13 Things Greeks at Liberal Arts Colleges Will Relate To

So, I follow Catie Warren on twitter (she writes for TFM under the name From Rush to Rehab) and through some twists and turns on the internet I came across this beautifully written, totally relate-able blog post. 47 Things Greeks at Liberal Arts Colleges Will Relate To (http://totalfratmove.com/47-things-greeks-at-liberal-arts-colleges-will-relate-to/). While I love the article and can relate to most of it, I would like to make some additions, if you don't mind:)

1. You have a ton of Greek service organizations.

2.Speaking of Greek service organizations, it's not odd for you to be in one of them or an academic Greek organization. 

3.Your school offers money to the student organization with the most people in attendance at certain sporting functions *cough*basketball games*cough*. The recipient is typically a Greek organization.

4. The president of the university sends your chapter's twitter shoutouts and words of encouragement.

5. Greek week is a super big deal, yet somehow the same sorority/fraternity combo win the overall competition every year.

6. Your sorority sisters would rather have a Harry Potter movie marathon than go out and party.

7. Speaking of parties, your school has a ton of rules about party, including a party curfew and forms that must be filed to hold one.

8. The cap on your number of members is somewhere around 50.

9. Your biggest pledge class had 12 pledges.

10. You have essentially doubled your chapter in one semester.

11. Most of the advisers are alumni of your chapter that graduated in the last 5 years.

12. Your sorority has one guy that they keep up with everything he does in his life. (My chapter's guy was on The Voice and will be on this season of American Idol.)

13. Your original opinion about Greek life was that it was exactly how Hollywood portrayed it. Never in your life would you join a sorority/fraternity. Ever. Yet here you are.

Update!!!!!

Hey guys! So once again, I'm really sorry I haven't updated everyone in a while, this semester has been crazy! Since the last time I gave y'all an update on our new member class, we had 17. Unfortunately through many sad circumstances, we only initiated 12. Several girls decided to hold their bids or drop them. I was sad to see so many go, but I understand their reasons. However, we now have 12 new sisters who I know will be a great benefit for our chapter!

Last time I told you all that two of my favorite freshmen girls got bids. One decided to hold hers, however the other was initiated. She's my little:) Her name is Rachael and she is absolutely precious!

I don't think I've revealed which sorority I belong to, but I guess here it is. Yes, I am a member of Alpha Sigma Tau. She was so excited to finally wear her first shirt and I was really proud to have my name on her back!!!!!!

Best of 2013: The Memories Edition

As 2013 draws to an end, I can't help but reflect on all of the things that happened in this calendar year. I started the year off with no direction. I felt completely disconnected from the friends that I had during my freshman year and the semester before. I felt as though they had betrayed me and I really had no desire to spend time with them. To this day I still question my relationship with these people. I feel like I always have to be on my toes and watch out for them stabbing me in the back -- but enough with the bad.

Like I said, 2013 was basically starting off with me having NO ONE (at school). I did ring in the new year with my church family, which was awesome as always. When I started off the second semester of my second year, I didn't have any direction. I may have written in the past about my bad experience with another on campus organization. My roommate had once been a part of that organization, had to drop her letters, but was allowed to pick them up in Spring 2013. After that happened, I really felt alone. I was happy for her and all, but what was I supposed to do? Thankfully some wonderful ladies in Alpha Sigma Tau at my university began to talk to me on a regular basis. They constantly invited me to bid parties, but I was never able to go because of my schedule. Finally they had one that I could go to and I had a ball! Time passed and I competed in my university's pageant...

On March 29th of this year I received a text message that changed everything. I was extended a bid to join the wonderful sisterhood of Alpha Sigma Tau. So many things happened during that time that I can't even begin to explain the excitement I felt! I got to be a part of something really awesome and it felt wonderful! On April 19, 2013 I was initiated as a sister in Alpha Sigma Tau and life hasn't been the same since! [And for all of you who say that I paid for my friends, please refer to the section where I talked about the fact that we hung out BEFORE I even got a bid! Also, refer to a past post about how I became involved in AST.] Anyway, the very next Monday we started Greek Week, then finals! I did really well in school and everything was amazing!

On May 30th I got my job as a Beauty Advisor at a department store in our mall. I worked all summer at my BA job, along with my color guard instruction job [first ever]! All of this money went to pay for my AST dues! I purposefully got my job(s) to save up money for my sorority so that I could learn responsibility for things that I want to do! Ugh, tangent. So, we had summer meeting, I got to take awesome pictures with all my sisters, etc.

During the fall my color guard girls went to competitions and received all superior ratings!!!!!! They also received 2 outstanding awards and 2 separate competitions where they were competing with people from all over the state! I was a proud mama!!!!!!

This last semester gave me my first full semester as a Tau, I got my first position, my first executive position, and my first little!!!!! This year has been a year of firsts for me and I can't wait to ring in 2014 and see what it has to offer!!!!!!!!

Post-Rush Probs.

Hello my lovelies! If you are still reading, sweet! Sorry I haven't posted in a while!! My last post was actually four days before my school's rush week started, so I got real busy! Anyway, I think I'll recap rush for you all and let you know how our last couple of weeks of recruitment are going.

