because society dictates it. "College is about experiences, und if you are nol experiencing nil possible, you nrc not getting your money's worth; he snid. "You hove to do the things in your life thnt nre righl for you at lhe lime.· ·1 don't care if Malcolm X, Jesus Christ (whauwcr color he is) or Bill Clinton did it; Eaves said. "I do things bemuse I want to. "The fratcnu tv has enhanced my life.a great deal; Ea\'es s.:i.id . "I know that regardless of external factors , for the moat part, my Greek peers respect my judgme.nt • "Life is complicated enough," he said. • why add color? It. all boils down to what people wanl to undu 'llai)d about
•ach other."