What to do?

[MTSUGURL]

I gave most of my stuff to girls in the chapter, except for my paddle which is hanging on my wall, my shirts and a few keepsakes. I needed to shrink down my shrine, as my roommate called it. Don't make the man live in an A Xi D museum, but keep some stuff out. Little stuff. I guarantee you that he will have something that you hate and you'll need some leverage (i.e. "Remember how I put most of my sorority stuff up? I'm just asking you to put the 8 foot plastic swordfish in the closet...")

[KSUViolet06]

I understand a guy not wanting to live in an Alpha Xi shrine, since you're sharing your house together. But I don't think he'd be opposed to keeping a few things for display (maybe your paddles, pin box, quilt, or things like that).

My chapter does Senior Talks in which seniors hand down some of their items to other members. They select some things to keep for themselves, but when some 4 yr members have 90+ t shirts, you sort of have to get rid of some of them, and you certainly don't want to throw them away/give them to Goodwill.

[GeekyPenguin]

I see what you're asking - I'm sure he'll let you have SOME Alpha Xi stuff, just not as much as before. I would consider having a t-shirt quilt made, which will be comfy in the rec room and still let your stuff stand out - if you went to college together maybe you can put some of his college tees from intramurals or clubs or whatever in there too.

I'd try to keep the really important stuff - I know I have a lot of Gamma Phi stuff that was cute, but wasn't very significant, that I have boxed up now, and I periodically give back to my chapter or sell on eBay. I still keep my pin box out and a paddle and one composite on the wall, but not the huge extent I had when I lived in the chapter house.

[Kevin]

Originally posted by JocelynC
I understand a guy not wanting to live in an Alpha Xi shrine, since you're sharing your house together. But I don't think he'd be opposed to keeping a few things for display (maybe your paddles, pin box, quilt, or things like that).

Jocelyn, I agree with what you're saying and have recently been down that road. I would have several things hanging in my home Sigma Nu related, but don't since it's "our" home. Each of us have equal veto power over the walls. She doesn't get to hang up pictures of cats, I don't get to hang up Sigma Nu stuff.

When we get a house this summer, and I have one of the spare bedrooms for "my stuff," then I'll hang some Sigma Nu stuff in there no doubt.

But until then, we've actually done quite well acquiring things that we both like for decorative purposes.

That's one of the big challenges of living together. It's no longer "my" stuff, it's "our" stuff.

If fiancé's demands are one way, there might be a problem. Otherwise, this question needs not be asked.

[BetteDavisEyes]

I compromised with my husband about my stuff. In our computer/study room, I have my certificate of membership framed & mounted on the wall as well as 1 composite of my senior year (I love that pic). I also have 2 pillows that were made by my 2 big sisters for me displayed in a lounging chair in this room. It's tasteful & doesn't look like one huge Sigma Kappa homage room. It's an interesting mix of my stuff & his baseball stuff in here. It's eclectic but we like it & it doesn't clutter up the rest of the house.
As for my shirts, I usually wear them around the house or to run errands. I want to mount my paddles but haven't found the perfect place for them yet.

I have other pics of myself w/sisters scattered throughout the house. My husband likes those pics b/c he knows the women in them & thinks they look great.

The rest of my stuff is boxed up. I do like the suggestion that a previous poster mentioned regarding rotating things around. Perhaps one day in the future I'll take this stuff down & put up something else like a different composite.

[SigmaKappaRoyal]

i'm moving in with my man in a few weeks and with the little space we have i'm thinking about turning the downstairs half bath into a little sk shrine, at least for a little while. when i finally get a more permanent dwelling i'm planning to display some of my stuff in a glass bookshelf case.. all those knick knacks and stuffed animals and picture frames will look cute in there i think.

[ilikehazing]

I plan on marrying a sorority girl (because it would be ridiculous not to) and we'll have our respective shrines in the house, I'm sure.

[adpiucf]

One of my sisters kept an ADPi themed guest room in her home! But I agree with some of the above posters-- it is all about compromise.

[Sister Havana]

I keep some of the more important/significant APO stuff out (like my paddle - that hangs over my bed!) and have the rest put away.

[JonInKC]

Originally posted by quillogold
I'm moving in with my fiance who is a GDI

Doesn't sound too promising.

[PhoenixAzul]

Our seniors always do hand-me-downs. I've got letters from the late 80's that have just been passed down through my tree. It's sort of a tradition to pass that stuff down through your line. The thing is that you just end up with a MOUNTAIN of TD stuff...I mean, leighs, maragrita glasses, ugly cat gifts (tradition is to give a HIDEOUS cat gift!), mardi gras beads (usualy saved from novelty party...I still have mine!), etc. etc. I plan on keeping quite a few special TD things for myself, but most of it will be handed down to my littles and others. The shirts are going to be interesting because I'm rather attached to some of them.

[Rudey]

If I walked into a friend's house or apartment and I saw fraternity stuff all over I would think he's a loser and stop being his friend. Heck why not have bean bags, neon bud light signs, and beer cans from around the world everywhere?

There is a difference between one piece somewhere and going to get a glass of water and seeing letters, putting on a tshirt with letters, seeing a paddle on a wall, seeing a membership certificate on the wall, seeing a picture frame with letters, writing a note on a pad of paper with letters.

And if I saw a girl with all that crap, I'd tell her the same thing. It's ridiculous to have all that crap and she should get rid of it and give it to some kids in college. The older I get and see advisors still involved with fraternity life that centers around the college experience I'm still amazed that they have the patience to put up with all of the small things.

-Rudey

[KSigkid]

Most of my things (certificates, etc.) are stored away in my closet. The only items I still use are a couple of glasses/cups, and some old t-shirts and sweatshirts.

[Munchkin03]

I really don't have a ton of AXO stuff--and never did outside of the sorority house. My membership cert, paddles, etc., are in storage at my parents' house in Florida, and have been since I graduated from college. We had "Senior Bequest," where the seniors gave things to the younger sisters.

When I moved in w/ the Mr., who's not affiliated, it wasn't that big a deal, even though he's not the most pro-Greek person. I keep the most recent copy of the Lyre on the coffee table, obviously with our other magazines. I have 2 AXO frames with pictures of sisters who are my friends now. I have an AXO quilt.

Did you just graduate, or are you about to graduate soon? I know that the stuff seems really important now--but once you're away from a college campus, you'll want "adult" furniture and decorations.

[Dionysus]

I'd say set up a shrine for the more important stuff. It's the happy medium between leaving everything out (and not getting on with your life) and putting everything away in boxes/closets or giving everything away (forgetting a very good part of you life).

As for myself, because I have so few items from my GLO, I think it will be a non-issue on where to put it. I have four or five shirts, a shot glass, a nalgene bottle, car window sticker, and a mug. Once I go alum, I will probably take the window sticker off and only wear my shirts every now and then. But, I will still keep the shot glass and mug in my room or somewhere.