Lambda Sigma Upsilon
Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Incorporated is a Latino oriented Greek letter intercollegiate fraternity founded on April 5, 1979 at Rutgers University–New Brunswick in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Lambda Sigma Upsilon has 78 active undergraduate chapters and 6 alumni chapters in universities and cities across the United States. The fraternity is a member of the North American Interfraternity Conference and a member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations.
History
The concept of forming Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc. began in 1978. During the period of the mid to late 1970s protests and acts of civil disobedience became commonplace as students asserted their disappointment with Rutgers University, professors' tenure, national issues, and Latino student rights. The protest became so fervent they began closing down institutions and buildings, specifically the Livingston Library as well as Rutgers men's basketball games.As the acts of civil disobedience continued, students began to meet and be acquainted with each other from the protests. Some students were particularly upset with the treatment of Latino student interests and issues. A small group of these students began to meet at the Livingston Student Center and discuss the formation of an organization that would help students meet their goals and provide a family away from home. As the discussion continued, more men began to join the conversation eventually the group reached 20 members. Most of these men had met, at some time or another, during the protests or acts of civil disobedience, and thus shared common interests in the need for taking action to bring about positive change.
Formation
In the spring of 1979, after speaking for a number of weeks, these 20 students suggested that the group form their own brotherhood, a Latino Social Fellowship. These men decided that a Social Fellowship would best provide support, focus, and family for the Latino community on college and university campuses. These men began to meet on a regular basis, holding their final meeting in Tillett Hall at Rutgers University, Livingston Campus on April 5, 1979, at which time Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Social Fellowship, Inc. was established. The official motto of the fellowship was "Latinos Siempre Unidos", thus the acronym "LSU". They effectively became the catalyst for change, and a vehicle for pertinent conversation regarding relevant issues between student and the university administration at Rutgers University.Founding Fathers
The twenty founders of Lambda Sigma Upsilon are:- Jorge Ball
- Felix Cabral
- Jose DeLeon
- Jorge Duthil
- Raphael Equavil
- Frankie Gonzalez
- Luis Gonzalez
- Nelson Gonzalez
- Cesar LeDuc
- Eleuterio "Junior" Maldonado
- Julio Maldonado
- Angel Melendez
- Nelson Molina
- Waldo Morin
- Roberto Muniz
- Alberto Rivera
- Miguel Rivera
- Osvaldo Rodriguez
- Jose Sabater
- Raul Torres
Goals
- Academic excellence
- Cultural awareness and diversity
- Being role models to the community
- Brotherhood
From Fellowship to Fraternity
This eventually led to a debate within the organization surrounding the idea of changing the designation from "Social Fellowship" to "Fraternity". This debate centered on the idea of giving in to a "Greek" system that the founders of the organization originally sought to avoid. In the fall of 1987, a proposal was submitted by the brothers of Pioneros Chapter to the governing board of Lambda Sigma Upsilon. An organization-wide vote was held to change the designation and was passed, thus changing the official name of the organization to "Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity".
Affiliations
Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc. is a Member of the National Greek council North American Interfraternity Conference. NIC is a confederation of 73 men's college fraternities with over 5,500 chapters on more than 800 campuses throughout Canada and the United States. The NIC represents over 350,000 collegiate members and four and a half million alumni. Its volunteer leaders and professional staff serve fraternity leaders in university, government, and media relations.Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc. is also a Member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations. The purpose of NALFO is to promote and foster positive inter-fraternal relations, communication, and development of all Latino fraternal organizations through mutual respect, leadership, honesty, professionalism, and education. Currently, NALFO consists of 19 different organizations.
