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El Iluminador – Summer 2006
 Hello and Welcome to the Summer 2006 edition of El Iluminador!
How long does it take to publish a publication like ours? Some times longer than we would like. The last
issue of El Iluminador was published a year ago. The “why” boils down to resources — both of the intellectual
and the financial kind. Moving forward our goal continues to be to have this publication available to the
brotherhood on a quarterly basis. The current International Board of Directors has made this also part of their
commitment to the brotherhood, and it is my conviction that the next IBOD will also see the value on having
this publication available to our brothers. As Editor-in-Chief I commit to continue working on making this
publication happen on a regular basis with content that is engaging and relevant, and which keeps to the purpose
of El Iluminador — a publication about our Brothers created by Brothers. My goal is to bring this publication to
Sigma Lambda Beta at no cost and eventually at a profit. We are currently fully-funded by our organization but
as we maintain a more consistent schedule and solidify our distribution we will seek out advertisers.

Now to this issue,

Happy 20th Anniversary Sigma Lambda Beta!
This issue contains most of our usual sections plus also, in time for convention, a look and the thoughts
and feelings of most of our 2006-2008 IBOD candidates. We continue to highlight the accomplishments of our
Chapters, Colonies, Alumni Associations and our individual Brothers, we spotlight the talent of our Brothers,
and we pay our respects to those members of our family who have gone before us.

Please enjoy the contributions from our fellow brothers and keep on submitting!

The Staff and Editorial Board of El Iluminador.

Brother César R. Barradas Brother Juan Gutierrez

Editor-in-Chief Editorial Board

Brother Gerry Olmedo Brother Eric Simeon

Editor- Electronic Version
Brother Diego Back
Correspondent
Brother Elvis Garcia
Correspondent
Summer 2006 Editorial Board
El Iluminador is the official internal
publication of Sigma Lambda Beta
International Fraternity Inc. designed to Brother Fernando Tirado
keep its brothers informed about issues Staff Consultant
that affect our organization and our
communities, and to share the views,
interests, stories, accomplishments,
Mr. Andrew Reynolds
challenges, and hopes of the brothers of
Sigma Lambda Beta with the brotherhood Editorial Consultant
of Sigma Lambda Beta. It is a publication
about our Brothers created by Brothers.
No part of this paper may be reproduced
in any means for purposes other than
fraternity business without the prior
written consent of the Editor.

Contributors:
Brother Maximo Z. Anguiano II, Brother Carlos C. Arreola, Brother David Ayento, Brother Ian Bautista,
Brother Alejandro Builes, Brother Delane Cleveland, Brother Benjamin Feller, Brother José Guardiola, Brother
Juan Gutierrez, Brother Salvador Hernández, Brother William D. Marquez, Brother Roger Montalvan, Brother
Daniel Navarro, Brother Pool Paucar, Brother Guillermo Puente, Brother Roberto A.Torres, Brother Manuel
Trejo, Brother Juan Valdez.
Contact us:
editor@eliluminador.com - feedback@eliluminador.com - submissions@eliluminador.com

2 El Iluminador – Summer 2006

Fellow Brothers:

My name is Guillermo “Veterano” Puente and I am a

proud Brother of the recently established University of
Alabama Colony of Sigma Lambda Beta. Our journey in
bringing the brotherhood to the “Heart of Dixie” was a long and
costly process. Nevertheless, the fruit of our labor has already
shown its profitable result. Alabama is a state that is very
traditional and conservative, which means that Betas overall
could be seen as a new threat to “good ole’ southern ways”.
Before Sigma Lambda Beta came into our campus, no other
organization showed any type of diversity. The year 1986 is
already remembered well here at UA, a burning cross was lit in
front of the AKA house when they moved to Sorority Row. In-
state students are brought up in either black tolerant schools or
white tolerant schools. When an AP reporter asked a mainstream Greek student what kind of diversity he had in
his fraternity (referring to any minorities), he responded, “Of course we have diversity, we have a brother from
northern Florida (avoiding the question sarcastically)”. Not very long ago the first black female rushed a
mainstream sorority. She made it through rush but not without controversy.

Our Bama Brothers did not just choose to join the expansion efforts because of all the advantages this
fraternity has to offer, but also to bring a “Purple & White Remedy” of diversity to our school. We were given
that chance April 9th, 2006 in Orlando when the Founding Ship of the UA Colony crossed into the Eternal Beta
Brotherhood. For that we show deep appreciation, especially to:
-Brothers of the Southeast District, who were all represented well at the time of our crossing and establishment.
-Brothers of the Rho Alpha Chapter at Florida State University and Delta Gamma Chapter at Florida A&M
University, who drove hours and worked their hardest for our expansion to become a reality.
-Brother & International President Ammar “Corazon” Mufleh who entrusted us with his “Burden of
Brotherhood and Hard Work” that spring morning in Tampa.
-Brother & SE District REC Officer Gil-Cancel “Balance” Comas, who shared his wisdom and showed us the
true meaning of Brotherhood by giving 186% towards the establishment of our Colony.
-Brother & ME of our Founding Line Rafael “Matador” Hernandez, who gave up an entire semester of his
college career, only to move six hours away from home to a state he had never been in before. All his sacrifices,
just so that we would be well educated to face the obstacles that occur when forming a new entity in such a
traditional university. And last but not least….
-The Brothers of the Most Honorable Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Inc., who did not hesitate to
commend us for our accomplishment and gave us the chance to carry our hard earned letters in this new Beta
territory.

The South has always been a frontier for many nationally recognized organizations, and Sigma Lambda
Beta has just breached it. Our UA Colony is not just working to survive, but to thrive and make a difference in
this region. We hope in the future we will influence the expansion efforts of other southern colonies, so that we
can further spread the same Opportunity that we received. Until then, we hope you see our UA Colony as an
asset to our Fraternity and better serve the needs and wants of our people.

Among Colleagues and Brothers,

Brother Guillermo “Veterano” Puente
University of Alabama Colony

El Iluminador – Summer 2006 3

Each one of our brothers has an interesting and important story, which is part of the History of Sigma Lambda Beta.
Whether it is as a collective or as an individual, we honor and celebrate these stories because they are about us, about our
brothers, and thus about our brotherhood. In this issue of El Iluminador we decided to go out and ask those who aspire to be
our national leadership what it means for them for our organization to be turning twenty years old, and where they see our
family going to in the future. All of the candidates where given an opportunity to contribute to this section. With the hope to
provide a glimpse into the hopes, aspirations, and points of view of the future national leaders of Sigma Lambda Beta, we
humbly present to you:

Our Brotherhood
By Brother Founding Father Juan Valdez, MD.

April 4, 2006, marked Sigma Lambda Beta's 20th anniversary. It certainly has been a privilege to be a
Founding Father of the fraternity and an honor to have served it in many capacities. However, most impressive
of all is witnessing how, over the years, it has become the premier Latino fraternity in the nation.

It does not seem like twenty years have gone by since a group of young men eager to start a new
organization/fraternity at the University of Iowa came together with an idea that has subsequently positively
impacted our lives. It is a tribute not only to our ideals of Brotherhood, Scholarship, Cultural Awareness, and
Community Service but also to the values and principles of our creed that the Fraternity has multiplied and
flourished in all four corners of the nation. Our esteemed Fraternity was started by 18 men with a dream, and it
now has become a reality, touching hundreds of individuals of all colors and races.

