Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. celebrates 100 years of existence this week, marking a momentous occasion not only for the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha but also for the black Greek community as a whole.

“Our anniversary is bigger than just one Greek organization,” said Corey Ponder, president of Alpha Phi Alpha. “The tradition of black Greekdom is an institution in and of itself. The institution of black Greekdom itself is officially turning 100 years old.”

Senior Emanuel Gunn, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, said he believes the anniversary also carries with it significance for all of mankind.

“Because it is an organization that has overcome a lot of things, it has been looked upon as a model,” Gunn said. “Alpha Phi Alpha can be looked upon as a role model in the black community and also for mankind in general.”

Alpha Phi Alpha was founded in December 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., as the first Greek-letter fraternity in the United States established for men of African descent. The Kappa Theta chapter was introduced to Vanderbilt’s campus on April 26, 1975.

Gunn said he feels that although a century has passed since the fraternity’s founding, the principles of the organization have remained constant.

“It has always been an organization of high ideals, and we have kept those standards and even surpassed them,” Gunn said.

However, according to Ponder, the fraternity has also evolved in a variety of ways.

“Initially it was founded to uplift the black community, but in 2006 we are uplifting and educating Americans as a whole,” he said.

To mark its 100th birthday, Alpha Phi Alpha has already held a number of events. The celebration will continue tonight at 9 p.m. in the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center with a Fight the Hunger study break. Students are asked to bring canned foods to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank.