Chicago, IL - Delta Phi Mu Amazing Alpha Chapter will host their 11th Hispanic Heritage Show on September 18, 2009. According to Rhiannon Vela, former Chapter President, “The purpose of the show is to open up and let the Purdue students experience the Latino culture”.
During the month of September, we celebrate the efforts and contributions of Hispanic Americans. Hispanic Heritage Month covers a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. This national celebration was enacted into public law on August 17, 1988.
This year is Rhiannon’s last year as an undergraduate member. As she thinks back about the earlier years of the show, she attributes much of its success to the Latino Cultural Center. She notes, “When the LCC (Latino Cultural Center) opened up in 2003, they helped us with finding acts and with awarding us with grants for the show. The show would not be what it is today without the LCC.”
It takes a lot of time and dedication to put on this show year after year. Active sorority members research the organizations on campus and seek donations from local community businesses. Performances are mostly from student-based organizations, and Delta Phi Mu is also grateful to receive donations such as food from a variety of local restaurants and audience members. Many talents are displayed at the show such as poetry readings, speakers and dancing. As Rhiannon puts it, “anything that displays and shows the Latino traditions is welcomed to perform for our show”.
The Hispanic Heritage Show is the highlight of a series of weekly activities hosted by Delta Phi Mu at Purdue. The show is free and opens its door from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday. “I'm happy to say that I'm very proud of what we have achieved through this show and that we have kept the tradition alive the past 11 years”, Rhiannon adds.
The Purdue University Alpha Chapter was founded on August 28, 1991 by five Hispanic women: Guadalupe Acevez, Rosa Ana Fernandez-Mills, Sylvia Medellin, Annette Zoe Rosa, and Rosita Serrano. Delta Phi Mu is a Latina-based, inclusive sorority. The Founding Mothers’ mission of empowering Hispanic professional women and other women through education became reality. These outstanding women sought to establish a foundation that served as a home away from home to ensure that high standards of ethics and education were a unifying goal of achieving success in life. Over the years, the sorority has expanded to other universities, and welcomed women of different ethnicities and backgrounds to serve as support, guidance, assistance, love and friendship for one another.
For more information regarding Delta Phi Mu at Purdue visit www.deltaphimupurdue.org or visit our National website at www.deltaphimu.org.
