The Cultural Greek Council sponsored a meet-and-greet event for students interested in joining a culturally based sorority or fraternity on Jan. 31.

Mario Ramirez, director of student leadership and involvement, in regard to why this information session was held prior to Greek rush said, “Educate yourself well roundedly. Don’t just [join] because you like a specific color these organizations wear, look to see what their causes are. Where do they donate their time? Where do they put their service? What are their dues? Really educate yourself and realize this is a lifetime commitment, it’s not just a college thing.”

With one room for sororities and another holding Omega Delta Phi, the only cultural Greek fraternity on campus. Approximately 17 potential sorority pledges and five Greek organizations attended.

Ramirez said, “We had great attendance. It’s the first time we do it in that location or use that location for an event. It’s new and I think people really liked the area and enjoyed the event.”

This was the first event in the ‘Cultural Greek Council’ week, a week focused on spreading awareness of cultural based Greek fraternities and sororities around campus.

Ramirez said, “We have a very diverse campus, and I think it is a great opportunity for students to learn [and] to join organizations that are culturally based. If they can identify with that specific culture, that’s great! [It] gives them options to get involved.”

The interested students were split into four different groups based on the number written on their name tag. Each group was placed with a sorority booth to talk to for an allotted time until moving on to the next booth. Each group did a counter-clockwise rotation until every person talked to all sororities.

Sigma Lambda Alpha member Esperanza Guzman, social studies education junior, said, “I feel like it was more organized this year and it gave us more of a chance to talk to everybody. I liked the going around in circles. I felt it went very smoothly.”

Prospects for Greek life were able to talk to members of cultural Greek organizations.

Dominique Shepherd, computer science freshman, said she got to talk to many different sororities and she liked what the different sorority sisters had to say but she is focused on which association she can bond with the best.

Guzman joined Sigma Lambda Alpha Sorority, Inc. last semester.

Guzman said, “I’ve spent the last six years of my life in a very white neighborhood with very little culture and I wanted to be around more people who were different than me. I also knew that I wouldn’t have felt at home or fit in very well with the ‘white girl’ sororities.”

Shepherd said cultural Greek life interested her more than joining a Panhellenic sorority.

Shepherd said, “Given my ethnicity, that I’m African-American, I feel like it would be a better fit for me than doing something in Panhellenic, allow[ing] myself to bloom as a young woman.”

Jada Props, political science senior, was the vice president of Sigma Theta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. last semester.

Props said, “I’m very pro-black, and I like giving back to the founders and helping complete the mission that they started. I’ve definitely grown as a woman. This is one of the best things that happened to me and I recommend it for any girl.”