Interest group welcomes members of fraternity

T'Nerra Butler, Multicultural Editor

Associate members showed chapters of Alpha Psi Lambda Fraternity Incorporated their interest in founding a chapter on Eastern’s campus at their La Fiesta on Saturday.

Alpha Psi Lambda is a Latin American, co-educational Greek lettered organization.

The night introduced the aspiring students at Eastern to those who have already joined the organization. The students are in the process of trying to get neighboring chapters involved for networking purposes.

Sergio Romero, a freshman psychology major, said the event was held to present the students of campus who are interested in joining to the already established chapters of the Greek organization. He also said the night was put into action to build connections.

The group consisted of 12 students who each had a line number.

“We’re getting our voices out there because there’s not a lot of people who know about us,” Romero said.

If the students actually are initiated on campus, they will be considered the founding members of the fraternity at Eastern.

Adam Sandoval, a senior middle level education major, said the campus lacks diversity when it comes to the Latin American community. He also said that if this organization is established, they can spread awareness of that fact more effectively.

“We wanted to create that bond between associate members and others from different chapters,” Sandoval said.

Francisco Castellanos, a freshman engineering major, said the Latin American population on campus is fairly low. The event showed the campus that they are here and want to see an increase in the Latin American community, Catellanos said.

Although there is a high interest to found the organization, Castellanos said whether they cross as members is still to be determined. In order to complete the process, the 12 students need to go through many steps.

“It is hard. Just creating a colony is hard,” Castellanos said.

Being an associate member shows others that they are interested, but the students cannot yet do any of the Alpha Psi Lambda chants, traditional hand signs or wear the Greek letters.

“Something that we strive to do is to build those relationships between us and the other members,” Castellanos said.

Throughout the night associate members were found mingling with the other chapters of the fraternity.

Kristin Routt, the adviser of the group, said most of the students come from the Latin American Student Organization.

“(The students) have worked over the last several months to convince the national office in Chicago that they have the energy and commitment to start a colony and eventually a new chapter,” Routt said.

During the night, associate members gave presents to their “parents,” who are already members of the fraternity and guide the students through some of the processes.

“They really help us to get us to where we want to go as far as the organization,” Sandoval said.

Lauryn Garza, the assistant associate member educator for the 12 students, was one of the parents for the night. She said being a parent to two of the associate members involved her leading the students, and being a resource. Garza crossed Alpha Psi Lambda in the fall of 2011.

“Academics is really important to us because we are here to graduate,” Garza said. “We want them to stay focus with their schoolwork.”

Garza said with this possibly being the first Latin American Greek organization on campus, it would bring an outside family to those in the Latin American community.

“It will bring a home away from home while they’re at school, because that’s basically what we are,” Garza said.

 

T’Nerra Butler can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]