Video Depicts Sororities as Cults, Angering EVERYONE!

Yesterday, someone posted a video comparing sorority women to cult members and it is profoundly disturbing! Is this supposed to be funny because their satire didn't go as planned.

I am a fan of recruitment videos where everyone is having a good time to show off their chapter. I understand the benefits of a sorority. It has opened many doors for me and I have met so many great people in my organization and out of it.

What I don't understand is how someone can compare us to a cult?

Ron Rhodes, author of The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions: The Essential Guide to Their History, Their Doctrine, and Our Response, listed six sociological characteristics of cults. 

1. Authoritarian Leadership, "Authoritarianism involves the acceptance of an authority figure who exercises excessive control on cult members."

2. Exclusivism, "The cult views itself as the single means of salvation on earth: to leave the group is to endanger one's soul."

3. Isolationism, "Cults require members to renounce and break off associations with parents and siblings."

4. Opposition to Independent Thinking, "Some cultic groups discourage members from thinking independently. The “thinking,” as it were, has already been done for them by the cult leadership; the proper response is merely to submit. . . ."

5. Fear of Being "Disfellowshiped", "People are urged to remain faithful to avoid being “disfellowshiped,” or disbarred, from the group."

6. Threats of Satanic Attack, "Finally, some cults use fear and intimidation to keep members in line. Members may be told that something awful will happen to them should they choose to leave the group. Others may be told that Satan will attack them and may even kill them, for they will have committed the unpardonable sin. Such fear tactics are designed to induce submission. Even when people do muster enough courage to leave the group, they may endure psychological consequences and emotional baggage for years to come."


All of which sorority women are not a part of.

Sorority women raise money for their philanthropies, we offer community service, we uphold strong academics, we support each other and the community, and we pride ourselves with our letters. One sorority member on Facebook commented, "This is sickening. I am a member of a philanthropic organization. I am a member of a family. I am a member of a support system. I am a member of a 24 hour comedy club. I am a member of a house. I am a member of a service team. I am a member of a study group. I am a member of a council. I AM a member of a sorority. I AM NOT a member of a ‘cult’"

Is Christmas Here Too Early?

Is it me or has Christmas not been very Christmas-feeling lately in the past years? I always knew the quadruplet major holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) compete with each other and overlap each other with consumerism.

Halloween is tomorrow and those decorations have been displayed in stores since August. AUGUST! I shouldn't be seeing a scarecrow or pumpkins until September, when it is actually Fall. 

Christmas, however, is on a whole 'nother league. The famous Grove in Los Angeles just put up their big tree to display and Target stores already have everything from Santa to fake snow for your Christmas needs. I love Christmas, but not when it's October. Let me wear my cat ears first before I put on the Santa hat, please. 

The marketing strategy for these displays comes from the idea that "it's never to early to celebrate a joyous holiday". Last year, consumers thought stores were putting up decorations too early because it completely made people not enjoy Thanksgiving. It turned into "let's have this turkey and ham dinner that Mom slaved over and buy Christmas presents on Black Friday". Keep in mind, stores also had their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving day. 

The time of giving and joy is no longer present (pun intended) because the holiday turned into it's own marketing campaign for you to spend your money and time at department stores.

Branching Out To Other Organizations

Do it. It will do you some good.

While joining a sorority will look great on a resume with the ever-lasting commitment you display, good character traits, your ability to lead -- it should not be the only thing that shows what you are capable of doing.

As it is still the beginning of the school year, try to look into other organization to not only build up your resume, but to also build up your networking. It will create a lot of connections to a field of interest.

All college campuses varies by what clubs are offered but each has a consensus for an enjoyable student life.

Look into an academic or business fraternity. It will show that you are goal oriented to prove your own leadership potential and your LinkedIn profile will be blasted with so many connections from your peers and current business employers who will be impressed with your endorsements.

Community service clubs are a great way to connect with something bigger. It can be for a national community service organization like Circle K International or Habitat for Humanity, where you vie for the same type of services for a common goal. Each organization not only provides their services to the community with something small like trash pick up or big like building a new home, but they also fundraise money for their counterparts! You'll get that heart warming feeling when you see so many smiling faces from a job well done.

