Garnet and White: Alpha Chi Rho Recognizes Black History Month

Like most organizations, Alpha Chi Rho recognizes and remembers the history of African Americans in our nation’s history and in the Fraternity. This month we want to spotlight three Graduate Brothers for their contributions to the Fraternity and society.

Brother Lynn Jones (Theta Phi, 1977)

Brother Lynn Jones (Theta Phi, 1974) joined Alpha Chi Rho while he attended Thiel College. Lynn was a baseball, basketball, and soccer player for the College’s teams. As a senior, he batted an impressive .440 and was selected to the All-PAC First Team for multiple years. Post graduation, Lynn was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 1974 and later played for the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals. During the 1985 season, he helped lead the Kansas City Royals to the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. After his playing days, he served as a coach for the Royals, Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox and multiple minor league teams. He is a two-time World Series Champion (1985 and 2004) and was inducted into the Thiel College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987.

Brother Elmer Shelton (Eta Phi, 1997)

Brother Elmer Shelton (Eta Phi, 1997) originally had no interest in going Greek at Gettysburg College. “However, I met some pretty remarkable men who invited me to learn more and I loved what I heard and saw.” He joined the Fraternity because of the Brothers he met – they “were open and accepting. The Fraternity house was beautiful [too].” Elmer quickly became an active Brother in the Chapter, serving as the Chaplain and Alumni Relations Chair. He also enjoyed volunteering for Habitat for Humanity with his Chapter Brothers.

After graduation, Brother Shelton has continued to give back to the Fraternity as the president of the Eta Phi Alumni / Graduate Board. He’s held that position since 2017! Regarding his career, Elmer said, “I am an independent licensed social worker. I live in New York City, with my partner Thomas, and our African Gray parrot Alex and ball python, Madame Curie.” Elmer has always felt that Fraternity membership is for life and that “in all things, remember to Be Men.”

Brother Dante Plush (Alpha Phi Gamma, 2015) did not have a good family life growing up. He attended Pace University in Pleasantville, New York to try and find his new family and Greek Life was one of those outlets. “At the time, AXP was known as a nerdy [fraternity] on campus and I was hardcore rushing [another fraternity] because they were cool to me at their parties and a big portion of my friends at the time hung out with them.” Dante would also go to the Alpha Chi Rho house and the Brothers gave a friendly, welcoming, and inclusive vibe. Dante was still hesitant to join Alpha Chi Rho even after receiving a bid because the Fraternity was not his number one choice. He gave the Fraternity a chance because it, “intrigued me and I didn’t see it as prominent [as] other [fraternities] on campus and I realized that I could use something like that.” Halfway through new member education, he realized he made the right decision. The Brothers were, “nerds with values who were respected on campus by peers and staff and they were not afraid to be different – that is something I admire in others and myself.”

Brother Dante Plush (Alpha Phi Gamma, 2015)

One thing that Dante enjoyed during his undergraduate years was family dinners. “Every Saturday night for a [long] while we cooked a meal and invited friends, those who needed a friend, sorority women, and just cool people who were in our orbit to break bread, chat, joke around, and just have a good time.” The dinners helped Dante fill the familial void he was searching for and helped him come to value Alpha Chi Rho’s home being a place where people could come and feel included. Although Dante does not have a lot of time to give back to the formal Alpha Phi Gamma Graduate Chapter, he stays connected to his Brothers when he can.

Currently, Dante lives in New York City and directs a nonprofit called the United States Youth Forum (USYF) that focuses on helping underserved young people across the United States participate in healthy models of youth-led changemaking and civic engagement. As the Executive Director, he oversees the strategic direction of the organization, helps foster healthy organizational culture, and serves as the spokesperson for the organization, among countless other responsibilities. At the same time, he teaches secondary US history at a local high school! Dante says, “being in the classroom keeps me informed and grounded in the real experiences of young people, underserved and otherwise, and directly informs the work that we do at USYF.” One of Dante’s greatest accomplishments though, is recently marrying his beautiful husband last November.

Dante’s journey in the Fraternity has been a fruitful one so far. His biggest advice to give to any Brother, undergraduate or graduate, is that, “people are going to remember you more for how you made them feel or how you inspired them than how hard you partied in college. Learn the [dang] Landmarks (don’t forget them!!) as they will help you throughout life.” If you’d like to follow Dante on social media, his Instagram handle is @danteflush.