The Divine Nine Plaza, a new project celebrating the nine historically Black fraternities and sororities of the National Panhellenic Council, began construction on Aug. 4. The project will consist of concrete foundations, granite benches and stainless steel elements near the Paint It Black circle, according to a campus announcement.
Drake is home to five of the nine chapters of NPHC. Four of these organizations are joint chapters with Iowa State. Tayelon Scott is the president of Kappa Alpha Psi, one of the five NPHC chapters.
“A lot of our chapters struggle with membership,” said Scott. “A big part of that is visibility. These monuments will help show that we are here on campus and that there are more options for involvement. Currently, there’s only two of us in my chapter, so I am aware that not many men know about us.”
Each chapter of NPHC on campus was asked about the project, and they were all excited to see more representation at Drake, according to Scott.
“Apart from visibility on campus, it’s also a way for chapters to connect their alumni to their undergraduate members,” Scott said.
The Black Alumni Association has been raising money to support the project. The purpose of the project, according to the alumni website, is to affirm Drake’s commitment to fostering a culture that is welcoming and celebrates strength through diversity.
Betzy Sandoval, the UNITY Roundtable president and Equity and Inclusion senator, believes this will help celebrate the diversity of campus life.
“This Divine Nine Project will help further promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at Drake by celebrating their legacy, leadership and community spirit of historically Black Fraternities and Sororities, making their contribution highly visible on campus,” Sandoval said. “It reinforces Drake’s commitment to creating an inclusive campus community.”
Chapter members have been pushing for more NPHC involvement and recognition on campus for a long time. In the April 15, 1997, issue of The Times-Delphic, one student, James Alsup, wrote an editorial calling for NPHC, the Interfraternity Council, and the Panhellenic Council to collaborate more.
Alsup’s calls were answered, and NPHC has been brought into the fraternity and sorority life community. The Divine Nine project will help to further affirm Drake’s commitment to recognizing NPHC on campus.
“It’s great that this project is starting,” Scott said. “The Divine Nine is not only a part of history, but is part of the community and has made an impact on the larger Drake community.”
While this project has been a step in the right direction, Scott feels that Drake could be doing more to promote NPHC.
“This campus, like other organizations, lets people know that we are an organization of our own,” Scott said. “Allow us to put ourselves and our events out there, because not many people are aware that this is an organization that they can be a part of.”
As the president of UNITY, Sandoval views the project as a way to promote diversity at Drake.
“The Divine Nine Project can help promote multicultural organizations at Drake by highlighting their history, values and contributions to Drake,” Sandoval said. “This project does encourage broader student involvement and appreciation for the diverse communities that enrich Drake’s campus.”
