The Beta Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated is BAAAACK and this week Her Campus sat down with Reginald Baker.
Reginald Baker a Spring 2017 initiate of the Beta Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated. He is a 3rd-year Audio Production major from Richmond, VA. Reginald is a down to earth, genuine, humble busy bee! You can always find him on the go, keeping himself preoccupied with whatever he could find. Aside from his fraternity, he is a drum major for Hampton University’s Marching Force, in University Choir and Audio Collegiate Engineers. If you didn’t know, Reginald also enjoys making music, playing the piano, singing, and watching anime. He always finds time to complete all of his obligations and have fun at the same time. RJ, how do you do it all? Let’s find out and see!
HC: What made you decide that Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated was the fraternity for you?
RB: Coming into college I didn’t really know a whole lot about Greek life at first. Growing up, I knew a few adults that were in different fraternities, but I didn’t know anything about them. So I did my research while I was here and the only organization that I could really resonated with and fit my personality so I didn’t have to change myself as a person was Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated is so diverse across the board, the United States and around the world. People in the organization are different, it isn’t just Black people in the organization, it’s people of different characters and races, it’s crazy.
HC: How does it feel to bring the Beta Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated back to Hampton University?
RB: It’s a lot because I knew from the get-go that once I get into it that the work is going to begin. We established what we want to do, now it’s just how we’re going to do it and how we’re going to go about it. We split everything up that we need to get done to make sure that we’re good. The older folks in our chapter, they’ve really been a great help. Our grad chapter, they’ve also been a really big help to us too; helping us get financially cleared and financially stable so we can actually start doing events and start taking over the campus.
HC: What does it mean to you to be a man of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated?
RB: Well the most important thing, of course, is Scholarship. I take my work very seriously along with anything too. School work of course, but even outside of that just the things that I have to do as far as being a leader (chorus, drum major). Even being a mentor too, to my younger brother and a mentor to anybody else that we go out and help in the community. Not just in the community, but here on campus as well. Then the brotherhood, the brotherhood is really important.
HC: What are some things you’re excited to see your organization accomplish this academic school year?
RB: I really what the Blue & White Week to be a great event. That’s going to be next year around January so I really want that to set the tone of “Hey our chapters here, our chapters back.” Everyone knows were back but we haven’t necessarily established ourselves just yet. That specific week right there, I’m waiting for.
HC: What is it like to have 16 more brothers to siblings you already have?
RB: Ridiculous! It’s hard to keep up with them. A lot of them have already graduated, so we keep up with them from time to time because they’re out doing their own thing, but for the ones that are already here it gets crazy. It’s a lot of different personalities, but it’s so funny how we all click in our own little aspect. You know how brothers do, we just do brotherly things. It’s just like with the arguments, fighting, and stuff, but other than that we really get along. We really try to make sure that we rebuild this chapter the way it used to be built. HC: What is one of your best experiences with your LB’s?
RB: I would say getting ready for our first step show. It was funny but also draining, and stressful. When we did the step show I saw them every day and night, but I’ve been extremely busy this year. Now I only see them like every other day or so. I’m all over the place too, but that one specific moment, we really put our heads together and really got things done. I liked that it was the School Daze: The Spring Step Show, that was my favorite.
HC: Would you be willing to “talk” to a girl whose previously “talked” to a few of your LB’s?
RB: No… nah. I believe in the BRO CODE, so if they say it’s cool, it’s cool, but I have to find it within myself to actually do that and me personally if I knew they had something going on than nah. There’s a lot of fish in the sea.
HC: Has your love life enhanced after crossing? If so how?
RB: No, out of the females that I’ve known beforehand [they] was still cool, but now people that I don’t know are much friendlier than they were before crossing.
HC: What made you want to start a YouTube Channel?
RB: I got bored! Honestly, I got bored. *laughs* I have so many things I do in life, in general, and I’m never just at home chilling by myself. I always like to be out doing something whether it be going to an event, at practice, or fraternity things other than that I might just be partying. I’m always everywhere. Sometimes I get impatient, so I might as well document some of this stuff to keep me doing something.
HC: How do you plan on preparing the Marching Force for the 2018 Honda Battle of the Bands?
RB: TURN ME UP! That’s all I can say *laughs*, that’s been the whole motto for the school year for me and the people in the band know that too. Really once Dr. Jones establishes the show we’re going to do, it’s really about bringing the energy. I guess right now would be the conditioning part, because now we’re mid-way in the season because we’re going to Honda, so now is the time where people start getting lazy and that’s what we can’t have. We have to keep the discipline, musicianship, showmanship, and energy going most definitely. That’s kind of my expertise apart from the musicianship, is the energy. I told them, I’m going to do my part, the drum majors are going to do their part and everyone else will too, but as a collective, we have to have that energy because nobody wants to see a boring show and were not doing to be boring, can’t do that.
HC: How do you balance everything that you do?
RB: I take it a day at a time. I told my mom this too, I don’t think too far ahead. I’m not sitting here thinking what am I going to do next month or what am I going to do a year from now. I know further down the road what I want to do and what I want to get to but I take everything a day at a time since I’m so involved in a lot of other things. Say this week we have a game at the end of the week, I know we have a really important game, so this whole week I’m going to have to devote more time to band. Then next week I’ll probably have a fraternity event an event for University chorus or something, so ill devote that week to chorus or fraternity things.
HC: Where do you see yourself in the next 3 years?
RB: I see myself doing some kind of sound design. Either for a production company or with my own equipment by myself. Either way, I know I am going to have to start at the bottom and work my way up the ‘ranks’ to be a top tear audio engineer. Being here at Hampton University, learning and getting the different tools I needed has helped prepare me to be an audio engineer. Once I leave here I’m already going to have it. Before I even got to Hampton, I’ve been making music, mixing, sound design and all of that. Three years from now I see myself doing things studio wise. Maybe studio work, live sound, some production; behind the scenes. Maybe even TV production for the news or something. Whatever I can get my hands on because I’m a hands-on person.
HC: What is your favorite and least favorite quality of yourself?
RB: My favorite quality would have to be my spirit. I’m always the happy, upbeat one, I like making people feel better. First I make myself feel better and if I know other people aren’t really feeling the day or week, I like to at least try and get a smile on their face. I like making people happy. What I don’t like about myself is, now of days I do really get impatient because I’m always on the move. If something’s not happening the way, or as quickly as I want it to then I get a little irritated and antsy.
HC: How would you describe yourself outside of being RJ, the Sigma?
RB: Outside of that I’m just RJ! A lot of people call me by my real name, Reginald. I’m a pretty genuine person. I’m really honest, I don’t like lying, I really don’t like lying. If need be I always end up telling the truth. Everyone says I’m the nice one out of any group. Out of the drum majors, my LB’s, my other group of friends from back home, in my family, I’m the nice one. So I guess I’m the nice guy. I can be laid back and chill. I really have too much energy for my own good so as I’m sitting here using my hands to talk, it’s because I have too much energy.
Be sure to check out RJ’s YouTube Channel: RJimHome, and follow him on Instagram @therjstackhouse!
If you see him around campus don’t be afraid to say hey!