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Beta Sigma Chapter at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
THE HISTORY OF THE BETA SIGMA CHAPTER
The Beta Sigma Chapter of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. was chartered at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) on January 17, 2004. Nine gentlemen took the initiative to establish a fraternity that emphasizes Latino empowerment at a pivotal point for the Latino community on campus. These gentlemen took the initiative to travel to New Jersey, the state at which Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. was founded, to gain insight and knowledge from brothers that had information passed down to them directly from our fraternal and founding fathers. With the guidance and insight provided to them, they were able to establish the Beta Sigma Chapter and set the foundation for a brotherhood that would impact the Latino experience at UIUC.
At the time of the founding of the Beta Sigma Chapter, the Latino student community was steadily growing, and the establishment of a Latino fraternity provided individuals with the opportunity to amplify their voices and represent their community. The Beta Sigma Chapter became heavily involved in dealing with issues within our community that would facilitate future endeavors within the Latino community at UIUC. The Lambdas came together with eleven other organizations on campus that fell under the multicultural umbrella of Greek organizations to create the United Greek Council (UGC). The creation of the new council served the purpose of catering to the needs of underrepresented individuals at UIUC, as they consistently strived for promoting cultural awareness, executing philanthropic and community service efforts, positively impacting local and other communities, and highlighting the importance of academic excellence through the graduations of students at UIUC. To this day, the UGC has expanded to include numerous other organizations founded afterwards and embodies the values of Greek unity, culture, service, and academic excellence throughout the organizations and the student body as a whole.
Alpha Line: 9 Pillars of Genesis
Founding Brother #2: Ricardo 'La Raíz' López
Founding Brother #3: José Ángel 'Manivore' Romo
Founding Brother #4: Adrian 'Mayor' Calderón
Founding Brother #5: Jesse 'Persistent' Palencia
Founding Brother #6: Gabriel 'Brown' Corral
Founding Brother #7: David 'Flip' Vásquez
Founding Brother #8: Héctor 'El Triunfador' Freytas
Founding Brother #9: William 'Blink' García
Founding Brother #10: Jaime 'Shadow' Olmos
Ever since, the Beta Sigma Chapter has focused on the objectives established by the founding brothers in 2004. Brothers have established a presence at UIUC through various initiatives and events meant to assist the student body at UIUC with their academic and personal goals. Throughout the years, various types of events have been executed on an internal and external level. Recurring Browntables discussions have taken to focus on relevant local, national, and global issues, such as the University's Expressive Activity Policy infringing the right to protest on campus and machismo within the Latino community. The Beta
Sigma Chapter has also emphasized community service efforts through consistent volunteering with entities on- and off-campus. As a whole, our Brothers have maintained the vision of crafting a unique undergraduate experience for students at UIUC by tackling various initiatives and plans to continue upholding their goals for years to come.
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As we slowly approach the date marking two decades since the founding of the Beta Sigma Chapter at UIUC, we are focusing on continuing the legacy created by our founding brothers and hope to continue being the drivers of change for our community. To this day, we strive to craft future Latino leaders within and outside of our organization. Although we emphasize the utmost importance of achieving higher education, The Beta Sigma Chapter hopes to continue creating an enriching and distinctive college environment for the students at UIUC.
ABOUT ΛΘΦ
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