A crowd of about 100 people gathered on the east side of the Fine Arts Building Monday night to watch as the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. initiated its new members.
Eight pledges dressed in orange jump suits and wearing masks of gold and black began chanting and singing around 8 p.m. as part of their initiation ceremony.
The pledges brought the number of Alpha Phi Alpha members to 14, said Rob Turning, assistant director of student organizations and activities.
The ceremony took place outside to draw attention from and involve the university community, members of the fraternity said.
"We want to make it more of a campus thing so that everybody can come out and experience it," fraternity member Steve Monson said.
The men wore masks to hide their identity until they were presented as members of the fraternity, Turning said. He said the identity of the pledges was hidden from everyone but the members of the fraternity.
In the past, the fraternity has held its initiation at Frog Baby or in the Student Center, Monson said. The fraternity has been on campus since 1953, said Terry Frazier, assistant director of student organizations and activities.
"These are the eight (men) that decided they want to join our fraternity over all the other fraternities," Frazier said.
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