Get cultural with culture clubs, even if you aren't born into it! You'll get a whole new perspective on an exciting lifestyle for people who are eager to show you! You'll learn something new every time and there will also be an abundance of food from all of the potlucks that will ensue. Yes, please.

Step out of your chapter to develop a better college experience. This will create many memories with different people who, too, share the same interests as you!

What Every College Girl Should Know

A few pieces of advice I've collected, for college girls, throughout my time spent in college. 

1. You may not like your roommate, which is fine.  All you need to do is learn how to live with her.
2. Nobody really cares where you went to high school, what clique you were in, or how many awards you won.
3. Chances are high that you will change your major. I promise you it won't destroy your college experience.
4. It's okay to not get straight A's.
5. Sometimes that paper you think deserves and A+ will get a B, and it's okay life will go on.
6. Tutoring is something that everyone uses, even the smart kids on campus.
7. Your first semester is one of the most difficult adjustment periods you will experience, in college.
8. You're definitely not going to stay in touch with all of your friends from high school.
9. Speaking of high school, you might miss it sometimes and that's okay.  It's all part of the transition process. However, don't let yourself dwell on the pass and miss out on the here and now.
10. There's a lot more to college than frat parties and football games.
11. You don't have to drink to be social.
12. First impressions are important, but your first thoughts about people aren't always correct.
13. It doesn't how well you know "that girl at the party", if she's too drunk help her! After all,  if by chance that was you, your friend, or your sibling you would want someone to help you.
14. Always charge your phone before going out. 
15. Never go out alone.
16. Create a budget, it's easy to spend too much.
17. Don't send a snapchat that you wouldn't want someone to screen shot.
18. Don't post anything on social media that you wouldn't want your grandmother to see.
19. Sometimes you have to cry to feel better.
20. 95% of the time crop tops are not a good look. 
21. Have self respect.
22. Don't change your morals because they don't match someone else's.
23. Get dressed for class. It makes you more alert and leaves a good impression on your peers and professor.
24. Talk to your parents! They can provide great advice and support.
25. Take lots of pictures (You don't need to post every picture you take)!
26. Unless you are 21, don't post pictures with alcohol in them. 
27. Red cups are not a good look for social media posts.
28. Get involved! 
29. Use an agenda. They help a lot.
30. Go to class. 
31. Spark Notes is not going to get you too far in college. Shocker, you have to actually do your own work!
32. Take advantage of all the opportunities your campus has.
33. Failure is a part of life, but remember to learn from it.
34. Try something new.
35. It's okay to have a late night snack every once in awhile just don't make it a habit.
36. Add the number for your campus public safety into your phone.
37. Leggings can be worn as pants, but not for every single occasion.
38. Pinterest is a great resource for just about everything!
39. Stand up for what you believe in. It's okay if you have to stand alone sometimes.
40. Splurge on something for yourself every once in awhile.
41. A little retail therapy won't kill you.
42. Be sure to eat a balanced diet.
43. Be active, it's good for your physical and mental health.
44. Balance work and play.
45. Don't go home every weekend.
46. Step outside your comfort zone.
47. Take time for yourself. Your mental health is important.
48. Take some time for reflection. It is important to realize what is and is not working for you.
49. Be kind to everyone without letting them walk all over you.
50. Have fun!

XOXO

-Michaela

How to Ball on a Budget

Look y'all. Everything about college is expensive and spending money is extremely easy since you have so much to spend it on. And if you're like me, you will cut corners at every opportunity you're given- whether it be renting books instead of buying  them (or buying all of my books at all, haha), or knowing when to calm down on my weekly Chick-Fil-A runs. But as you get older, you realize that nothing is ever free (colleges might as well charge you for breathing!!) So here's a list of things to remember when you wanna make your money stretch:

1. Take advantage on campus transportation
- This is an amazing option if you don't have your own car. You know those fees on your account that don't even seem real? That's what this helps pays for. And even if you do have your own car, gas is NOT cheap, so make sure to park your car when you can.

2.  Cook, don't eat out!
- If you have a kitchen, use it! Sure it may seem expensive when you're doing a major grocery haul, (even that doesn't need to be expensive if you shop right!) but it'll be so much more worth it in the long run instead of going to Chipotle and Starbucks 6x a month. In some cases, shopping and cooking your own food could even be healthier.