So, this was my first time to be involved in "Formal Recruitment" EVER. I received my bid last semester through Open Recruitment. I had not gone through rush. I had no experience. It's really awkward with your first time in any of this being on the behind the scenes action. Anyway. Our room was decorated really cute and simple. We had some panels up in our colors, we brought in the letters we put at the football field, we had a couple of memorabilia tables (that I decorated), a lattice with all of our stitched letters, and lots of beautiful sisters. We had a ton of fun with all of our PNMs. Sadly, we couldn't accept all of them (70+ girls went through formal recruitment... that's a record for my school!). We wound up with fifteen new members (which nearly doubled our chapter)!!

Between people dropping their bids, holding their bids, and having Open Recruitment, I believe our new member class stands at 17. How cool is that? I mean, I go to a pretty small college. I guess that's why I'm so excited! Plus it's my first new member class, meaning I'm not the youngest in the sorority anymore!!

We have one more day for Open Recruitment this next week then we will begin our new member process! I can't believe it's almost October!! I'm so ready for big/little. Two of my closest freshman girls received bids for our sorority and they are convinced I'll be their big. We shall see! I'm taking two littles this semester and I can't WAIT!!!!!!! I'm so excited. It's gonna be real fun!

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.

The Big, The Little and The Reveal

After you go through Rush (or Open Recruitment) you will at some point get a big sister. I don't know how every organization does this (or my organization for that matter, I only know what we did), but typically the choosing of bigs and littles are the same but the reveal is different.

I have seen so many different big/little reveal ideas, but I'm just going to walk you through what we did. We had a mixer between the new members and the initiated sisters who were taking littles at the time. After we kind of got to know one another, someone matched up big sisters and little sisters... I don't know the actual process of how things were done. Anyway, then we finally had our reveal.

Each new member was given a color (of course mine was pink) and we were escorted into the chapter room. We were instructed to "choose a weapon" because the floor was covered in balloons. Inside of one of these balloons there was a piece of paper revealing the name of our big sister. After I popped my first balloon, a piece of paper fell out, but I just kept popping balloons because I didn't want to ruin the fun and excitement. One of the initiated sisters looked me in the eye and said, "Erin, your big put a piece of paper in EVERY balloon." Every place I had popped a pink balloon, there was a small piece of white paper. I gathered them up and continued to pop balloons and collect pieces of paper. I finally sat down in the middle of the chapter room and went through each slip one by one. Each of them said "Try again." FINALLY I found the piece of paper that revealed my big sis. I literally attacked her. She was so scared, it was hilarious.

My big/little reveal was so much fun and I can't wait to see what our New Member chair has in store for us this semester. I also can't wait until I get to have a little sister. It's such a special bond and a special time for each initiated sister. Recruitment and rush really renew your love for your organization!

Here are me (left) and my big sis (right) on the night of big/little reveal!

FAQs: What I Hear Most Often

So every freshman is going to have their questions, and I have heard a TON of them. I am going to try and remember most of the questions I've gotten and add to this as I get more:))

Q: What is "Rush?"

A: Well, this one is always fun to answer, especially since I never was involved in rush, and as soon as rush is over, I will update this question to the best of my ability. From what I can gather, rush is the time where you are trying to find out which organization best fits you (in your opinion). Of course, everyone thinks they belong with the "most popular" group, but let's get real. This isn't high school. My advice? Don't look at what you think the "most popular" organization is. Look at the girls and how they act. Can you get along with each of these women? Remember, these women have the potential to be your sisters, not for four years, forever. At the same time that you are meeting the women of each organization, they are learning more about you and how you could possibly fit into their organization. By the end of rush week, most PNMs (potential new members) will be matched up with the organization that best matches them. Some PNMs don't receive bids, that's just the way rush works. Don't give up, most organizations continue to have Open Recruitment after rush and you are still eligible for it:)

Q: What is "Open Recruitment?"

A: Well, open recruitment is where I feel I have more experience. I received a bid for my organization via open recruitment. The way my organization does it, open recruitment is centered around "parties." These parties are not the "party hard" parties. They're the kind of parties where we sit around and eat delicious things, play games, take pictures, etc. A lot of times open recruitment has a new group of PNMs who could not go through rush due to schedule conflicts.

Q: Do I have to go to every night of rush?

A: Well. In a word, yes. This is why open recruitment is great. If you're like me you have class obligations on Tuesdays and Thursdays nights, causing a conflict with rush. Rush is where you put your best foot forward. Do you really want to show up, then be a no show for 50% of the week? If you KNOW there are conflicts with rush, hold out for open recruitment!!!!!

Q: How do I make sure I get a bid?

A: If you are dead set on going Greek, but you don't know which organization you would like to join, BE YOURSELF. If you read my last post, you would know that my sisters met me while I was crying on the side of the road. That's me, my emotions are out there for everyone. They knew this and they got to know me even better. I got a bid. If you act like YOU, you'll end up with the women you need to be with.