Quote:
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.
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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.)
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