I am deeply proud of the progress that Sigma Lambda Beta has made over the last two decades. I
am also impressed with the quality of the Brothers and Brotherhood we share. We have prepared and produced
present and future leaders of our respective communities, and I trust we will continue to do the same. However,
despite all the accomplishments of the Fraternity, there is always room for improvement. If we are to maintain
our status as the premier Latino fraternity of the nation, we must continue to expand and recruit quality Brothers
and educate them properly while, at the same time, maintain a high level of alumni support and representation.
It is also imperative that we are sound financially. Further, we must also realize our potential political and
economical strength to bring about further change in our communities. But, above all, we must not forget why
we joined the fraternity in the first place, our Brotherhood.

I hope Sigma Lambda Beta continues to flourish so that we may be able to celebrate another 20 years of
its existence.

Many, Many More

By Brother Roberto Antonio “Curioso” Torres

I have been part of this honorable brotherhood of
men for almost eight years. The growth and
wisdom that we have acquired in my time of being
working close to my Chapter, District and Nation
makes me proud. I have grown and will continue to
grow as the time passes.
As we reflect in this first twenty years, let’s
not forget where we came from, why we are here.
Let’s not forget the important questions and the
answers we have found since the day we became
interested in this Fraternity.
I do hope and pray that in the future we can
understand where we are going and have a detailed
plan on achieving those goals. I want to wish
everybody a happy twentieth anniversary and let’s
have many, many more.

4 El Iluminador – Summer 2006

20 years…
By Brother Alejandro "Tybara-Chie" Builes — Omicron Alpha Chapter, Penn State University.

20 years of history, 20
years of memories, and one
more year until SLB can legally
drink, at least with our letters
off .
In all seriousness, Sigma
Lambda Beta has been a part of
my daily existence for a large
portion of my adult life. For the
last nine years, it has brought
me life-long experiences and
friendships as well as personal
and professional growth.
Though I was born in Medellin
Colombia, I grew up almost all
my life in New York. I can still
remember ten years ago, I had
just completed my first full year
at Penn State University. I
think it's safe to say that life in
State College Pennsylvania is
quite different than NY. Being
away from your family, your
community, the culture you
were brought up in, takes many
college students by surprise.
The culture/shell shock is
unfortunately enough to drive
certain folks out of college.
When people ask me
what SLB means to me, I
always respond "family". This
brotherhood has introduced me
to some of my closest friends
I've ever had. Brothers who
helped me get through some
very difficult times as an
undergrad, and brothers who
continue to help me grow
professionally as an alumnus.
Many of my fraternal brothers
who come to my house are
treated by my parents like they
were part of the family as well.
My mom always jokes that I
have "more brothers than she
can feed for dinner".
In a world that continues
to push for worker productivity
and long work hours, our social
and family lives tend to fall
victims to "re-prioritization".
We put more time and energy
into our careers and sometimes
let our other responsibilities fall
to the wayside. As our brothers
graduate and move on to
challenging and prosperous
careers, we must make sure to
not forget our "family", both
blood and fraternal. Someone
before us worked very hard to
ensure we went to college,
earned our degrees and the
opportunity to advance. Their
efforts allowed us to prosper
and we must not forget to pay
back our debt. "Opportunity for
Wisdom, Wisdom for Culture",
that's why I joined SLB.
What will the next 20
years bring to SLB? I hope it
brings a constant interaction
between mature Alumni and our
younger Brothers. I hope that
we build on our sense of
"familia" and ensure that we as
Alumni mentor the Brothers
that will come after us. It's our
responsibility to ensure the
success of our younger
generations, just like those that
came before us helped clear the
way for us.
As your VP of Alumni, I
will continue to do everything
in my power to ensure the
structure is set for Alumni
Associations and individual
Alumni to pool their talents,
resources and good will towards
the betterment of our fraternity.
One step at a time, one brick at
a time. We will continue to lay
the road for brothers to
capitalize on their potential and
support each other every step of
the way. This is my
E.T.E.R.N.A.L . promise to all
of my brothers.

Por Vida
By Brother Salvador “Chato” Hernández — Phi Alpha Chapter, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

I have been a Brother of this honorable
fraternity for a little over three years now, and these
past three years have been the best years of my life.
I was first introduced to Sigma Lambda Beta five
years ago, as a junior in high school and at that
time, the Delta Beta chapter (University of
Nebraska at Omaha) was brand new. These
brothers were everywhere in the community. It
wasn’t just one or two brothers, it was the whole
chapter. I remember these men reaching out to high
school students, and inspiring them to get a higher
education. There was one brother in particular, who
I saw as a mentor, Brother Edgar “Suave” DeLeon.
He inspired me to be a better student, leader, and
person. Even though, he may not realize it, but he
played a tremendous role in my life. It was because

El Iluminador – Summer 2006 5

of these brothers, I knew that one day I would wear little, when compared to possibility of what we can
the exact same letters, and do the exact same things accomplish in the future. As we continue to grow
these men were doing for our people and the and expand, the possibilities and opportunities will
community. also grow.

To think, that this happened five years ago
and now I am a senior who will be graduating from
college in May of 2007. As a fraternity, we have
been around for 20 years, growing into the
strongest, largest, and most diverse Latino based
fraternity. It is an exciting time to be a brother
because we are so young, and the opportunities to
help continue the structuring of SLB are there. I
feel that we have accomplished a lot at such a
young age, but at the same time, I feel that it is
I am excited for the future of Sigma Lambda
Beta, as we continue to structure and mold Sigma
Lambda Beta into the premier fraternity. It will
take time, but I believe in another 20 years from
now, Sigma Lambda Beta will be at the top, setting
the standards for other Greeks. I wish a happy 20th
Anniversary to all the Brothers across the Purple
and White nation!
Por Vida!

Productivity, Prosperity, and Eminence

By Brother Maximo Z. Anguiano II — Grand Valley State University

To be a part of Sigma
Lambda Beta International
Fraternity Inc. is such a
blessing. It’s hard to put into
words the exact feeling of being
a Brother, as it is easier to just
experience rather than explain.
It’s an honor and privilege to be
recognized along with this
illustrious Brotherhood.
On our 20th anniversary,
I feel so lucky to help carry on
the legacy that our founders
nationwide began. Our
respected organization has
covered so much ground in such
a short period of time and
accomplished what has taken
other organizations far longer.
In twenty short years
we’ve grown tremendously,
literally chartering from coast to
coast, developed strong alumni
associations in every major
region in the country, and
investing in our financial future.
Brothers nationwide
should be mindful of all this,
because imagine what we will
collectively be able to achieve
in the next twenty years. Even
more intriguing, Brothers young
and old will have the
opportunity to take an active
role in giving back to the
organization. This can be done
from the local stage to the
national level, in areas such as
chapter advising, financial
donations, running for a
position on the IBOD, or by
becoming a part of an alumni
association.
Every Brother
everywhere helps make a
difference inside and out of this
organization. Over the past
twenty years, this Fraternity has
helped mold leaders and
winners into positions that make
an impact on society. Most
notably, we collectively have
made our world a better place to
live for all men of color.
The future looks very
bright for our Brotherhood. We
have to give thanks and pay
tribute to those Brothers who
have given their all to make our
organization what it is today.
Without them, we would not be
in the position of greatness that
our Fraternity is in. We are in a
great position to do even better
things for the forthcoming
years.
Our first twenty years
could not have gone better.
Here’s to the future and many
more years of productivity,
prosperity, and eminence.

6 El Iluminador – Summer 2006

My (Sigma Lambda Beta) Story
By Brother Benjamin “Contable” Feller
Author’s Note: For those Brothers that had the opportunity to attend Convention 2002 in Washington D.C., a
portion of the title may sound familiar. For those who were not in attendance, Brother Mary Peterson
challenged each brother present to write “My Story.” So, I share with you My (Sigma Lambda Beta) Story, a
portion of “My Story.” I’ve long sought an avenue to share this and I thank El Iluminador and Brother César
“Fantasma” Barradas for the opportunity.

