Comprehensive Study Notes: Emeralds & HLA Collaboration Meeting

Meeting Overview & Introductions

  • Attendee Introductions & Key Background Details:

    • Karen: Sophomore in credits majoring in Sport Management with a minor in Sports Media; serves as one of the social media managers for the organization; plays soccer.
    • Victor: Sophomore studying Electrical Engineering; serves as the Director of Intramurals for HLA (Hispanic Latino Association).
    • Maria: HLA staff adviser; graduated from UA/BB with a degree in History; has a 33\text{-year-old} daughter; discussed historical contexts including the Iran-Palestine/Israel conflict with her spouse who works in tech.\n - **Luisa (Maritza Hernandez):** Senior majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Spanish; birth name was officially recorded as Maritza Hernandez after an uncle switched birth record paperwork with his wife's newborn next door, though her mother intended Luisa; prefers to strictly go by Luisa.\n - **Gabby:** Senior majoring in Public Relations and Advertising with a minor in Communications; serves as the PR Chair for Emeralds; consistently gets French coffin styled nails since middle school.\n - **Amelia:** Senior serving as Treasurer for Kappa Delta Chi; Biology major on the pre-medical track with a minor in Medical Ethics; has been skydiving once.\n - **Dani:** Arrived during group introductions.\n - **Geraldine (Gigi):** Sophomore serving as Secretary for Kappa Delta Chi / Emeralds; Political Science major on the pre-law track with minors in Real Estate and News Media; has a heart-shaped birthmark on her arm.\n - **Caitlin:** Member and sophomore in credits; active track athlete.\n - **Ashley:** Senior majoring in Criminal Justice and Criminology with a minor in Spanish on the pre-law track; holds a motorcycle license.\n - **Vice President (MS at Kappa):** Senior studying Social Work; owns 3 cats.\n - **Leslie Rios:** Senior studying Nursing on the pre-physician assistant / pre-med track with a minor in Spanish; maintains a 50-gallon\text{-gallon} aquarium with 1010 goldfish.
    • Ashley Hernandez: Junior Accounting major with an emphasis/interest in Actuarial Sciences; notably skilled at bingo.
    • Joanna: Transfer student from a community college in Albertville (located approximately 22\text{ hours} away); majoring in Criminal Justice and Criminology with a minor in Political Science.\n - **Ivy:** Junior pre-law student with a double major in Political Science and Italian and a minor in International Relations; attended 8concertswithinthecurrentyearwithconcerts within the current year with3 additional concerts scheduled.\n - **Andrea:** Nursing student with a minor in Spanish; dog owner.\n - **Harley Fernandez Conley:** Staff adviser for the Emeralds.\n - **Flor:** Second staff adviser for the Emeralds with long-standing involvement with HLA.\n\n- **Personal Narratives Shared:**\n - One member relocated and switched primary/secondary schools 5 times throughout childhood (born in New Jersey, moved to Alabama a week after her due date after her father secured a home and job there).\n - **Tori:** Relocated from Puerto Rico to Florida, then moved to Alabama to attend university and joined a sorority.\n\n# Organizational Profiles & Mission Statements\n\n- **Emeralds of Kappa Delta Chi Sorority, Incorporated:**\n - Composed of 17 charter members establishing the chapter at the University of Alabama (UA).\n - Represents the campus's first Latina-founded organization; maintains a multicultural and non-exclusive membership structure (including charter representation from South Africa).\n - Core Mission: Complete support of all members toward degree completion and graduation, paired with extensive community service focused on the Latino community.\n\n- **Hispanic Latino Association (HLA):**\n - One of the largest student-run Hispanic/Latino organizations on campus.\n - Core Mission: Serve as a home-away-from-home and support network for current and incoming students through cultural programming, inclusive socials, and signature Latin nights.\n\n# Community Service & Volunteering Initiatives\n\n- **Kingdom Kitchen (Northport, AL):**\n - Founded by Pastor Kitchen; located approximately 5 minutes\text{ minutes} from campus.
    • Focuses on rehabilitation programs, soup kitchens, disaster relief, and direct support for low-income and minority populations (notably local Hispanic residents in Northport and Tuscaloosa).
    • Proposed Joint Project: Organize a 44\text{-hour} half-day collaborative volunteer shift for Emeralds and HLA members.\n\n- **Jalapeño Franchise Outreach:**\n - Establish community service partnerships with the local owners of the Jalapeño restaurant franchise in Tuscaloosa.\n\n- **Tuscaloosa Latino Coalition:**\n - Emeralds previously produced and donated over 90 individual hygiene packages for distribution.\n - Prior HLA leadership has maintained active community service ties with this coalition.\n\n- **Habitat for Humanity:**\n - HLA's Director of Community Service (Nick) recently led a 4-hour\text{-hour} volunteer block on a Monday; offers ongoing group volunteering opportunities.

