By The Honorable Bro. Paul Baron (14-GE-92)
The newly initiated Ques had just marched on to the block, (block – n., open courtyard on Hampton’s campus in front of the Ques plot) in an unabridged line. The line surged forward as the tallest bruh, the ace (ace – n, the 1, the tallest bruh on the line, FYI: GE lines run tall to short), contorted his shoulders from side to side and the effects undulated down the line. Puddles of sweat could be seen beaded on the back of their necks, as the brow of their line brother pressed firmly against it. Their tightly laced boots pounded the asphalt in a rhythmic monotone, and its resonance could be heard echoing off of the adjacent buildings. At a glance, it looked as if one person with 24 feet was marching, marking the paragenesis of one being. The clamor amplified as they approached the circle of sorors (sorors – n, acronym for our beloved sisters of Delta Sigma Theta, FYI: GI – Gamma Iota Chapter at HIU) holding off the revelers. The bruhs skylarked in an uproar and recited various chants of deception, citing that these new inductees were trying to sneak into their fraternity. As the circle of onlookers embraced the line they were instructed to face the crowd. At that time their interlocked arms released, they formed a phalanx in the middle of the block, and a moment of silence blanketed the area.
The grits (grit – n, scowl, look of intensity) on their faces seem to invigorate the bruhs in a sadistic pandemonium. As various #’s from 1 to 12 were called, the scowls intensified, invoking a sense of fright into the bewildered spectators.
Time and time again the question has been raised after step shows on the yard, why do the bruhs make those faces when they step on the block and group up for a photo. Is it an indiscriminate action or is there some meaning behind it? Is it simply a display of their endless enthusiasM, their firmnesS in mind and sPirit, perhaps a requUirement defined in their fraternity lexicon, or the culmination of their process into the realms of Omega Psi Phi?