¿Qué Pasa, OSU? - Autumn 2008

Hispanic/Latin@ Organizations at Ohio State
Get involved!

With more than 800 registered student organizations, Ohio State offers students great opportunities to get involved in a wide variety of areas of interest including academic, social, religious, and many more. Since this magazine focuses on the Hispanic/Latino community, we present in this issue information about some Hispanic/Latin@ student organizations, which are part of the University-wide Council of Hispanic Organizations (UCHO). Following are brief descriptions of the purpose of these organizations and their contact information for more details.

The University-wide Council of Hispanic Organizations (UCHO)
Alpha Psi Lambda, Inc. - Alpha Chapter
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
The Latino Law Students Association (LLSA)
FIAT Club (Fuerza e Integridad A Todos)
Hispanic Business Student Association (HBSA)
Fisher Latino Graduate Association (FLGA)
Lambda Theta Phi, Latin Fraternity, Inc
Organization of Hispanic Faculty and Staff (OHFS)
Hispanic Oversight Committee (HOC)

The University-wide Council of Hispanic Organizations (UCHO)

UCHO is the umbrella organization for all the Hispanic organizations at The Ohio State University. Its main goals are to foster communications among various social, professional, and educational Latino/ Hispanic organizations and to advocate for the continuing developmental, social, and cultural programming for Latino/ Hispanic students, faculty, and staff at The Ohio State University.

For more information on UCHO or any other organization, please contact Juan Segura, UCHO President, at segura.7@osu.edu

Alpha Psi Lambda, Inc. - Alpha Chapter

Alpha Psi Lambda is the Nation’s first and largest co-ed Latino interest fraternity. We pride ourselves in being active members in the Latino community at the Ohio State University and promoting and advocating for Latino interests.

Our purpose at Ohio State and throughout the nation is to enrich the lives of anyone interested in the Latino cultures throughout their undergraduate career and beyond and to provide a family away from home, something that can’t be found in just any organization. At Ohio State, Alpha Psi Lambda is known for its annual programs, such as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Unas Palabritas (a poetry session which has featured student, local, and famous poets such as Saul Williams and La Bruja), and César Chávez’ week.

For more information, please visit http://apl.org.ohio-state.edu or contact Daysi Gaona at gaona.2@osu.edu

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)

SHPE consists of students who are majoring in engineering and are interested in learning that takes place beyond the classroom. Each year several members of industry come to speak at our meetings. This helps members to gain insight into what the engineering workplace will be like, as well as the options that are available after graduation. During the fall quarter SHPE attends a national convention that has multiple educational seminars, as well as a career fair. The seminars allow students to hear about the workplace from industry professionals as well as ask any questions they have about what the workplace is like. The career fair allows students to interview with all types of companies and is a great opportunity to find an internship. All chapters of SHPE from around the country attend this event which allows students to network with other future Latino engineers. The goals of SHPE are best embodied by its mission statement, “SHPE promotes the development of Hispanics in engineering, science and other technical professions to achieve educational excellence, economic opportunity and social equity.”

For more information, please contact Jonathan Gomez at gomez.51@osu.edu or visit SHPE’s website at
http://shpe.org.ohio-state.edu

The Latino Law Students Association (LLSA)

LLSA is an organization dedicated to preparing its members for their professional roles in society and to promoting awareness of Latino interests in the legal field. The purpose of LLSA is to continue advancing the interests and welfare of its members as well as the law school community’s as a whole. In 2006, LLSA presented the Latino Law Summit to discuss such topics as immigration policy, guest worker programs, and educational, housing, and wage disparities between Latinos and non-Hispanic whites. LLSA is also now a member-chapter of the National Latino/a Law Student Association, which allows students at Moritz to interact with other Latino students and lawyers in various regions of the nation, in addition to offering students the ability to develop their leadership skills within a national network.

For more information, please contact Renato Manay at manay.1@osu.edu

FIAT Club (Fuerza e Integridad A Todos)

FIAT Club is a new student organization on campus for Latino and non-Latino men with the intention of bringing university male leaders and entrepreneurs together in working with their local communities through city-wide initiatives and multiple university programs. It follows the Service and Pan-American ideals of Phi Iota Alpha. FIAT Club is a step towards eventual brotherhood, and this group allows students to work with each other first before taking steps toward becoming a brother.

For more information, please contact Nick Brown at info@fiatclubosu.org or visit http://www.fiatclubosu.org

Hispanic Business Student Association (HBSA)

HBSA is an organization targeting students that embrace the Hispanic culture within the Fisher College of Business, or with a general interest in business. The organization seeks to help students hone business skills, increase professionalism, and create a competitive advantage when entering the workforce.

