Less than 1 percent of the Dartmouth student body 30 students participates in minority Greek organizations, according to a report compiled by the Office of Residential Life. While most of Dartmouth's fraternities and sororities held Fall rush almost one month ago, membership recruitment for the College's minority Greek organizations occurs throughout the year
La Unidad Latina Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. the College's first historically Latino Greek organization currently has seven members, up from six in Winter 2009. The organization had its highest membership in 1997 at 12 students, according to LUL member Kevin Estrada '11 said.
"Our frat has traditionally been on the fringe of the Greek system," Estrada said. "We're not huge, so we take it upon ourselves to go out and be social."
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., currently has two members. APA member David Johnson '11 said the organization had 16 members in 2006.
Membership depends on "who is on campus" and varies from year to year, Johnson said.
"While we're open to everyone and are willing to talk to interested members, we don't recruit members as an organization," he said.
Alpha Pi Omega Sorority, Inc., which was recognized by the College in 2001, has never had more than 10 members at a time, APO President Terra Branson '10 said.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., was granted colony status at the College in September 2006 with the understanding that it would gain full recognition within two years if it could guarantee that it would have four members on campus each term, assistant Dean of Residential Life and director of Greek Letter Organizations and Societies Deborah Carney said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth. The fraternity currently has only one member and has not been recognized by the College.
None of the minority Greek organizations has a physical plant, representatives said, although they can use a College-owned apartment in the River residential cluster.
"We choose not [to have an apartment] so people have the freedom to live where they want," Branson said. "Also, because of our small size and the D-Plan, it makes a physical plant not economical, and I don't think it would be efficient."
APA and LUL have apartments in Channing Cox residence hall.
Minority Greek organizations provide appealing alternative social spaces for minority students at Dartmouth, several organization members said.
"Minority frats offer another option for people," Milan Williams '09, the lone member of Omega Psi Phi, said. "Everyone doesn't want to be mainstream. Everyone can't be mainstream. It's all about being comfortable, especially in a new situation that you've never been in: being away from home."
Branson cited APO's national network as one of the organization's strengths.
"I was undecided what I wanted to do after college," Branson said. "Then, I utilized contacts [in APO's national network] to decide on a career field I was into."
Several minority Greek organizations at the College including LUL and APA accept new members during Winter and Spring terms to coincide with their national organization's two-semester calendar.
APA the first historically black fraternity at Dartmouth uses an application and exam-based membership process to find "leaders who do well academically and demonstrate a legitimate interest," Johnson said.
Following an interview, new members of LUL participate in the Learning Development Process, after which a member is inducted into the organization and becomes an "hermano," Estrada said. As with other Greek organizations, LUL does not discriminate on the basis of race.
Representatives from the minority Greek organizations interviewed by The Dartmouth declined to comment on the specific details of their induction processes.
Representatives from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., declined to comment. Representatives from Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Senoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc., could not be reached for comment by press time.