National Chapters
Chapter Name | College / University | City, State | Established |
1. Taino Chapter | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Est. April 5, 1979 |
2. Azteca Chapter | William Paterson University | Wayne, New Jersey | Est. April 3, 1982 |
3. Zulu Chapter | Stockton University | Galloway Township, New Jersey | Est. May 6, 1983 |
4. Monarca Chapter | Montclair State University | Montclair, New Jersey | Est. April 4, 1984 |
5. Pioneros Chapter | New Jersey Institute of Technology / Rutgers University–Newark | Newark, New Jersey | Est. December 13, 1986 |
6. Emperadores Chapter | Kean University | Union Township, Union County, New Jersey | Est. December 15, 1990 |
7. Resistentes Chapter | Ramapo College | Mahwah, New Jersey | Est. April 18, 1991 |
8. Almirantes Chapter | Seton Hall University | South Orange, New Jersey | Est. April 18, 1991 |
9. Areyto Chapter | New Jersey City University | Jersey City, New Jersey | Est. November 28, 1993 |
10. Tikal Chapter | Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania | Est. April 2, 1995 |
11. Intocables Chapter | Bloomfield College | Bloomfield, New Jersey | Est. April 14, 1995 |
12. Diamante Chapter | The College of New Jersey | Ewing, New Jersey | Est. December 11, 1997 |
13. Mexica Chapter | Princeton University | Princeton, New Jersey | Est. May 19, 1999 |
14. Ciguayo Chapter | Fairleigh Dickinson University | Teaneck, New Jersey | Est. April 1, 2000 |
15. Andes Chapter | Saint Peter's University | Jersey City, New Jersey | Est. July 21, 2000 |
16. Xaragua Chapter | Rowan University | Glassboro, New Jersey | Est. November 14, 2000 |
17. Kogi Chapter | University of Miami | Coral Gables, Florida | Est. December 2, 2000 |
18. Aphrike Chapter | Monmouth University | West Long Branch, New Jersey | Est. February 22, 2001 |
19. Cayuga Chapter | Le Moyne College | Syracuse, New York | Est. March 4, 2001 |
20. Czar Chapter | University of Central Florida | Orlando, Florida | Est. March 4, 2001 |
21. Jaguar Chapter | Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania | Lock Haven, Pennsylvania | Est. March 16, 2002 |
22. Biaraku' Chapter | C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University | Brookville, New York | Est. March 24h, 2002 |
23. Seneca Chapter | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg, Virginia | Est. April 6, 2002 |
24. Mohegan Chapter | Sacred Heart University | Fairfield, Connecticut | Est. April 25, 2002 |
25. Tekesta Chapter | Florida Memorial University | Miami Gardens, Florida | Est. October 26, 2002 |
26. Kyodrowe Chapter | University at Buffalo / Buffalo State College | Buffalo, New York | Est. November 9, 2002 |
27. Guarionex Chapter | State University of New York at New Paltz | New Paltz, New York | Est. March 28, 2003 |
28. Cemi Chapter | University of Missouri | Columbia, Missouri | Est. April 4, 2003 |
29. Terra Chapter | Johnson & Wales University | Miami, Florida | Est. April 7, 2003 |
30. Coba Chapter | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | Kutztown, Pennsylvania | Est. October 31, 2003 |
31. Abakua Chapter | University of Bridgeport | Bridgeport, Connecticut | Est. November 20, 2003 |
32. Archias Chapter | Syracuse University | Syracuse, New York | Est. April 18, 2004 |
33. Trovadores Chapter | State University of New York at Old Westbury | Old Westbury, New York | Est. April 18, 2004 |
34. Aztlan Chapter | Stephen F. Austin State University | Nacogdoches, Texas | Est. March 26, 2005 |
35. Dakhil Chapter | Binghamton University | Vestal, New York | Est. April 15, 2005 |
36. Qasid Chapter | University of Georgia | Athens, Georgia | Est. April 1, 2006 |
37. Niantic Chapter | University of Rhode Island | Kingston, Rhode Island | Est. April 8, 2006 |
38. Orinoco Chapter | Rider University | Lawrenceville, New Jersey | Est. April 8, 2006 |
39. Zawadi Chapter | University of Delaware | Newark, Delaware | Est. April 8, 2006 |
40. Kahnianke Chapter | State University of New York at Oneonta | Oneonta, New York | Est. April 15, 2006 |
41. Tenochtitlan Chapter | University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, Colorado | Est. November 17, 2006 |
42. Aquila Chapter | University at Albany, SUNY | Albany, New York | Est. December 1, 2007 |
43. Yucatán Chapter | Colorado School of Mines | Golden, Colorado | Est. March 22, 2008 |
44. Copan Chapter | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | Millersville, Pennsylvania | Est. April 11, 2008 |
45. Yukayeke Chapter | Southern Connecticut State University | New Haven, Connecticut | Est. April 26, 2008 |
46. Badachu Chapter | Baruch College | New York City Metro Chapter | Est. May 1, 2008 |
47. Marabou Chapter | Lynn University | Boca Raton, Florida | Est. August 1, 2008 |
48. Qing Chapter | Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton, Florida | Est. November 25, 2008 |
49. Uman Chapter | Lehigh University | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | Est. April 18, 2009 |
50. Onyota Chapter | Utica College | Utica, New York | Est. April 18, 2009 |
51. Serikon Chapter | University of South Florida | Tampa, Florida | Est. April 25, 2009 |
52. Kalinago Chapter | Barry University | Miami Shores, Florida | Est. April 29, 2009 |
53. Elysium Chapter | Georgia College & State University | Milledgeville, Georgia | Est. April 16, 2010 |
54. Alkimia Chapter | Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester, New York | Est. April 24, 2010 |
55. Lipan Chapter | Colorado State University | Fort Collins, Colorado | Est. April 24, 2010 |
56. Wahati Chapter | Arizona State University | Tempe, Arizona | Est. May 14, 2010 |
57. Najem Chapter | St. John's University | Queens, New York | Est. November 10, 2010 |
58. Seiryuu Chapter | State University of New York at Oswego | Oswego, New York | Est. April 10, 2011 |
59. Zikhari Chapter | Pennsylvania State University | State College, Pennsylvania | Est. April 22, 2011 |
60. Pantheon Chapter | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | Tifton, Georgia | Est. October 27, 2012 |