Having grown up in a undoubtedly would not teach After entering college in

high school community with
900 students, and being the only
minority in the population, I
never envisioned myself as
a brother of our beloved
fraternity or any fraternity
for that matter. After all,
minority student affairs
were foreign and
completely non-existent in my
life up until the time I entered
college at the University of
Nebraska Lincoln in 1997. I’ve
always known my identity as a
Mexican-American citizen
growing up through the years.
My Grandparents always made
sure we were proud of that fact.
Yet, in attempt to assimilate my
family into mainstream
America in the 1950’s and
1960’s during times of civil
injustice, my family (aunts and
uncle) lost many of the Mexican
customs and traditions. It was
simply my Grandfather’s way
of making sure his family “fit
in” and did not face any more
obstacles than the brown skin
presented.
It is tough to reflect on
that fact, but the lessons I
learned from many years of
stories about the packing houses
in Omaha, NE would eventually
intrigue my mind. I knew I had
to find a way to learn about
those customs and traditions
that had long been lost.
Traditional education teachings
in the area I grew up
me that, and that is where “My
(Sigma Lambda Beta) Story”
begins.
“I could never pinpoint the uneasiness, several different minority
but I always felt misunderstood.
different genres of music than most of
my high school friends…”
Most people would not
think that Latinos and Omaha,
NE belong in the same
sentence. However, what started
as a small group of families
migrating to the area to work at
the area packing plants in the
mid 1900’s has spawned into
one of the largest and fastest
growing Latino communities in
the country today. Even as I
reflect on my own childhood,
the face of the south side of
Omaha has completely changed.
What started as a few small
Latino owned businesses and
one Latino dominated Catholic
Church (Our Lady of
Guadalupe) has turned into
hundreds of Latino owned
businesses and churches from
every denomination. It has truly
been phenomenal to watch the
transformation of the place I Beta helped me find men who
will forever call home. The
once English named storefronts
have now been transformed into
panaderías, palaterías,
carnicerías and the like. This
transformation has definitely
played a huge part in my
development as a leader.
the fall of 1997, I received
several letters at my on campus
residence informing me of
student events that
I liked transpired every year. Not
knowing the doors these
events would eventually
open in my life, I chose to
ignore them completely. After
all, I had made a successful
high school career of not
dealing with anything minority-
related. However, during my
second year of college, I chose
to expand my horizons.
Although my high school years
proved to be successful, I never
quite felt 100% comfortable in
that setting. I could never
pinpoint the uneasiness, but I
always felt misunderstood. I
liked different genres of music
than most of my high school
friends, I loved what I perceived
as my Mexican culture (even
though I would find out later I
did not know much about it),
and my family always came
first. I never pursued an outlet
to communicate those
differences, but Sigma Lambda
had those same interests and
also taught me ways to
communicate the differences we
shared amongst various
cultures.
(Continues on page 9)

El Iluminador – Summer 2006 7

Eleven Brothers Illuminate the Road to Opportunity
By Brother Ian Bautista
The Sigma Lambda
Beta Educational Foundation
has gone public with its self-
sustaining scholarship fund
campaign. The scholarship
fund, known as the
“Opportunity for Wisdom
Fund,” will provide an on-
going source of undergraduate
scholarships for our brothers
who display a commitment to
their academic duties.
Founding Father
Brother Ricardo Zamudio and Chairman of the
Sigma Lambda Beta Educational Foundation
pointed out that, “The campaign is a symbolic and
practical first step towards financial independence
and academic success for the Educational
Foundation and for our undergraduate brothers.
Even though the Fraternity itself is an important
legacy for our brothers, Opportunity for Wisdom
will generate scholarships for undergraduate
students, our brothers, for many years to come,”
remarked Zamudio.
Already, $11,000 in commitments have been
secured towards the goal of at least $18,000 that
will be required to support two scholarships funded
annually from the interest earnings of the fund.
“Opportunity for Wisdom” founders, who
will be specially recognized at the 2006 Sigma
Lambda Beta Convention in Henderson, Nevada,
Opportunity for Wisdom Fund kicks off!!
8 El Iluminador – Summer 2006
lead the way towards
creating a path to success
for Sigma Lambda Beta
men for many years to
come.
The initial eleven
founders of the fund are
brothers: Rudy Calderón,
Benjamin Feller,
Guillermo Macalpín,
Cirilo Martínez, Ammar
Mufleh, Mary Peterson,
Esau Schwarz, Anthony
Ybarra, Ricardo Zamudio, Joel Rhea, and Joel
Arias, pending approval of a fundraising effort
Brother Sam Centellas might also be added to the
founders list. If more than $18,000 is raised, the
Foundation will award more scholarships in the
future. All brothers contributing to “Opportunity
for Wisdom” prior to July 1, 2006 will be
considered Founders of the fund.
Brothers contributing to “Opportunity for
Wisdom,” will be eligible to deduct their gift of
$1,000 or more from their Federal income tax
obligation. Those wishing to join in the ‘founding
class’ of donors to “Opportunity for Wisdom,” may
contact Bro. Ian Bautista, Board of Trustees
member of the Educational Foundation (phone
(414) 359-1040 x 3620 or ian@ecuanimidad.com),
or any representative of the Educational Foundation
for more information. See the Foundation’s website
at: www.slbfoundation.com for more details.
My (Sigma Lambda Beta) Story
(Continued from page7)
After deciding to attend a career
development program catered towards minority
students during the later part of the fall semester
(November 1998) of my sophomore year, I realized
there were issues out there that affected me that I
had been blind to for many years. At this particular
program, I met Brother Stephen “Ojos” Reyes, who
would turn out to be my dean of pledges, or DOP,
as we called it then. We talked briefly and he
quickly informed me about a group of
“brown students,” as he called
it, that met once a week to “All of those differences I shared
discuss issues going on with my high school friends
throughout the campus. I would instantly turned to common ground meetings, community
eventually decide to join this
group, called MASA, Mexican
w ith the members
American Student Association, at the beginning of
the spring semester of 1999. It was a definite relief
to see faces similar to mine walking the same
college path I was walking. After attending a few
meetings and meeting several of the members, I was
informed of a new fraternity that had formed in the
previous semester, and was approached by a few of
the members to attend an informational meeting for
potential members. Brother Reyes happened to be
one of those members. Having met him only a few
months previous, I figured the informational session
was worth attending.
Before attending the informational session,
it was apparent that the new fraternity had a strong
presence. After completing some independent
research about Greek life in general and being
approached by Brother Joseph “Sabio” Phillips
about the possibilities the fraternity presented, I
decided that this organization was for me. I had
loosely explored Greek life as an incoming
freshman, but decided that Greek life was not an
interest of mine. However, this Greek organization
was something different, and the established
members made me feel welcome. All of those
differences I shared with my high school friends
instantly turned to common ground with the
members of the fraternity.
On February 25, 1999, I began my journey
with four other men. Although one of them would
not make it all the way through, the bond created
between myself and the men I would initiate with,
was and still is unforgettable. I learned more about
myself during the education process than I had
learned up until that point in my life. Those issues
that I was ignorant to quickly caught up to me. With
a line brother that lost his father to violence in the
Russian/Afghanistan conflict, a line brother who
repeatedly crossed the border from Mexico in
search of opportunity, and a third line brother who
faced many of the same struggles as me growing up
in a split family household, it became apparent that
we all could rally around these struggles. These
three men shaped my membership from the very
beginning, and are why I continue to be an active
brother today.
Fast forward past
many events, road trips,
services, and overall
of the fraternity.” growth in the brotherhood,
and my line brothers and I just celebrated our
seventh year of being members of the brotherhood.
I’m not quite sure how seven years go by so
quickly, but it has been the seven best years of my
life. Although my line brothers and I are all spread
out across the world now, not a day passes without
me thinking about them. They continue to make me
proud through all of their accomplishments.
I always knew from the very early stages of
membership that I wanted to remain involved with
the brotherhood for as long as my schedule would
allow. Through the years, I have had the
opportunity to serve at various levels and have
enjoyed every bit of the experience. Seeing the
impact that Brothers have had on the organization, I
have always admired the efforts of those Brothers
who continually choose to give back with their time
and talent. I have always strived to be one of those
Brothers. Much as I never envisioned myself being
a part of the Brotherhood, I never envisioned myself
being in a position to assume a leadership position
at one of the highest levels at this stage of my
membership. I’ve learned that hard work and
persistence will lead to great results. With the
cooperation of the entire organization, we can soar
to heights never seen before. Fortunately, I have
been able to build an area of professional
knowledge, which is a direct result of my
educational endeavors. I hope to be able to use that
knowledge to enhance the incredible base that has
already been formed.
(Continues on page 15)
9
El Iluminador – Summer 2006
10 El Iluminador – Summer 2006
Epsilon Gamma Chapter at Prairie View A&M University.
By Brother Manuel “Patron” Trejo

