William Jewell College is jammed full of many traditions, from sledding down Browning Bowl to Lighting of the Quad to Jewell Stock. This weekend, another long-standing tradition took place – Jewell hosted its 75th Frat Walk.

The Frat Walk consists of all new recruits of the three Jewell fraternities – Phi Gamma Delta, Kappa Alpha and Lambda Chi Alpha – walking up Jewell’s largest hill to announce to the campus that they are now a part of the Greek Life on campus. Over 30 men participated, but due to social distancing guidelines, only 4-6 could go at once.

Following the murder of George Floyd, William Jewell College’s chapter, Zeta Phi, of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity (FIJI) organized a fundraiser for the Southern Poverty Law Center and We Love Lake Street and is also creating a new inclusion committee within the fraternity to start in fall 2020. In the letter to The Hilltop Monitor, written on behalf of the Zeta Phi chapter of FIJI, Jamie Briscoe, senior chemistry major, and Jack Still, senior economics and political science major, describe the decisions and the conversations that ultimately led the fraternity to act.

In the weeks that followed George Floyd’s tragic death, the members of our House looked on with both consternation and pride as protesters flooded the streets in support of racial justice. The distress, pain and grief seen on the face of each protester served as a reminder of America’s long history of transgressions against people of color. But, at the same time, the unity and desire for progress displayed through these peaceful demonstrations deeply inspired us just as they have moved leaders elsewhere across the country to initiate change. 

Like many others in the Jewell community, we began seeking out both individual and collective opportunities to lend our efforts to the cause. Some of us attended peaceful protests right here in Kansas City, while others donated to anti-racist organizations leading efforts to combat hatred and discrimination. 

One thing, however, was clear: our brotherhood – along with the rest of Greek Life and the Jewell student body – demonstrated a willingness to take a stand against racism that has not been seen at such a scale before. It has become evident that our generation will bear the responsibility of finally delivering true equality to all people without regard for their race. And, if the actions taken by Jewell students and young people across the country are any indication of our ability to successfully do so, we have tremendous faith. 

It will take sustained and committed action from those who benefit most from the status quo. We must all be willing to exchange our current comfort and privilege for a type of progress that, in the end, frees us all from the unforgiving burden of systemic racism. Here at the Zeta Phi chapter, we believe that Greek Life everywhere has a substantial and unique role to play in fighting for racial equality in communities across the United States. 

That is why we followed the lead of many sororities and fraternities nationwide, releasing an official statement attesting to the ways in which our values commit each member of our brotherhood to anti-racism. After a few days, though, we began to realize that it would not be sufficient for us to only vocalize our collective stance outwardly into the community. 

Our chapter understands that if we truly hope to make an impact at such a pivotal moment in history, and to achieve a greater level of understanding and acceptance within our own brotherhood, it is necessary that we also look to do our part in serving worthy causes and striving to make the required changes internally. 

As a start, we have created a fundraiser to support both the Southern Poverty Law Center – a nonprofit legal advocacy organization that aims to expose hate groups and provide education on tolerance – and We Love Lake Street – a charity seeking to rebuild and reopen small businesses affected by the death of George Floyd. Our chapter plans to match every donation made to this Go Fund Me fundraiser up to $1000. The total amount raised will then be split between these two causes. It is our hope that members of the community at Jewell will chip in what they have and share our efforts to reach as many people as possible. 

At the beginning of the fall semester, we also plan to introduce a brand new inclusion committee dedicated to maintaining a healthy and welcoming atmosphere in our House. The history of racial discrimination, homophobia and other forms of exclusion is a story that is all too familiar for Greek Life. Zeta Phi hopes to work with our fellow members of Greek Life and the entire community at Jewell to permanently end this trend and place fraternities and sororities at the forefront of the fight for equality. 

Donate to the fundraiser using this link.

On Oct. 23, William Jewell College students gathered in Gano chapel to witness their peers perform in Jewell’s Got Talent. The talent competition was held by Zeta Tau Alpha sorority in support of their philanthropy, Breast Cancer Education and Awareness. 

Six acts representing Phi Gamma Delta, Kappa Alpha Order, Delta Zeta, Alpha Gamma Delta, Lambda Chi Alpha, and the independent students performed. The event followed a similar format to the television talent competition, “America’s Got Talent.” 

Judges included Tom Vansaghi, director of strategic planning; Kristin Wooldridge, coordinator of student activities and greek advisor; and Heath Hase, director of teaching and learning technologies. The panel of judges offered high praise and comedic criticism after each act. 

Prior to each act, a melodramatic video of the contestant’s background and their reasons for wanting to win Jewell’s Got Talent played. These videos were filmed around Jewell’s campus and featured music that fit the mood of the contestant’s personal story. This was done in the style of interviews on “America’s Got Talent.” 

Acts included a song about the trials of nursing school, sung by Ali Shappell, junior nursing and ACT-in double major, dancing routines by members of Delta Zeta and Kappa Alpha Order, a mystic sticks performance by sophomore political science and international relations double major Zachary Mertes, and singing and guitar playing by Larry Dahlsten, sophomore music education major. 

The winning act was a yo-yo dance routine, performed by the representative of Phi Gamma Delta, Blake Barth, senior accounting, economics, and ACT-in triple major. His yo-yo tricks and dance moves earned him a standing ovation from the judges and confetti-enhanced glory. 

At first, Barth did not realize that he had won after his name was called. His fellow contestants had to tell him to go receive his trophy. 

“Yo-yo what’s up, I think Jewell’s Got Talent is a tradition that starts here,” said Barth when the Hilltop Monitor asked about his victory. 

Darcy Sweet, senior psychological science major with an emphasis in pre-occupational therapy, is the director of philanthropy for Zeta Tau Alpha and was in charge of the event.

“I’m so happy that Jewell students came to support their peers and Zeta’s philanthropy,” said Sweet. “Our goal was to raise money and awareness for Breast Cancer Education and Awareness, and we accomplished that.” 

The event raised over $1,000 for Breast Cancer Education and Awareness. Sweet was grateful to the many individuals who helped to make the event a success. 

“It would not have been possible without the amazing contestants, faculty and staff judges, and the support from the students,” said Sweet.