"Early Bids" by One Dartmouth Local Sorority

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by jenidallas

As I posted above... this was in 1992 (when all this went down). I think that ship has already sunk.

The ship has sunk but it hasn't disappeared. There are three loose lips:

1) The Kappa Alpha Thetas who allegedly bid and initiated her overseas. That is perhaps one reason the chapter was rogue.
2) Your friend for telling you the story.
3) You for repeating that story even 19 years later. Is your friend officially a member of Kappa Alpha Theta or not?

[jenidallas]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

The ship has sunk but it hasn't disappeared. There are three loose lips:

1) The Kappa Alpha Thetas who allegedly bid and initiated her overseas. That is perhaps one reason the chapter was rogue.
2) Your friend for telling you the story.
3) You for repeating that story even 19 years later. Is your friend officially a member of Kappa Alpha Theta or not?

Definitely not anymore. And that was my point... they had a blatant disregard for what it meant to be in an NPC organization and were doing their own thing. They are pretty upfront about voluntarily discussing it too.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by jenidallas

Definitely not anymore.

Not anymore or not ever?

Originally Posted by jenidallas

...they had a blatant disregard for what it meant to be in an NPC organization and were doing their own thing. They are pretty upfront about voluntarily discussing it too.

That much is obvious.

[DrPhil]

My Google is better than your Google. The top two results for Theta are:

1. www.kappaalphatheta.org/

2. The eighth letter of the Greek alphabet on wikipedia.

[IrishLake]

(I really kinda find it awesome that our National President comments on GC, just sayin...)

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by Amy Kates

The words "Kappa Alpha Theta" and "Theta," our Greek letters, and the coat of arms are registered trademarks of Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity.

I can understand the trademarking of the words "Kappa Alpha Theta" together. But I'd be surprised if any group could trademark a particular Greek letter, any more than I could trademark the Latin/Roman letter L or the Hebrew letter א.

Originally Posted by DrPhil

The cool thing is that I Google "Theta" and the Kappa Alpha Theta website is the first result.

Same here. I'd think any GLO chapter (local or national) with the letter Theta in its name, at a campus where a Kappa Alpha Theta chapter exists, would defer to Kappa Alpha Theta and not refer to itself as "Theta" as that is Kappa Alpha Theta's internationally recognized "shorthand" name.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

I can understand the trademarking of the words "Kappa Alpha Theta" together. But I'd be surprised if any group could trademark a particular Greek letter, any more than I could trademark the Latin/Roman letter L or the Hebrew letter א.

She is not talking about the Greek letter or the use of the word "theta."

She is talking about the use of the nickname (if that's appropriate) "Thetas" in particular contexts. For instance, if a company was advertising something using "Thetas" with the intent to make people (who know about such things) think Kappa Alpha Theta is involved, there could be an issue.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

I can understand the trademarking of the words "Kappa Alpha Theta" together. But I'd be surprised if any group could trademark a particular Greek letter, any more than I could trademark the Latin/Roman letter L or the Hebrew letter א.

I could be misunderstanding you here, but the word "Theta" is, in fact, trademarked by Kappa Alpha Theta.

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield...04:ttige2.2.37

[33girl]

That's as far as actually putting it on things. I've never seen TPA sisters or sisters of any local wearing shirts that say only "Theta" on them, as Kappa Alpha Theta sisters often do.

What a group is called in day to day practice is a different matter altogether. Like I said, you can holler until you're blue in the face, and TPA at some campi will still be referred to as "Theta"...even if the sisters themselves don't use it.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by 33girl

What a group is called in day to day practice is a different matter altogether. Like I said, you can holler until you're blue in the face, and TPA at some campi will still be referred to as "Theta"...even if the sisters themselves don't use it.

Of course this is true. However, as is the case with any trademark, Kappa Alpha Theta is within its rights to require TPA to stop allowing its chapters to refer to themselves as "Theta" or face legal action, if any are doing this. Like you said, though, people are going to say what they want even if the members do not refer to themselves as such.

I'm not debating for or against the practice, I'm really just responding to what I (perhaps mistakenly) thought aephi alum was getting at.

[als463]

Originally Posted by 33girl

That's as far as actually putting it on things. I've never seen TPA sisters or sisters of any local wearing shirts that say only "Theta" on them, as Kappa Alpha Theta sisters often do.

What a group is called in day to day practice is a different matter altogether. Like I said, you can holler until you're blue in the face, and TPA at some campi will still be referred to as "Theta"...even if the sisters themselves don't use it.

It's funny you mention TPA. A few months back, I let an intern use my office while I was out. When I returned, she said, "That's cool you are a Phi Mu" (I have plaques and an NPC poster up)--"I'm a Theta." I said, "Where were you a Kappa Alpha Theta?" She looked at me and said, "No. I'm a Theta Phi Alpha from XYZ University." I was perplexed because I've never heard anyone refer to TPA as Theta.

[ElieM]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

I can understand the trademarking of the words "Kappa Alpha Theta" together. But I'd be surprised if any group could trademark a particular Greek letter, any more than I could trademark the Latin/Roman letter L or the Hebrew letter א.

You could porbably trade mark both of those if you wanted to say; apply them as a brand name to clothing, or drugs, start a magazine named א

You would, however, be required to allow other companies that are already using them for other things to continue using them. It is also less likely that they would be approved and not challenged by other groups who are currently using them

[ElieM]

i think it's a locational thing on my google *shrug*

[DubaiSis]

Originally Posted by ElieM

i think it's a locational thing on my google *shrug*

I wanted to play along, so I googled Theta (needless to say, not a lot of KAT or otherwise chapters in the Middle East).
1-8th letter (Wikipedia)
2-Theta rhythm (Wikipedia)
3-Theta Healing
4-Theta.org/za
...
Interestingly, #20 was the Theta chapter of DG, at the University of Indiana, but still no sign of Kappa Alpha Theta. On the 21-30 page, I got a local at Dartmouth and a chapter website of Theta Xi. On page 4 I finally got a chapter website for Kappa Alpha Theta at Oregon State. But still nothing on the national website.

[diamondshine]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

I wanted to play along, so I googled Theta (needless to say, not a lot of KAT or otherwise chapters in the Middle East).
1-8th letter (Wikipedia)
2-Theta rhythm (Wikipedia)
3-Theta Healing
4-Theta.org/za
...
Interestingly, #20 was the Theta chapter of DG, at the University of Indiana, but still no sign of Kappa Alpha Theta. On the 21-30 page, I got a local at Dartmouth and a chapter website of Theta Xi. On page 4 I finally got a chapter website for Kappa Alpha Theta at Oregon State. But still nothing on the national website.

I played along, too. Here are my results from page one:
Google.
1. Alpha Kappa Theta (national)
2. Eighth letter of the Greek Alphabet
3. Theta rhythm
4. Theta definition
5. A company with amps and processors for stereos
6. Alpha Kappa Theta at University of Chicago
7. A blog

Yahoo.
1. Eighth letter of the Greek alphabet
2. Theta rhythm
3. Amp & processor stereo company
4. Alpha Kappa Theta (national)
5. Someone's myspace for a band
6. Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Inc.
7. Theta Theta alumni chapter of Kappa Sigma