As we move forward into the new era in time of Brotherhood Sigma Lambda Beta, Epsilon Gamma
Chapter at Prairie View A&M University, thanks all Brethren for their support and assistance on achieving
chapter status.
We, the PVBETAS, express our thanks and gratitude to all surrounding chapters and colonies of the
Dirty South, for your support!!! The Dirty South has been representing here at PV since the fall/winter of
1991, “Texas Bound Baby” PVAMU. Our two PV founders, #1 Daniel “Rude” Alcantar and #2 Jose “Mellow”
Luna, enlightened this Historically Black University with a new Latino based fraternal swing.
In the early 90’s you can recall SLB as a Paul Revere type story, meaning if you wanted to start a colony
outside of Iowa, you had to send letters, via postal mail, up state to the SLB National Headquarters. There was
no e-mail! Our two Prairie View founders story was quite a tall tale that shows the intestinal fortitude of what
our fraternity is all about.
The two PVAMU founders were inspired by Sigma Lambda Beta’s accomplishments and felt a need to
bring this to Prairie View A&M University’s historical black campus. It took a lot of hard work and dedication,
the two founders of our colony, the “Dos Lobos” line, flew up north to the lovely city of Chicago in the state of
Illinois to meet and show how bad they wanted to be a part of SLB. They were rushed into the fraternity and
inducted by some of the national eighteen founding fathers and the SLB members of UIC. They brought this
back down to the Prairie lands of Texas on the outskirts of Houston.
You may be wondering how a Latino based fraternity survived at a Historically Black College and
University (HBCU)? The truth is it was not easy, and we almost didn’t. The “Dos Lobos” rushed many lines,
but the way things go down here if you are not apart of the Divine Nine it is very hard to be recognized as a
Greek organization. It took until the Zeta Line for Prairie View to resurrect. In the spring of 2005 SLB
returned to PVAMU. From there we were able to achieve colony status in less than a semester and chapter
status in less than a year. Brother Jacob "Papi" Rodriguez and Member Educators, Ricardo Valdez and AME
Liborio Betancourt, helped revive PV.
We thank the brothers that came before us not only in our region but in the nation, and we give special
recognition to the brothers who helped the colony at PVAMU gain chapter status as the Epsilon Gamma
Chapter of Sigma Lambda Beta.: Magdaleno Orozco, Manuel Trejo, Jorge Martinez, Jesus Del Valle, Juan Pirir,
David Grimaldo, Armando Guiterrez, Isais Palacios, Jaime Juarez, Juan Carlos Ramirez, Gerardo Torres, and
last but not least Aaron Funk.

11
El Iluminador – Summer 2006
The Southwest District of Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, Inc.
By Brother Diego “Chapin” Back, Southwest District Governor

As many brothers know the Southwest
District is the largest District in the nation. It
encompasses five states, which include: California,
Idaho, Washington, Arizona, and Colorado. With
19 entities and 4 alumni associations within the
Southwest, each school, as well as each alumni
association in each state goes beyond the call. From
helping their communities and putting Sigma
Lambda Beta at its highest, to scholarship, to
cultural awareness events; each school makes
Sigma Lambda Beta at their respective regions the
powerhouse of the Greek community. In the pages
that follow, you will find an update of what each
school and chapter in the Southwest has
accomplished and wishes to accomplish within this
2005-2006 Academic year. The Southwest District
is one of the premiere District’s in the nation and
shall continue the trend of excellence within the
Greek Community.
CONGRESSI SUPERAMUS, DIVISI CADIMUS

State of Colorado:

Auraria Campus Colony — is the newest entity to the Colorado region. This group of six dedicated brothers
is diligently working towards establishing the fourth chapter in Colorado. Located in the downtown Denver
area, Auraria Campus, is a prime location to establish the brotherhood in the state of Colorado. Their
accomplishments include the development of a Latino council and bringing many high caliber speakers to their
campus. Currently, Auraria Campus is spearheading the Latino graduation for their campus and the new Latino
student Orientation. Auraria Campus is seen as a critical entity to the state of Colorado. By developing and
sustaining a strong chapter the brothers of Colorado can use the Auraria Campus as a spring board to further the
growth of Sigma Lambda Beta in the state of Colorado and throughout the region.

Iota Chapter-Colorado State University — has long been an established and solid chapter of Sigma Lambda
Beta. In its 16th year of existence, the brothers of Colorado State continue to work closely with the campus and
city of Fort Collins community. The Iota chapter has established many annual events which include the
Hispanic Latino Leadership Institute (HLLI), Hispanic Heritage Month, and Cinco de Mayo. Currently, the Iota
chapter is planning its 4th Annual Los Manos Youth Leadership Conference, a College Culture Workshop, and a
Diversity Leadership Training in conjunction with the Poudre School District.

Lambda Chapter-University of Colorado Boulder — also displays a strong presence within its campus and
community. The brothers of the Lambda Chapter have continued to develop many quality programs despite
having only approximately half of their brothers active due to study abroad and recently graduated brothers.
Currently, the brothers of CU-Boulder are planning a Women of Color Appreciation Dinner where they will
recognize women of their community and their mothers. They are also planning their annual San Juan Easter
Egg Hunt and their participation in the La Raza Youth Conference.

Upsilon Beta-University of Northern Colorado — Over the past few years it has gone from a stagnant colony
on the UNC campus to a powerhouse organization both within their Greek System and within the community.
This is due to the tireless efforts of both new and alumni brothers throughout the state of Colorado. This year
the brothers of Upsilon Beta were awarded the Chapter of Year from NALFO and won the highest fraternity
GPA for the third straight semester. Currently, the chapter is putting its focus on its 3rd Annual Latino Youth
Leadership Conference, in which they host well over 300 children from the Greeley community.

