Bookstores lack alternative merchandise

If deciding which multicultural or culturally specific fraternity or sorority in which to participate wasn't difficult enough for many minority IU students, imagine the difficulty those students face when attempting to buy organization-identified merchandise and apparel. \nBlacks, American Indians, Asians and Hispanics represent about 10 percent of the total IU student body, yet local retailers often reserve little to no shelf space to stock multicultural or culturally specific fraternity and sorority gear. In fact, many minority students often discover great difficulties in acquiring clothing, dishware, banners and small trinkets labeled with their organizations' greek letters.\nSigma Lambda Gamma member and IU alumna Donna Gonzalez said she believes some campus community retailers have their hands tied in attempting to fulfill the apparel desires and merchandise wishes of her Latina sorority sisters.\n"The reason why most retailers don't offer us any stuff is lack of demand. They supply the mainstream fraternities and sororities," Gonzalez said. "Out of an estimated 850 Latino students, an estimated 130 in all participate in La Casa-supported organizations. When I came to IU, I didn't even know there was a Latino Cultural Center."\nT.I.S. Manager Cindy Westfall works closely with fraternity and sorority members to meet their organizations' needs, although keeping track of who's new and who's no-longer so is often problematic. Westfall orders most merchandise up front based on student input and determines demand based on the amount of merchandise sold.\n"Many factors are considered when ordering: what house, whether or not a vendor has the merchandise in stock, the quality of product, suggested retail price and if the company can make it," Westfall said. "There is always a minimum -- it could be one or 12 -- and it always depends on the vendor."\nFortunately multicultural and culturally specific fraternities and sororities have other options in deciding what merchandise to purchase, how much and from where. Unfortunately the campus community suffers from the loss of potential revenue flowing out-of-state, online and back into minority student pockets.\nGamma Phi Omega senior Karina Garduno believes her Latina sorority sisters have little choice other than to spend their money elsewhere.\n"We get a lot of our merchandise at Northern Illinois University. We either go up there, or we order from them online," Garduno said. "They have a lot of merchandise for us. The only things we get in town are shirts from Abracadabra (Graphics), since T.I.S. only offers us wooden paddles."\nTop It Off, located at 421 E. Third St., also offers multicultural and culturally specific organizations apparel, merchandise and custom services. Manager Shirley Lance also must consider manufacturing concerns, such as ordering complications for some student groups.\n"We serve everybody: sororities, fraternities, multicultural and student organizations. Some merchandise is not available for some groups; some manufacturers only make merchandise for major groups," Lance said. "We are licensed by IU, so we can put IU logos on clothing and merchandise."\nSimilar to retailers, budgetary concerns affect most student groups on campus, regardless of racial make-up and cultural composition.\nStill, despite the lack of merchandise that many of these multicultural fraternities and sororities are finding, Gonzalez said they are finding their own ways to combat the void that adds a personal touch. \n"I make my own stuff with supplies from Stitch In Time. I make tank-tops, shorts and visors, and I give them to the girls," Gonzalez said. "I like making it -- it's fun, and it's better than ordering it online."\n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.