Sorority Calls

[preciousjeni]

After hearing the Theta Nu Xi call, a friend of mine got into a discussion with me about calls. I told him that many GLOs have calls and that it's NOT just to draw attention to us. LOL!

Anyway, I want to give him examples of calls that should be easily recognizable (i.e. he's heard them but didn't realize what it was). But I'm not ABOUT to do another organization's call.

So, does anyone know of any websites that have sound samples of any sorority calls? I would really like to let him hear the Divine 9 sororities' calls since he'll be more likely to hear those in the real world.

*I want to mention, for the record, that I maintained my composure when he started trying to initiate the Theta Nu Xi call because he thought it was "cute." LAWD help me! He now knows better!!!

[PhoenixAzul]

i'm not quite sure I'm thinking of the same thing, but our "Recognition" call is pretty easy...w00t w00! If you see a sister, you give your call. It's like saying "hello" only slightly more weird.

[adpiucf]

I don't know of any websites, but I think in some instances, the calls of some sororities are secret, and wouldn't be shared.

[tunatartare]

I thought calls were supposed to be public knowledge because this is how members can identify themselves to each other in public.

[AlphaSigOU]

Originally posted by KLPDaisy
I thought calls were supposed to be public knowledge because this is how members can identify themselves to each other in public.

Not necessarily so... while the sound of a call may be public knowledge, the meaning behind the call and the proper challenge and response to the call may be esoteric.

Many fraternities and sororities have more subtle ways of recognizing each other when in the presence of non-members: grips and hand signs are the most common, a ritualistic phrase or greeting may be another.

[preciousjeni]

Originally posted by AlphaSigOU
Not necessarily so... while the sound of a call may be public knowledge, the meaning behind the call and the proper challenge and response to the call may be esoteric.

Many fraternities and sororities have more subtle ways of recognizing each other when in the presence of non-members: grips and hand signs are the most common, a ritualistic phrase or greeting may be another.

Perhaps I should clarify. I'm not asking what the call means, just what it sounds like. If there's a website with a .wav file or something, I'd love to get that address!

[TheEpitome1920]

A couple of years ago I was at a MGCA conference and one of the speakers kinda put NPHC groups on the spot by asking us to 'do our calls'. I thought it was ridiculously inappropriate. It was kinda like a 'aren't the noises they make cute' type thing. If someone wants to hear our calls they can go to places where they are most likely to hear them: social functions, conferences,etc. They are not for show or others amusement, IMHO.

[LatinaAlumna]

Originally posted by TheEpitome1920
A couple of years ago I was at a MGCA conference and one of the speakers kinda put NPHC groups on the spot by asking us to 'do our calls'. I thought it was ridiculously inappropriate. It was kinda like a 'aren't the noises they make cute' type thing. If someone wants to hear our calls they can go to places where they are most likely to hear them: social functions, conferences,etc. They are not for show or others amusement, IMHO.

I agree - that was highly inappropriate.

If a person makes the effort to go to events and programs put on by GLOs from other councils, he/she will start to recognize calls, chants, etc. naturally.

[preciousjeni]

Originally posted by LatinaAlumna
If a person makes the effort to go to events and programs put on by GLOs from other councils, he/she will start to recognize calls, chants, etc. naturally.

I agree with this! I also agree that putting a group on the spot and out of the instance where you'd normally do it is very strange. However, I'm afraid the intention of my original post is getting a bit warped. I'm on a campus that forbids Greek Life. We're also kinda secluded...you'd have to go out of your way to find Greeks! I have yet to see a single lettered item in this area, other than one Delta Phi Epsilon license plate from a school in the city - where most of us rarely go. The person was visiting family.

I'm sure there are people around GC who are very interested in this particular tradition and I also know that there are videos online (of probates, social activities, etc.) that chapters, themselves, put on their websites. I believe that the GCers who simply don't know, would be educating themselves by watching such videos. And, in my case, it would help me out to show these people what in the world I'm talking about.

But, if this is going to be an issue, I'd rather have the thread locked.

[LatinaAlumna]

Sometimes it takes a LONG time to actually hear an organization's members do their particular call. For example, I have gone to or worked at campuses where there are chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for many years. However, not until last spring did I actually hear a group of members do their call. I'd seen it written out thousands of times, and I've been to numerous community programs and step shows, but this was the first time I was able to clearly hear it. Very nice, especially because they had brilliant smiles while they were doing it!

[MTSUGURL]

We have one, and you can recognize the first word and the last. But, it's rather long and very fast so no one understands it. They do, however, know we're Phi Chi when it happens.

[preciousjeni]

Originally posted by LatinaAlumna
Sometimes it takes a LONG time to actually hear an organization's members do their particular call. For example, I have gone to or worked at campuses where there are chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for many years. However, not until last spring did I actually hear a group of members do their call. I'd seen it written out thousands of times, and I've been to numerous community programs and step shows, but this was the first time I was able to clearly hear it. Very nice, especially because they had brilliant smiles while they were doing it!

I guess it was where I grew up, but I was absolutely inundated with Greekness. I heard calls all over the place. Also, I read or heard somewhere that members of NPHC graduate chapters (and this is HEARSAY, I realize that!) don't do the calls. This has been absolutely untrue from what I've known. So many myths! So many!

A lot of things I've read on GC recently have all tied in together. I found the Duke expansion thread really interesting. There it said that Greeks at Duke don't flaunt because they don't want people to see their letters before seeing them.

I've also seen comments that crossing/line jackets on the west coast are usually more overloaded than those on the east coast. I've found the opposite to be the case in my experience. I've seen some out of control crossing/line jackets in my time.

GC is such a great place to learn!!!

[absoluteZChi]

preciousjeni - I understand what you were trying to get from your first post. Hearing other orgs. calls (IMO) makes you feel proud to be part of a Greek community.

When I was a senior in HS, I went to a conference in Chicago where majority of the college students there were Greek. Of course I didn't know anything about Greek life, so to see them together and showing how proud they were by wearing their letters and doing their calls was overwhelming to me!!
Even now, when I hear a GLO do a call, I'm happy for their org.

[NinjaPoodle]

Originally posted by TheEpitome1920
A couple of years ago I was at a MGCA conference and one of the speakers kinda put NPHC groups on the spot by asking us to 'do our calls'. I thought it was ridiculously inappropriate. It was kinda like a 'aren't the noises they make cute' type thing. If someone wants to hear our calls they can go to places where they are most likely to hear them: social functions, conferences,etc. They are not for show or others amusement, IMHO.

Ditto

[preciousjeni]

Originally posted by preciousjeni
But, if this is going to be an issue, I'd rather have the thread locked.