12 El Iluminador – Summer 2006

 State of Washington:
Phi Beta Chapter-University of Washington — Phi Beta Chapter will be putting on the 3rd Annual Comedy
Jam, which is a cultural event. This event is basically to just get the SLB letters out there. Nothing is gained but
recognition with this event. The last couple years have been directed towards Latin comedians. This year is
more diverse where an Asian comedian will be performing along with 2 Latino comedians. Their Philanthropy
is the 3rd Annual Volleyball tournament where all proceeds go the American Diabetes Association. Phi Beta
celebrated its five year anniversary in March.
State of Idaho:
Beta Gamma Chapter-University of Idaho — will be hosting the 1st NW Banquet in Moscow, ID; the start of
something big for the future Northwest District. The brothers will be competing in a step/stroll competition and
host the official after party for the event. In April they will be having their Women's Appreciation Dinner,
which is nominated for Program of the Year at the University of Idaho. Finally, the University of Idaho will
finish the year with their philanthropy, Volleyball Tournament where all proceeds will go to the Inland NW
Blood Center.
State of Arizona:
University of Arizona - Kappa Alpha Chapter — for the Spring Semester of 2006 the Kappa Alpha Chapter
of Sigma Lambda Beta had two major events going on. The first major event was an annual Menudo Breakfast
held at a local church. This event is held in conjunction with Kappa Delta Chi Sorority. This is considered to be
a major Cultural event as well as a community service function. A portion of the proceeds is donated to a
scholarship that is given to an incoming student to the university. This scholarship is given out at their annual
Banquet. The banquet is held every spring semester to recognize a Latino and Latina in the community. This is
a high recognition for the recipients of this award since a lot of people are considered for it.

Arizona State University - Chi Beta Chapter — for the Spring Semester of 2006 the Chi Beta Chapter of
Sigma Lambda Beta had a week long of events to honor its most honorable fraternity. This week is Called Beta
week and considered to be the most important week for the Fraternity. The activities begin on Tuesday with a
community service event, where the brothers sponsor a school to shadow for the day. This is very important
because it gives the young children the importance of going to college and that it is possible to succeed
academically. The next day event is considered to be the most important event, because it honors one of our
brothers in the Omega Chapter, Brother Victor Correa Ortiz. Brother Victor passed away because of a drowning
incident. In his memory the XB Chapter hosts a CPR Awareness workshop in which the people who attend are
trained to properly perform CPR on someone in need. This is special because help from donors and sponsors as
well as the Chi Beta Chapter, anyone who attends this workshop does not have to pay anything to attend.

State of California:
University of California - Santa Cruz — as a young colony, they are producing big events within their six
months of existence in Santa Cruz. A big event for the Spring Semester was the Identity Diversity Talk
sponsored by Sigma Lambda Beta and other clubs on campus. UCSC is closing the gap at this school and
changing the perspective other officials have on Greek Organizations as a whole.

Santa Clara University - Psi Alpha Chapter —they have done various community services and cultural
awareness on campus. One that they did last semester was “Posadas.” This was a great event that involved not
only the community of Santa Clara, but surrounding communities.

13
El Iluminador – Summer 2006
 State of California (continued):
San Jose State University - Lambda Alpha Chapter — last Semester they brought in a notable speaker to
talk to the community of San Jose State about pertinent issues that face college students. In addition, their
community service as well as their involvement with the planning of the 5th Annual Northern California formal
is what keeping them busy.

California State University - Dominguez Hills - Tau Chapter — the First Chapter established in the west
coast in 1992 is still keeping the trend of excellence. A big Cultural Awareness that they do every year is Las
Posadas. This event is highly popular not only for Sigma Lambda Beta, but for the Dominguez Community.
Furthermore, these brothers on that campus have brother nights, community services, and study hours to help
other brothers. They have been on their campus for 14 years and these brothers on that yard are still going
strong with all their programming.

University of California - Irvine - Theta Alpha Chapter — is also a notable campus known for community
services and cultural awareness events on their campus. They feed the homeless, as well as have different
cultural awareness events on campus with different organizations. A big fundraiser that this chapter does is a
TV Taping. They go and watch a favorite sitcom and in return get money for the chapter. This chapter grows
and grows each semester with the addition of new members.

Loyola Marymount University - Beta Beta Chapter — within the last year it has done various community
services and cultural awareness events on and off campus. A big Community Service that this campus has is the
Adopt-A-Highway. They adopted a highway off a freeway in the Los Angeles area and they clean it every
month. They also do an annual step show that teaches the rest of the LMU community the culture of stepping.
In addition, they feed the homeless, have a CPR awareness in April, and a Car-Show in May. This academic
year of 2005-2006, the LMU Chapter is focused on not only winning the Cultural Fraternity of the year, like
they have done in past years, but also on winning Fraternity of the Year on their campus.

Long Beach State University - Kappa Beta Chapter — running the Show on their campus, the Kappa Beta
Chapter is a notable entity at Long Beach State. Their Community Services and Cultural Awareness that they
provide the community of Long Beach, CA is what keeps them apart from the rest of the organizations on
campus.

Occidental Chapter - Omicron Beta Chapter — this young Chapter has made an impact on the campus of
Occidental College. As the first multicultural – Latino based Fraternity on their campus, these group of men
have won in the past three consecutive years the title of Philanthropy Fraternity of the Year. In addition, they
have attained an above 3.0 GPA among all the active brothers.

Cal State University Los Angeles - Pi Beta Chapter — this chapter keeps the Community Service events
going at their campus. A big community Service that they do is the “Reading to Kids.” Every other Saturday,
they go out to a low income area to read to children from four to nine years old. In addition, they have taco sales
on campus and Garfonos nights as fundraisers.

Cal State University - Northridge – Colony — this group of men has various community services with other
organizations on campus. In addition, they team up with other chapters in the Socal region to promote our
principles.

San Diego State University – Colony — is a young colony with high expectations. These men do various
community services with the city of San Diego and have made a strong impact within the San Diego community

14 El Iluminador – Summer 2006

 State of California (continued):
Southern California Region as a whole — a big Community Service is the Los Angeles Marathon. Sigma
Lambda Beta in Southern California comes as a whole to set up, give water, and clean up

Southern California Alumni Association – SCAA — does many events throughout the year to keep the
undergrads and alumni in touch. Some events that the SCAA operate are the fall Semester , Turkey Bowl
Football competition, the spring semester Beta Cup Soccer Tournament, the summer term Beta Hoops
Basketball Competition, and a Co-Ed Softball tournament between the Chapters of Sigma Lambda Beta and
Sigma Lambda Gamma.
SCAA operates regular workshops for the undergrad chapters, from e-board transitions, to financial
operations, to how to run an effective chapter/colony. SCAA brings everything to the table and furnishes the
undergrads the necessary tools to become successful individuals in life.

My (Sigma Lambda Beta) Story

(Continued from page 9)

