PRAIRIE VIEW ALPHAS SWEEP TCAC AWARDS

February 14-17 was a great period for the members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Eta Gamma Chapter at Prairie View A&M University and Epsilon Tau Lambda Chapter in Prairie View at the Texas Council of Alpha Chapters annual convention. The event was held in Arlington, Texas at the Arlington Hilton.

The members participated in the proceedings, attended the various workshops and concluded the conference in a virtual sweep at the closing banquet and awards program. The Eta Gamma Chapter won the coveted College Chapter of the Year Award. Since 1970, the chapter has won this award some twenty times. Other winners include the Debate team with Titus Bryant and Reagan Johnson receiving the Hobart Jarrett Debate Award, Titus Bryant won the Belford Lawson Oratorical Award. The Charles H. Wesley Award for alumni and college relations went to Eta Gamma and Epsilon Tau Lambda Chapters for its cooperative programs and advisory. Additionally, both chapters were represented in the Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant Competition, namely Taylor Barnes (Eta Gamma) and Cato Jackson (Epsilon Tau Lambda) and were both named to the seven semi finalists. The Alumni Brother of the Year Award went to Frederick V. Roberts for his service to the fraternity and community at large.

The chapters and the brothers will represent the TCAC District at the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s Southwest Regional Convention in Houston, Texas in April.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is the first fraternity for Black college men was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The chapters’ win was based on their participation in the organization’s national programs and special Initiatives, to include support for Project Alpha (male mentoring), A Voteless People is a Hopeless People (voter education), Go to High School, Go to College, Brother’s Keeper (service for widows/senior Alphas), Boy Scouts of America, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Miss Black and Gold Competition and the March of Dimes at the university and the in the community at large.

Jamaal Rutherford is president of Epsilon Tau Lambda Chapter and Keanu Florence is president of Eta Gamma Chapter. For information on the Prairie View Chapters, visit epsilontaulambda.com.