Organization: Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Chapter (Date Founded): Powerful Pi Alpha Chapter, February 15, 1985
Organization Date Founded: January 9, 1914
Interviewee Name: Phabian Davis
Interviewee Classification: Senior
Interviewee Year and Semester of Joining Frat: Sophomore Year, Spring 2015
HC: Why did you choose Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc?
PD: I chose Phi Beta Sigma specifically because we focus on the inclusivity instead of the exclusivity, meaning anybody is included into this organization. You don’t have to be Black. You don’t have to be tall. You don’t have to be rich. You don’t have to be skinny. All you have to do is just be yourself and you can join this organization. Of course, you have to meet the requirements, but at the same time there are different personalities in this organization and in this chapter. But we can all still come together and just be one organization and still feel like we can be ourselves in this organization. You don’t have to fit a certain “stigma” to be a Sigma.
(Our conversation carried over to the fact that Phi Beta Sigma being the only NPHC organization with an on-campus Greek house.)
HC: What makes this brotherhood special for you?
PD: The fact that I can come to a house and still feel like I have people that I can vibe with and chill with, even on a bad day. It makes the bad days kind of fun, because you’re able to kick it with people that you can call your brothers. They can sometimes take your mind off of things. It sounds cliché but you can always come home… it’s like your home away from home. You’re coming home to a brotherhood, a family.
HC: Did you think that you would be a member of this organization? If yes – why? If uncertain – why?
PD: I would say yes and no. Yes, because I knew I had the qualifications to get into the organization and I knew I could make a good brother, but before I joined the organization I wasn’t the best role model. I wasn’t the person, doing the best things, like [I was not] doing the things that a Sigma man should be doing.
HC: What is one moment that you wish you could relive with your fraternity?
PD: The probate, because it was lit! I think that was the one time that if we didn’t get it at any point, I think it was at that point that we knew we had made it. We’re Sigmas now! Seeing that all of us made it through, we all became Sigmas, formed a bond. Our probate was a lot more intensified than a lot of other probates. [We had it] in the Sports Arena, like no one has ever done that before. We were slick kind of the trendsetters. So, the next [organization] that has a probate in the Sports Arena, can thank Pi Alpha for that. I think that was my proudest moment, because we were all just genuinely happy. You can’t get all 14 people happy at the same time.
HC: Compared to when you first became a member, how has Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. impacted your growth in college?
PD: It did. I realize I have more tasks and duties throughout my day, which means I have no room to mess up or to be unprepared for things. It has taught me about preparation, have things prepared ahead of time for class, for meetings. Say you have three meetings throughout the day and you have “this” to prepare for and “that” to prepare for, you don’t want anything to slip up. Especially if you are on the E-board of these meetings, you are holding these high positions and people are looking up to you for the answers and stuff like that. You have to have your stuff on point! (Snaps finger) There’s no room for errors. People aren’t going to take your excuses and they are not going to just let things slide if you don’t have things in order. It helped with job interviews too.
HC: What type of legacy do you want Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. to leave on the GSU campus?
PD: I want us to be known as the personable chapter. Well not the chapter, the organization. I want someone to see that we actually do include a lot of people, we include all people actually. I want us to leave a good impression on faculty and students and leave behind a legacy that anyone can come to us. I want us to be the ones who are leading by example. If there is a freshman looking at us in plaza, I want [him] to see us not just as the Sigmas that are strolling, but the Sigmas who are around campus, kind of like role models to those underclassmen boys who may need guidance in their college career.
HC: What is Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. looking forward to this year?
PD: We are actually looking forward to our Sigma Week coming up. It’s going to be October 30 – November 4. Blu Jama 16 is coming up Sept 22! It’s one of our annual parties, a pajama party.
We have many more programs, community service and mentorship programs coming. All in all, this should be a good year for us and we plan to come out on top!
For more up to date information on programs, events and their powerful chapter, be sure to follow the Pi Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. @pialpha on Instagram!
All images are courtesy of Phabian Davis and the Powerful Pi Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.