61. Elegua Chapter | DePauw University | Greencastle, Indiana | Est. November 10, 2012 |
62. Arcani Chapter | University of Northern Colorado | Greeley, Colorado | Est. November 26, 2012 |
63. Bajamaku Chapter | Wheelock College | Boston, Massachusetts | Est. December 7, 2012 |
64. Maguana Chapter | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania | Est. November 8, 2013 |
65. Quirigua Chapter | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Indiana, Pennsylvania | Est. April 6, 2014 |
66. Equitatus Chapter | State University of New York at Potsdam | Potsdam, New York | Est. November 1, 2014 |
67. Korones Chapter | State University of New York College at Cortland | Cortland, New York | Est. November 3, 2014 |
68. Himalayas Chapter | Emory University | Atlanta, Georgia | Est. November 18, 2016 |
69. Valhalla Chapter | Indiana University Bloomington | Bloomington, Indiana | Est. April 7, 2017 |
70. Zumidas Chapter | University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | North Dartmouth, Massachusetts | Est. April 15, 2017 |
71. U'Wa Chapter | Lycoming College | Williamsport, Pennsylvania | Est. April 7, 2018 |
72. Delos Chapter | Iona College | New Rochelle, New York | Est. April 13, 2018 |
73. Fukujin Chapter | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, North Carolina | Est. April 21, 2018 |
74. Taburasa Chapter | The College at Brockport, State University of New York | Brockport, New York | Est. November 16, 2018 |
75. Sacbe Chapter | Appalachian State University | Boone, North Carolina | Est. April 7, 2019 |
76. Pángǔ Chapter | Villanova University | Villanova, Pennsylvania | Est. April 12, 2019 |
77. Somali Chapter | Rutgers University–Camden | Camden, New Jersey | Est. April 13, 2019 |
78. Waya Chapter | Radford University | Radford, Virginia | Est. April 18, 2020 |
Coaybay Chapter | Reserved for Deceased Brothers | - | - |
Traditions
Since 1979, Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc. has been the first Latino fraternity to embrace the tradition of stepping. LSU believes stepping is historically and culturally relevant to Latinos by paying homage to their Indigenous and African ancestry. LSU's step teams have competed in various competitions across the nation and won the first-ever LatinoStep Summer Step Competition in 2002 and regained the title in 2008. LSU is also the first Latino-based fraternity to compete against the traditional Greek-lettered African American organization the Divine Nine.LSU placed first in the 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010 Silk Stroll Championship and other nationwide stroll competitions.
From early on in the history of LSU, machetes have been incorporated in their step performances as they have special meaning and purpose to the fraternity. Although LSU's cultural identity symbol is the Taino, it has a consistent tradition of embracing and honoring indigenous peoples across the Americas and Africa such as the Aztecs, Zulu, Iroquois, Inca, Mohegan,and Mayans. The organization is commonly known as the most culturally diverse Latino fraternity in the nation.
Facts
- Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc. was noted for being a "catalyst for change, and a vehicle for pertinent conversation regarding relevant issues between student and the university administration" in the book Brothers and Sisters: Diversity in College Fraternities and Sororities
- Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity was founded by students for students.
- In 1979 Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity became the first Latino Organization to step.
- Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity is a member of NALFO.
- Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity is a member of NIC.
- In 1983, the Zulu Chapter, was founded by three African American Men at Stockton State College.
- In 1999, LSU was established at Princeton University.
- In 2002, LSU was established at Florida Memorial University, making it the first Latino Fraternity to be established at a private historically black university.
- Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity was the first Latino organization to ever step against the Divine Nine.
- Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity is said to be the most culturally diverse Latino Fraternity in the Nation.
- Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity was the first organization to use cultural names and meanings to identify their chapters.
- Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity was founded as a Lambda Sigma Upsilon, Latino Social Fellowship.
- Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity have been labeled the "Kings of Stroll" as they have won the only nationally recognized National Stroll Tournament "Silk & Smooth" in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2012. They did not participate in 2008 and 2011.
Membership
Philanthropy
After the passing of one of their founding fathers, Alberto Rivera in June 1989, due to H.I.V. / A.I.D.S. complications, Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity,Inc. has selected H.I.V. /A.I.D.S. research and awareness as its primary philanthropy. The Fraternity participates nationwide in the donation of funds, cause walks, and informational programs towards the goal of curing, and creating a vaccination for, the disease. Lambda Sigma Upsilon has worked with the following H.I.V. / A.I.D.S. related organizations- NJ Hyacinth foundation
- AmFar-Leading National institution on AIDS research
- AIDS WALK NY
- Aid for AIDS International
- Association for Retarded Citizens
- Neighborhood Relations Clean up
- Adopt-A-Highway
- Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis
- Children's Wish Foundation
- Soup Kitchen: Elijah's Promise
- Family Shelter
- LSU Meals on Wheels
- Hurricane Mitch and Georges Relief Fund
- Positive Latino Association
- American Red Cross
The Latinos Siempre Unidos Foundation