This past weekend on Saturday, April 13th, the Theta Epsilon chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. held their annual New Member Campus Presentation in Brock Commons Patio! The chapter gained one new member this Spring, cyber security major Mark Brahler (’26), who will take over as the head next year.
At a Predominantly White Institution (P.W.I.) such as Randolph-Macon College (RMC), it is important for historically Black organizations, such as Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., to receive the same acknowledgment and advertisement that other Greek organizations do. To learn more and gain an understanding of the tradition, I sat down with the president of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., nursing major Max Rudasill (’24).
The chapter was first chartered on RMC’s campus in 2013. Upon losing many members each year as they graduated, the chapter was briefly paused for a few years around 2019 and did not start up again until 2023 when it took in two new members, Max Rudasill and chemistry, biology, and Asian studies triple major Isaac Garrett (’23). The slogan for Iota Phi Theta is “It Takes a Man.” Rudasill explained that this is important to every member of the organization because it is not about “changing who you are as a person, just enhancing who you already are.” Holding these standards to a high degree, the chapter partners with St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and I-Phit, a volunteer-based health initiative.