3. Don't be afraid to buy offbrand.
- This one's pretty self explanatory. Sometimes this option has to be the way to go.

4. Make a list.
- What I do each month is make a list of everything I know I need to buy and the things I just want. Most of the time, my "want" list is much longer than what I need. Making a list allows me to prioritize what's really important and what could wait.

5. Just don't spend money!
- This one seems the most obvious, but it's just that simple! Every time you get some money, put some aside for your savings. That way, when you really need money to spend, you can actually have it and not have to worry about it.

There ya go! 5 easy ways to ball on a budget! Strut your stuff, ladies! Have any other suggestions? Let me know!

Being in the Wrong Major

Let’s face it- junior year of high school is arguably the most stressful year of high school. You start to think about what college(s) to apply for, the hundreds of scholarship apps you’ll need to fill out in order to even go to college, and what major you’ll decide to be. Year after year, your teachers and guidance counselors told you to not only major in something you “like” but also major in something that is practical and will make you money; so majors like professional writing or psychology always raised the question “what are you gonna do with that after you graduate?”  But by my second year of college, I realized that I had inadvertently gone along with that same mindset. I was also more miserable in my major and felt it would only get worse.

My first two years of college, I was a biology major. My ultimate dream was to be a doctor and I was never going to give up on that dream, even though biology is one of the hardest majors out there. Don’t get me wrong, I still want to be a doctor more than anything else in this world, but I found that majoring in biology just wasn’t for me. I have a special love and appreciation for science, but I also love more artistic things such as playing the piano and writing poetry. While being a biology major, I found that my major was taking so much out of me in every way possible that I actually started to hate it. I hated going to class, I hated the material, and I especially hated how expensive all those books were getting. I felt so trapped! Then it dawned on me- I came to college not only for a degree, but to grow and expand my way of thinking and I wasn’t getting that. So I decided to make a change.

I took a sociology class last year and I instantly fell in love with it. I realized that I was more excited about going to class more so than I ever was while in college. The work for that class didn’t seem like work to me; it was enjoyable and extremely fulfilling. And while I was searching through a long list of majors to choose from, I thought to myself-“why am I making this so hard?!” In that moment, I knew sociology was for me.

Once I told my advisors, friends, and family about my change, I was bombarded with questions, comments, and a whole lot of concerns. I felt I had to give them more than just “because it just feels right” but I realized, that’s all I really needed. (Plus, if I’m gonna be spending thousands of dollars and 4+ years on a degree, I sure better enjoy every penny I’m spending and every hour of work I’m gonna be putting in.) But once I also explained that I can still go to med school and take the necessary prereqs while studying something I didn’t realize I always loved, everyone started to realize why I made the change in the first place. Now, this fall, I will officially be declaring my major as Sociology with a concentration in Medical Sociology and I may even add a minor in Chemistry! And even though I have a long road of ahead of me, at least I know I’ll be happy. I’ll have time to get back to the things I love such as playing the piano and having the opportunity to write for an amazing blog such as this one!

So if you’re having legitimate thoughts of changing your major (because let’s be real, we all have those thoughts at some point during college), talk to your advisor. Really do some soul searching and do what you feel is right in your heart. Who cares if no one else sees the vision that you do?! You only go through this kind of college experience once, so why waste it on being in a major you hate? Do what you love and have a passion for. If that ends up being a major that’ll make great money, then good for you. If not, you’ll always figure out a way to make it work. Trust yourself and trust in your instincts and you can’t go wrong.  

Look at the great job Charisse did on her first article!

Sorority Recruitment Prepares You For the Real World

Believe it or not sorority life is more than matching tee shirts, fake candid pictures, and themed parties.  Just like sorority life is more than all that, Recruitment is more than a popularity contest, matching outfits, and fake smiles. Being a member of a sorority means you are recruiting 365 days a year, whether it’s through formal recruitment, social media, networking with women in your classes, or the way you act while wearing your letters.  At some point during your time as a collegian, you will experience Formal Recruitment.  I’ve had the opportunity to experience the Formal Recruitment Process both as a PNM, Potential New Member, and as a recruiter. Formal Recruitment requires a lot of preparation leading up to the days filled with rounds of meeting new women. So how can Formal Recruitment help you in the real world?

