DZ doesn't allow drinking in letters, and I know of several chapters that have a no smoking policy as well.

33girl -- I agree with you 100% regarding your above post.

I disagree that it doesn't make ANY difference. There is a difference between knowing somebody is in a GLO and having a huge, neon pink reminder of it on their tee shirt while they're at a party. You're less likely to make the immediate connotation of sorority girl + completely trashed if you don't have that constant reminder of it. When someone who is in a sorority happens to be drunk, her (non-Greek) friends and acquaintances usually think of her as being drunk AND being a sorority girl . . . if she was wearing her letters at the time they're more likely to think of her as a "drunk sorority girl" -- the two end up being connected instead of two separate things. (And yeah I've discussed this with my non-Greek friends who happen to know a handful of Greeks, so there's where this comes from.)

But I agree, if people know you're in a GLO and you're drinking, you're still re-enforcing the stereotype.

maybe that all applies if you're at a bigger school (which you are) where everyone doesn't know you, but if you're someplace small, whether someone is wearing letters or not you know what group they're in. I never forgot Alicia was a ZTA, or Julia was a DZ, whether they had on letters or not. Mainly because I saw them wearing their coats/sweatshirts week after week, month after month.

I never heard such vehement prohibition on this when I was in school, back in the dark ages...it was more being proud of your group and wanting to show off your letters. Drinking and smoking weren't the Gateways to Hell! they are seen as now.

It also seems to me that as pledge programs have decreased in mandatory activities and degree of difficulty, it's been replaced with more rules and regulations for the actives. But that is another thread.

Interesting observation....never thought of that before. Would make for a good discussion (as long as everyone keeps their cool
:cool: )

PsychTau

Thank you, Sheila! That made me chuckle. :D

I think of this issue not as one of, "well, I know Sara and she's an XXX, and she's drinking." I think it's more of "Oooh look! Here are a bunch of people, whom I don't know, and they're all wearing Greek letters and they're DRINKING! See, all people in fraternities and sororities are ALCOHOLICS!"

Simply stated, it's about not perpetuating the stereotype to the outside world. If someone sees me at a restaurant having wine with dinner without letters, nothing is said. But, if I'm chugging beer at the dive bar around the corner with my letters on...it looks like another drunk sorority girl.

Phi Chi's are not allowed to drink in our letters under any circumstances. We can't wear letters into a bar. We can't sit in our apartment with our friends in a recruitment t-shirt and have a beer. This includes lavaliers - we can't wear them into a bar or while drinking.

zeta ladies are not supposed to.......
 

drink while wearing letters. i don't recall if smoking in letters was verboten, but zetas were not supposed to walk across campus smoking (they should be seated) and walking and drinking a coke or water(or anything along that line) should also not be done while walking. in my chapter booklet(not the national one) it also said that we should always have on shoes while in the common areas of the house, should answer the house phone ," good morning/afternoon/evening, zeta tau alpha, how may i help you? "and should gladly take an actives lunch plate and glass into the kitchen for her, which of course now adays would be considered hazing!! lisa

I think the standing and smoking thing varies from campus to campus ... when I went to Ole Miss I knew they werent suppose to but down here in New orleans its completely different and that rule isnt even ever talked about ... I doubt it is a anational thing

ZTAs are not wear letters and smoke nor are they allowed to smoke in their car if their cars have letters on it.

Not only can I tell a smoker when he/she sits down for an interview, but I can also tell if someone had ever been a smoker in their youth! Smokers get lines around their mouths that non-smokers don't get.

Seriously, if I could only give one piece of advice to someone who wants a good career, I would tell them not to smoke.

I don't think you can legally ask someone whether or not they smoke. That being said, it's not hard to tell if someone is a smoker.
Just take a sniff.

Also, if they have had a cigarette right before an interview (and oftentimes, smokers *will light up* just before an interview because they are nervous), then no perfume, gum or toothpaste can mask that.

I didn't think it was legal either but I've been asked on two different job applications (and during the interviews) whether or not I smoked. (On one application, it even asked if I've smoked in the past and how long it has been since I've quit). They were at big corporations too and I'd bet they have their lawyers all over this stuff to make sure everything on their applications are legal. Thankfully, I don't but I'd feel really violated if I did.

Bear in mind that I live in Canada (as does Lady Pi Phi) and so the laws in Canada are different from USA laws.

Drinking in Letters
 

I am in Theta Phi Alpha and we are not allowed to drink in our letters or even purchase alcohol in our letters.