ALPHA ATHLETES - The Sphinx Magazine
ALPHA ATHLETES - The Sphinx Magazine
ALPHA ATHLETES - The Sphinx Magazine
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CHAPTER NEWS<br />
<strong>ALPHA</strong> KAPPA LAMBDA<br />
Roanoke, VA<br />
Roanoke, Virginia Chapters<br />
Recognized for Outreach Programs<br />
Brother Jonathan Gaines, Director of Educational Activities for Alpha Kappa<br />
Lambda Chapter, received two awards on behalf of the Chapter for its outreach<br />
programs. <strong>The</strong> National Pan Hellenic Council gave AKL an award for<br />
Best National Program at Virginia Tech and the Chapter also received the<br />
Outstanding Program from Greek Life at Virginia Tech Award for their Addison<br />
Mentoring Program (AMP). <strong>The</strong> outreach program, which is located in<br />
Roanoke, Virginia, has a major impact on African American males in the New<br />
River Valley area. <strong>The</strong> program is made possible because of the time invested<br />
by members of both the <strong>The</strong>ta Iota Chapter and Alpha Kappa Lambda Chapter<br />
Brothers. On a bi-monthly basis, members of the Chapters travel to Lucy<br />
Addison Middle School in Roanoke to mentor to numerous young men about<br />
how to be successful in their lives. <strong>The</strong> 11- to 13-year-olds are instructed<br />
using the principles of the Fraternity’s Go-to-High School, Go-to-College program,<br />
which underscores the possibilities and potential that are inert within<br />
every young man. AMP is viewed by the chapters as a way for these students<br />
to realize their potential. <strong>The</strong> AMP program was created to be proactive in<br />
teaching young African American men in the New River Valley the benefits of<br />
building their self worth, developing their interpersonal skills and attaining<br />
higher education. In addition to the lessons taught, confidence and leadership<br />
are principles that are emphasized in each lesson. <strong>The</strong> modules of the program<br />
are: (1) Goal Setting; (2) Violence/Conflict Prevention; (3) Oral<br />
Communication; (4) Self Esteem; (5) Historical Perspectives of African<br />
American People—Education; (6) Historical Perspectives of African<br />
American People—Ancient Kingdom; (7) What it Means to be an African<br />
American Man; (8) Current Events; (9) Leisure Activities; (10) Leadership<br />
Training/Entrepreneurship; (11) Mental and Physical Health; and (12) Rites<br />
of Passage. <strong>The</strong>ta Iota Chapter and Alpha Kappa Lambda Chapter take seriously<br />
the task of educating African American young men. Many of the lessons that<br />
are taught within the AMP program are a result of lessons learned in other<br />
programs that Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity has undertaken in the course of the<br />
Go-to-High School, Go-to-College program.<br />
66<br />
A<br />
VOTELESS PEOPLE<br />
IS A<br />
HOPELESS PEOPLE<br />
Voter Registration Campaign Since 1937<br />
Fall • Winter 2008 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Sphinx</strong>: www.APA1906.net<br />
(L-r) Xi Alpha Lambda Chapter Alpha Academy Coordinator Richmond<br />
Hill; Potomac Middle School Principal Dr. Benita Stephens; and Chapter<br />
President Christopher Washington.<br />
XI <strong>ALPHA</strong> LAMBDA<br />
Prince William County, VA<br />
Xi Alpha Lambda Brothers<br />
Continue to “Make a Difference”<br />
Xi Alpha Lambda Brothers are hard at work in Prince William County, Virginia<br />
increasing Alpha’s impact on the community and making a difference in the lives<br />
of its residents. Recently, eight Brothers kicked off the 2008-09 mentoring season<br />
at the Alexandria Detention Home, a temporary home for at-risk teenagers. Xi<br />
Alpha Lambda’s involvement with <strong>The</strong> New Beginnings programs is designed to<br />
offer positive images of African American men and tools for the youth to use in<br />
making positive life choices. Brothers opened the kickoff session with an ice breaker<br />
game designed for participants to get to know each other. That was followed by<br />
an exciting game of golf-basketball. Additionally, the Chapter donated a computer<br />
to the detention home for use by youths in the program and gave each of them a<br />
personal journal and assigned them a list of journal ideas to begin their journey of<br />
self discovery. In another project, nearly 30 Brothers converged on the Hopkins<br />
House in Alexandria to support Xi Alpha Lambda’s observance of Make a<br />
Difference Day. <strong>The</strong> Hopkins House is a child and family development center that<br />
provides first-class service to low income families. Brothers organized into teams<br />
and undertook several projects to help Hopkins House. One group, led by Brother<br />
Lawrence Shorten, installed a containment barrier around the youths’ playground<br />
and filled the playground area with mulch. Another group, led by Brothers Reggie<br />
Williams and Jimmy Jordan, assembled and painted benches and planters for the<br />
Children’s Environmental Discovery Room. Another group, led by several Brothers<br />
and two aspirants, landscaped the entrance to the center. Brothers pulled weeds,<br />
planted flowers and placed bulbs along the rotary. A final group led by Brothers<br />
Chauncey Pointe and Derrick Nunn, leveled the grounds and completely assembled<br />
a storage shed. Following their work, Brothers and other volunteers were rewarded<br />
with a barbeque dinner prepared by the Parents’ Association. <strong>The</strong> barbeque was<br />
followed by a recognition ceremony where Chapter President Chris Washington
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