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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 1995)
Students celebrate cultural unity, awareness Tim Moor, The Battalion Anita Snell, a junior special education major, and Saul Garcia, a freshman business major perform the "jes- "susita," a type of polka, at the Hispanic Unity Rally on Friday. arty on Si s Boat ! actitaj epubl' apolt invest ay sik: Ige tk and as ted ak inistra- 0 sp neetiil blieait had p's f# Hispanic students find support in Greek organizations e >tt sa?; theyi' iys By Jan Higginbotham The Batt alion F iitoii iEunt* fE Ei# PITOK ( [li/aW 1 elle ¥' ham, ^ I, Cant". a Nan® , [pin H ||! ; rovviL t" Lydia W' -lists: 8 ,) Callo#’ ,(lave°' Alibied sity' or some Hispanic students, going Greek is a good way to hold on to their culture. Hispanic students at A&M have a unique opportunity to be a part of a family away from home through Kappa Delta Chi, a Hispanic sorority, and Omega Delta Phi, a Hispanic fraternity. Olivia Villagra, president of Kap pa Delta Chi and a senior civil engi neering major, said the sorority is made up of women who are commit ted to each other. “Everyone is very friendly,” Vil lagra said. “We promote sisterhood. You grow so much as a person when you come into the organization. We’re like a mini-family.” Daniel Romo, a senior electrical engineering major and member of Omega Delta Phi, said the fraternity offers that family feeling. “I joined to get to know people like me here at A&M,” Romo said. “I wanted to meet friends and their families. They made me feel at home be cause I didn’t know who to relate to at A&M. They took me under their wing and got me through my first semester.” Villagra said the sorority, which was started in 1991, works to further the values of unity, in tegrity, leadership and honesty. “We promote these values among all our women,” she said. “We believe it is also impor tant to service our community as well as the University.” Each member of Kappa Delta Chi is required to perform a certain number of community ser vice hours each year. The sorority tutors bilin gual students at Bonham Elementary School and volunteers at the League of United Latin-Ameri- can Citizens retirement home. Villagra said members of Kappa Delta Chi also remain active in other multicultural activities. “Anything that is going on in the Hispanic cul ture we participate in,” she said. “We are also trying to diversify ourselves as much as we can with other multicultural groups.” Romo said Omega Delta Phi promotes this diversity through cooperation with other campus or ganizations. “Our goal of the last year has been to get active with other groups,” Romo said. April Arias, a senior journalism major and member of Kappa Delta Chi, joined the sorority two-and-a-half years ago because she wanted to become more involved with Hispanic organizations on campus. “Kappa Delta Chi has helped me to identify what kind of person I am and what kind of leader and individual I want to be when I graduate,” Arias said. “I think I will always be active with the organization.” In addition to service opportunities, Romo said the organizations offer Hispanic students a social benefit. “Everybody knows each other,” he said. “We are a family. We share a very close bond. Even people who have already graduated keep in touch. Everyone is equal here — that is how we keep close.” T he voice of Hispanic cul ture on campus is being heard loud and clear. This year’s theme of Hispan ic Heritage Month is “United with One Voice” — a message Hispanic student groups are trying to accomplish and prove to the campus. Hispanic Heritage Month was started by the Bush administra tion and has become a nation wide month of celebration. Olivia Villagra, a senior civil engineering major, said the na ture of the Hispanic culture has made it difficult to form a uni fied group. “We are a laid-back culture,” Villagra said. “We are taught to be humble and not to come to gether when other Hispanics are in trouble. We need to change that.” The month is sponsored by the Hispanic Presidents’ Council, a group formed to support campus Hispanic organizations. The HPC serves as an umbrella group for all Hispanic organizations by giv ing them information. The month kicked off on Sep tember 15 with a unity rally fea turing Felix Torres, president of KBMA radio station and the Bal let Folklorico Celestial. The cele bration will end on Oct. 13 with a fajita cookout at The Grove. , The Ballet Folklorico Celes tial is an A&M dance group that performs Mexican folk dancing. Paola Ruelas, a junior man agement major, said there is a distinct difference in the differ ent dances. “The Ballet Folklorico does the various folk dances of Mexi co,” Ruelas said. “Like in the United States, the regions of Mexico are all different. The bal let depicts each region’s different style of dress and dancing.” Mark Aguirre, a senior ac counting major, said he joined the Committee for the Aware ness of Mexican American Cul ture to help promote apprecia tion of his culture and to develop Any culture has to have some kind of showing. Our traditions are a lot of fun, and I want people to under stand us." — Daniel Romo senior industrial engineering major leadership skills. “I grew up in a violent, main ly Hispanic neighborhood in San Antonio,” Aguirre said. “To me, places like that need leaders. I want to go back and help edu cate others.” Hispanic student groups are sponsoring a variety of events to commemorate the month. Omega Delta Phi, a Hispanic fraternity, is sponsoring a show ing of Mi Familia Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. The movie portrays a family adapting to America after com ing from Mexico. Daniel Romo, a senior indus trial engineering major and member of Omega Delta Phi, said Hispanics need to have an outlet to display their culture. “Any culture has to have some kind of showing,” Romo said. “Our traditions are a lot of fun, and I want people to understand us.” One misconception people tend to have about Hispanic cul tures is that they are all the same. Romo said the Hispanic and Latino cultures are extreme ly different. The music, customs and even the lan guage differ from each other. Ruelas said she doesn’t want students to get the wrong idea about Hispanic Heritage Month. “A lot of people are scared of terms like ‘His panic Heritage Month,’” Ruelas said. “There are different worlds people need to learn about and experi ence. We’re all the same, just different flavors.” Noe Lopez, a senior finance major, said he hopes this is the year Hispanic culture on campus finally feels united. “I don’t think we’ve been speaking up loud enough as a people or a culture,” Lopez said. “Now, we are the strongest we have ever been. I hope we can be so united that we can go out and let our message be known.” Tim Moor, The Battalion Amy Serda, a senior elementary education major, and Vanessa Medina, a sophomore biochemistry major dance the flirtatious "Sinaloa" at the Flispanic Unity Rally in front of Rudder fountain. Welcome Back Aggies Visit TSO for all your eyecare needs, including eye exams. We have the latest fashions & styles to fit your lifestyle just in time for school. Aggie Glasses or Contacts j Student ID required. Offer does not include DiSrOlint disposables or exams. Not valid with any other L/IDCUUIll di SCOun t.s or insurances. 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