Alpha Beta Gamma
Northeastern University
The Alpha Beta Gamma Chapter of the National Collegiate Hispanic Society, Sigma Delta Pi, was founded at Northeastern University in April 2019 by Professors Christina Agostinelli-Fuccile and Boris Yelin. Since then, we have grown remarkably, having inducted more than 350 students in nearly seven years of existence. This growth has been accompanied by constant recognition from the National Office: named Honor Chapter for outstanding activities in academic years 2020–21 and again in 2021–22, in addition to the Frida Kahlo Award, granted in February 2021 for the design of the chapter’s website.
Our typical year begins with the semester’s opening meeting, which serves to reconnect with Sigma Delta Pi friends, catch up through games and conversation, introduce the new executive board, and plan how to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Boston. Shortly after, we organize a Paint and Sip event dedicated to Hispanic artists and their characteristic styles, where students can relax, create art, and enjoy a non-alcoholic drink among friends. We continue with a fall- or spring-themed conversation hour, depending on the semester, and open to all levels and to non-members, where churros are shared and students themselves help build the session’s vocabulary.
Dia de los Muertos Celebration, October 29th
Undoubtedly, the most anticipated fall event is our big Day of the Dead celebration, preceded by a preparatory meeting in which members make papel picado and decorate skulls, extending the invitation to all students in the Spanish program. The main celebration brings together dozens of students to paint masks, taste tamales, decorate sugar skulls, and reflect together on the origins of this tradition, the ways it is celebrated, and the personal experiences of our own members with the holiday.
The festive spirit continues with a beginner’s bachata class taught by Benjamin, the executive board’s treasurer, who guides students through the basic steps while they make new friends. Later on, we hold a Hispanic potluck in which members share dishes representative of different regions of the Spanish-speaking world, blending Thanksgiving traditions with the richness of Hispanic cuisine.
Fall Volunteer Meeting, December 2nd
Spring Volunteer Meeting, March 17th
Community engagement also plays a leading role in our typical year. In December, Sigma Delta Pi members and other interested students gather to write cards in Spanish for La Alianza Hispana, a partner organization that supports Boston’s Hispanic and Latino community. In March, we resume this collaboration by preparing food kits that La Alianza Hispana later distributes to those most in need.
Game Night
Spring brings a variety of cultural and recreational activities. After the induction ceremony, we hold a game night with board and card games in Spanish, ideal for welcoming new members. This is often followed by a trivia night on Hispanic culture, history, and entertainment, played in teams over three rounds. Last spring, for example, the chapter also sponsored the Spanish program’s Cha-cha-chá workshop, taught by beloved professors Yelin and Canavan, and we organized a movie night featuring the film Yuli, which tells the story of a young Cuban man who became the first dancer of African descent at London’s Royal Ballet.
Student Research Series, March 19th and April 9th
Our chapter enthusiastically celebrates its members’ academic work, showing its support during the Spanish Program’s Student Research Series, in which four students presented research in linguistics, artificial intelligence, and gender studies. We also sponsor the Spanish program’s tapas contest, judged by a panel of professors, and organize a trip to the Taza chocolate factory in Somerville, where members learn about the traditional Mexican process of stone-grinding cacao, the factory’s fair-trade practices, and, of course, sample its products.
The year usually concludes with a dance night: last spring, for example, we organized an outing to Havana Nightclub in Cambridge, where members learned the fundamentals of bachata and enjoyed a social evening. Together, these activities reflect the vigor, creativity, and commitment of Alpha Beta Gamma to spread the Hispanic language and cultures both within and beyond Northeastern University, and they promise another year of growth and achievement for our chapter.