getting rid of bigs/littles?

Texas<>Diamonds · #1 07-23-2008, 02:50 PM

I think it is sad that we have to be so careful when it comes to certain aspects of Panhellenic life. This just seems like another example where people are going too far to insure other's feelings are not hurt. I am not suggesting that any NPC sorority haze. I am just saying that getting rid of bigs and littles is silly and ignores the positive things that bigs and littles do. I think people need to quit complaining and loof for the positive!

MaggieXi · #2 07-23-2008, 02:57 PM

Kind of a hijack - I am confused when people say how many littles they have. Like I was talking to an AXiD from another chapter and she asked me how many littles I have and I said one. She looked absolutely puzzled. I asked how many she had- she had 3. When people say they take more than one little - are they talking about taking twins or their little taking a little (which would be the original bigs grand-little)?

Did I confuse everyone with my question?

33girl · #3 07-23-2008, 03:02 PM

They're talking about taking twins. Her chapter experience just may have been such that having only one little was the exception rather than the norm.

nittanyalum · #4 07-23-2008, 03:40 PM

I don't even know what twins are. Is that 2 littles at the same time? Or just 2 littles in general?

Elephant Walk · #5 07-23-2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

I don't even know what twins are. Is that 2 littles at the same time? Or just 2 littles in general?

For us it's 2 littles at one time. Rarely happens.

AXiDTrish · #6 07-23-2008, 06:41 PM

"Twins," at least with the chapters I've dealt with, is when a big sister gets more than one little sister throughout her tenure in the chapter. The little sisters call themselves twins (triplets) even if they did not get their Big at the same time. This is common with small or growing chapters as the sisters of a small chapter may have to take numerous lil's. Bigger chapters where there aren't enough NM's for the actives probably have only one lil sister.

KSUViolet06 · #7 07-23-2008, 07:02 PM

In my chapter, twins were 2 people who had the same Big Sister (whether they were in the same class or not). Triplets were 3 people with the same Big and so on.

Most people in my chapter had one or 2 Littles, but there were certain sisters that NMs tended to look up to who ended up taking more. I was one of 4 Littles.

AlphaXi_Husky · #8 07-23-2008, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

I don't even know what twins are. Is that 2 littles at the same time? Or just 2 littles in general?

Yes, it is two littles at one time. I have seen this happen quite often as some members aren't able to afford to take on a little sis, or the new member class seems to bond more with certain older members.

In response to a different question from an AXiD above - in some chapters not just the sophomore class takes on littles (which it sounds like is what happens at your chapter - correct me if I'm wrong). Sometimes the new member class is very large and juniors (and even seniors) take on littles, thus enabling a upperclasswoman to have two or more littles.

33girl · #9 07-23-2008, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

I don't even know what twins are. Is that 2 littles at the same time? Or just 2 littles in general?

In our terminology it was just 2 littles in general, who had the same big. This probably varies from chapter to chapter.

OleMissGlitter · #10 07-23-2008, 04:23 PM

I had 4 little sisters! One my sophomore year, one my junior year and two my senior year!

I think big/little programs are very important. My big sis was an amazing mentor and so were her friends from her pledge class.

kstar · #11 07-23-2008, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

In our terminology it was just 2 littles in general, who had the same big. This probably varies from chapter to chapter.

Yeah, it varies. I had 3 littles, two that were twins, and one that was a transfer in the spring semester and I adopted her. Twins had to be in the same pledge class. (No one ever took triplets except for one year when the soph. pledge class was tiny.)

My chapter did big-little in a cool way. For the "new member period" they had "sis-mom" (sister-mother) and the older members took "sis-dots" (sister-daughters.) Then, you got your permanent big usually shortly after initiation.

Anyone of any grade could be a sis-mom, but only the sophomores took littles.

MaggieXi · #12 07-23-2008, 04:55 PM

Most of us took littles as sophmores, and most only took one little. Occassionally if we had a large fall COB class or qouta was very high, some people took a second little. Even if they weren't in the same class, they would be considered twins.

I don't remember money ever coming into play when getting a little. It was more about how active you were in the chapter and that you were in good standing. Most of the gifts littles got were from the whole family (even alums!) that would pitch in together to welcome the newest member.

BabyPiNK_FL · #13 07-23-2008, 05:00 PM

I agree, big and little is something that even if "banned" would pop up in some other form informally. If the big is a good big, it can really help integrate the new member into the chapter and can be a very positive influence.

I was blessed to have 5 little sisters, two sets of twins, senior and super senior semesters (must be from same pledge class on my campus) and one last minute blessing right before I graduated. I love them so much and couldn't imagine not having them or my big either! I also feel that it really helped me to stay involved with my chapter as well.

#14 07-23-2008, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kstar

Yeah, it varies. I had 3 littles, two that were twins, and one that was a transfer in the spring semester and I adopted her. Twins had to be in the same pledge class. (No one ever took triplets except for one year when the soph. pledge class was tiny.)

My chapter did big-little in a cool way. For the "new member period" they had "sis-mom" (sister-mother) and the older members took "sis-dots" (sister-daughters.) Then, you got your permanent big usually shortly after initiation.

Anyone of any grade could be a sis-mom, but only the sophomores took littles.

The sister-mom I got at the beginning of my Pledge period is the sister-mom I still have today. In my chapter, the sister-mom you get at NM ceremony is permanent.

fantASTic · #15 07-23-2008, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

In our terminology it was just 2 littles in general, who had the same big. This probably varies from chapter to chapter.

Same. I've never heard of anyone having two littles at once..

Except in our chapter, it's always twins, no matter how many of you there are. If you have five littles, each of them has four twins