Registered Student Organizations (RSOs)
Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) are student-run, student-led organizations typically based on campus, spanning a range of students’ interests. Students often engage in one or more RSOs to continue existing or explore new interests. The organizations we highlight below focus on current pre-health and identity based groups for enrolled Northwestern undergraduates, typically based on the Evanston campus.
Wildcat Connection
Wildcat Connection is the official database of all recognized student organizations (RSOs) at Northwestern. Visit wildcatconnection.northwestern.edu and search by specific keywords or highlight specific categories to find all of the current offerings.
Featured RSOs
Alianza
Alianza aims to unite and support its members towards an advancement of an empowered, productive Latino/a/x presence at NU; Alianza is a cultural, educational, and social programming body.
Contact: alianzanewsletter@gmail.com
Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA)
ALPFA was the first national Latino professional association in the United States, established in Los Angeles in 1972. Throughout our 47-year history we have experienced steady growth and demonstrated consistent value. ALPFA continues to build upon its proud legacy with a mission: To empower and develop Latino men and women as leaders of character for the nation, in every sector of the global economy. More than 92,000+ professional and student members across the country – a number we plan to grow aggressively to 100,000 within the next two years. In addition to networking and professional leadership development opportunities, our members have access to 50,000 paid summer internships through hundreds of Fortune 1000 corporate partners. We aspire to be the business partner of choice for companies seeking to hire and develop Latino talent.
Contact: ncambronperez@kellogg.northwestern.edu
Ballet Folklórico Mexicano: Ritmo de Mis Ancestros
Ballet Folklórico Mexicano: Ritmo de Mis Ancestros was established in 2012 by 6 freshmen Chicanas to create a space at Northwestern that made them feel comfortable enough to share and embrace their artistic side, their culture, and their roots. We strive to critically preserve our Mexican culture by showcasing folklórico at Northwestern and the surrounding communities and to increase awareness of Mexican ancestry and to serve as a catalyst for others to take pride in their own backgrounds.
Contact: Marketing.nuballetfolklorico@gmail.com
Ballroom Latin and Swing Team (BLAST)
BLAST is an undergraduate partner dancing community. Our club is split into two main seasons - a competition season (fall - mid-winter) and a show season (mid-winter - spring), interspersed with social dance classes and workshops. New members are welcome to join at any point of the year, with no prior experience necessary to participate in either season. The dancesport dance classes are open to anyone and begin in the fall shortly after new student week. Auditions for the show occur midway through fall quarter and then subsequent rehearsals will occur throughout the year until showtime in Spring. Classes, workshops, and social dance opportunities range in style from social dances like swing, salsa, or blues to more formal ballroom dances like waltz and tango. Our goal as an organization is to create a partner dancing community here at Northwestern. All dancers are welcome to attend our classes, workshops, and social events.If you want to get more involved, the best ways to become a formal member of BLAST is to regularly show up to dancesport classes and actively participate in either the competitive or performance seasons.
Contact: SamanthaBotros2019@u.northwestern.edu
Dale Duro Latin Dance Co. (DDLDC)
DDLDC, Northwestern’s Latin dance team, is an inclusive dance group started in 2018 composed of Latin culture appreciators of all backgrounds and skill levels. We teach free workshops of varied Latin dance styles throughout each quarter, host community bonding events like karaoke nights and movie nights, and perform choreography in our BIG annual spring show where we showcase our talents in salsa, bachata, merengue, flamenco, cumbia and reggaeton. We hope to continue fostering a supportive environment where we can all grow as Latin dancers, all while enriching and strengthening our perspective on Latin culture.
Contact: DDLatinDanceCo@u.northwestern.edu
Destino
Destino is an ethnic ministry subgroup of Cru at Northwestern designed to be a safe space for Latinx students to continue or initiate a relationship with Jesus Christ. We explore Latinx Northwestern students' ethnic identity in the context of Christianity and want to build up Latinx leaders who will spread the Gospel to the world. We are a welcoming and loving community who seeks to guide Latinx students in their spiritual walk, while also helping students to create friendships and resources that enhance their experience and life at Northwestern University.
Contact: destino@u.northwestern.edu
La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc.
The Beta Omicron Chapter of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. at Northwestern University was established on April 5, 2013 with the intent of engaging members around academics, culture, brotherhood, and service. Our fraternity consists of sixty-five (65) undergraduate chapters and fourteen (14) professional chapters across sixteen (16) states and the District of Columbia. We desire engagement from men and community members committed to "our ideas of Latino unity, culture and empowerment" as stated by Founding Father Hernando Londoño.
Contact: beta.omicron@launidadlatina.org
Mariachi Northwestern
Mariachi Northwestern is a student group that strives to expose Mariachi music and culture to our surrounding communities! We have performed at events ranging from Dillo Day to Google HQ and all over the Chicagoland area. Any singer, violinist, guitarist, bass, or trumpet player is welcome to join us, no Mariachi background or Spanish language prerequisite necessary.
Contact: MariachiNU@gmail.com
Minority Association of Pre-Med Students at Northwestern (MAPS)
The purpose of MAPS (formerly known as One Step Before) is to serve the minority pre-health students of Northwestern University, by providing valuable information that pre-health students need, prior to attending medical or graduate school, through meetings, workshops, events, etc. This organization works diligently to try to stimulate the interests, of pre-health students at Northwestern University by encouraging and promoting all minorities in medicine and other health professions. As the representative voice of Northwestern’s minority pre-health students, MAPS seeks to instill a consciousness in its members about contemporary issues and disparities of the medical world, especially those that pertain to minority groups. MAPS aims to prepare its members for the rigors of their health and science careers in an efficient manner.
Contact: mapsnu@u.northwestern.edu
Multicultural Greek Council (MGC)
The MGC is a unique community of fraternities and sororities; each of these member organizations’ foundations is founded upon celebrating cultural diversity and educating the community about its rich cultural heritage. The MGC and the Greek-letter organizations are powerful media through which group members can express and share their cultural pride. The members cherish the belief that the college experience is more valuable when it includes self-expression through the richness of diversity.
Contact: mgc@u.northwestern.edu
Latin American Student Alliance
The Latin American Student Alliance seeks to promote Latin American culture and history on campus, as well as educate the Northwestern community on the various issues that Latin American countries face today. Besides the educational aspect of the Alliance, LASA also aims to offer a community to Latin American students from around the United States and the world, as well as those students who, despite not identifying as Latin American, have a strong interest in Latin American culture. Finally, LASA also aims to have an activist and philanthropic facet, hoping to raise awareness of important issues going on in Latin America, and taking action in whatever degree is possible.
Contact: lasa.northwestern@gmail.com