Women who want options within the Greek community have one that will be staying around for a while.
Sigma Lambda Gamma, a multicultural sorority associated with Panhellenic Council, was granted its charter this week, about two years after 10 women colonized the organization on campus. The Gamma Delta chapter is the first Sigma Lambda Gamma entity in Tennessee.
Although the group has Latina roots, the sorority has embraced a multi-cultural approach.
“What we pride ourselves on is our multiculture,” said junior Mia Crusto, who was part of the founding group. “We represent something like 20 ethnicities, and we’re just 15 women. We come from a lot of different backgrounds, and not just culturally. We have different backgrounds, different majors and different values.”
Tanner Marcantel, the associate director for Greek life, said he’s excited about the opportunity this presents.
“It’s a wonderful option and an additional opportunity for women to get involved,” Marcantel said, who noted that about half of all women are associated with a Greek organization, whether it be member of Panhellenic or National Pan-Hellenic Council, and potential members now have 15 sororities from which to choose.
“I think women here have a fantastic variety of Greek options,” Marcantel said.
President Preiyaa Gopinath said she’s learned from the diverse values within the group, and she hopes the sorority doesn’t lose that variety going forward.
“I want the future sisters, future chapter members to be as diverse as this group of women and not be limited in any way,” Gopinath said. “We have a really good group of women with all different backgrounds who are involved in different things with different principles. … I want to have the organization be a tool to empower women. Anyone has a chance to belong.”
For some members, sticking to their diverse roots is more important than being the most popular sorority.
“My hope for the chapter's future is not necessarily to grow to become a one of the largest Greek organizations on campus but rather to continue to find women who embody our principles and promote multiculturalism and to be known around campus for doing so,” said senior Ekom Essien.
To get to this point, the chapter had a set of requirements to meet, including a fundraiser, academic excellence, involvement in other organizations and membership of at least 15 women.
“It was just surreal to hear the news that we had achieved chapter status. It's just great to see all of the hard work that the founders and rest of the women have put in finally culminate in becoming a chapter,” Essien said.
Members said the Greek community was supportive through the process, and Marcantel echoed that sentiment, saying both he and Kristin Torrey, the director of Greek life, were both excited to have a multicultural-driven sorority on campus.
But that doesn’t mean the group didn’t have hurdles to overcome. Crusto said they struggled with the fundraiser and getting 15 women, a process made more difficult since, as Marcantel pointed out, Sigma Lambda Gamma doesn’t participate in a formal recruitment, like much of Panhellenic. Instead, women express their interest to chapter members in an informal process.
For Crusto, that’s how she realized she had a place in the Greek community.
“Coming here I wanted to be involved in Greek Life but I didn’t know where I fit, Crusto said. “When I got to know the women in Sigma Lambda Gamma, I knew this is where I fit in, where I wanted to be. There are no stereotypes, no pretensions. We love everyone, as cheesy as that sounds.”
