The University of Illinois Student Senate unanimously passed a resolution last Thursday condemning racist behavior and proposing the start of a diversity education program.

The resolution was spurred by recent events involving the U of I chapters of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity and Delta Delta Delta sorority.

The two Greek organizations held an event they called "Tequila and Tacos," where some members of the Greek houses allegedly wore stereotypical Latino clothing mocking the Latino community.

"I know the theme was tacos and tequila, and both people at both houses took that theme and dressed trashy," said U of I sophomore Amanda Tiller, who is also a member of Alpha Phi sorority. "Some of the girls pretended they were pregnant, and some of the guys grew mustaches and had lawnmowers."

Tiller indicated that after the details of the event became publicized, the campus reaction was immediate. She said members of the Latino community at U of I held a rally outside the houses in reaction to the party.

"All the [people from the] Latino houses were walking back and forth between the two [Greek] houses that participated in the event," Tiller said. "They were carrying anti-racism signs, especially because the Tri-Delta house is next to Latino housing."

While many traditions associated with Greek life on college campuses have been criticized — including hazing and notoriously heavy drinking — universities and Greek organizations continue to make significant efforts to reform such negative connotations. However, the recent events at U of I are a setback to those efforts.

"The whole Greek community was really disappointed," Tiller added. "It reflected badly on the Greek community, and the presidents of both houses wrote apology letters."

The Cultural and Minority Affairs Committee, which wrote the resolution, recommended the university's student code be revised as a result of the "tacos and tequila" party. The committee marked the unanimous decision as a victory for diversity.

The student government's response to Thursday's events mirrored the reaction on campus. U of I junior Seema Kamath, chair of the Illinois Student Senate, said the purpose of the decision was to increase the level of cultural understanding on campus.

"The main goal of the minority community is to be more aware of student issues," Kamath said.

According to Bernice Durand, University of Wisconsin associate vice chancellor for diversity and climate, most major universities have several diversity programs designed to inform and educate students. Those programs, Durand added, often originate because of instances like "tequila and tacos."

She said a similar incident occurred at UW in the late 1980s. Durand noted that as a result of this event, a committee was formed and decided on the current ethnic studies requirement all UW students must fulfill before graduating.