Are some phrases/words SPECIFIC to certain Greek orgs?

[AKA2D '91]

This stuff is funny.
I've never seen "silver" used. I have seen where times have been posted on jackets.

I know when we crossed in 91, "our" song was "Aint No Future in You Frontin" MC Breed...remember that? We did our chapter stroll/strut to that. Like Soror Monet said, we had our own strut/stroll that we made up. When we went to conferences or other sorors visited or sorors visited others, we learned theirs and incorporated a few steps from that, plus, we used struts/strolls our big sisters taught us. When I visited my initating chapter in the fall and met the neos, they didn't use the same struts/strolls that we did. A whole new crew, if you will.

I thought that basically, whatever song was "hott" was what determined what strut/stroll one would do.

I don't know if we had a particular song that we did the National Stroll/strut to, I can't remember. I think that our only "song" was the MC Breed song. Folks would just get up whenever and lead a stroll/strut and folks would "get in where they fit in". LOL


So, not only do our differences vary by regions or states, I think it's safe to say that we have differences within our own states as well.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
I know when we crossed in 91, "our" song was "Aint No Future in You Frontin" MC Breed...remember that? We did our chapter stroll/strut to that. Like Soror Monet said, we had our own strut/stroll that we made up. When we went to conferences or other sorors visited or sorors visited others, we learned theirs and incorporated a few steps from that, plus, we used struts/strolls our big sisters taught us. When I visited my initating chapter in the fall and met the neos, they didn't use the same struts/strolls that we did. A whole new crew, if you will.
So, not only do our differences vary by regions or states, I think it's safe to say that we have differences within our own states as well.

Soror AKA2D '91!!!

Weeeee was sum sanging ivies!!!

We had to come up with our own stuff, too!!! And our stuff was like whoa!!! Too many folks all over the place were blown by my line's divas... Lemme just say this though: God on my line...

Did any of y'all have I guess "hand me down steps" from the previous? Or did you have your standard chapter's song?

We didn't probate like other campuses. It was more like our "crossing" was a nice party right have "signatures" were made--if you will... So we respectfully came out in our "Sunday's best" with skerioussss insignia...

Boy do times change!!!

Disclaimers Just showin' love ta y'all... We are always be evaluated to our behavior... So if we want all others to use discretion, we need to be considerate... If anyone want to know how, I got some "statements" for you... And if you undertand this, then you know what I mean and it is filled with the utmost of brotherly and sisterly love

[DELTAQTE]

Down in Cali we call it "Training". Like "Set out a train soror!". We don't call it strolling. Only the Ques call it "setting a hop out".

The Songs that come to mind right now are:

Deltas "One more Chance" by Biggie(the remix with Faith and dem) When this song comes on, we have a train that we call "attitude" that we do.

"Southern Hospitality" by Ludacris We have a "throw them bows" train in Cali and every time this song comes on, all chapters get up to do it. This just became the norm a few years ago.

Ques: Atomic Dogg
Alphas: Atomic Dogg(I'll explain this in a minute)

Kappas: Montell's "This is how we do it"

Sigmas: Not really sure.

Zetas: Not really sure.

Aka's: Not really sure.

Rhos: Not really sure(boy I'm a big help! lol!)

Now on our campus, the Alphas are ALL football players or some sort of athlete. And they made Atomic dogg the chapter song JUST to make the Ques mad. But they feel like they are "big and bad" so they don't care. Whenever the song comes on, the Ques go crazy and so do the Alphas. Even Alphas from other places mouths hang open when they do that. But I can say that our Alphas don't give a damn and will clown in a MINUTE. So the Ques and Alphas always are into it over that. The Alphas basically feel that nobody can claim a song and they like that song, so the Ques just have to deal. You should see our stepshow every year when that song comes on, it's a hot mess!


The Delta's have a train that many call the "international" train. It is usually the first train you learn when you cross here. From the other places I've gone, it doesn't vary much.


QTE

[Happydaysf91]

We didn't have a song either....you just trained. But we did have one we referred to as 'National' or 'Traditional'. That's the one I thought everyone knew. And we called it 'strolling'.

Anyway...I used to live in TN. And 'Set-it-Off' was 'the song'.

As far as jackets.. that is quite busy....but actually, I never saw 'times' on jackets until I moved to the Mid-West. I always saw the dates and the years, but not 'time'. (Personally, I had never seen the 'ivy' made with 'hands' as some sorors do until I moved to another state)

As far as colors....I wish Sorors would wear 'our' colors. I have seen those Silver Jackets. I've also seen the 'hot pink' jackets...or the jackets with the 'yellow' writing.


