Throwing without Knowing?

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

I have a feeling that we'll see more Kappa signs than ever before....

Yes, but which one?

[AZTheta]

OK someone (was it kaokite)? shared something that had all the whistles in musical notation form. I can see it in my mind's eye.

I can see a lot of other stuff in my mind's eye too.

[Sciencewoman]

Originally Posted by AZTheta

I can see a lot of other stuff in my mind's eye too.

I really want to ask what you're seeing, but that would defeat your goal of not derailing the thread....

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

I really want to ask what you're seeing, but that would defeat your goal of not derailing the thread....

I think they're called "flashbacks". Or something of the sort.

There. Now I've done it. I'm channeling you-know-who. Now I'm in Big Trouble.

It's all my fault. DrPhil said it, I believe it, that settles it.

[Elsinore]

Originally Posted by AZTheta

OK someone (was it kaokite)? shared something that had all the whistles in musical notation form. I can see it in my mind's eye.

I can see a lot of other stuff in my mind's eye too.

Is it this?

[honeychile]

My own feeling about the signs is that if you have to think about it, it's too complex. Some of the ones I've seen look almost painful.

[Sciencewoman]

Originally Posted by honeychile

My own feeling about the signs is that if you have to think about it, it's too complex. Some of the ones I've seen look almost painful.

Agreed. I do like the crescent...it's easy and obvious.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Elsinore

Is it this?
(Whistle image)

Everything looks reasonable on there except... Phi Beta Kappa, 3rd down on the right. I would be willing to bet a large amount of money that Phi Beta Kappa (as an honorary) doesn't have a whistle.

[WhiteRose1912]

Originally Posted by naraht

Everything looks reasonable on there except... Phi Beta Kappa, 3rd down on the right. I would be willing to bet a large amount of money that Phi Beta Kappa (as an honorary) doesn't have a whistle.

Phi Beta Kappa was the forerunner for social fraternities and functioned in much the same way even after it become an honorary. When what we currently consider social fraternities started to get popular, Phi Beta Kappa lost the social aspect.

Here's a book from 1920 where they casually mention that their whistle seems not to have originated from the founders.

A hundred years ago, whistles were useful and adopted by the members as a way of recognizing their sisters from afar. Today, the campus culture is photography-heavy, and sorority women want a way to clearly identify their affiliation in a photograph. Photos were rarely going to be seen out of context a few decades ago, so affiliation would be clear when looking at a photo in a yearbook with an appropriate caption, or sifting through scrapbooks back at the house. That's not the case today.

All this to say that I like the hand signs. They're harmless and a way for sorority women to enthusiastically represent their organization even when they're not in their letters. I can't understand why anyone would have a problem with them other than "we didn't do it and I don't get it so it makes me cranky". If national organizations don't like the signs their women are using, then guide them toward something appropriate. (No mouth-phis, please.)

[nyapbp]

Lane swerve alert (and apologies)

Whistles were popular when they served a communication tool. I recall reading that they were a way for members to find each other in a crowd. Listening for the whistle could get you in the direction of friends. Nowadays, the cell phone serves the same purpose. Text the sister/brother to find out where she/he is. There is even an app for that called "find a friend."

[naraht]

Originally Posted by WhiteRose1912

Here's a book from 1920 where they casually mention that their whistle seems not to have originated from the founders.

I read that passage completely differently, the list seems to be "Here are things that all modern social fraternities do: Grip, colors, motto in Greek, oath, constitution, etc. , etc. and they were all made by the original members of Phi Beta Kappa" The *one* thing that modern social fraternities do that the founders of Phi Beta Kappa didn't come up with was the Whistle.

[TPA85]

Originally Posted by WhiteRose1912

All this to say that I like the hand signs. They're harmless and a way for sorority women to enthusiastically represent their organization even when they're not in their letters. I can't understand why anyone would have a problem with them other than "we didn't do it and I don't get it so it makes me cranky". If national organizations don't like the signs their women are using, then guide them toward something appropriate. (No mouth-phis, please.)

Sometimes I wonder if our brains are connected.

[Smile_Awhile]

Since I'm not that far away removed from school, hand signs were really common at my school. Truth be told, my chapter was pretty obsessed with "throwing what we know". I get why people like it and do it- there is a photo of me and my sister doing our respective sorority hand signs on her bid day- but I also get that it's just a current trend and not part of our ritual.

That being said, did there even need to be a blog post about it at all in the first place? I respect Kappa's decision, but there's an easy solution that doesn't require a blog post ripe for drama- just stop posting them, and if asked, explain. There are PLENTY of photos on social media of Kappas posing without a hand sign. Use those photos instead, and skip the ones without the hand sign. For your official publication, put in the submission guidelines that hand sign photos won't be published. There. Done.

[Griffins&Quills]

Ours is simple, it's just a Xi. Pointer fingers to form the X and a pinky for the I depending on which direction you're taking the picture (from the front, or from behind). It's cute. I like it. I've gotten some cute pictures that way.

To my knowledge, we do not have a whistle.

[AOIILisa]

My feeling on the signs are: they're harmless. I was an active 30 years ago and we didn't have them, but I don't mind them.

As an adviser, I constantly remind myself that the girls need to have their own sorority experience just as I had mine, and it will not be the same as mine because times change. If hand signs and social media are now the thing, then that is going to be part of it. I'm sure someone who was active 30 years before I was would have been disapproving of something we did or disliked our 80's fashions, big hair, etc. as well.

(So happy that social media was not around when I was an active...)

ETA... some of those fraternity whistles look really complex, and I can read music. I wonder if anyone does those anymore?