[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by lucgreek

On my campus (a little less than 10k undergrads) it was completely taboo to be seen drinking with your letters on in public (or have any FB pictures with letters and alcohol). This was pretty universal among all IFC and NPC groups. The reason being was it just plays up the stereotype of greek life being only about partying and drinking. And on a campus our size, it would play into the minds of people to not join because of those stereotypes.

At my school (a little less than 5k undergrads), the fraternity members all drank in their letters - for the most part, at their own parties - the sororities didn’t. Until.. I saw one sorority member drinking in her letters at a fraternity party. I thought it odd, but obviously didn’t say anything to her about it. Then a few months later, I saw more of her sisters doing the same thing out at the corner college bar (alumnae included), and I just assumed that it was OK in their organization. I think that seeing the split between the groups – the fraternities do it, the sororities don’t – originally just made me think that this is the way it was. Obviously that view eventually changed, but the whole situation wasn’t something I dwelled on.

Thinking back, I was simply told as a new member, “We don’t drink in letters.” No one questioned it, no one thought it to be a ridiculous rule… we just followed it. I think that the reasons why (it’s “disrespectful”) were just assumed… at least on my campus. I can’t say if others had reasons (official or not) explained to them.

The list that I provided earlier is just assumed reasons as to why a national organization might apply this rule.