Eva Landeros

When did you attend Gustavus Adolphus College?: I was at Gustavus from the Fall of 2002 to Spring of 2006
What was your major?: I majored in Spanish and double minored in English and Women’s Studies
What is your current profession? Do you feel that your life today is affected by your participation in Greek Life?: I am currently working as a community social worker for CLUES, but I went to law school and graduated in May 2010.; Not really because I knew I wanted to be in the legal field and advocated for people since I was in 2nd grade.
Why did you decide to get involved in Greek Life? How did you decide what fraternity/sorority was right for you?: I decided to get involved in greek life because being involved in greek life creates a sense of community and there is also a unique kind of bond.; At the time I started at GAC there was no sororities that specifically addressed the needs of women and color. That’s why I thought it would be a great idea to bring in a multicultural sorority to campus, where all women of color could share their unique experiences in college and specifically at GAC.
What kinds of community projects did you participate in? What positive impact do you feel you had on the community during your time on campus?: I participated in anything and everything related to the diversity center. I was a part of OLAS and was even the Hispanic community liaison for the big partner little partner program through the community center.
Was any emphasis was put on preserving your history? What was done to ensure that future generations carried on your tradition?: I am not able to disclose too much information related to this topic but new pledges do have to know the history of the organization and pertinent information before they are inducted, so history is a huge part of the organization and I think will be kept alive for years to come.
Did Greek Life ever get in the way of academics? Is there anything you would have done differently?: Not particularly. I think I just learned how to organize and prioritize my responsibilities. I was constantly busy though.
Have you returned since graduating? How do you feel about the legacy that is being carried on today?: Yes I have returned a few times for a few different events on campus.
Would you encourage others to get involved in Greek Life? What is your perspective on the process now that you are a few years removed from it?: I would say that you always need to utilize your contacts that you meet along the way and network with people because networking is what is going to get you to the places you want to go.
You were involved with founding a chapter of the sorority Zeta Chi Phi. What was this experience like?: It was very stressful and draining. We experienced a lot of opposition from the administration and from other greek organizations on campus, but we persevered and Im really glad it’s a permanent organization on the gac campus.
How did you become involved in the establishment? What were some of the obstacles you faced throughout this process?: It was my idea to start a multicultural sorority on the gac campus. I proposed the idea to a few friends who were also students at the time and to the director of multicultural programs at the time (Raj Nadarajan) who was very supportive throughout the whole process.; We experienced a lot of opposition from the administration and from other greek organizations on campus.
Did you have a vision on what your sorority would become? Has this vision been fulfilled?: I did: that women of color would have an organization that they could comfortably be a part of and in which they could celebrate their different cultures and many accomplishments together.; I think Zeta Chi Phi is still fulfilling this vision as the years go by.

Interviews