By Samantha Nwaoshai
How many times have you found yourself uttering “another stupid frat party?” Who doesn’t know the “stupid, drunk, party loving, white, frat-boy” stereotype? Well we do know that not all stereotypes are true. One exception to the “frat-boy” stereotype is senior Shika Ademu-John. As the first Vice President of Phi Beta Sigma and an active member of several other on-campus organizations, he knows more than how to throw a killer party.
Phi Beta Sigma’s programs are diverse. You would be lying if you said all of Phi Beta Sigma’s programs are the same thing. Like any other fraternity on campus, they have parties, but they also offer thought provoking awareness programs and fun activities as well.
“Not to say that we don’t know how to have a good time, but Phi Beta Sigma is a business oriented organization,” Ademu-John said.
For example on April 23, the organization will host an African-American Entrepreneurial Expo.
Phi Beta Sigma also has a host of awareness programs on the strife of African-Americans in today’s society. One of Ademu-John’s responsibilities as first Vice President of Phi Beta Sigma is to help coordinate the programs for the fraternity. One of the more recent programs was entitled, “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome.” The program focused on how slavery still affects African Americans today.
“I like setting up programs because of the challenge,” Ademu-John said.
They will never run out of ideas for new programs. Ademu-John attributes this to the members of Phi Beta Sigma, particularly the newer ones.
“Members of Phi Beta Sigma, especially the new ones, try to bring new and exciting things to campus. We try to do what has never been done before,” Ademu-John said.
Their ambitious goals do not keep them from recognizing when something works. One tried and true program that Phi Beta Sigma hosts the beginning of the first semester of every year is Blue Bucks. Blue Bucks is a program that is meant to introduce first-year students to upperclassmen. It is like one big, campus-wide ice breaker.
For the next several months it looks like Ademu-John and the rest of Phi Beta Sigma are busy with several programs. There is Thursday’s free boxing demo with Michael Corleone and a party on March 12. Then there is Sigma week, which is from April 4 through April 8.
Ademu-John does a great deal of work on the behalf of Phi Beta Sigma, but to say that is all he does for the University community would be selling him short. To sit and watch him list all of the organizations that he belongs to leaves one in awe.
Ademu-John said while counting on his fingers, “I’m one of the senators of the Student Government Association (SGA), on the executive board of the Interfraternal Council, the Elections Committee for SGA, the Student Services Committee,” he paused to take a breath. “I know there is at least one more. Oh, and a member of the African Peoples Organization.”
For those of you keeping count at home, that is six total.
After hearing all of the organizations he is a part of, it is obvious Ademu-John is a loyal and active member of the University community. The first thought that may strike one’s mind is “why?” Ademu-John responds with an answer you would think came from “The Art of Warfare”, an early 15th century Chinese book, or Machiavelli’s The Prince.
“Because, it’s better to know your surroundings, and the intricate details of the infrastructure of those surroundings. When you are aware, you move a lot freer, aware of obstacles,” Ademu-John said.
The second thought that hits shortly after the first is “how do you find time for anything else, like study and sleep?”
Ademu-John manages to find time to do other things like work towards his degree in finance among other things to excellent time management skills. He picked up that skill during his intake process at Phi Beta Sigma. Ademu-John still finds time to spend with friends, family and his X-Box.
Though Ademu-John’s large stature can be intimidating at first, it is hard not to get a good first impression of him. Friends and his roommates speak of him highly. Even as students were entering Kate and Willies, the first thing they would see is Ademu-John hugging one of the employees that he knew very well. He is very soft-spoken and polite. He looks people in the eyes when he talks to them and is eager to ask questions. If someone was interviewing him there were would points that it would be hard to tell who was being interviewed.
During the interview, at Kate and Willies, he was approached by friends and his cell phone rang several times.
However he was ever the gentleman, he apologized every time the phone rang, then asked all callers (which included his father) to call him back at another time. Every person that came up to the table was either someone who wanted to say hello, or to remind him of plans, like a study session to go over material for class.
Contrary to what his schedule, ambitions and list of memberships and titles would have you think; he does not only eat, sleep, study and plan.
Right now, Ademu-John is working towards his degree in Finance.
“Finance is a versatile degree,” Ademu-John said. “I can branch out into many different business ventures.”
Ademu-John has big plans after he graduates from the University.
“I would like to go to law school to study entertainment law. I would eventually like to own my own law firm with all practices, but my particular field would remain in entertainment law,” Ademu-John said.
It is very clear that Ademu-John is very active in school and popular among his peers. There is no doubt that Ademu-John will go far after he leaves the University community.
When asked about if he could describe what his legacy would be and how he would like to be remembered at the University, he had something in mind.
“Polite, big, gentleman, and a hard-worker. I always showed everyone respect whether or not they deserved it. That was how I was raised,” Ademu-John said.
Ademu-John is a well-regarded member of the University community by contributing to several organizations. (Samantha Nwaoshai/The Chronicle)