What will it take to enhance the base? I have
several ideas that I firmly believe can strengthen our
structure. First and foremost, we must position the
Brothers with professional talents in the most
appropriate areas. With the ever-evolving alumni
population, we must retain the talents of our fellow
Brothers after their undergraduate studies have been
completed. There is certainly a positive trend in the
number of active alumni Brothers, and I commend
those that are assuming responsibilities with alumni
activities. Alumni initiatives will continue to be a
crucial element to our success as we build on our
foundation.
Next, we must start to strategize our
operations as owners of this organization. We, as
Brothers, hold the keys to the longevity of this
organization. Without stretching too far into the
business side of the organization, we must take
actions to ensure our operations have a long-term
goal, and are not just fulfilling a short-term need.
When we recruit, when we educate, and when we
complete service activities, we must think of the
impact we have on the fraternity as a whole. We
must start to think about “the big picture” of our
operations. By “big picture,” I mean the impact we
have on the entire Brotherhood when we make
decisions at the local level. Although our numbers
are increasing rapidly, we are not immune to
deficiencies that can weaken our Brotherhood. One
bad decision has the ability to significantly affect
our entire organization. We must take actions to
derail those potential weakening activities by
treating the Brotherhood as if it were our personal
business.
We must start to build a legacy of
partnership throughout the country. We need to start
sharing best practices, benchmarking activities, and
promoting a unified Brotherhood throughout the
country regardless of the area where you were
initiated. We must continue programming activities
that build on our reputation, and serve our
communities simultaneously. The partnership
attitude is contagious when utilized effectively. I
firmly believe that a legacy of partnership within
the Brotherhood will carry us into the future.
Last, we need to find ways to empower our
Brothers. We must do a better job of providing
critical information, the information that fuels our
operations, to our Brothers. Identifying Brothers
that have the technological and organizational skill
sets to help us provide that information is pertinent
to our success moving forward. This will also allow
us to build on the transparency in our operations
that have already been established. As the Sigma
Lambda Beta homage states, “an informed Brother
is a dangerous Brother.” If we want to build a
legacy of partnership and ownership about Sigma
Lambda Beta, we must be treated as such by our
Headquarter operations, our fellow Brothers, and
our colonies, chapters, and alumni associations.
This will enable us all to join hands and continue to
build the foundation for the next generation of
Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Inc.

15
El Iluminador – Summer 2006
 Brother Anselmo “Cara” Bueno R.I.P.
October 15, 1978 – May 3, 2006
By Brother Carlos C. Arreola

It is with great sadness that I write this. On May 3, 2006, Brother Anselmo “Cara” Bueno passed away.
He was a devoted brother, great friend, and will be missed by all who knew him.

For those that did not know him, he became a brother at our Alpha Alpha Chapter at Purdue University
– West Lafayette, IN. He entered our beloved brotherhood on December 15, 1996 as the captain of a line of six
men. At the time of his crossing, the chapter was a small one. Yet, this brother made an immediate impact on
the university and the surrounding community. He held various positions within the chapter throughout his
undergraduate career.

As an alumnus, he returned to his hometown of East Chicago, IN and began his career at Mittal Steel
Company #7 Blast Furnace as an Operations Engineer. Even as an alumnus, he continued his service to the
community, the chapter, and the Indiana Alumni Association.

Anyone who knew him would all agree that he had an infectious personality. Whether he knew you for
five minutes or five years, you felt you had known him for a lifetime. He always tried to make everyone feel
comfortable. For this reason and many more, he had countless friends everywhere he went. We all mourn such
a great loss. He will be forever remembered and missed. We love you and will forever cherish our memories.

16 El Iluminador – Summer 2006

 Brother Daniel Enrique "Cortes" Roman R.I.P.
July 30 1986 – July 23 2005
By Brother Pool "Tiburon" Paucar

Daniel Enrique Roman was born July 30, 1986. He resided in Kissimmee, Florida where he attended all
up to high school there, graduating with Honors. He became involved in the band, playing the bass guitar. He
was always a humble, generous, and loving young man. He was always loved by many, from children to
teachers; he had that caring & welcoming presence.

As reality checked in, graduation had passed and it was time to attend college. Things changed, and
destiny had placed him at Florida State University where he majored in Communications. His first semester was
a calm one, the usual schoolwork, occasional partying, the numerous episodes of Smallville, Batman, and
Family Guy, countless hours on Superhero chatrooms, and most importantly his frequent visits home.

As time continued, second semester came around. He had already settled in and got accustomed to living
on his own. It was time for a change, and along with some friends, he attended a Sigma Lambda Beta
informational. It was a start of a whole new chapter in his life. With his mindset, courage, strength, dedication,
and the everlasting bond of his nine line brothers, on April 21, 2005 he PROUDLY became a Brother of Sigma
Lambda Beta International Fraternity Inc. Amongst the Brotherhood, he was known as #72 “Cortes” of the Rho
Alpha Chapter. He had lived up and continued to live up to his name, meaning courteous and felt the
extraordinary accomplishment, which he so rightfully earned and everyone saw.

On July 23, 2005, a week before his 19th birthday, he passed away in a tragic car accident on Florida’s
turnpike. He lived up to his name up to the time of his death, every single day. His mother knowing of the love
he had made for Sigma Lambda Beta, allowed his Crossing shirt to eternally rest with him.

For those who ever got the extraordinary chance to truly meet a wonderful man, he was known for his
love of Batman & Superman, his spaced shuttled Matrix, and his control of spending money. Even though he
may have left our sights, he will not leave our hearts, for he will always be one of Las Diez Maravillas Del
Mundo.

