Breaking Boundaries
February 21, 2002

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Chilka Patel joined a Latin sorority despite her Indian heritage
By Kimberly Anne Lopez
Alligator Staff Writer

[Left] Chilka Patel shows off her Indian heritage and spirit for Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Inc. Since her freshman year at UF, Patel has participated in the annual Diwali festivities.

Her silver bangles glimmered in the lights as she strutted the stage in a blue cloth draped along her body, mirroring the traditional Indian style of a sari and choli.

Friends nicknamed Chilka Patel "Princess Jasmine" for a day as she looked like a fairy-tale character with her hair intricately lifted in curls, adorned with rhinestones and glitter.

Since her freshman year at UF, Patel had practiced in the annual Diwali show and would spend days perfecting her movements for the November showcase.

Tonight, however, Patel will leave behind her sari and bangles as she competes in Superdance with a team made of members from all areas of Greek organizations.

The lip-sync and dancing competition, which begins at 8 p.m., will be held at The Palace as Greek Week festivities wind down.

Though the majority of Greek organizations fall under the traditional Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils, there are members such as Patel who stand as symbols of diversity that have evolved among UF's 128-year-old Greek system.

For Patel, the ritual of performing is part of her life.

At her unveiling on March 17, 2001, Patel stood before a crowd of more than 300 pronouncing "this Indian princess heard the call and saw the sign to pledge Lambda Theta Alpha."

As the crowd watched curiosities peaked. Many of the attendants for the first time were witnessing a person of Indian origin join a Greek organization; she had just become a sister of a Latin sorority.

"It was all about the sisters and how they received me," Patel said, adding that her search for a multicultural organization led her to Lambda Theta Alpha Sorority.

She did not like what she saw in mainstream Greek organizations. She did not feel she fit well with black Greek organizations.

But being under a multicultural Greek council seemed just right.

After meeting more members and interacting with them, Patel made her decision to join.

Nobody was going to stop her - not even an initial lack of support from her parents who felt she was abandoning her heritage.

"My parents weren't that excited. They wanted me to stay with the Indians," she said.

Patel continued the process of becoming a sister of the Latin sorority and only hoped her parents could one day understand.

After talking to sisters, Patel's parents became more understanding, but said they still felt sororities were a euphemized cult or gang.

They feared joining a sorority would diminish Patel's available time to be with people of her own culture.

The only positive enforcement they could display was the faith they had in their daughter to make the right decision.

"They know that I'm not going to do anything to hurt myself," Patel said.

Perhaps it was her parents that became her biggest hurdle in her process to become a sister, but the questions from family and friends still persist.

With confidence and pride Patel answers the several questions asked of her almost every time she wears burgundy or gray paraphernalia.

The most popular remark: "But you're Indian. Why join a Latin sorority?"

"For the most part everyone was cool with it. They just wanted to make sure it was the right decision," Patel said. "After that they thought it was cool.

"They still think it's cool. I am never received with negativity, just questions."

Though the organization was founded as a Latin sorority, Patel emphasizes that she and her sisters represent many cultures and no one culture is preferred.

At first, some accepted her with curiosity, but when they saw the dedication Patel was willing to give to the organization, there were no more questions.

She possessed the qualities sisters were looking for. She would become, as summarized by an alumni member, "the organization's poster child for diversity."

Her unique style and cultural traditions are unlike any members have seen in current and alumni sisters. Because of this, Patel has been a great asset to the organization and exemplifies that it is not the color of one's skin that should matter in sisterhood and Greek organizations, Lambda Theta Alpha Sorority member Joyce Pesantez said."

I respect and admire Chilka's decision to join LTA," Pesantez said. "I'm sure it took a lot of courage to join, and I can almost guarantee every sister in the organization respects her for that."