Drinking in Letters . .. Damned either way?

[TKEmz894]

Alpha Xi, Go to Rankings part 2 and you will understand where I am coming from.......and as for the Sorority girls on my campus, they are exactly like I described them, just a little worse.....I left out that certain groups within the sororitys will only talk to and be friendly with guys from certain orgs......ie, some girls only talk to us, some only talk to KAs and some only talk to PKTs......It used to be we where only talked to by Phi Mu, but now we have huge followings in DZ at our school, and a couple in Sigma......Its really awful that its that way there, but thats how it is, we( Me and the other members of the IFC e-board have tried to have events, such as tailgating and joint community service projects, but poeple who go to them dont socialize with other groups....A lot of all this, goes back to where these girls grew up, and that dictates which group they hang with.....Its stupid......But either way, some girls like us and swarm us when they see us, and some girls hate us, and throw us dirty looks, we really dont care either way.......And as for our founders I dont know what they would think, I cant say how they would feel about it, they didnt write anything about it in our creed ...... either way we dont have any bylaws stating its wrong so who cares.............

[TKEmz894]

When did I say that we choose guys because they can drink and get women, you are putting words in my mouth to further your cause against drinking.....These guys are drawn to us somewhat because we have a bunch of women around us, but also because we are abunch of guys sticking together having a good time with one another and all wearing the same shirt, when you go into a bar of 200 people, and 50 of them are standing together joking and bsing it is pretty impressive.....wether you like it or not.....and we dont say hey this kid can down a fifth of jack he would be good in my fraternity, no because we have enough guys who can do that, we say hey he seems pretty cool, he wants to join, lets see what kind of person he is, and what he can do for our org. But either way dr5inking is part of the culture there and you arent gonna change anyones mind.......So I dont see anything wrong with it...and if its not in our creed to not drink with letters on, then how did you meet my Founders of mt WHOLE fraternity, and find out what they thought about it? Its silly to try to tell me that, cause we are not gonna stop wearing them out, we where them with pride wherever we go, wether it be in a bar, or Church, or to our Moms dinner table....People understand we are TKEs and we will do what we want...........

[pollywogg23]

way to go Alpha Xi! Of course, I'm bias. But I agree in my chapter we don't drink in our letters out of respect, not only to our fellow sisters, but also to our founders, and our ritual.
Of course in my chapter we also don't smoke in letters, and we try to refrain from swearing in letters, but that doesn't always work!
It's not something that is from Nationals, and I know it's not true in all Alpha Xi Delta Chapters, but for us it works. I don't really even think about it anymore, If I'm going to be drinking I simply don't wear my letters.

Xi Love, and all of mine.

[AlphaXi126]

Thanks Pollywogg...I knew someone out there HAD to agree some sort of way with me...and TKE... I Just think its a matter of respect, people will notice 50 guys having a good time in a bar if they aren't wearing their letters too, I'm just suggesting you try it and I understand that thats just how your campus is and nobody is going to c hange it...well it takes one person to start the process of change and people will follow, remember sometimes change is a good thing...And no i didn't talk to your founders, but I was just assuming your founders had somewhat of the same ideals in mind that my sorority's founders had...so...I know that we are based on values and things of that nature...and whether or not we go to a bar in our letters is not the worry of most of the sisters when promoting the sorority...we rely on doing things that will better us...not things that will eventually be the demise of us. And I'm sorry that the sorority girls on your campus are like that...You win some , you lose some...but please don't stereotype because we're not all like that. Thanks for sharing your opinion with me.

[douthit]

At our chapter, we don't have a hard and fast rule as to when letters can be worn out. Personally, though, I don't wear them out to bars or parties, whether they be huge ones or small house parties.

About the only time that I will be drinking in letters is inside the chapter house, since everybody knows me , or the guests know that I am a Phi Sig. However, I don't see a problem with wearing my lavalier out to parties.

[justamom]

Some alums on GC and I have talked about this. In the good old days there wasn't ANY restricton (at most schools) about drinking in letters. Every Friday a fratenity had a TG and every guy wore their letters and most of the girls did as well, though some dressed for attention. There were girls throwing up in the bushes and guys releiving themselves behind cars, but the majority attending these keg parties were other Greeks.

