Audrel Burge always knew he wanted to be involved in Greek life, but he didn’t know until he reached OSU’s campus that Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. would be his home away from home.
ΑΦΑ, the oldest historically African American fraternity, connected Burge, the now-secretary, with close friends he now considers his brothers.
“Everywhere you go, all Greek life is different, at every campus,” Burge said. “What drew me this way, into this specific fraternity, was just the people, the connections, the family aura, (it’s) family oriented.”
With two of his fraternity brothers, Saah Sicarr and Jermaine Kelley, Burge is set to hit the stage representing ΑΦΑ in the Homecoming Greek Show on Friday. The trio hopes to take home a third straight win for the fraternity.
The show will consist of three National Pan-Hellenic Council fraternities and sororities and eight Multicultural Greek Council sororities and fraternities.
“We have organizations in both of those councils that have again, historically supported the Black students on campus, but then also within the Multicultural Greek Council, our historically ethnic fraternities and sororities and students,” said Casey Domnick, assistant director for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. “(There’s) a lot of different opportunities for students on campus to find a home away from home.”
But until three years ago, those who found a home among the diverse community of MGC and NPHC had only an informal yard show outside of the Student Union to give back to their alumni during Homecoming.
Now, with the Homecoming Greek Show being a formal, organized event showcasing the talents of these organizations on campus, it connects the groups to their extended family: their alumni.