Time Management Skills: Preparing for Formal Recruitment require long hours of preparation in the weeks leading up to the actual recruitment events.  For Fall Recruitment these days, known as Spirit Days, are crammed into the first few weeks of the year. On top of establishing new semester routines and remembering how to study, you now have to spend hours preparing to recruit your sorority’s future.  This requires time management.  For me, my agenda helps keep me sane during the first chaotic month of the fall semester. Time management is a skill that will help you be successful for the rest of your life.

Optimistic Outlook: Whether you are a PNM or a sister who is recruiting, the Formal Recruitment process can be very long and tiresome.  Sometimes you spend a long time in uncomfortable shoes and clothes, you go hours without eating, and you get hardly any sleep.  While these things sound awful, the experience you are getting makes up for it. There are two ways you can deal with these negative things: with an optimistic attitude or with a pessimistic one. Being pessimistic will make the whole process seem much longer, and if you are a PNM you will have a tough time getting into a sorority because nobody really wants a negative Nancy to be their sister. The better option is to have an optimistic throughout the whole process. Being optimistic will make you happier and allow you to turn the negatives into positives. This is a trait that will get you far in life. Living life with an optimistic attitude will bring you a lot more happiness and positivity, which makes life much more pleasant.

Communication Skills: Formal Recruitment is all about being able to converse with other women.  It is through these conversations that you either figure out the organization you will call home or the women you would like to add to your organization. Without these conversations recruitment really wouldn’t exist. Recruitment teaches you how to have quality conversations and how to communicate even when a conversation is dying. Being able to communicate in awkward or normal conversations is a skill that will help you in the workplace, socially, and on a daily basis.

Appearance: Believe it or not, first impressions are incredibly important.  During recruitment first impressions matter, which is why it is important to be groomed. This means your hair should be done neatly, attire should be on the conservative side, makeup should give off a clean appearance, deodorant should be worn, clothes should not be wrinkled, nails should be trimmed and painted neatly (or not at all), and perfume should be on the lighter side. Learning to make a great first impression through a well-kept appearance is something that is good to know how to do as you will need to do this during a job interview.

Good luck to everyone engaging in the Formal Recruitment process this Fall! Just remember that the experience you are gaining is helping you develop better professional skills, which will help you post college.

Congrats to one of our new writers, Michaela, for this amazing article!! She also blogs as The Shore Life According to M!

My Recruitment Story

Charisse A.

I don’t have the typical recruitment story. I didn’t sign up as a wide eyed freshman fresh outta high school, anxiously waiting for this process to begin. I didn’t meet so many sororities on campus during recruitment to where I lost track of faces and names. My recruitment experience is just the opposite.

               I had struggled with the thought of seeing myself in a sorority, but figured “hey, why not?” So I told my parents I wanted to go through recruitment during first semester of college. Needless to say they were not on board because they wanted academics to be my number one focus, understandably so. So I waited until spring semester. At that point, I was fully immersed in my school work and other extracurriculars that I didn’t even know how I’d be able to balance everything! But after a lot of back and forth from my parents, they finally became a little bit more understanding.

               Because I went through spring semester, I had an informal experience; meaning I would go to some events that each sorority was hosting and see where my best fit was. (It was pretty easy to decide, considering my school at the time only had 2 sororities.) I knew which house I belonged to. I knew where I wanted to establish my roots. Getting my bid was just perfect yet so surreal! And at first, I thought I wouldn’t feel the same as someone who went through recruitment before felt when they were greeted by so many sisters singing and yelling, waiting for new sisters to embrace them! I did in fact felt that way! Here’s where everything gets a little weird.

               Towards the end of second semester, news broke that my school and another one were “merging” which meant that my university and another were to now be housed under the same name and jurisdiction. This also meant that for the fraternities and sororities who existed on both campus would also consolidate and we’d have to take on a whole new group of guys/girls whom we didn’t even know! After a lot of back and forth and trying to fit all the pieces together, everything turned on alright! I was initiated with a pledge class of 4, but now have a pledge class of over 70, will be recruiting with more than 80 sisters, and are expected to recruit HUNDREDS of PNMS!

