This is the first time I ever had food like this, Snow, a junior in philosophy from Springfield, said. I feel more exposed to the Hispanic culture.

Monday night, Sigma Lambda Beta fraternity sponsored a Cultural Awareness Banquet featuring Hispanic foods and a short play at the Newman Catholic Student Center, 715 S. Washington St. About 75 people attended the banquet.

President Antonio Gutierrez, an unclassified graduate student from Chicago, said the event supported his fraternity’s cultural standards.

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The fraternity focuses on the Hispanic culture and making people aware of it, he said. We try to fulfill that principle of the fraternity though events like this.

Fraternity member Martin Perez, a senior in political science from Chicago, said it was important that the fraternity presented its culture.

A lot of people are afraid of what they don’t know, he said. We are opening up ourselves to others to eliminate preconceptions about our race and culture.

Women from the nearby town of Cobden helped the fraternity prepare the food. The fraternity organizes community service events in Cobden, which has a large number of Hispanic migrant workers.

Fraternity members served the tasty food to those who attended the banquet.

One of the entrees was chicken covered with mol sauce, a spicy sauce used in some traditional foods. Potato enchiladas, potatoes wrapped in tortillas and covered with cheese and mol sauce, also were served. Corn husks were filled with chicken and corn flour to make tamales.

Banquet attendees drank orchata or rice water, which is milk, rice and water, to quench their thirst after consuming the fiery foods.

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Gutierrez said the many foods featured at the event were essential staples of the Hispanic culture.

Everything we have here is part of our culture, he said. It’s like bringing a piece of Mexico here and presenting it to the University and the community.

After the food was eaten, the fraternity performed a short play written by Gutierrez’s sister who resides in Mexico. The fraternity translated it into English for the banquet.

The play displayed another side of the fraternity as the audience was sent into waves of laughter while fraternity members portrayed the different roles.

John Lopez, a sophomore in business from Chicago, acted in the play. He said he was happy to bring laughs to the audience.

We were just trying to entertain people by giving them more then just the usual food and music, he said.

Perez said he was pleased that members of other cultures at SIUC attended the event and expressed their support for the fraternity and the Hispanic culture.

Just by these people coming out here they have opened their eyes and ears, he said. That shows more hope for more unity among different cultures.