Sorority celebrates diversity

In the spring semester of 2008, the University of Oklahoma Sigma Lambda Gamma chapter was the first to show interest in helping establish a new sorority at OSU. The former Mujeres in Action subgroup of the Hispanic Student Association was the first to take a special interest in the sorority.

Since then, it has taken 2 years for Sigma Lambda Gamma to arrive on the scene at OSU. But once the ladies in pink and purple made their debut, there was no denying that OSU had welcomed a brand new level of sorority to its campus.

Dedra Ibanez, a mechanical engineering senior and vice president of chapter operations, said the fact that Sigma Lambda Gamma is one of the first multicultural sororities with a Latina base at OSU will set them apart from other sororities on campus.

"Multicultural is the biggest thing — on this campus, anyway," Ibanez said. "You don't see that at all."

The ladies of Sigma Lambda Gamma pride themselves on the idea that within their organization there is no room for discrimination, and most importantly it is not allowed. The OSU chapter founders come from a variety of cultural backgrounds, including African-American and Caucasian.

Brittany Jaramillo, vice president of Sigma Lambda Gamma and communication sciences and disorders senior, said that being a multicultural organization has allowed each founder to reach out to multicultural students that are interested in joining a Greek organization but are unsure of which one that would fit with their multicultural backgrounds.

"A lot of the girls might have Hispanic in them or they're multiracial or biracial, and so they don't really know which one they fit in," Jaramillo said. "We're just all-encompassing, and that makes us more appealing."

Sigma Lambda Gamma has chapters and alumnae at two other schools in Oklahoma: the University of Central Oklahoma and OU. Their Greek relatives at OSU are Zeta Phi Beta and Phi Beta Sigma, and nationally, their brothers are Sigma Lambda Beta, a fraternity not at OSU.

Not only does Sigma Lambda Gamma have plans to stand out on campus, but also to positively influence the Stillwater community and others, including Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

Bringing this new sorority to OSU has come with highs and lows for all members of Sigma Lambda Gamma but, in the end, being able to carry the title of "founder" is a triumph worth every high and every low.

"You won't overlook our name, you'll never forget our faces, and you'll never forget what we did here at Oklahoma State." Ibanez said.

OSU can look forward to seeing more of the ladies in pink and purple, because they're here to make their mark in OSU history.