May 6, 2019 | Joliet, Ill.
Alpha Psi Lambda, the newest Greek life addition at the University of St. Francis (USF), recently presented the university with a piece of their history to be prominently displayed on the school’s Greek Life wall located on its main campus in Joliet. The fraternity presented USF Vice President for Student and Alumni Affairs Damon Sloan and USF Student Life Coordinator Allie Youngren with an engraved wooden paddle that includes its establishment year and its founders’ names.
Youngren feels that Greek life serves many positive purposes on the USF campus.
“Greek life serves to unite college students in a positive way by making meaningful connections with peers. Through academic, cultural, service, and philanthropic values, Greek life members also create an impact on the USF campus and the Joliet community. Our Greek chapters value the diversity of USF students and strive for inclusion to make a stronger community on campus. These strong relationships formed, as well as connections with alumni members from across the world, remain after students graduate and give them another reason to come back to visit their USF family,” she said.
Chapter president Victoria Daugherty has enjoyed playing an active role in both founding and growing the USF chapter of the fraternity.
“For me, the paddle represents an idea, a thought seven of us had to bring on campus a co-ed fraternity that can be a space for Familia and academic success for its members. We have gone from seven to thirty members since its founding, and this paddle is a representation of our hard work and dedication to Alpha Psi Lambda,” Daugherty said.
Alpha Psi Lambda is the nation’s first and largest co-ed Latino fraternity. Originally founded at Ohio State University in 1985, the fraternity has expanded to 31 chapters and four colonies in 14 states with over 2,800 members. While they are a Latino-focused fraternity, Alpha Psi Lambda welcomes students from a broad spectrum of cultures, including Latin American, Caribbean, European, and Asian. Alpha Psi Lambda’s core value is “familia” – standing as one family united, where strength lies in the ability to focus on culture while appreciating the diversity of others. USF’s Alpha Kappa chapter of the Alpha Psi Lambda National, Inc., established locally at USF in the fall of 2017, currently includes 18 members. Some signature events for the USF chapter include a “Selenabration” lip sync and dance competition, fiestas each semester where new members are introduced, and a multitude of service and mentorship activities that take place throughout Chicagoland.