            

   So like I said, I don’t have the most traditional recruiting story, but it’s unique and something special that I’ll always carry with me. 

Protecting Your Values

          One of my sisters, with whom I am very close, recently attended the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute, a leadership conference that brings together fraternity leaders from across the country to remind them of the importance of reconnecting with their values in addition to training them in how to bring back the importance and awareness of their values to their campuses. Before she even left, she texted me asking me which of our fraternity’s values I had reflected today. I’ll admit, it wasn’t something I was expecting. I know our values, don’t get me wrong, but they were always something that I just knew were important to me. Integrity is something I hold very dearly. Honor and Respect are very important to me. All our values are incredible and good, but not something I thought about consciously on a daily basis. 

            I remember floundering for a minute, thinking, “all I did today was unpack and pick up my sister from gymnastics.” I hadn’t been reading to second graders, as my fraternity does as a part of our philanthropy, nor had I been raising money to improve literacy. Essentially, I hadn’t been doing anything important.

            In the end, I said something like, “Does driving my sister around count as a Philanthropic Service to Others?” and it does. And then I thought, “Oh I did some reading for my paper for graduate school, so there’s Intellectual Growth. And I chatted with my best friend from 8^th grade, and that’s Sincere Friendship.” So I guess our values apply to more than just fraternity and service heavy days.

            I began writing the values that I had reflected daily. And it has brought me closer to my fraternity. We are value-based organizations. We pride ourselves on our sisterhood, and our values are what bring us together. But unfortunately that which makes us strong can also be our downfall.

            Whenever a scandal breaks regarding our organizations, be it hazing, partying, or racist behavior, our organizations are heinously vilified in the media. Fraternities involved in hazing are called “appalling,” “vicious,” and worse. Furthermore, scandals involving mistreatment of minorities either in or out of the organization are repeatedly reported upon—the SAE scandal at Oklahoma University, for example, had well over a hundred headlines. Fraternity scandals tend to burn longer and brighter than many other organization’s scandals. Hazing, for instance, exists more openly and prevalently in other organizations, including but not limited to high school organizations, sports, honor societies, and the military (side note: a professor at my university, Jane Ward, recently wrote a book about hazing. I haven’t read it, but I have had a class with her and she’s incredible, so I would totally check it out if you’re interested).

            However, because Greek organizations are value based, we are more closely scrutinized. I would equate this to the way that those who create laws are held to them more closely. For instance, when politicians are caught breaking the law, they are persecuted harshly (well. As harshly as any United States politician will be).

            While journaling my values daily has been an incredible exercise in discipline and positivity, but I’m not sure that I would recommend this for everyone. I keep (what many would refer to as) too many journals, and I write prolifically on several aspects of my life—I have a general life journal for diary purposes, a bullet journal for organization, a reading journal dedicated to notes on whatever I happen to be reading at the moment, and a values journal. I completely understand that a lot of people don’t have this kind of time in their day, but there are other methods of keeping track of your values. A check-list is another good way to keep track of your values. Alternately, just tying your daily reflection to something else you do daily, like brushing your teeth is a good habit.

            This reflection has been incredible in helping me reconnect with my fraternity, especially when the fact that it’s summer right now is taken into consideration. I don’t get to see my sisters weekly at meeting or at letters, but I think of them when I think of Sincere Friendship. I found a Dr. Seuss book the other day and I thought of our Philanthropic Service to Others and how privileged I was to be able to participate in Champions are Readers, in which my sisters and I encouraged elementary students to love reading. I think about our founders and their hunger for learning every time I spend some time on Personal and Intellectual Growth. It’s a good way to feel productive and positive even when you don’t think you are.

            Pi Beta Phi has six values: Integrity, Lifelong Commitment, Honor and Respect, Personal and Intellectual Growth, Philanthropic Service to Others, and Sincere Friendship. Today I displayed four of my values:

·       Personal and Intellectual Growth: not only did I finish writing this article, but I also finished my philosophy class’s reading for the week and wrote out a section of GRE vocabulary flash cards.

