New student groups are proliferating at NIU and are eagerly looking for new members.

Many of the groups will have booths at Friday Fest, said Matt Miller, Friday Fest student coordinator. The event will last from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., Friday, Aug. 24, and will take place at the Student Recreation Center, he said.

One of the groups trying to recruit members at the fest is S.I.S.T.E.R.S., said Van Amos, head of student and cultural programming at the Black Student Union. He said S.I.S.T.E.R.S. is being restarted with five new members this fall.

Amos said S.I.S.T.E.R.S. is a black women’s organization whose purpose is to provide cultural activities and support “positive self-awareness” for its members. Anyone interested in joining the group can call the BSU, he said.

The Business Student Organization has been formed as a resource center for business students, said Bonnie Ward, Business School coordinator for alumni relations. The group was formed to “increase communications between members of business student activities,” she said.

The business group has about 30 members and is sponsored by herself and Associate Dean of Business Harry Wright.

Among the new greek organizations are the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and the Alpha Kappa Lamda fraternity, said Interfraternity Council President Rob Martin. Both are in the process of forming and will be looking for members this fall, he said.

George Gutierrez, University Resources for Latinos director, said Sigma Lambda Beta and Alpha Psi Lambda fraternities were recently started by Hispanic students.

Sigma Lamda Beta is an all-male fraternity begun in the fall of 1989, said Gutierrez. Alpha Psi Lamda is a co-ed fraternity that will join the Black Greek Council this fall, said Flecia Thomas, Associate Director of University Programming and Activities.

Gutierrez said Hispanic women are also trying to get enough members to form the Sigma Pi Lamda sorority.

A social fraternity for engineering and “hard” science majors is just starting, said pledge Perry Holman. Hard sciences include sciences such as chemistry and physics, as opposed to “soft” sciences such as psychology.

The group is called Triangle and has 26 pledges and two members from chapters from other colleges, he said.

The Motorcycle Club is also looking for new members, said former president Wes Bank. The club has 40 members and plans to take a fall trip to Starved Rock, in LaSalle County, he said.

The group emphasizes safe riding and offers beginning through advanced classes in safety, said Bank.

“There are a lot of riders on campus. I think this is a group that is growing fast,” he said. Scooter riders are also welcome.

The Student Organization Exposition will give student organizations another opportunity to recruit members, said Zainal “Z” Ahmad, UP & A program coordinator. The event will take place at the Holmes Student Center Duke Ellington Ballroom on Sept. 12.

“It’s going to be fun. We’re trying to get more students involved,” Ahmad said.