What other things are you prohibited from doing in letters- besides drinking?

[shinerbock]

I guess, but seeing as I don't gel my hair, shave my chest, wear designer jeans, spend any time getting ready, etc...I don't really think I could ever be anything close to metrosexual.

[Taualumna]

Originally posted by ku_theta
Thank you.

But KU, that's a specific chapter's rule. It is in their by-laws, and not something that Sigma Chi's IHQ suggests.

I'd like some input from Thetas from other schools.

[PGPeripheryGirl]

Originally posted by valkyrie
I still don't understand why we should care what some random person thinks. I'm not saying that I think it's cool to drink until you pass out in letters, but I think our organizations need to stop being so concerned about behaving in a certain way because of what other people think. Especially in terms of sororities, I'd rather collegiate members learn how to be strong, intelligent women instead of worrying about what others think of them or their behavior.

Perception is everything.

[exlurker]

Originally posted by ku_theta
First off, we don't need to sell ourselves with our shirts. That is ridiculous to say. We are an excellent chapter who has great girls and wearng a shirt on campus isn't going to make a girl want to go Theta.

Secondly, to the people who said things about grades and such. We have been top in grades for the longest time. And in Spring 2005 we were top in grades out of all Greek.

And the Theta international web site lists the KU chapter among those with top grades. I can't imagine Theta HQ getting concerned with the KU chapter's local traditions or suggestions about what to wear to class. It's a very old chapter and as far as I know, unless things have changed drastically -- what's the right terminology? -- oh yeah: it's the kind of chapter that almost always has to cut heavily after the open house rounds because of the NPC / Panhellenic rules on recruitment figures.

Wasn't the first Theta in the U.S. Senate an alumna of the KU chapter?

I have heard about the KU Betas and their longstanding practice of not wearing letters, too. Just KU traditions and practices, as far as I know.

[33girl]

Originally posted by utealum
I don't think anyone's calling anyone not a "real" greek.

What people are calling bullshit on are the kids who can't differentiate between what may or may not be their campus and/or chapter culture and fashion and what is actually "forbidden."

actually I was, but I guess that was just hopeful thinking.

The Fijis don't wear letters AT ALL and no one has a problem with that...because there's a REASON in their national bylaws to not do it. If that's what it is in your chapter, then say so, and no one will question it...but don't go on about all this "tacky" and "professor" crap.

Basically what she is saying is "we are better than the sororities on our campus who wear letters on their chests, because we are THETAS and anyone who doesn't KNOW that just doesn't MATTER." I'm quite familiar with that attitude...and I find it as ridiculous now as I did when I was in college.

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by ku_theta
I think it's crazy that all I did was answer the original post's question and now I am some kind of evil person. I didn't invent the rule, I just approve of it, but for some reason everyone on here decides to flame and get mad at me for it?

If not wearing letters to class works for y'all, great! Nobody has any reason to second guess you.

My guess is that what set some people off was this comment: "I think it's tacky to wear the sweatshirts with the huge letters plastered across your chest to class, it's great to be proud of your sorority, but school isn't the appropriate time to parade around in your letters like you are making some kind of superiority statement."

My guess is that what some on your campus may consider "tacky," Greeks on many other campuses consider a long-standing Greek tradition. What some on your campus may consider "a superiority statement," many other Greeks would consider simple pride -- no different from wearing a sweatshirt or jersey with "KU" or "BAMA" on it. I can see how some would read the statement quoted as suggesting that Greeks who don't do things as you do are tacky and have a superiority complex, rather than as simply suggesting that things are done differently on different campuses.

FWIW.

[Denise_DPhiE]

Originally posted by ku_theta
We're not allowed to wear our letters on campus (as in, not to class). At first I thought it was the dumbest rule.

I think it's tacky to wear the sweatshirts with the huge letters plastered across your chest to class, it's great to be proud of your sorority, but school isn't the appropriate time to parade around in your letters like you are making some kind of superiority statement. While we aren't allowed to wear our letters to class (KAO)...

Your first impression of that rule was right.

Hmmm - not wearing letters to class kind of sound insane to me. Definitely a local rule, not a Theta rule.

Professors will be anti-greek whether you wear letters or not but wearing letters IS a recruitment tool for all greeks so I say, wear 'em!