17
El Iluminador – Summer 2006
Preparing for the next 20 years
By Brother Alejandro Builes, Vice President of Alumni Operations
As Sigma Lambda Beta rounds the corner
on it's first twenty years of existence, I think it's
critical that we reflect on who we are today, and
where we want to be tomorrow. Nine years ago, I
was first introduced to the concept of "Opportunity
for Wisdom, Wisdom for Culture". These words,
and their similarity to the concepts that I have
always held dear in my heart, led me to join a
family of 4,000 plus brothers with similar ideals.
A brotherhood that stood for Cultural Awareness,
Scholarship, and Service. In a world where society
moves us forward at the speed of light, it is critical
that we have a firm understanding of where we are
going. We must learn to navigate our lives on our
terms, else we might see another 20 years pass us
by in the blink of an eye.
I believe that now more than ever, it is
critical that we look back to the words of our
Founding Fathers and ponder on how we continue
to live the creed today. SLB has grown into the
largest Latino based fraternity in the world, far
surpassing our Founding Father's wildest
imagination. Our network of brothers is truly
"coast-to-coast". Our leaders have invested years
into carefully developing the fraternal structures we
have today. With the values our Founding Fathers
instilled into the organization, the dedication and
hard work of our brothers, and the continued
enhancement of our infrastructure , SLB is poised to
continue to produce leaders that will positively
impact our "community, our country, and the
world".
So now what? How do we live up to the
high ideals of a Sigma Lambda Beta man? How do
we continue to ensure that a concept from 20 years
ago continues to be a driving for the betterment of
our people?
It is my belief that our Alumni hold the keys
to our future. We have the potential to be a driving
force of empowerment for our people. As our
Alumni base and respective networks continue to
flourish, our brothers access to resources throughout
the world will continue to grow. This network, if
leveraged appropriately, can provide opportunities
18 El Iluminador – Summer 2006
for growth for our brotherhood and communities
alike.
I ask you to imagine a world where SLB
brothers are interconnected with brothers of similar
ideals throughout the world. A world where our
undergrads are being prepared for the real world by
their Alumni mentors, giving them a leg up on the
competition and ensuring a prosperous career upon
graduation. Imagine a world where SLB brothers
throughout the country are pooling their collective
resources in order to support the same philanthropic
initiative and therefore greater impact on the issues
at hand. Imagine a world where brothers and
supporters of SLB have attained positions of
leadership within our government and corporations
and have the sphere of influence to continue to push
the highest ideals of SLB. In this world, many of
the obstacles that face our communities today can
be overcome by the collective compassion and
resources of the largest Latino based fraternity in
the world.
Your SLB National Alumni Senate is hard at
work building the interconnections and best
practices that will enable our Alumni networks to
flourish into this world. Three years ago, we had
three active Alumni Associations. By convention
'06, we could have as many as 17 AA's throughout
the country. This growth is being driven by
revitalization in the role of Alumni within our
fraternity. The next two years, our Alumni Senate
will focus on grassroots projects geared towards
making these Alumni Associations more efficient
and viable, as well as more in touch with the needs
of our undergraduates. It is our intention to make
the world we dream of a reality.
This reality can only be accomplished with
your support. We need our current Alumni and
future Alumni to continue to support our
organization after graduation. Our Alumni
movement has a clear goal, the development and
advancement of our brotherhood. All we need is
your help to ensure that path that was laid twenty
years ago, continues to be the path to a better world.
One that we look forward to sharing with our
brothers, sisters and children for years to come.
SLB and Caterpillar, Inc.
By Brother Roger “Ace” Montalvan
Brothers of the most
honorable Sigma Lambda Beta,
I hope all is well with you and your
loved ones and hope the first half
of 2006 has blessed all of you with
success and happiness.
I am Roger Montalvan, an
alumnus of Texas A&M University
– Eta Beta Chapter, with a
Bachelors of Science in Electrical
Engineering. As an undergraduate,
I never anticipated I would accept
an offer to join Caterpillar, Inc. as a
participant in the Manufacturing
Professional Development Program
(MPDP), a program targeting
engineers with mechanical or
manufacturing backgrounds. Put
simply, Caterpillar, Inc. made me
an “offer I couldn’t refuse.” The
only negative outlook I could
foresee would be leaving the “nest”
from Houston, TX and moving to
the Illinois area.
Caterpillar, Inc. is the
largest producer of earth-moving
equipment, with the “Big 3”
facilities located in Peoria, Ill,
Decatur, Ill, and Aurora, Ill. The
program was designed as the tool to
develop young leaders to fill the
shoes of the older, experienced
workforce. The program is a 3-
year rotational program, where
participants complete annual
positions in Purchasing/Logistics,
Operations Supervision, and
Process Engineering.
The purchasing or logistics
role introduces the participant to
the pains of dealing with suppliers
and controlling material movement
from the supplier, through the shop,
and ultimately, to the customer. If
the position focuses on purchasing,
the participant will be assigned
specific suppliers to monitor their
performance, and if need be, find a
replacement supplier to alleviate
costs or untimely delivery of the
product. If the position focuses on
logistics, the participant may be
assigned projects to manage
inventory, reduce the time needed
to deliver parts to the line
throughout the factory, monitoring
dock transactions, or even manage
factory storage space.
The operations supervision
role is where the participant works
directly on the floor to control
product flow. Put simply, your
goal is to produce as many quality
parts as you can, in a safe and
timely manner. The supervisor
goals encompass People, Quality,
Delivery, and Cost (PQDC). The
focus under people is reducing
injuries and improving ergonomics
in your area. Quality is simple:
ensure your customer has minimal
or no defects. Delivery involves
producing the right part at the right
time and not making the customer
wait. Cost involves running to
budget, doing everything in your
power to produce the required
El Iluminador – Summer 2006
amount each day (maintaining
equipment, providing workers the
right tools) and eliminating the
need to work overtime.
The process engineering
rotation involves being the direct
liaison between engineering and
operations. When a new product is
introduced, the process engineer
provides the correct tooling and
procedures needed to manufacture
the product, and in some cases,
even design the new station to
manufacture the product. The
process engineer spends time on
the floor addressing concerns and
working with the operations
personnel and management to
troubleshoot problems.
The reason I chose to
highlight my job is because I was
provided my first opportunity to
recruit minorities for our program.
Caterpillar, Inc. recruited me in
2004 at the Society of Hispanic
Professional Engineers (SHPE)
conference in Chicago, IL, and I
was able to help recruit two fellow
brothers the following year in
Dallas, TX. Francisco Prado
19
Cervantes of Santa Clara Caterpillar, Inc.’s offer to join our
University – Psi Alpha Chapter and program.
elipe Gomez of Southern Illinois As we shut down our booth
Univer er and packed everything on the
. shuttle bus, Felipe spotted a
Caterpillar employee he knew from
school. The employee introduced
Felipe to our coordinator who spent
. Our the entire 25-minute ride back to
the hotel conversing with Felipe
and learning about his interest in
manufacturing. When we departed
the bus, the Cat employee told me
he was a brother from Southern
Illinois, and as time would tell,
Felipe also accepted Caterpillar,
Inc.’s offer to join our program.
Our program has been in
existence since January 2000, and
of the five Hispanic males in the
program, 3 of us are brothers. The
program has grown from its first
class of 12 participants to over 110
participants. Our most recent
training brought us together in San
Diego, CA where everyone was
wondering what the 3 Latino males
were doing with their hands (see
picture attached).
To the engineering brothers
who have a strong interest in
manufacturing and have at least a
2.8 GPR, make sure you visit the
Caterpillar, Inc. booth at the next
SHPE conference… I’m sure you
will run into one of us.
Zeta Beta Chapter Brother JOINS TEACH FOR AMERICA

DANIEL NAVARRO TO TEACH MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE IN NEWARK NEW JERSEY AS PART OF
NATIONAL MOVEMENT TO CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

Gainesville, FL May 15, 2006 – Daniel Navarro, a brother at the University of Florida and 2001 graduate
of Stranahan High School joined Teach For America. Teach For America is the national corps of
outstanding recent college graduates who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and
become lifelong advocates for educational excellence and equity. Navarro, who recently completed his
studies in Food Science and Human Nutrition from The University of Florida, will teach middle school
science in Newark, New Jersey.
Navarro joins the 2006 corps along with 3,500 other recent college graduates, chosen from nearly
19,000 applicants. Those selected bring to the position such qualities as leadership, perseverance, personal
responsibility, strong critical thinking, the ability to influence and motivate others, and strong organizational
ability.
“I truly believe that I can make a difference in the lives of so many students I will come across in my
two years of teaching. I think these students need a positive role model and someone who can help guide
them through the struggles they will face throughout their academic career.” said Navarro. “Whether I stay
in teaching beyond this experience or continue on to graduate school for Health Administration, I’m
confident that my experience in Newark will shape my future work and how I approach those I serve
through my chosen profession.”
Before heading to Newark with his fellow 2006 corps members, Navarro will participate in Teach For
America’s intensive five-week summer training institute in Philadelphia. There, he will learn the
overarching approach utilized by successful teachers in low-income communities, teach in a summer school
program, work with a faculty of experienced educators, and participate in numerous professional
development activities. Once in Newark, Navarro will continue his professional development and have
access to Teach For America’s local training and support resources.
Corps members go above and beyond traditional expectations to impact the lives of children growing up in
low-income communities. In fact, a recent independent study found that students of Teach For America
corps members make 10% more progress a year in math than is typically expected, while slightly exceeding
the normal expectation for progress in reading.
At the same time, through their teaching experience, corps members gain insight and conviction that
influences their career trajectories and sense of civic duty, making them a powerful leadership force
working from within education and from every other sector to effect the systemic changes needed to ensure
educational opportunity for all.
Since its first 500 corps members entered classrooms in 1990, more than 14,000 outstanding college
graduates of all academic majors have joined Teach For America. Corps members teach in 22 locations in
underserved communities across the country. For more information on Teach For America, please visit:
www.teachforamerica.org. or contact: Brother Daniel Navarro at 954-559-9335.

