SLA not exclusive
Latina sorority celebrates 10 years at TCU
By Monique Bhimani
Staff Reporter

Sigma Lambda Alpha, a Latina sorority, is celebrating its 10th year on campus this week.

SLA President Cynthia Montes said the organization has grown since she pledged three years ago.

“My pledge class had about 13 members, which doubled the size of the sorority at that time,” said Montes, a junior international political science major.

Greg Treviño, assistant director of intercultural education and services, said he was a student at TCU when SLA was founded.

“Seeing that it’s stayed around for 10 years, I’d say they have withstood the test of time,” Treviño said. “There are great leaders throughout the organization, and I’ve seen them grow in numbers and visibility. I hope they have a 20-year anniversary and go on and on for as long as TCU is around.”

Montes said this year the organization consists of 16 members, making SLA the largest minority sorority on campus. She said SLA reached its largest membership last year, when they had 25 members, but that members have decreased as students graduated.

Minority Greek organizations on campus have generally remained small, compared to the sororities under Panhellenic Council and the fraternities under Interfraternity Council. According to Nancy Stockton, administrative assistant for fraternity and sorority affairs, the average number of men in IFC fraternities is about 70 and the average number of women in Panhellenic sororities is 139.

Montes said SLA is trying to attract new members and has become more inclusive.

“Just last year we had our first African-American and first Anglo women in the sorority,” she said.

Paula Bryant, the SLA parliamentarian and the organization’s first black member, said she heard of the sorority from a friend and liked the community service emphasis of SLA. However, she said the main reason she joined SLA was because the sorority is different from other sororities on campus.

“There are no cookie-cutter girls, no snobbishness and no outrageous dues,” said Bryant, a senior e-business major. “No one is going around trying to put me in a box or saying I should behave a certain way just because of my race, which is refreshing.”

Bryant said many students might be reluctant to join SLA because it is known as a Latina sorority.

“SLA has never promoted exclusiveness, but because it is a Hispanic sorority, most people of other races choose not to join,” Bryant said. “They are really missing out.”

The sorority kicked off their Founder’s Week Monday with an information table in the Student Center. Members gave out fact sheets and handouts with translations of Spanish phrases.

“SLA’s main goal is to break down the barriers of racism, discrimination and sexism by promoting cultural awareness,” Bryant said. “(The anniversary activities) are a promotion of culture to get rid of any stereotypical thinking people may have.”

The women of SLA have celebrated throughout the week with activities such as a jalapeño eating contest Tuesday. Activities will continue with a performance by the group Ballet Folklorico at 6 p.m. today and a community service project Saturday morning.