'Sorority of one' holds strong

Cintya Ramos loves being in a sorority -- even though she's the only sister on campus.

But she does not see herself as a solitary member of Sigma Lambda Upsilon, a Latina-interest sorority.

The Wharton senior's chapter has two other sisters -- one at Drexel University and one at Temple University.

The three meet weekly -- alternating taking turns as host -- and plan a few major events a semester.

Ramos values the small size and is not fazed by its low membership.

The sorority "focuses to enrich the community," Ramos said. "If numbers come, numbers come. It's not a big deal for us."

She added that the sisters do not try to force recruitment. Rather, they try and take in women who show interest in the sorority.

"If we have four events per semester, we want them to be four very good events," Ramos said. "We want to be remembered by it."

SLU events include leadership and women's issues programs and community service. Ramos said there are usually about 15 attendees at networking events and about five at "meet the senoritas" -- smaller social events.

The Gamma chapter of SLU was founded at Penn in the spring of 1990 as the first Latina-interest sorority on campus.

SLU has 24 other chapters across 30 schools in the United States. Some chapters have as many as 10 sisters.

Since the chapter that includes Penn opened, it has expanded to include Drexel University and Bryn Mawr College.

Its membership has fluctuated to as many as about 15 sisters.

Christina Robinson joined SLU a year and half ago as the first member at Drexel. She said that she was attracted mainly to its community-service components.

"It's very fulfilling," Robinson said.

She added that being the only member at Drexel has been manageable because the other members are on nearby campuses.

"You become more flexible," Robinson said.

SLU is a member of the Bicultural InterGreek Council. BIG-C chapters tend to have small membership -- its largest chapter has about 20 members.

BIG-C director Larry Moses praised small chapter size, saying that it "demonstrates people's dedication to the sororities."

Ramos said that she appreciates the women she meets and the experiences she has in SLU.

"I've met a lot of women from a similar background that I'm from. ... It gives you a sense of accomplishment to achieve a larger goal," she said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.