An MSU Latinx Greek Life panel will be held by the Latin Student Union Monday, Sep. 30, after school. This event will allow students to explore the possibility of continuing to connect with their culture through a student-run organization beyond high school.
“The goal was for our students to be able to connect with students from a similar demographic that would be able to share advice about college, or just be able to talk about their experience moving from secondary education at the high school level to a university,” club advisor and Spanish teacher Diana Sanchez said.
Considering how large some colleges, such as MSU, are, it is not uncommon to feel out of place or lonely when first starting school. Many students feel that it is incredibly important to them that they surround themselves with people who share their culture/heritage, as it can allow them to feel less alone.
“Because I know personally, my mom-who’s first generation-she did not join a sorority, but she hung out with a lot of sororities, and she came here not knowing anybody, and thinking nobody looked like her,” Olivia Simmons (11) said. “So that is really one of the places that people go to when they want a safe space where they know these people can probably relate to me. So that’s a big part of Latino based sororities and fraternities.”
Latinx sororities and fraternities uphold many traditional aspects of Latinx culture, such as celebrating Dias de Las Muertos.
“Even when I went to school at Michigan State, I didn’t know that there were Greek organizations that were centered in culture and heritage,” Sanchez said.
The Latinx Greek Life panel will be a way for Latinx students to decide how they want to continue to connect with their heritage after many move out of their home and will feel disconnected with their family and their culture.
“Being Latinx, it plays a big factor into your life, because we grew up with it literally our whole lives, “ Lexi Pena (11) said. “And then when you leave for college, you’re kind of leaving something behind. You kind of yearn for it a little bit too, when you’re away from it, it just like you’re missing something. So when you go to college, and they do have that [Latinx sororities and fraternities} there, it feels like you still have a part of home traveling with you.”