El Iluminador – Summer 2006

21
University of Minnesota, Alumni on the move
By Brother Delane Cleveland

On a mild spring day in these newly transplanted extracurricular activities

Minneapolis, nearly 20 brothers brothers, the men back in involving the undergrads.
of the Alpha Beta Chapter Minneapolis are left to plug the “From an alumni
gathered to send off Brother holes. standpoint, the biggest way they
Abraham “Gladiador” Arevalo. Brother James can contribute to a chapter is to
After playing a very “Ladrillo” Anunciacion, , has support – show up at events and
active role in his five years as a had a tough year as president of make our numbers look larger
brother of Sigma Lambda Beta, the Alpha Beta Chapter. With than they really are.”
Arevalo was heading off to only four active members left Anunciacion said. “The
Austin, TX where he would on campus, he felt the need to general public can’t determine
begin his career working for call on the Alumni Association or distinguish an undergrad
IBM. This dinner was the for help. brother from an alumni brother
brothers’ final way of saying “Before the school year because we’re so young and all
goodbye. started, I thought I’d be a lot within the same age group.”
However, goodbye more frustrated,” Anunciacion But, as brothers go their
dinners have become an all-too said. “But own
familiar sight for the brothers at then as “as things came along and with all separat
the University of Minnesota. things came e ways,
The once mighty Alpha along and the support of the alumni, the work and the
Beta Chapter has ironically with all the of four became the work of 10 numbe
become victim to the success of support of because the alumni support is so r of
the brothers who helped make it the alumni, strong here.” guys
a force in the Midwest District. the work of represe
Of the 40 men honored four became the work of 10 nting the fraternity at different
enough to wear the letters of because the alumni support is so events continues to decline, the
Sigma Lambda Beta from the strong here.” men of the Alpha Beta Chapter
University of Minnesota, nearly Strong support despite learn how to take it all in stride.
half have moved to other states the number of departures is one “Many brothers are
or countries to pursue careers or of the things the reigning getting into their careers and
further their education. Alumni Association of the Year they can’t give as much time as
“It’s always hard to prides itself upon, but some of they’d normally like to,”
leave the trustworthy the members say it’s not easy. Anunciacion said. “But, that’s
relationships you develop with “There’s always an a part of any chapter’s normal
your Chapter Brothers, so at affect when people leave,” said cycle.”
first, it was kind of a hard fact Brother Arun Motilall, Vice Perhaps the real
to accept,” Arevalo said from President of the Minnesota challenge lies in recruiting men
his home in Austin. “At the Alumni Association. “But, by who can help keep the cycle
same time, I think one common no means is SLB the first going.
trait in this Brotherhood is our priority. People just have to
willingness to further progress pick up the slack and work Brother Delane Cleveland is a
ourselves so as to positively harder.” member of the Alpha Beta
impact our local communities Picking up the slack Chapter and the Minnesota
through our education.” comes in the form of attending Alumni Association. He is
and organizing recruiting currently a reporter for KOTA-
While other
events, and helping with any TV in Rapid City, SD.
communities feel the impact of

22 El Iluminador – Summer 2006

“While my art is Digital Fabrication, I work as a design Architect with A2SO4 Architecture. Having
traveled to Dubai, Italy, and most recently Marrakech, Morocco on Projects, I use this form of design as
an alternative to the pencil and ruler. This innovation is inspired by technology, but more importantly
pushed forward by digital exchange... Alas, this creative outlet is my art. Please enjoy!”

"What does it mean to occupy a

place when at one and the same
moment you can be everywhere
and nowhere, via GSM and WAP,
via avatar and alias? What is there
left to represent by means of
buildings when there is little
collective meaning anymore and
messages are becoming more and
more individualistic?”
WILLIAM DEMETRIAL
MARQUEZ

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El Iluminador – Summer 2006
24 El Iluminador – Summer 2006
A Tradition that keeps Burning
By Brother José “Oso” Guardiola
“I may give away everything I have, and
even give up my body to be burned - but if I have
no LOVE, this does me no good.” Then you feel
the heat coming towards your body and in a second
you hear a PSSSSSSSSTTTTT or maybe a crack or
some popping and the foul smell of your burnt skin
slowly airs up to your nose. Then the brother that is
branding you grabs a paper towel and pats down the
freshly burnt skin. After that you have some time to
get ready for the next letter, and a brother reads the
same passage from the bible. (1 CORINTHIANS
13), over again and you stare at the point they told
you to stare at so you don’t see the hot iron hanger
that is molded like one of our beloved fraternity
letters burning you.
All this is done at a brother’s house, with
only brothers in the room, branded or unbranded
brothers. The brother getting branded and the
brother branding are not under the influence of
alcohol or drugs—it’s a dry branding process. So
both brothers are in the right mind to do this
beautiful body modification of burning our letters
on our skin. This type of ritual is practiced
throughout our Purple and White nation from coast
to coast. I have been branding for 6 years now and
still have the same fire when a brother emails me or
calls me and asks to be branded by me. It has
always been a pleasure and honor, knowing that the
brother you are going to hit up doesn’t care how its
going to look or come out, because you never know
how it will look after it heals, but still the love of
the fraternity drives him to burn his own flesh with
the letters we pridefully love.
Branding has been around for years in our
fraternity and nobody really knows where it started
or what chaptered started it, but one thing is for
sure, is Greek branding comes from the African-
American fraternities, and now is a practice that we
have taken in and made it our own tradition. I
remember being in Talent Search, a program
through the Trio Program at Colorado State
University, and I remember seeing my counselor,
Brother Nate “El General” Cadena, and seeing the
brand on his arm. That was in 1994. little did I
know I would be handed down a tradition that many
say started at his chapter—later my own chapter—
the Iota Chapter. Iota branding comes directly from
the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Brother Cadena’s,
good friend was a “Que”, and branded him and
taught him how to brand and that started a tradition
that continues to this day.
Many Brothers old and new have gone
through the sacrifice of getting our letters branded
for many different reasons, but whatever those
reasons are, one reason is always for the love of the
letters and the fraternity. Don’t get me wrong, one
thing I tell the Brothers I brand is that there are
great Brothers that are not branded and that the
Brother makes the brand, and the brand does not
make the Brother. The brand means much more to
us than just a body modification that scars and
sometimes keloids and sometimes becomes just an
unrecognizable scar or it just fades away. Yet it’s
another sacrifice we went to show our love and
pride for our fraternity. At any event, you can
always see a brother with his sleeve rolled up or
shirt off, pridefully displaying his brand to the
world. Displaying the pain he went through to get
branded—the long weeks of picking the scab so it
can come out nice and maybe keloids, or maybe just
enough scars so you can see it. Brothers take great
pride in their brands. To this day, branding is a
practiced ritual coast to coast in our family, and it
will continue to be a tradition forever, as long as we
have brothers that want to show their love in this
form.
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El Iluminador – Summer 2006
 HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY
To all Sigma Lambda Betas

From your fellow Brothers at

WWW.LITHIUMGRAPHICS.COM

26 El Iluminador – Summer 2006

With this hermanos, we conclude the Summer 2006 issue of El Iluminador,

Thank you to all of the Brothers that took the time to share with us their stories, goals, challenges, and successes.
Please remember that this is a publication for Brothers by Brothers, so your contributions are what make El Iluminador.
We need writers, photographers, artists, etc. We can help you put it in words and get it out there to the Purple and White
Nation.
You probably noticed that not every section outlined at the beginning of the publication was represented on this
issue. It is all about the contributions Brothers. If you have something to contribute for the next issue by all means send
it in. If you have a story or an article you are not sure would be material for El Iluminador, please contact us and we can
discuss. Want to see what other brothers have written? Visit www.eliluminador.com.
We want to hear from you, is there something you would like to see, you liked, did not like, etc?
Please email us at: feedback@eliluminador.com
Ideas, questions, concerns,
Please emails us at: editor@eliluminador.com
Ready to send in an article, a poem, artwork, etc.?
Please email it to :submissions@eliluminador.com
Thank you to all of our current and past staff and Board Brothers who have in any way contributed to El Iluminador.
El I.

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El Iluminador – Summer 2006
28 El Iluminador – Summer 2006