Anyway....The fact is, stuff does vary for region to region. I remember in the Mid-West...they didn't have 'specials'...they had 'moms and grandmoms and etc'. They also didn't say they were 'on-line'. They said 'Ship' and referred to their line-sisters as ships and not 'ls or line sister'. Also, they didn't line up according to height -- and number 1 was the capitan (on my line we had a line president...not captain and she wasn't #1) and the tail is the anchor.... In Detroit, I heard they have 'personals' or 'pers' instead of 'specials'.

All in all, as OA has stated...things do vary from region to region, state to state, chapter to chapter. In some chapters this stuff is handed down over the years -- tradition. And in some chapters, young sorors are just making up stuff to mke their passage fun and exciting. Having lived in several places, I've seen several things which I like (i.e., decorating doors for the neos once they return from their neophyte show (their specials do this); and Neophyte night -- a cotillion like function where the neos are presented to the campus. They dress in formals, their families attend, and we learn about them, their lines, their specials (and of couse present them with many, many gifts)). I've also heard of stuff I'm like...'WHAT'!

All in all...no matter what, we are still family!

[The Original Ape]

First let me start by saying diversity is a good thang.

Secondly, I wanted to inform some of yall as to how it IS done in the Midwest(OHIO). As of today(and since at least 1980), we have always lined our pledges up according to height and called the tallest(last)pledge the "taildog". This was not done solely by ANY specific organization, but by all. We also called any pledge that we specifically chose to help throughout the pledge time, our "spec". As for saying what we were doing, that was OBVIOUS; but we still referred to it as "being on line". Most national headquarters allow chapters to maintain their own autonomy; and that's where things begin to change. The only real consistency comes with the initiation rituals; chapters will do everything else differently than others, from their stroll/step styles to chants, to whatever.

I guess there will never be any uniformity among bglos.

KEEPIN' IT REAL, YALL.

[AKA_Monet]

Brotha Ape,

How the hell are YOU!!!

In regards to your "can't we all just get along..." statement I dunno, but sometimes that is where our youthful members are getting caught up without "appropriate redirection"--don't you think? I have been told by certain high ranking officials who will remain unnamed that there is no such thing at chapter traditions... So

Moreover to explain myself, that you know back in the day, stuff you and I and sands had to do is now considered hazing from all NPHC affiliates and their coming down hard on what can be miscontrued as something completely meaningless or more like lies as told by haters... I've seen haterators at work...

So like while I personally may think "times" on jackets aren't a big deal, others may scream hazing especially when "cross times" are those when folks need to be sleeping... But you, sands and I also know stuff can go down, typically, at those times...

Just some myop...

[The Original Ape]

Girl it feels good to hear sumpin' so real! I feel ya on dat! I felt da need to jump in heya and clarify da way of da Real Midwest, dat's all!

I miss our talks, lady!

peace.

[DableST_1]

Originally posted by The Original Ape
First let me start by saying diversity is a good thang.

Secondly, I wanted to inform some of yall as to how it IS done in the Midwest(OHIO). As of today(and since at least 1980), we have always lined our pledges up according to height and called the tallest(last)pledge the "taildog". This was not done solely by ANY specific organization, but by all. We also called any pledge that we specifically chose to help throughout the pledge time, our "spec". As for saying what we were doing, that was OBVIOUS; but we still referred to it as "being on line". Most national headquarters allow chapters to maintain their own autonomy; and that's where things begin to change. The only real consistency comes with the initiation rituals; chapters will do everything else differently than others, from their stroll/step styles to chants, to whatever.

I guess there will never be any uniformity among bglos.

KEEPIN' IT REAL, YALL.

Yeah I guess there are a lot of differences depending on where you are from. For example in Illinois the Kappa's always stroll to the song We are the Freaks of the Industry,
The Ques always stroll to Atomic Dog, (and here in Illinois the Alpha refer to each other as Bro's, and the Que's are the only ones that says Bruh's)
as far as positions are concern....we don't line people up by height, I thought that was just a down south thing. You EARN your position!!! We have position such as the Captian (number one,) The Navigator(#2) (which is what I am by the way) the Mid-Ship, and the Anchor!!!
The Delta usually get together when "We are Family" comes on and I know the Alpha's Always stroll to ANY James Brown song (esp. the BIG PAYBACK) We do have "Spec" and we all say ships, shippies, ect. not ls, line sister, or lb/line brother. We also say sands, but that is only to people who have crossed the same semester, and not just people in your organization, but any organization, for example, when I crossed, the Alphas, Sigmas, and Zeta's had a line that semester as well, so we call them sands. We also have refer to the process as being "online" as well. Actually now that I think about it, I brought this topic up about a year ago on the Delta Forum 'bout a year ago. At any rate, I do understand that things differ from state to state, city to city.!!!
I am really enjoying this topic