Denise

[KDMafia]

Although I don't approve of the use of the word "tacky" for lettered shirts I do understand that there really is no need to wear those shirts at certain universities. My undergrad was very very anti-greek and our recruitment is small. We have had a low rate of girls deactivating or dropping out of rush but still it is hard to get people interested. You will always see letter shirts at our university cause we need and PR that we can get as far as greek life is concerned.

However, one of my sisters went to university of wisconsin-Madison for grad school and she says that she hardly ever sees lettered shirts around but at the same time she can always tell who's in a sorority. If you dont need the PR to get people into rush you can probably be okay wtih wearing less obvious articles of clothing announcing your organization. However, neither way is "tacky" or shows less pride in your letters. It's just like other things like recruitment, it all depends on your school.

I would like to say t hough I dont approve of not wearing because the professor's are anti-greek...that seems like a crappy excuse and the best way to prove them wrong is to wear your letters and excell in their class.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally posted by 33girl
The Fijis don't wear letters AT ALL and no one has a problem with that...because there's a REASON in their national bylaws to not do it.

Is this a new rule? Some of the FIJIs I went to school with wore letters in the mid to late 90's. Maybe they were breaking some rules.

As an aside, and not in response to 33girl, does wearing letters always have to be about (conscious) PR and superiority complexes? Why can't someone just feel like wearing letters to class, the dining hall, or wherever the hell else? As long as their outward display of their organization is in sync with the organization's bylaws and basic "social etiquette," what does it matter?

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by DSTCHAOS
Is this a new rule? Some of the FIJIs I went to school with wore letters in the mid to late 90's. Maybe they were breaking some rules.

It's a very old tradition with Fijis -- it's why they use "Fiji" rather than the actual letters. Per their national website:

Members of Phi Gamma Delta hold our Greek letters in reverence. Therefore, we limit their display to a select number of places, such as the front of the chapter house, the fraternity flag, class rings, and the member badge. When our fraternity is named in campus or interfraternity publications, we prefer the full spelling of Phi Gamma Delta rather than use of the Greek letters or the nickname Fiji.

The other "accpetable" place for the letters, as I recall, are: membership certificates (shingles), the fraternity seal and gravestones.

[shinerbock]

Well there are also differences in Phi Gamma Delta chapters. For example, at Alabama, calling them Fiji's is offensive. On their shirts and such, you will most likely see Phi Gam instead. I guess this has to do with nationals, but a Bama Phi Gam I hung out with in DC said their chapter does it more to make themselves distinct from the image "Fiji" has in other parts of the country. I don't know if that factors into other chapter's reasoning, but thats what he said.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally posted by MysticCat81
It's a very old tradition with Fijis -- it's why they use "Fiji" rather than the actual letters. Per their national website:

Members of Phi Gamma Delta hold our Greek letters in reverence. Therefore, we limit their display to a select number of places, such as the front of the chapter house, the fraternity flag, class rings, and the member badge. When our fraternity is named in campus or interfraternity publications, we prefer the full spelling of Phi Gamma Delta rather than use of the Greek letters or the nickname Fiji.

The other "accpetable" place for the letters, as I recall, are: membership certificates (shingles), the fraternity seal and gravestones.

Thanks. That makes sense. The ones I went to school with wore "FIJI" shirts and not the Greek letters. For some reason I interpreted 33girl as saying they did not wear any references to their organization. I know that's not what 33girl's post REALLY said. LOL.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally posted by shinerbock
Well there are also differences in Phi Gamma Delta chapters. For example, at Alabama, calling them Fiji's is offensive. On their shirts and such, you will most likely see Phi Gam instead. I guess this has to do with nationals, but a Bama Phi Gam I hung out with in DC said their chapter does it more to make themselves distinct from the image "Fiji" has in other parts of the country. I don't know if that factors into other chapter's reasoning, but thats what he said.

I have heard this, as well.

[ku_theta]

Professors will be anti-greek whether you wear letters or not but wearing letters IS a recruitment tool for all greeks so I say, wear 'em!

How is wearing your letters a recruitment tool? At my campus we don't even start class or see people on campus before we rush.

[33girl]

Originally posted by ku_theta
How is wearing your letters a recruitment tool? At my campus we don't even start class or see people on campus before we rush.

So you only take freshmen, and you could care less what anyone else thinks?

I'm guessing you are a very new member of your sorority, but you certainly have a LOT to learn.