Ryan ChartrandMr. Fraternity should be Chris Barksdale’s middle name. At first glance, he may seem like the typical frat boy, but he has a lot more on his plate than most.
Barksdale is not only the president of his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi, but he is also Cal Poly’s Interfraternity Council (IFC) president, where he represents the 18 social fraternities on campus. When asked if his position at the Beta house could create a conflict of interest, Barksdale explained that he would never allow that to happen.
“I’ve been able to keep (the two positions) separate and fair,” the business administration senior said, wearing a “Mr. Fraternity” T-shirt and a smile. “There really hasn’t been that much opportunity for me to even sway.”
Barksdale was voted into office as the IFC president last January, and during his term, his Beta brothers also voted him into office as their president. This created a bit of a problem. According to the Cal Poly IFC bylaws, no president shall serve as a president or recruitment chair of any individual chapter while in office. As soon as he realized that this might be an issue, Barksdale asked the IFC Executive Board and presidents of the other fraternity houses to change the rules during the overlapping quarter. They voted, and it passed unanimously.
“He is a strong student leader,” IFC advisor Eddie Dominguez said. “He serves as IFC president and holds the president position of his own fraternity, which is rare. It speaks to his ability as a student leader.”
While some may see the unanimous vote as proof of Barksdale’s leadership abilities, others think the vote resulted from indifference. IFC treasurer Arvand Sabetian spoke more about the issue.
“The presidents of houses didn’t care, as Beta was a small house at the time, and they felt that the administration of both the IFC and Beta wouldn’t be a problem,” Sabetian said. “Presidency of both organizations wouldn’t be possible for larger fraternities, and such a motion would never have been brought up in the case of a larger fraternity, as the individual would know the problems that would face him in the future.”
Sabetian explained that he believes Barksdale shows a lot of interest in the greek system and has made an effort to unify the fraternities.
Not only is Barksdale the president of two organizations, but he is also a dedicated member of the community. Raised in San Luis Obispo, he currently coaches youth wrestling at San Luis Obispo High School. He says he enjoys the program, which provides coaching for elementary students in grades three through six, because the kids have a lot of energy and it gives him a chance to get some exercise.
As with most fraternities, the members of Beta Theta Pi participate in socials, provide community service, compete in sports, and enjoy greek week. But unlike other fraternities, Beta is rather small with only 30 members.
“We’re a smaller house and we’re actually really active,” Barksdale said. “We have three members in the IFC this year. We’re able to compete, as some of the other bigger fraternities do. I’m not saying we’re better, but we hang in there.”
While many students could become overwhelmed by the hectic schedule Barksdale follows, he doesn’t let it bother him.
“It can be active,” Barksdale said. “I find that when I’m busier, I get more accomplished and I do better in school.”
When asked what he plans to do after graduation, he jokes that one day he would like to be a movie star agent, like the character played by Jeremy Piven on HBO’s “Entourage.”
“It fits my personality,” he said.
Although Barksdale does not plan to run for IFC president again, he looks forward to the rest of the year as president of Beta Theta Pi.