Throughout the year HBSA hosts a number of events that help students acquire leadership and teambuilding skills that will later be essential. Businesses such as Target, Proctor & Gamble, Abercrombie & Fitch and Wells Fargo present internships and full-time opportunities to our members at meetings and teach students the importance and value of networking skills. HBSA also presents a university-wide event called Thanksgiving Dinner with a Salsa Twist, and the HBSA Soccer Classic. HBSA also has social events which help strengthen the bond of the organization including salsa dancing nights.

For more information, please contact Catherine Wahl at wahl.48@osu.edu

Fisher Latino Graduate Association (FLGA)

FLGA serves to increase the profile and opportunities for Latino students at the Fisher College of Business. FLGA’s main goal is to encourage personal and professional development, provide support and assist its members in their academic development at the Fisher College of Business. In particular, the organization will focus on identifying and networking with Latino leaders, building fellowship among its members and addressing issues that face the Latino community. FLGA is also dedicated to promoting and coordinating social and cultural awareness and activities. The organization will be used as a platform to develop future leaders in the Latino community.

For more information, please contact Lori Guzman at guzman.48@osu.edu

Lambda Theta Phi, Latin Fraternity, Inc

Lambda Theta Phi is a social/service Latino fraternity that emphasizes Latin unity and the celebration of the Latin culture. It is the first latino fraternity to be established in the United States, founded on December 1, 1975 at Kean College in Union, New Jersey and the first to be nationally recognized. Lambda Theta Phi is one of the largest Latino fraternities in the country, expanding throughout the United States in over 90 institutions. The fraternity’s goals are to promote scholarship, Latin unity, respect for all cultures and brotherhood. The organization strives to make an impact on not just undergraduate students, but also their surrounding community at large through positive social actions. Although Lambda Theta Phi is Latino by tradition, membership is open to all ethnicities. With a 95% national graduation rate, brothers of Lambda Theta Phi have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, scientists, accountants, engineers, recording artists, entrepreneurs, politicians and prominent leaders in various areas.

For more information, please visit www.lambda1975.org or contact Renato Manay at manay.1@osu.edu

Organization of Hispanic Faculty and Staff (OHFS)

The Organization of Hispanic Faculty and Staff (OHFS) is the organization of all Latin@ faculty and staff at The Ohio State University. Our mission is to support the success and well being of Latin@ students, faculty and staff of the university. The OHFS promotes a sense of community by addressing issues of relevance for faculty and staff at Ohio State. We meet monthly to discuss issues of general concern to the membership, and often work in collaboration with the Hispanic Oversight Committee.

OHFS plays an important role in providing educational, social and cultural opportunities for faculty and staff at Ohio State. In the past, OHFS co-sponsored the national premiere of the Costa Rican film Caribe and the Ecuador Cultural Ambassadors Program, helping to bring artists, film makers, and musicians from Costa Rica and Ecuador to our campus. In addition, OHFS sponsors socials for faculty and staff to get to know each other, and supports academic events such as the first ever conference on graduate education lead by the University-Wide Council of Hispanic Organizations.

Students should not hesitate to contact us about what is on their mind and what kind of support we can provide for Latin@ students.

We hope to see you on Ohio State’s campus soon! For more information, please contact Jesus Lara, OHFS Co-Chair, at
lara.13@osu.edu

Hispanic Oversight Committee (HOC)

The Hispanic Oversight Committee (HOC) is a committee of the Provost, whose main function is to serve as a voice for the OSU Hispanic/Latin@ community to the university administration.

The HOC focuses its energies on the recruitment and retention of Latin@ faculty, staff and students, and Hispanic/Latin@ cultural and academic enrichment. In this upcoming year, the HOC hopes to increase its visibility as an organized and representative voice on campus. Specific initiatives the HOC is currently working on include supporting the continued development of the Latino/a Studies program, enhancing graduate student recruitment, and obtaining increased funds for Hispanic-related activities.

We invite every member of the Hispanic/Latin@ community to become involved and support our efforts. Please feel free to contact us with suggestions as to how we can improve your Ohio State experience. For more information, please contact José Castro, HOC Chair, at castro.38@osu.edu.

This is just a small sample of the different organizations available at Ohio State. To find more information on other organizations, please visit http://www.ohiounion.osu.edu/studentorgs/orgs.asp or contact UCHO.