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| Photo courtesy of DOUG KELLER Reactivated two years ago, Kappa Alpha continues to grow. |
For the past couple of years, Virginia Wesleyan has been lacking in two major areas--Greek life and school spirit. Things are about to change this spring because a new fraternity, Kappa Alpha Order, will be added to the short list of Greek life. The fraternity has almost completed the requirements set by the national headquarters in order to receive its charter, but it still has a few items to knock off the list.
"National representatives have been coming every week telling us what to do for our deadline in May," said Doug Keller, kA public relations representative. The president of Kappa Alpha, Doyle Gillis, feels this new fraternity will improve Greek life and school events at Wesleyan. "kA will make Greek life more interesting and respectable," said Gillis. "We want [to sponsor] more school-wide events to get Wesleyan more active."
Although they have almost completed the requirements, kA must have 30 members to be chartered. Right now they stand at 22, and although they only need a minimum of eight new members next semester, their goal is 12. Both Gillis and Keller don't foresee a problem and believe that kA is diverse. "There's a wide variety of guys already interested in the fraternity," said Keller. "You don't have to play sports-period." The officers of kA also know that they need to get a lot accomplished before the May deadline. Having charity events is a necessity. They have already had a change drive for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, raising $275 in two nights. Next they are sponsoring a blood drive.
Community service is another requirement. Each current brother has to complete 33 hours of community service during the school year. In the realm of scholarship, kA has to sponsor a campus-wide educational lecture. Right now the men, like other Greek organizations, are looking for spring members. In order to be eligible to join kA, a person must be in good standing with the school, meaning his G.P.A. must be at least a 2.0. The officers are seeking out individuals who are gentlemen.
"We're looking for people who are well-known and respected around campus," said Keller. "We're also looking for people who are leaders." Keller's tip on how to join is just to hang out with the members and get to know them. "The best way to rush is to make friends," said Keller. Although kA will be the second fraternity at Wesleyan, in addition to Phi Kappa Tau, the officers feel kA will be a totally different fraternity than what the students at Wesleyan have been used to.
"We emphasize a lot of things in kA, especially respect for a woman," said Gillis. "Our nickname is 'The Old Gentlemen of the South' and our ideas are strongly intertwined with the Knights of Templar." "The Knights of Templar were a very Christian order of knights who believed that being a gentlemen and upholding God were the most important things in life." Basing their ideas and actions from "The Varlet," a book about Kappa Alpha Order, the brothers of kA will hold chivalry and gentility above everything.
"Two of the most important things to us [kA] are God and women,"
said Gillis. Even though it has taken almost two and a half years for Kappa
Alpha Order to form, both Gillis and Keller believe it was well worth the wait.
"The administration of the school has been our biggest supporters,"
said Gillis. "Both Dean [David] Buckingham and [Director of Residence Life]
Keith Moore have given us anything we've needed." Some upcoming events
sponsored by kA will involve Miss Wesleyan on Friday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m.
in the Grille. The cost will be $1 with Greek letters and $3 without.
Also be on the lookout for the band Mull coming March 26 when kA will be hosting a Spring Luau. The event will take place in front of North Hall. For now, kA will be having a "Professor of the Month," showcasing outstanding professors at Wesleyan. The members of kA will vote monthly on a professor who they feel deserves to be recognized for his or her contributions to the students at Wesleyan. Greek life and school spirit are the two things Kappa Alpha is looking to improve. Hopefully their hard work will pay off soon."This is a great school," said Gillis. "Our athletic teams are top in the country, but yet we still have no school spirit." Keller added, "We want kA to make something out of nothing."
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| photo courtesy of Ashley Waldin |
For most of us, the ’80s was a decade that we look back upon fondly; waking up at 6 a.m. to watch “Fraggle Rock”, “He-Man”, “The Care Bears” and “Pee-Wee's Playhouse”; playing with Skip-It and Lite Brite; or maybe Pac-Man, Frogger or Super Mario Brothers was more your speed. Whatever your forte may have been, most of us left our Jordache jeans, lacy ankle socks, Trapper Keepers and cassette tapes (unless you're lucky enough to go for a spin in my Lumina) behind. Read "most," not all.
You can't help but notice freshman Ashley Waldin, whose polka-dotted pants, retro skirts and colorful blouses can bring you back to memories of yesteryear faster than the time it'll take your crimper to heat up.
I've just got to say that you have a very distinct style of dress. Any particular reason behind it?
I like to be different. I love retro clothing; stuff from the ’50s and the ’80s, mostly. I'm not really into following today's fashions.
So are you like thinking of doing something in fashion when you get out of school?
I like fashion styling more than actually creating clothes. I really love anything fashion-related, except I don't really like to sew things. I think that even if I don't get a job directly in the fashion industry, I'll still dress like this.
Well, do you have a favorite store to shop at?
Thrift stores, mostly. I don't have to spend very much money on my clothes; I can buy a lot of different things and deconstruct them and make them my own.
Right, right. Here's a question - how long does it take you to get beautified in the morning - cause I know you can't just roll out of bed and into a pair of stirrup pants and low-heeled flats.
Well, I usually wake up with some idea of what I want to wear; I look in my closet the night before and put something together in my head. I'd say, including time to do my hair, it takes between an hour and an hour and a half for me to get ready, if I'm being really extravagant.
Whew! That's about 45 minutes longer than I like to spend! But tell me, do you have a specific favorite outfit you just couldn't live without?
I have this pair of polka-dot pants that make me happy. They are so comfortable; I love anything with polka-dots, really.
With all these wild outfits, I’m sure you know that people can't help but stare and talk because, well, they just do. Is there any one specific weird or strange thing that someone's said or done to you concerning what you wear that just blew your mind?
I think with anything, there are going to be people who like it and people who don't. I can't think of any one thing that someone said or did. Like, I see the looks some people give me, but then there are people like you who think it's kinda cool, and that's great. I dress like this because I like it, because I can.
But there wasn't like one thing someone said that really sticks out in your mind?
Well, actually, to get this call for some random interview, because you just had to know about me, that was kind of crazy.
Yeah…. Hopefully this interview, which came as a result of several requests, has cleared up some rumors and answered some questions. But if you still have a problem, take a cue from Cindi Lauper and remember that hey, "girls just wanna have fuh-un."
- Jana Popeleski
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