Happy birthday to you … happy birthday to you … happy birthday Sigma Lambda Gamma … happy birthday to you.
There may not be a party, but that is not stopping the women of Sigma Lambda Gamma from celebrating their 12th birthday.
To commemorate the national founding, the Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority is sponsoring a week of events that will showcase its five founding principles.
These five principles are academics, community service, cultural awareness, morals and ethics, and social interaction.
“We believe that these five principles build a well-rounded woman who will become successful in life,” said Priscilla Vanegas, vice president of programming for Sigma Lambda Gamma.
After beginning the week-long festivities with a post-graduate preparatory course Tuesday, the chapter held a self-defense class with SMU Police Lt. Enrique Jemmott on Wednesday night.
The officer gave the women a lecture on how to avoid potentially dangerous situations and taught basic defense moves. His goal is to educate women with the power and knowledge to defend themselves.
“Attackers pick [women] to be victims because they know [women] are weaker than them. That is why [women] need to know how to defend themselves,” Jemmott, who is a 15-year officer, said. “If you are aware of something, you are not afraid of it.”
On Thursday, in the Main Quad from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sigma Lambda Gamma will hold its third annual bone marrow drive. Former Sigma Lambda Gamma president Nancy Lira began the tradition of the Founder’s Week Bone Marrow Drive.
Lira’s older sister, Marta Lira, died at the age of 16 from leukemia because she could not find a bone marrow donor.
“We knew we had to do something,” said Monica Lira, who is the current Sigma Lambda Gamma president and is Nancy and Marta’s sister. “We have continued it because there will always be a shortage of bone marrow donors.”
Founder’s Week culminates April 9, the sorority’s 12th birthday, with “Battle of Latino Grills.”
All SMU students can come and sample food and vote on the best grilled cuisine.
The Pi chapter of Sigma Lambda Gamma has been on campus for six years.