Fastforward-There seems to be one or two soros at LSU that don't give a flip and wear their letters to bars. It is a huge NO NO for the others. Can't speak for the fraternities. Image and respect for their organization is the reason. I have to agree with KTsnake even though I also agree with 33girl and James about how it's not a true reflection.

It's like these boards. When I see people like Ktsnake, KSig RC, lifesaver, SigmaChiCard, DeltAlum, Tom, I notice what fraternity they are in. When I'm exposed to others in the same GLO that seem to have similar qualities, my perception starts taking form.
When you have a ton of great Sigma Chis or Sima Nu (AND OTHERS) posting, it reinforces a positive picture. ( Recall how upset people get when a screwed up poster uses a GLOs letters in their signature.)

The same can be said with FAR more import when you wear your letters in public. If everytime I wore AXO, I started a cat fight, fell on the floor or...some people WOULD extend the association. If everytime Tom wore his letters he and his brothers got stinking drunk and stated a brawl, that would would make a impression. It's easy to say I don't care, but it's such a simple thing to do unless you don't own any other clothes. If everyone behaved themselves this wouldn't be an issue. We all know that isn't possible.

[aephi alum]

Agreed, JAM and AlphaXi. In great part, it is a matter of respect.

It's also a matter of representing your GLO and the greek system. Like it or not, there are a lot of people out there who believe that the greek system is about getting plastered every night, and if you get plastered (or are even just seen drinking) while wearing letters, you reinforce that stereotype.

[DeltaSig]

I agree with TKE on this one...I guess I understand the environment because my campus was sort of the same. It helped sometimes that a bunch of us would hang out together at the bars, it made us look really close knit because we all had a good time around each other. Some guys wore letters some didn't but everyone knew who we were and it did attract attention. As far as the girl thing...that was definitely how my campus is, chi-o's would talk to us...zeta would to, but kappa and piphi would hardly ever talk to us...to busy with the SigmaWho's (j/k)campus rivalry.

[TKEmz894]

I am glad to hear someone else on this thing has a similar position, and I applaud you for posting you real opinion......I often feel alot of the people on hear just say what everyone wants to hear.....But I think yall going nuts over this issue is retarded, I met with our Natinal treasurer at hooters in my letters and he said it was cool, and we got drunk and discussed a huge rush party I was planning. He didnt care one bit.....I think all of you people who think this is wrong are a bunch of idiots, because yall are the same people who got the drinking age moved to 21, and what did it do? It doesnt keep drunk drivers off the street, now kids go out and get drunk, cant call their parents to get them , and they drive home drunk.....Kids didnt stop drinking, they just started hiding it more, so it accomplished nothing, and yall are the same people who make your orgs less attractive to others by being so uptight about stupid little rules that mean nothing........Yall are the ones that are changing minds in the fraternity world into making them into Sororitys......Its pathetic......Yall wont be satisfied till Greek life is some boring foot note in history......I mean why dont yall worry about getting more people in your orgs, or making new chapters rather than, whining about people that arent in your org wearing letters out, its really non of yalls business..............end of discussion

[AlphaXi126]

WOW...that pretty much sums it up how I feel about what you wrote TKE...Did you join your fraternity just to drink or what...?? ANd by the way, just being respectful of my letters doesn't mean I was in favor of the drinking age being moved to 21 and all that nonsense about being "uptight" because , you know what, there are people that do have values out there and drinking is not their number one priority...(but still know how to have a good time)

[DeltAlum]

I'm a little ambivilent about this for several reasons.

First, when I was in school, we always wore our badges or letters everywhere -- including bars. Some of the bars were even considered "Greek Bars" and almost everyone there had a pin of some sort on.

Second, I do think there's some hypocracy in not wearing letters to drink in a bar, but then everyone knowing that So-and-so got trashed at the Delt (or Sigma Chi or SAE or whatever) party last night. And that word does get around, doesn't it?

Third, in any given social event, someone is bound to know that you are a member of a fraternity or sorority. If you're worried about giving your chapter or nationals a bad name -- don't get sloppy drunk in public. Be responsible.

Finally, I guess, I don't recall anything at all in our Ritual about alcohol. I kinda suspect that, even back in the mid 1800's, some of our founders might have been known to partake in some spirits on occassion.

