[adpiucf]

The only one I was ever close to I still talk to now and then.

We are assigned to be sponsors to the new members right away, so this takes away from having an opportunity to really get to know the new members before you get paired up. You're not necessarily paired with the intent to be BFF.

Although, "on paper," this relationship as a "Diamond" (Big/Lil) is supposed to formally conclude once the new member is initiated. We're not supposed to have families, etc., in order to discourage cliques.

And of course, it never works out that way b/c our members want to be like everybody else ... I finally got tired of correcting members when I would go to other chapters and hear an ADPi introduce her "Big" or refer to herself as a "pledge" (our new members are called "alphas" and have been since the early 90s). Oh well.

/rant