By Kaytee Lozier
Blaring hip-hop music greeted students as they walked into an open house hosted by the African Latino Fraternity Sorority Alliance (ALFSA) in the student center multi-purpose room Monday night. The evening allowed historically African and Latino Greek organizations to promote themselves to potential members.
Students perused tables laden with apparel, books, photo albums and other paraphernalia representing the history and ambitions of each organization. Some groups asked members from previous years to attend and the Phi Iota Alpha fraternity displayed a framed flag from a brother who is in the Marines.
Most of the tables encouraged one quality in particular from prospective brothers or sisters: an interest in community service.
“We’re looking for dedicated people that want to change their community,” said Jessica Robles, the vice president and treasurer of Sigma Iota Alpha. “We’re not looking for people that just want to be in a sorority because the letters are nice or because they want to be a part of something that looks cool.”
Josue Barahona, the vice president of Phi Iota Alpha, looked for the same motivation in students who visited his table. “Once you become a member of our fraternity, we’re really looking for dedicated brothers who do community service and who also follow the ideas such as Pan-Americanism,” Barahona said.
Potential members targeted groups they felt they would be able to relate to on many levels. “I’m looking for a sorority that has a good family feeling, like you could have fun with these girls,” sophomore Jessica Joseph said.
The organizations require more than a social bond with potential members. Robles said, “If you’re interested in our sorority we really ask that you get to know all the sisters and get to know the sorority on an academic level, a social level [and] a political level.”
Students who were interested in any of the organizations they became acquainted with during the event have the option to attend that group’s “informational,” which provides a more in-depth look at the details of the organization and its members.
Karl Williams, a senior and president of ALFSA, was pleased with the event’s turnout. “We got a lot of freshmen, which is exactly what we wanted,” Williams said.
Most newcomers will spend the semester getting acquainted with the brothers or sisters and attending events. New students can begin the pledging process in the spring.