[Happydaysf91]

When I refer to Mid-west (not the entire Mid-west -- shoot, I don't even know what states are all included in the Mid-west)....I'm referring to ILLINOIS (Chicago, Peoria, Champaign, Springfield areas) and the ST. LOUY. I don't know anything about OHIO. Never been there....and don't plan on it anytime soon

I see my Greek Sister DableST_01 knows what I'm talking about. And they have been doing this for years and years. The chapter that I was assisting with had a reunion celebration and some of the charter members sat around discussing this and said they never said 'sands'....they always said 'ships' or 'shippies'...then they just bust out laughing and said...we never knew what the heck was in that sand until we made another line. These members were made in the early 70's. Any other sisters from that area of the country be sure to 'chime' in and enlighten us all on the 'way' you all do things in that part of the 'Mid-west'.

Like stated before....state to state, region to region, chapter to chapter...things do vary.

As far as Detroit...my line sister was in Southfield Chapter and used to help with the undergrads up there. She said that that's what the undergrads were saying when she was there from '97-2001. So, it my be just that area of Detroit or etc.

[DELTAQTE]

This may seem heartless but I don't care, any person that puts the time and puts "a.m." on the jacket DESERVES to get put in a corner and questioned by grad. If you want to put your time, fine, but don't put a.m. or p.m.! So if someone asks you about it, 3:15 could be 3:15p.m.! How would they know?

I've seen jackets with a.m. on them, and how long they were on line(This one Sigma here has "12 weeks" on his jacket). That is just plain stupid to me. Discretion, Discretion, Discretion!



QTE

[Dancerella1908]

I'm from DETROIT and in my chapter we have specials not personals. Also we obtained our line number by height and line names by personality or character. Songs that I have heard most frequently associated with organizations are...

AKA...Set It Off
A Phi A... Mic Checka
DST...To Be Real

[Proverbs31:30]

In the south, I've heard frats refer to the persons on either side of them as their "LINK" (i.e. a #4 would be the link to 3 and 5) and your Big Sister/Brother with your corresponding number is your "POINT" and you are their "SPEC". We also have "families" of corresponding numbers. My mentor, a soror from '73, says that her line was in the shape of a bell curve, tallest in the middle.

[SweetestDiva]

All these differences in vocab. are interesting to me. These are what we use:

LS/Line Sister: Self-explanatory.
Links: The people just before and just after you on your line. (i.e. I am #13, so my links are my #12 and #14. We also sometimes refer to each other as "front door" or "back door")
Spec: We have Specials (I'd never heard of personals).
Family: A family picture would include me, my spec, my grand-spec, my great-grand-spec, etc. Sometimes we joke around and recognize relationships like "spec cousins."
Sands: Anybody who crosses the same semester as you do, regardless of organization. At my school I have Sigma sands and we greet each other as such.
Club: Someone with the same number as you. Not necessarily in the same organization.. clubs usually show love regardless.

[skeeliteful]

Originally posted by SweetestDiva

Club: Someone with the same number as you. Not necessarily in the same organization.. clubs usually show love regardless. [/B]

In the south...well, Florida...someone with the same number (which is done by height), regardless of organization is called your "izm".

This is really interesting how everything is different but yet the same

[AKA_Monet]

Ivy Priming since the mid to late 1980s:

ivy: A pledge of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

linesisters: Fellow members of the line, i.e. "Where are your ivy linesisters"

front and back: The pledge in front of you and in back of you relative to your line

Big Sisters/Brothers: Self explanatory

Special Big Sister: She's special and would be afforded the utmost respect from those who want to be greek... Frequent gifting is desirable and often lacks high expense.

DP: Dean of pledges or what is called the MIP chair now

your super: Maybe it is an East coast thing, but I lived with my "ivy linesister" who was my super...

sands: Other sorors or fellow greek members who pledged the same year as you... Back in the day, all schools only pledged one semester or year for that matter... It changed when official MIPing started.


Here's a question: How do YOU sing or chant the "Alphabet Song"? Slow, fast, extra-parts? We would sing it fast with A.K.A. let me hear you say... Then start over. Come to find out my Soror Mom from early 1960's whole semester above ground pledging sang it fast, too...

Deltaqte: I concur, 100% with the times!!! If folks find it extremely important to keep "accuracy", then maybe they should consider using the military standard of time... One could always say that they were in another "time zone" while crossing... But your idea is the best...

Hey, this is interesting!!!