·       Lifelong Commitment: My first and most important lifelong commitment is to myself, mind and body, and today I worked out.

·       Sincere Friendship: I counseled a friend through her first break up, even though she goes to school 8 hours away from me now and I haven’t seen her lately. Maintaining friendships despite distance is incredibly important to me. I also hosted a brief hang out session with a few sisters, with whom I cannot wait to be reunited officially once the school year starts.

·       Honor and Respect: This one is tough. A few months ago I got into a fight with someone I was very close to. He did not respect my boundaries and repeatedly ignored my requests to take the discussion somewhere more private and to pause long enough for me to stop shaking and crying. The fight resulted in more than a month and a half of radio silence. Today he sent me an apology. It checked all three marks of a good apology: he recognized what he had done, he understood why it was wrong, and he promised to not allow it to happen again. However, he continued to tell someone (with whom I am very good friends) precisely how insincere his apology was, and how he was entirely selfish in his reason for apologizing. I have a hard time not accepting apologies, generally speaking. My first instinct is to give people the benefit of the doubt and befriend them again, but this guy in particular had already hit his three strikes. And sometimes, honor and respect means putting yourself first. Sometimes honor and respect means recognizing that after a certain point, people don’t change—won’t change, and manipulation is never ok. Sometimes Integrity means sticking to your guns and holding when so much of you wants to cave. Sometimes Personal Growth means knowing that two years ago that person would have slid right back into your life only to hurt you again and again and again. Your first and most important Lifelong Commitment is to yourself, and sometimes you cannot compromise on your own wellbeing.

We joined these organizations for different reasons, but I think one thing we can agree upon having found is sisterhood. But more than that are the values that bind us together. Our values are what our founders had in mind when they set forth to create a space where women can support their fellow woman, and where our love of each other and our values can shine.

I like to sign off every values journal entry with “here’s to the wine and blue,” my fraternity’s colors. So with all the love in my heart and the values of my sisterhood, PPL.

Which of your fraternity’s values did you reflect today?

Show Kaitlin some love on her first article!!

Recruitment Workshop Epiphany

 Before I begin, here are a few things you should probably know about me.

·        My attention span is virtually nonexistent.

·        I really, really, really like food.

·        I hate mornings with a passion.

·        I’m kind of addicted to Diet Coke. Yes, I know it’s bad for me.

·        I never expected to join a sorority. The look of shock on my old friends’ faces still amuses me when they find out I joined my chapter.

·        I don’t fully fit in anywhere. I never have, and I don’t think I ever will. And I kind of like that.

·        I got a job to pay for sorority life, t-shirts, and extras.

·        I went through recruitment as a sophomore knowing where I wanted to call my home away from home (more on this in another post).

·        I knew who I wanted as my Big Diamond Sister as soon as we talked at Meet the Greeks.

·        I was planning on going financially inactive this year for several personal reasons.

I think that covers the bases.

Everyone told me to expect this moment of absolute wonder during my Initiation that I almost felt guilty for not feeling. I just didn’t feel anything through it. It wasn’t that I didn’t care or wasn’t excited. I just didn’t get some magical feeling or butterflies or anything. I was exhausted and kind of just want to get back to my pizza. That feeling added on to my personal reasons lead me to consider financial inactivity. I even got the paperwork half filled out. I got busy and didn’t worry with it for a while. Then our June workshop came around. I didn’t expect to almost completely change how I felt about my sorority.

I went through the motions on that first day. I sing-screamed my way through all the songs and chants most of us already knew, cheerleader-cheesed it up every time a camera was on me, and couldn’t wait for food. When it was over, I finally got to go home. I finally got to see my boyfriend after a week. The next morning I had to get up early for the Initiation of our two sweet Alphas. It was too early for me to get my Diet Coke fix for the day. To say I was cranky would be a gross understatement. But I love my sisters and wanted our two newest Alphas to have as great an experience as they could.

It was during their Initiation that I finally had my magical moment. I don’t even know what caused it. I just know that somewhere during the ceremony, I looked around the room at all the girls I had gone through the very same process with. I looked at them and knew I was exactly where I was meant to be. I realized that though I may not get along easily with every single sister I ever meet, the bond we share because of Alpha Delta Pi is more important than any of that. I had several more of those moments later in the day. I just realized exactly how much my sisterhood and letters mean to me in the long run.

