 "Photo: Jennifer Johnson")
Though Latino Heritage Month has come to a close, the work of Sigma Lambda Beta has just begun, its leaders have said.
Julio Aviles, vice president for the Latino fraternity, said the group is on a mission to create a welcoming environment for Latino students. The 12 members helped coordinate events such as Noche de Gala, a piñata workshop and discussion panels throughout Latino Heritage Month.
But Aviles said that is just the beginning.
"We are focusing on trying to get more Latino students from Chicago to come down," Aviles said. "SIU offers a real good chance to experience life outside of the city and most Latino students here haven't experienced that before."
The challenge for Aviles and Sigma Lambda Beta is finding the Latino students as soon as possible and making them feel comfortable. Aviles said the Latino population has been included in SIUC's retention struggles, as he frequently sees students leave an already small group.
There are 746 students on campus this semester identified as Hispanic, according to university records.
Sigma Lambda Beta President Alberto Mendez said he knows the difficulty of transitioning from the city.
Mendez, a senior from Chicago studying automotive technology, said when he first came to SIUC he didn't know if there would even be any other Latino people in the community.
"Southern Illinois just didn't seem like a place where there would be a lot of Latino people," Mendez said. "There was not a whole lot of campus involvement when I got here."
Three years later, Mendez has seen the emergence of Sigma Lambda Beta, the Hispanic Student Council and the international fraternity Omega Delta Phi. He said all three organizations work closely with each other to help students from all backgrounds gain an understanding for different cultures.
"When you walk on campus you don't see many Latino students, and that's why these organizations are so important," Mendez said. "It gives people a common ground and a way to relate to each other."
With all of the participation within the groups this year, Aviles said he expects both Sigma Lambda Beta and the Hispanic Student Council to double in size by next year. If membership does double, there would be more than 100 students between the two groups.
There has already been more interest from Latinos on campus, said Arturo Mendez, a freshman from Chicago studying accounting and secretary of the group.
He said all of the community service and events his organization has been able to do this year have led to many inquiries from people interested in joining.
"There are more and more Latinos coming in and making a difference and making friends at the same time," he said. "We just try to help as much as we can. We will give people rides to the store, show them around campus, really whatever we can."
While most of the big events for Sigma Lambda Beta happen during Latino Heritage Month, Arturo Mendez said there are still opportunities for students to come out and participate with the group.
He said the fraternity will stay involved with other international groups such as Asian and Native American groups and will also hold a big mariachi night in April.
"When I first got here I didn't know what to expect, but southern Illinois has been great and I think it was important I found a group like this to get involved with right away."
Jeff Engelhardt can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 268 or jengel@siu.edu
