By DAVID MURIMI

Staff Writer

Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity has been doing community service, helping out their fellow brothers during the past week and a half.

"I am really proud of the fraternity, and since I have been president, we have done more community service," Chris Thomas, president of Alpha Phi Alpha and a junior accounting major, said.

Thomas said the fraternity, along with the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, worked during Homecoming with the organization called Hope in Salvation Bridge, mentoring 13 to 18-year-old teenagers from inner-city Dallas.

"We encouraged them to come to college and told them tips to stay in college, and we showed them they can make it," Thomas said.

"They also hung out at the tailgate with us."

Thomas said Nov. 3 was Custodial Day, one of the fraternity's oldest programs.

"The fraternity shows appreciation to our custodians by getting food from local businesses and giving it to them during their extended lunch break," Thomas said.

Tremaine McMillian, the fraternity step master and a sophomore business major, said Nov. 4 members began selling raffle tickets to win a movie and dinner date with an Alpha Phi Alpha member.

Thomas said Nov. 5 the fraternity visited Alpine Retirement Village to provide entertainment.

"We [performed] a step show, talked to the residents and gave them company," Thomas said.

Thomas said Nov. 6 the fraternity hosted Brothers' Keeper, where they visited an older brother who had graduated and presented him with a gift basket.

"The fraternity wanted to let him know his brothers are still thinking about him," Thomas said.

Andre Hampton, corresponding secretary for Alpha Phi Alpha and a junior finance major, said, "I really hope that will happen to me when I'm older, that my brothers will think of me on the same level."

The brothers later participated in a Brothers' Outing, where the whole fraternity spent time together and socialized, Thomas said.

Thomas said Nov. 7 the group went to Zion Traveler Baptist Church, located at 1201 Martin Luther King Dr. and then went out to eat.

Thomas said Nov. 8 they had Project Alpha, where they handed out information to students on sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol and drug abuse.

Thomas said the raffle for a date with an Alpha Phi Alpha ended Nov. 9, and the winner will be drawn tomorrow.

The fraternity held the Miss Black and Gold Pageant on Nov. 9, and the winner, Delecia Hodge, a junior chemistry major, will attend the fraternity's district and national conventions.

Thomas said Hodge will also be awarded a full-book scholarship for an entire quarter.