To step out of the box, break down the wall or pop the bubble - within the bubble.

Dana Gangoo, co-president of Sigma Lambda Gamma,Vanderbilt's new multicultural sorority, does not care what you call it, but it is the reason she and her new sisters meet every Sunday.

For her and many of her sisters, bridging the gap between racial and cultural groups in and outside the Greek system is something she wants to see happen within her sorority and between the various Greek councils.

In fact, it is part of group's mission.

"When you first come here you see black and then you see white, then as time goes by, you see that these sororities have different cultures within them," Gangoo said. "It's there, but it is hard to see."

Gangoo wanted a tight-knit group, where cultural differences were apparent and part of the purpose.

This idea appealed to freshman Mia Crusto, who said she noticed a racial split about the same time she began making sense of the Greek system.

"When I got here I thought about joining a National Pan-Hellenic Council sorority or a Panhellenic (Council) sorority," Crusto said.

Through friends, though, Crusto heard about another Greek option.

"(Sigma Lambda Gamma) seemed like a better fit because itwasn't defined by one culture in particular," she said.

Gangoo said the sorority is about celebrating and learning about culture at the same time.

"One member may be really interested in Caribbean culture,and the other member might be able to share a part of that culture with them.We have members interested in learning more and others that want to share.

Though the group is small, with only 11 members at the moment, it hopes to expand.

"We don't have 200 members, but we wouldn't exclude anyone,"Gangoo said.

Gangoo and fellow co-president Miranda Lee said the Greek community has a lot to offer, and they have been embraced by the other chapters.

"Usually when something like this happens or is formed, it means there was a need for it," Lee said. "You get to meet people you normally wouldn't get a chance to meet. For us, as a small group, it is about networking and bringing social circles together."

Gangoo said that is why she wanted a to join a sorority.

"The group wants to focus on diversity, what they can learn about the people around them and their own individual identities." That way, she said, "we can truly get to create that sisterhood and that bond."

This point is especially important to Lee.

"A lot of our current members never considered Greek life because they didn't see where they fit," Lee said.

In Sigma Lambda Gamma, she hopes women can "express all sides of themselves, focus on diversity and culture, andexperience everything else a sorority has to offer."

"If we all get to know ourselves,"she said, "we are going to learn how to be strong as women."

- Sydney Wilmer can be reached at sydney.e.wilmer@vanderbilt.edu