Mu Alpha tips the fedoras goodbye

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Mu Alpha tips the fedoras goodbye

fedoras

Elena Creed | Collegian

 

It’s hats off for Mu Alpha.

The music fraternity voted 15-10 in September to remove the fedora from its uniform. After discussion among members and consultation with alumni, the men of Mu Alpha will abandon the Prohibition-era hat because it no longer fulfills the purpose for which it was originally intended.

“We determined something else could do the fedora’s job better, and there was no reason to continue with it,” President of Mu Alpha senior Daniel Negri said.

New rules specify that Mu Alphans may not wear their hats during official fraternity campus events such as serenades and concerts for the sake of uniformity.

“Other than that, you wear them and follow common sense fashion rules,” Negri said, “like don’t wear your hat inside.”

For now, the fraternity plans to replace the fedoras with something that will fulfill the reasons for which members introduced the hats.

According to Negri, the fedora originally had three purposes: to make Mu Alpha members stand out on campus, to symbolize “classy gentlemen,” and to unify the group.

“Sure, they set us apart from everybody else, but the fedora is no longer the mark of a classy gentleman,” Negri said. “The fraternity generally didn’t like wearing them. They no longer were that symbol of unity that we wanted.”

Additionally, some members expressed frustration over a “weird” and “awkward” social stigma associated with the fedoras, according to junior Kyle Shillingstad, Mu Alpha’s secretary.

“The hope is that people will see us as who we are as men and what we do on campus rather than as the men who wear hats,” Shillingstad said.

Those in favor of keeping the hats did not want to break from the fraternity’s tradition. Others were concerned that the fraternity would be seen as caving to external pressures by eliminating the hats.

“We did this for us, not for anyone else,” Negri said.

Negri began looking to make the change last spring after members held “half-hearted” discussions over phasing out the hats.

He learned that while Mu Alpha split from Phi Mu Alpha in 2002, the fedoras were not immediately introduced. Discussions over the summer on Facebook between alumni showed vehement opposition to and strong support of removing the hats.

“If it wasn’t serving its purpose, if it was giving people the wrong idea of Mu Alpha, or it was discouraging people from joining, maybe it outlived its usefulness,” said Keith Miller ’03, who was part of the founding class.

Ultimately, however, alumni left the decision to active members.

“The leadership did a great job making sure no one in the fraternity felt their voice had been silenced,” Sophomore Nathan Lehman said.

Negri said the custom of wearing fedoras was never included in the fraternity’s bylaws, which he found out while drafting rules for the chapter’s updated bylaws.

“That was kind of amusing to find: this isn’t written down anywhere,” Negri said.

The fraternity will vote on the draft once the replacement for the fedoras is decided.

“It’s not really a break from tradition because in the future, we’re still hoping to have something that is a common element,” Shillingstad said.

Some members, however, remain skeptical.

“I have found nothing so far that is clearly far and above the hats,” Lehman said. “When you’re in a group of people all wearing the same thing, you feel like you’re part of a group. I feel we do need something that makes us feel that way still.”

In some respects, Negri said the fraternity has grown closer by supporting the brotherhood even though members disagree. He said he hopes his brothers will wear the fedoras more as a result.

Lehman said members have answered that wish already.

“Now that it’s not required at events, I’ve actually found myself wearing it a little more just on my own for fun,” Lehman said. “I’ve seen others wear them too. I’ve seen more fedoras on campus.”