Frankly, I'm more worried about drinking in moderation and staying healthy and unhurt than whether someone sees me take a nip while wearing a badge or letters. In fact (Oh, if this were only the case), I think that if a Greek was always observed making good decisions about alcohol, it would be a credit to his/her organization. Of course, that's too much to ask, isn't it?

[UNFSigmaChi]

I don't have a problem with drinking in my letters if im going out to have a few beers, but if i know im going to drink a WHOLE lot then i leave them at home. I've only had a couple people make a comment to me about drinking and being greek and i just say, "well your drinking too....what does that say about you??" It usually shuts them up. Its not a big deal to me, if your going out for a few drinks then i don't see a problem with it, but if your going out to get totally trashed then i think they should be left at home.

[TKEmz894]

I didnt join my Fraternity to drink, I started that long before I joined when I was in Highschool.....But I joined because of friendships I made......and you know where I met those freinds hanging out in bars......You know we have a saying down here on all the hobbies in this state......Their are only four things to do in Louisiana.......Fishing, Hunting, F*cking , and Drinking.........
Since I am not the woodsy type you can imagine what my past times are, and to do those other to you tend to hang out in Bars alot.......So thats the best place to rush people...Understand.........
You had your mind made up that you where gonna get all over me on this post from the start......and I really dont give a rats ass what you think of me, or if you like it that I wear my letters out or not, I will do what I want you can piss and moan all you want, and we will not agree.......Since you tabbed me as joining a fraternity just to drink, here is my assesment of you......You are the girl who comes in a party and chews someone out for waering letters, or smoking in public(because you feel its disrespectful), all the girls younger than you go oh darn here she comes and try to hide the tiny indescretions that they have been doing......Fast forward a month.....The younger girls throw a party, they dont invite you, why cause they dont want to hear your s#it........fast forward more..........You become chapter advisor.......because you seem to be the most responsable lady around them always following procedure............Fastforward more.....Your sorority has a party, a private party but its manly all your girls at the party.......Something bad happens..........Why where you not there to steer them in the right direction? cause they wont invite you, cause you would ruin the fun, all this could ahve been avoided if you didnt have your head in the sand.........You are the mother who doesnt want to know what her kids are doing when they are out late, not the mother who figures my kids will drink, so I might as well have them drink at home with their friends rather than hide it from you, and put themselves in compromising situations.........You are not living in reality and you are too worried about how things look from the outside towards your group, you should worry about the members of your sorority, and their lives.......I get trashed with my boys, I have fun time doing it, we get pretty crazy, and we do it all in our letters, cause people know what we are in anyways....but I look after my boys, and the guys older than me, ie my big bro, and some of my pledge bros, they look after me.......but if I went off on them for every nit picking little detail that doesnt amount to anything, like wearing letters in a bar, or fighting every once in a while, or getting crazy and playing pranks on people, or the school, they would not listen to me in those impotrant times when I tell them give me your keys, or dont climb on that balcony, dont have sex with that girl she is too drunk, or dont punch throw another glass window cause I gotta get you to a hospital........All of those are situations I have gone through with my bros and its a real pain in the ass but I love them they are my bros.......I know all of this sounds far fetched, but I live in Thibodaux, all the guys around here, talk worse then the guy with overalls and no shirt on the waterboy, and all their Dads work on Oil Rigs or shrimp boats......So its kinda a rough place, and when alcohol is involved which is all the time......anything might happen, and usually does......This is the birth place of Mardi Gras, itsa different society and a different way of thinking.........So that where I am coming from on this whole letters thing......Blaise

[pollywogg23]

Every organization, and every chapter of each organization are all very different. Just because I don't drink in my letters doesn't mean that I judge you for drinking in yours as a matter of fact I've had a few drinks in TKE letters myself!

I know that when I go out with my sisters whether we are wearing letters or not people know that we're Alpha Xi's, so it doesn't really matter that we don't wear letters while drinking, I think maybe it just makes us feel like we're being respectful to our sisters by not giving off the image that the Alpha Xi's are a bunch of drunks. Because when your wearing letters people see that and not only form an opinion about you, but about the whole organization.

[TKEmz894]

Thanks for keeping our image up, pollywog......