Greek affiliation in wedding announcements...

[dzsaigirl]

Okay. This is bugging me. In the Houston Chronicle, it is a very big deal to announce your wedding and inlcude your greek affiliation. That's all wonderful and everything...

So why do people always have "Attended the University of Texas and was a member of Chi Omega..." or whatever? *WAS* a member? That gives me issues.

I can't stand it when people think that their sorority or fraternity was for 4 years of good times. I *AM* a Delta Zeta, and I always will be...

There, can you tell I'm PMSing hardcore?

[XO_Princess]

Lol, I LOVE reading the Houston Chronicle weddings on Sundays!! Drives Mr. XO_Princess crazy though....

Anyhoo, you're right, most do say WAS. I have seen some though say IS. People probably don't think when they write out their announcements.

[dzsaigirl]

I am not even putting an ad in the chronicle. I am only submitting one for the Southbelt-Ellington Leader. That's the one that people in my area read as far as looking for wedding announcements. And there will likely be one in the Rapid City paper as well since his mom lives there. If the Chronicle was cheap, I'd do it, but I am not paying 1000 bucks for strangers to know that I will be married, where I went to school and that we're greek. I don't care what they think...but I will continue to read the announcements.

Just a thought: I am moving to New England after I get married...Do they do the same thing in their papers, greek info?

[KarenC725]

I had to check that out after this post. I find it very amusing that they put greek affiliations in the announcement. I've never seen one like that in Michigan. I've also never seen so many girls have Vera Wang gowns in one paper either!

[dzsaigirl]

You should have seen a couple of weeks ago when the debs were in the wedding section...

[LexiKD]

It is sometimes in our annoucements down here too. But I never thought it was strange. I would put it in if he was Greek too, I think that's super cute.

Also, when women say they were XYZ, that bugs me SO much!

I think I would want it to read" where she became a member od Kappa Delta Sorority....not where she was a Kappa Delta..."

[imsohappythatiama]

Hey dzsaigirl:

I am originally a Southerner who moved to New England (Boston), and I've never seen greek affiliations in the wedding annoucements up here.

Everything is a little more low-key on the social aspect than the South...many people don't even know what fraternities and sororites are around here! It definately isn't something you hear or see alot about.

Where in New England are you moving?

[FuzzieAlum]

Interesting! Where I went to h.s., I used to type wedding announcements for the local paper, so I know that a) people couldn't write their own and b) if you put your Greek affiliation down, they wouldn't print it anyway. But listings were free. Here in Seattle, I don't know if anyone puts wedding listings in the paper at all, and it they do they're just paid ads.

[XO_Princess]

DZSaigirl-
Hah ha! I saw the one with the debs in it...just rolled my eyes and kept on reading....but you're right-it is so freaking expensive to place your ads!! Mr. XO_Princess and I were looking at the rates and having coronaries...but, I'll probably wind up announcing there anyhoo...along with Dallas and Ft. Worth...ack, the cost makes my blood pressure go up.

[AGDLynn]

Here in my little Southern town, they do put what Greek org and college. I put it in my engagement and wedding announcements in my and hubby's hometowns.

One way to find out if there is a "new" Alpha Gam in town, lol!

[carnation]

Oh, putting the sorority in wedding announcements is definitely done here in Georgia, plus I put it in my announcement in the Houston Chronicle over 20 years ago! People put other college activities in their announcements too.

[AOIIBrandi]

When Hubby and I got married our announcement in the Florida Times Union listed our greek affiliation. I have also seen it in the Tampa Tribune.

[Betarulz!]

Originally posted by dzsaigirl
So why do people always have "Attended the University of Texas and was a member of Chi Omega..." or whatever? *WAS* a member? That gives me issues.

I understand what you mean in this post, and totally agree that there is a definate need to remember that we are members of our organization for life.

However, looking at it from a completely grammatical view...well it's a very basic rule not to change verb tense (I was taught never to change tense within a paragraph). It looks pretty bad to change tense in one sentance. Therefore since they usually say they attended University of Texas, it only makes sense that they would continue using past tense. Who knows, copy editors may notice it and make the change.

Hope this didn't burst your bubble, but I think it's a decent explanation as to why it occurs.

[dzsaigirl]

Actually, that is incorrect! It is perfectly okay to switch tense in a sentence if that gives meaning to it.

"I went to SMU and I have blue eyes" - I didn't have to say I HAD blue eyes, because that still holds true, get it?

The verb tense rule refers to the general tense of a paragraph. Like you can't talk about your day in the past tense for part of the paragraph and then in the present tense in the other half. You just have to be consistent. But that has nothing to do with things that actually DID happen at different times, or when one situation has passed and the other is still happening.

[Kevin]

News copy is a bit different than real writing.

I have a book here called the "Broadcast News Handbook" (and I'll grant you it's a bit different from print journalism but I imagine this aspect would be similar.

So sayeth the Broadcast News Handbook

"Don't use more than one tense in the same sentence for example, you wouldn't write 'Police arrest a Carrville man and charged him with arson.' You place both verbs in the past tense, but your best bet is to use the present tense with both words (unless the arrest happened some time ago and we're updating the story)."

I hope that helps.