“Culture is pride. Pride is success.”
This phrase serves as the motto for the Latin sorority of Sigma Lambda Gamma, an organization in the works of joining Bradley’s Panhellenic community.
As president of Chicas: the interested ladies of Sigma Lambda Gamma, the official interest group for bringing the sorority to campus, Daniela Miranda is working to increase diversity on campus and provide a sisterhood for female members of minority communities.
“We noticed that other campuses had at least one Latina-based sorority, and obviously Bradley doesn’t,” the junior actuarial science major said. “We felt that it was a good time to try and bring one to campus, especially since we have a growing multicultural student population here.”
Joined by sophomores Nayelli Sida and Jhonna Vega-Rocha, Miranda has spent the semester generating interest and working with the national sorority to learn more about Sigma Lambda Gamma.
Miranda said there are currently 16 girls that have shown they are committed to bringing the sorority to campus, and they are looking for more members all the time.
“Anyone can join,” Miranda said. “Anyone that identifies with the Hispanic culture or is interested in learning more about the Hispanic culture is very welcome to join.”
To qualify for membership, interested women must have an individual cumulative GPA of 2.6. As a whole, the organization must have a minimum average 2.75 GPA.
Chicas completed the first step of applying to nationals for colony status last week. If approved, the group will have another set of guidelines and expectations concerning fundraising, membership and programming before applying for a chapter.
According to Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Nancy Schwartz, a sorority of this kind would usually be represented under a multicultural greek council known as the National Association of Fraternal Organizations. Since Bradley does not have this council, however, a colony or chapter of Sigma Lambda Gamma would instead operate as an associate member of the Panhel community.
“This would really be more of an opportunity for collaboration, fellowship and the opportunity to work with other women,” Schwartz said about the interest group’s associate member status. “[My role is] mentoring them and just teaching them what greek life is and what being in a sorority is.”
As the fastest-growing Latina sorority, Sigma Lambda Gamma connects women with others that have similar interests and are not afraid to speak out about being a minority. Miranda said she hopes to bring the sorority to campus because its values align with the Hispanic values she and other Latina students grew up with.
“A lot of times, it’s a little more difficult for us to connect to other students or just find a support system,” Miranda said. “So that’s what we want to be: [a place] where you’re able to find a sisterhood with people that grew up in similar households, speak the same language, eat the same foods and have the same values.”
If chartered, Sigma Lambda Gamma would be the first Latin sorority at Bradley and only culturally-based sorority in Panhel, a fact that Schwartz called “incredible.”
“Faculty and staff and administration can all champion for diversity as much as we want, but when it comes from the students, it’s even more powerful and exciting because it’s truly speaking from the viewpoint of what they want and what they need,” Schwartz said.
The student-driven effort to diversify Bradley’s greek community impressed Schwartz.
“It really makes me believe in the power of Bradley students to think outside the box, to dream, to be really brave and to do things that other people wouldn’t do,” Schwartz said. “It means we’re growing, diversifying and taking different approaches to look at what our fraternity and sorority life community needs.”
