KENT STATE WELCOMES FIRST LATINA SORORITY

Kent State University’s first Latina sorority, Lambda Theta Nu Sorority Inc., introduced themselves to the Kent State and Greek community in its step out show on Feb. 20 at the Kent Student Center Kiva. The sorority’s purpose is to give the population of identified Latina students on campus support and a sense of community.

At the show, the sorority announced its coming out to the community with stepping, strolling and bringing out traditional Latino machetes during their performance.

“It was a really fun event,” said Rachel Hook, the sorority’s president and a senior managerial marketing major. “For over a year, we worked hard. The event was the culmination of our efforts, and it shows that a Latina sorority is now here. We showed the Kent State community who we were, and we were so happy with the turnout because there were so many people there to see us and show support.”

Hook and the sorority’s secretary, Krystal Torres, a senior fashion design major, say that the organization will help Latinas focus on sisterhood, academics and community service.

“Our community service programs have us go into the community and talk to students in middle and high school and share our life stories,” Torres said. “We want Latinas and minorities in general to know that higher education is an option. Sometimes, it can seem unobtainable if you don’t see people that look like you attending college.”

Torres says the organization was started because all of the women in this group, especially the Latinas, felt that something was missing from their college experience and they needed some support, especially since graduation rates among Latinas are low.

“When I first heard about the opportunity of starting the first Latina sorority, I didn’t know what we were getting into, but after the first meeting, I fell in love with the ladies there, and we started our journey there,” Hook said. “No lady should come to Kent State and have the same experience that we had because it was very heartbreaking not feeling that we had support or unity.”

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