What Do Your Letters Mean To You?

I am going to take a break from my pre-Rush/Recruitment themed post and talk directly to initiated Greeks.

I don't care if you're a social Greek, service Greek, or academic Greek, but I believe ALL Greeks need to hear this. The title of this is "What Do Your Letters Mean To You?" for a reason. I am going to be addressing the fact of respecting your letters as well as the letters of other organizations. This is strictly my opinion and you can take it to heart or you can ignore me, but I feel that I need to say this.

If you aren't a part of an organization, don't try and dictate to the members what they should and should not do in their letters. It is seriously NONE of your business. If you aren't a part of their judiciary board, their risk management chair, or one of their advisers, you don't have a dog in the fight.

I was recently "scolded" for saying something (not cursing or anything like that) in my letters that one guy didn't like. He tried to call me out for what I said in my letters. The hypocrisy of it all is he does some of the most stupid things in his letters and he is the PRESIDENT of another (Greek) organization. Not to mention his Twitter being covered with his letters and some pretty inappropriate language and content. If you are going to try and guilt someone for something they said or did in their letters, make sure your slate is clean before you try and scold another Greek.

Rant over. Gosh. Okay, so the reason I posed the question "What Do Your Letters Mean To You?" is I have seen more and more Greeks that seem to think that all Greek life is is straight partying and getting to wear matching shirts. And honestly, when I was a freshman, that's all I thought social Greek life was. That's why I didn't go social until the end of my sophomore year. I put a lot of faith in my organization, praying it would not be party after party, and I'm glad that I had faith. The women I now surround myself with are amazing. They work to better our school and our community. Yes, we do socialize, but we also try and keep high academic marks and a lot of community service. No one is perfect, I realize this, but wearing three letters across your chest has a lot more meaning to it than just wearing letters.

Before I was initiated we read a narrative about how we are ALWAYS wearing our letters, which is true. Even when I don't have on one of my letter shirts, people know the organization I belong to. Why? Because they associate my face with my organization. At the same time, they are associating my actions with my organization. If I act foolish or mean, that may be the only impression anyone ever gets about my organization. That is why when I am in the public eye, I am on my best behavior. I want girls to find the same love and friendship that I have found, not scare them away with perpetual partying.

So, take a step back. Research your organization and find out as much as you can about it's founding. Was it established for academic reasons? (Hint: Most organizations were.) And above all else, be proud of your letters. Treat them as you would your most prized possession.