  • Targeted Blood Drives:

    • Host campus blood drives targeting specific needed blood types, such as O+O^{+} (O-positive), which carries a high statistical prevalence in Hispanic demographics.

  • Humane Society:

    • Maintain recurring volunteer opportunities with local animal shelters.

  • Birmingham Outreach & Donation Drives:

    • Capitalize on the larger Hispanic population centers and advocacy groups in Birmingham, AL.
    • Organize campus collection drives for care packages and essentials, designating a lead coordinator to transport items directly to Birmingham organizations.

  • Optimizing Drive Participation & Infrastructure:

    • Previous HLA standalone clothing drives ran for 11\text{ week} but suffered low participation despite offering CSL and volunteer points.\n - Successful Drive Model: Partner with major entities including The Source, Center for Service and Leadership (CSL), Student Government Association (SGA), and Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life (OFSL).\n - Run drives as "Spring Cleaning" campaigns over a 2-week\text{-week} period, placing visible collection collection bins directly outside major campus offices throughout the Student Center.

Cultural, Social, & Media Collaboration Ideas

  • Local Business Spotlight & Food Reviews:

    • Pair 11 Emerald member with 11 HLA member every week or two weeks.
    • Visit local Latina-owned restaurants and food vendors, record video reviews using lapel microphones, and co-publish content across social channels to boost local business exposure and cross-organizational bonding.

  • Cultural Fashion Show:

    • Modelled after the African Student Organization (ASO) annual fashion show production.
    • Partner with ASO and the Student Fashion Association (SFA) to design or display traditional Latin American cultural garments, game-day apparel, or custom hand-made pieces.
    • Structure as a major campus fundraiser: Sell admission tickets, coordinate raffle drawings, and seek financial backing.
    • Funding Source: Apply for Financial Affairs Committee (FAC) funding, which offers up to 10001000\text{ USD} in event grants for materials and venue setup.\n - Timeline: Target execution for the Spring semester to allow for proper multi-month event planning and chartering alignment.\n\n- **Historical Time Capsule:**\n - Assemble a joint time capsule capturing the chartering year of Kappa Delta Chi and collaborative milestones with HLA.\n - Invite co-sponsorship from partner groups like the Queer Student Association (QSA) and Greek organizations.\n - Schedule the opening for future alumni gatherings.\n\n- **Holiday Nostalgia / Culinary Showcase:**\n - Revive the seasonal collaborative event previously hosted with the Latino Faculty and Staff Association (LFSA).\n - Students, faculty, and staff bring cultural dishes representative of their home holiday traditions prior to final exams.\n\n# Alumni Engagement, Campus Events, & Tailgates\n\n- **Latino Alumni Network:**\n - Model alumni engagement after the Black Student Union (BSU) Black Alumni Weekend and D9 tailgate setups during major home games (e.g., Georgia game weekend).\n - Re-establish momentum for a dedicated Hispanic/Latino Alumni Society in coordination with contacts like Marcella Martinez.\n - Collaborate with identity-based academic student groups, such as the Hispanic engineering student association (SHPE).\n\n- **Joint Quad Tailgates & Faculty Mixers:**\n - Host joint Emerald/HLA tailgates on the Quad during home football games, funding catered food (e.g., homemade rice dishes) to maximize member attendance.\n - Coordinate structured networking mixers at tailgates inviting key Latino faculty and staff members (e.g., Dr. Jair Licona-Trovato / Dr. Jair Los Santos).\n - Note on Scheduling: Emeralds cannot participate in Parents' Weekend tailgates due to mandatory National officer attendance for formal pinning ceremonies.\n\n- **Approved Campus Vendors:**\n - Belman Manados food truck completed a 7-month\text{-month} approval process to become an officially approved campus vendor, available for booking at campus tailgates and events such as One Walk.

  • La Rosa Cultural Event:

    • Date: Scheduled for October 15th (or October 16th).
    • Coordinated by HLA Collaboration Chair (Sanoma).
    • Features organization tabling, live performances (e.g., Folklórico/Palo dancers, Mariachi bands), and cultural displays.

Greek Life Connections, Recruitment, & Future Planning

  • Greek Council Ties:

    • Emeralds operate under the United Greek Council (UGC).
    • Alpha Phi Omega (APO): A co-ed service fraternity under UGC (including members Luisa and Ashley) that recently inducted 7070 new members; available for joint community service initiatives.

  • Recruitment Presentations & Pipeline:

    • Following formal charter completion by the end of the semester, Emerald officers (President and Vice President) will present recruitment requirements at HLA General Body Meetings.
    • Fall timing strategy: Present in October or at HLA's final Fall meeting (first Wednesday of November) so prospective members can align their GPA, service hours, and resumes ahead of Spring intake.
    • Spring Joint Social: Host a joint HLA/Emeralds social event that double-counts as a mandatory recruitment credit point for prospective sorority applicants.