Students Expand Latino Fraternity Options

01/27/2015 

One of the most popular type of student groups that many colleges around the country attract is Greek Life. Hundreds of different sororities and fraternities flourish all over the country including, as of recently, 15 at SUNY Cortland.  

On Nov. 3, seven young men were formally initiated into the College’s Greek life in a chilly, nighttime ceremony called a “probate.”

During the ceremony the individuals sang, chanted, danced and officially joined the Korones chapter of Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Incorporated (LSU), SUNY Cortland’s fifth National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations representative.

The new brothers — Jomar Estrella, Luis Flores, David Jimenez, Ramon Jimenez, John Martinez, Esteban Rodriguez and Andrew Rollins — are the founding members of the 68th chapter of the fraternity. Others chapters can be found at colleges and universities all over the country, including those in the New York cities of Syracuse, Binghamton, Buffalo, New York City and Oswego.

Chapter Vice President Rodriguez, a senior exercise science major from Hartsdale, N.Y., stated that LSU has four main goals to live by: academic excellence, cultural awareness and diversity, being a role model to the community at large and brotherhood.

“Our big goal is to really reach out and impact our campus but more importantly our community around us,” he said. “We go to school in this city, so we need to protect and respect the city.”

Members plan to work with local schools to show the children that they, too, can go to college and make it. They also intend to collaborate closely on civic projects with other campus organizations.

LSU has chosen HIV/AIDS awareness as its primary philanthropy.

President Estrella, with the support of his fellow brothers, wanted to found a different kind of fraternity from all the others.

The fraternity will have informational programs and events not only for recruitment purposes but for anyone who wants to get to know LSU better.

Next year, the brothers also aspire to have a house, bucking the campus and national trends in the other direction.

“One thing about longevity for Greek organizations, a house is a must,” Rodriquez asserted. “That's what we want on this campus. We did not put the work in to have a chapter die in three years. My line brothers and I want to be able to come back here in 10 years and see that the chapter is still making a positive impact on the community and campus.”

For more information, contact Rodriguez at greymer.rodriguez@cortland.edu.

Prepared by Public Relations Office intern Paul Barchitta