Wearing your letters?

[newbie]

My sister (biological) went to UCLA and was in a sorority. It's true, they don't wear their letters all that much, except for special events, I think (bid day, big sis/lil sis, etc.). I've noticed that a lot of people on campus wear UCLA stuff, though. I also haven't noticed any bumper stickers, etc. which have their letters on it. Rather, there are a lot of UCLA license plates, bumper stickers, "beat 'SC" (USC and UCLA are fierce rivals) stickers, etc. But I think Greek Life is pretty important (actually, that isn't the right word...but can't think of the exact word) at UCLA.

[Harmony]

At Penn State sometimes people wear letters, but it's not really a big thing. When one of our advisors comes to see us she always remarks how different things are here and where she went to school where people ALWAYS wore full frontals.

[PinkRose1098]

At Auburn, I always see people in letters. It's so much fun sittin in class and checking out the latest t-shirts and seeing how many poeple you know that are in XYZ.

[ees125]

ilovemyglo, what do you mean by Dot? I am an Alpha Gam and know what you meant when you said Mom.

[Lisa Fishman]

She means sister-daughter. I'm an Alpha Gam.

[LeslieAGD]

ees125, dot = daughter

[ilovemyglo]

Actually it is kind of funny. Our LC told us we were one of a few chapters that has both Sister-Mothier, Sister-Daugheters AND Big sisters and Little Sisters. We get our sis-mom's at our pledge ceremonies and our big sisters the week after initiation. I know at the Gamma Xi chapter they do Sis-Mom
and Sis-Dots after initiation and you get a pearl pal at pledgeship. Kinda different at every chapter I guess!!!


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"...and love her for her womanhood."

[LatinaAlumna]

I went to UCLA and I wore something with my letters on it practically every single day. I observed that the ethnic greek organizations tend to wear their letters more than the other greeks on campus. My roommate from freshman year joined a Panhellenic sorority, and she told me that they don't wear their letters very often because UCLA has a very vocal anti-greek population and they would rather avoid the dirty looks, etc. The greek system is quite popular, but there are many students who are firmly against it. At UCLA, you either love the greeks or you really hate them.

Now I live very close to UCLA. I've been on campus several times. I know they have a large greek system, but I've never seen anyone wearing their letters. Not once!

[Leslie Anne]

Thanks for your responses everyone!

I guess it really just depends on the traditions and politics of each individual campus. It's been interesting to hear where people wear their letters and where they don't.

Thanks also to "newbie" and "LatinaAlumna" for explaining the situation at UCLA. It really had me perplexed!

[Miami1839]

I went to George Mason and I always wore my letters as an undergrad. I usually wore them to class and sometimes when we went out to eat on a week night. I didnt wear them to bars. I did wear my hat sometimes though and you did see other guys from other Fraternities that did that too. I'd say the sororities at Mason represented the most as far as wearing Letters. The guys tended to wear them less and often times it was the newer brothers that tended to wear them. Unless we had a specific day where we would all wear them. We have a pretty big greek school. Last time I checked it was 16 Fraternties and 6 Sororites.

Kevin

[Tom Earp]

Wearing YOUR GREEK LETTERS? That is very interesting!!!
This may seem a problem as we as secret organizations, we do not want to let others know that we do exsist.
I at times and many of them , tekk my chapter, LET people know who you are! This is a form of advertising.
If you are not proud to be who you are then don't belong!
I get very tired of the only time I see my letters or Badge is when We have a formal function when Aluns come back.
I do not work for Budweisef, Gap, Old Navy or any other clothing company
If you are not into being in your Greek Org. do not be there. If you are wear your colors proudly! This is also called adverising!
I still talk up My Fraternity, and would like to wear something beside T-Shirts with my colors on them. I would be proud to wear in My Shop and promote My Fraternity.

My suggestion to my young Brothers were to wear polo or golf shirts with the name on it to let others know who YOU are !We are having Alums go down to Freshman Orientation, and I have nothing to wear, and We do not wear our Badges on casual clothing! But if necessary, to promote My Fraternity, I will to show how Proud I am to be a member of My Fraternity!


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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

[kappagirl00]

I almost hate to bring this up, but I sort of think the shortening of pledge periods and the anti-hazing movement has something to do with the decline of letter-wearing. The older girls at my school told me that there had been a big decline in letter wearing since they were freshmen, and that that was around the same time that our university greek office mandated shorter new member periods, and that national organizations implemented new anti-hazing stuff.

I'm not saying that hazing increases pride or that it is good, not at all. In fact, most groups at my campus didn't haze a bit before the new rules were in place. But now, a lot of groups can't even give tests about the history of the organization, or have any new member activities whatsoever due to the anti-hazing rules. A lot of the "education" has been taken out of the new member education because of it. And for this reason, I think the idea of "earning one's letters" is gone. Because a lot of groups couldn't truly teach about the history of their GLO and the importance of taking pride in it, no one thinks of the letters as a big deal and that's kind of sad.

[N2]

kappagirl00,

I think you were right the first time.

Do not ignore the obvious.

[kappagirl00]

huh?

I just want to say that you can have just as much pride in you're org. if you dont wear letters as someone who does. The pride should be what you get from it, not how you wear it But at Michigan, some wear it, some dont. Depends on what you feel like wearing. Bu its funny b/c this same issue caused like a 3o min debate at one of our chapter meetings. We were doing COB anf thought maybe there should be one day when everyone wore letters. All hell broke loose. Some didnt want to b/c they felt they were being forced, others said they didnt have enough lettered stuff (which is true, some girls only had the one shirt we were given and its kind of hideous), etc.