Inactive fraternity hopes to re-establish

Omega Psi Phi looks for qualified members to join after being off campus since 2009

After being inactive on campus since 2009 due to imposters, Omega Psi Phi wants to re-establish itself at Ferris State University.

An official Omega Psi Phi member and Ferris graduate heard rumors during the summer of 2009 of students trying to maintain a fake fraternity under the Omega name, according to the Nov. 11, 2009 Torch article.

“Unfortunately, several years ago, several young men began canvassing the campus pretending to be official members of the organization,” Director of Multicultural Student Services Matthew Chaney said.

According to the Nov. 11, 2009 Torch article, students not associated with Omega Psi Phi performed a traditional Omega ‘step dance’ at the Ferris Ice Breaker Dance in Sept. 2009 wearing Omega apparel. This apparel included gold boots, army pants and purple or gold shirts wielding the Greek letters of Omega.

Omega Psi Phi began a formal investigation to stop the imposters. The fraternity decided to place the chapter on an inactive status for a few years and the chapter was never suspended for wrong doing by the university or by its national headquarters.

The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. is a Black Greek lettered fraternity founded on Nov. 17, 1911 at Howard University. Omega Psi Phi was founded at Ferris in 1972.

As of now there are no active members of Omega Psi Phi on campus. The fraternity is seeking qualified young men interested in joining the nationally recognized fraternity.

“There is always every intention to bring an organization such as Omega Psi Phi and other historic fraternities and sororities back to campus when the opportunities exist,” Chaney said. “As long as they abide by any and all university policies governing their Registered Student Organization status, the benefits of having such an organization and others like it is a benefit to campus in so many ways.”

Under leadership of Omega Psi Phi’s regional membership, the organization hosted an informal meeting to provide history of the fraternity to anyone interested in joining. The meeting discussed the requirements to gain membership.

The fraternity is a member of the NPHC, which includes eight other nationally recognized Black Greek fraternities and sororities: Kappa Alpha Psi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho and Iota Phi Theta.

“All of the organizations that are affiliated with the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) have strong scholarship and service requirements for anyone interested in becoming members,” Chaney said.

Chaney is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and an active member of the Grand Rapids Alumni Chapter of his fraternity. He is able to attend monthly meetings with other professionals and members of his fraternity such as educators, attorneys, doctors and judges.

“Many of our students seek these same opportunities which will afford them so many beneficial networking opportunities in their present and future lives,” Chaney said. “As it relates to students of color, many of these historic organizations like Omega Psi Phi are pillars of their communities back home. It means more than just joining a historic organization; it’s about paying it forward and giving back to their communities upon graduation.”