I wouldn’t give up being in Alpha Delta Pi for anything. My letters aren’t just there to look cute on a shirt, fanny pack, or pair of sunglasses. My letters are to remind me to grow in who I am and to help push my sisters in the right direction as well. My letters are to remind me to be better than I was yesterday, even if it’s only a little. They’re to remind me that I will never be alone again. I knew all these things before workshop, and yet I also didn’t. I had to refocus on that. And that, my dear friends, is an epiphany to last a lifetime.

I believe that our motto, “We Live For Each Other”, expresses the true spirit of fraternity; and that by living this motto my life will be enriched by true friendships and by unselfish service to mankind.

Check out this great article from our new writer, Meaghan!!

Disaffiliation Is A Lot Harder Than I Thought

This summer and upcoming fall, I have to disaffiliate/disassociate myself from my sorority because I have the opportunity to be a rho gamma in this year's recruitment. 

Let me tell you, during my interview they asked me if I will have any trouble from disaffiliation considering that I have to showcase an unbiased opinion. I told the interviewers, "I can disaffiliate easily. It can't be that hard because it's only the summer. And I'll busy myself, so I don't think there's a chance I'll see them in public anyways." 

I was wrong. 

It was a long and tedious process to hide my photos and privatize every social media account I had. Thankfully, there were loopholes where I can still talk to my sisters with texting but it was like I was creating a forbidden relationship with my own chapter.  

When some girls wanted to hang out with me, we actually had to think logistically because of a possible potential new member spotting my sister in her srat gear. Then there was moments in group outings where sisters would take photos for PR, and I was either the photographer or the girl awkwardly watching from the sidelines. 

I can walk on campus and see my sister but I can't open wave to them or hug them. I literally have to look the other way or not make eye contact with them. It has turned to a point where any type of public communication is literally not allowed with us!

There are definite pluses to disaffiliation because I am able to meet a whole range of amazing girls from different chapters and I can focus on the new members during recruitment. While disaffiliation seems hard right now, I find it hopeful because then I can start running back into my sisters's arms and proudly wear my letters again. 

What's In My Bag: Finals Week Edition

So it's not exactly my finals week but like a good student (hear that Mum, I'm a good student), I am starting to study 2 weeks before my actual finals week. Since the library has become my new home, I obviously have to pack anything and everything I could potentially need during my journey to the land of the books and procrastination.

Here are the contents of my bag:

1 pack of Sour Patch kids - a reward of course
Half a dozen pens in various colors
2 Highlighters
1 pack of Snapea Crisps - these are an amazing snack
As many of my notes that I could find from the semester in file folders
2 Legal Pads
My iPad
My Laptop
Every electric cord I could think of - iPad charger, phone charger, laptop charger
My monogrammed TI-84 Silver Plus
A few different colors of PostIt Notes
My Planner
A Cardigan
Secret Garden by Johanna Basford - it's a coloring book for grownups in case I need a distraction
Instant Coffee Packs
A Water Bottle

What do you take for your productive study sessions at your library?

The Happy and Healthy Series: Taking Care of Yourself

It's the second post in our Happy and Healthy Series! I presume that there will be around 3 more posts in the series for those of you that are curious.

This week is all about taking care of yourself! In our ever busy schedule, we often forget to do the small things that keep us healthy.

Here are a few tips to achieving a healthy lifestyle - or at least getting yourself there.

Drink your 8 cups of water a day! 

Say no to that 3rd cup of coffee and grab a glass of ice water instead. If you don't like water try adding some fresh fruit in it to make it a little easier to enjoy! I like putting strawberries in mine.

Try to get your recommended amount of sleep! 

I know that it is often hard to get all of the sleep you are supposed to but try to get close to it!

Watch your posture!

Sit up straight and stand straight. It will really help your back feel way better 90% of the time.

Eat 3 meals a day around the same time every day! 

A meal doesn't have to be super fancy. A bowl of cereal can even count! It doesn't even have to be super healthy but if you eat regularly it'll pay off because you will snack less.

What healthy habits do you have? Email us at sisterhoodredefined@gmail.com or even leave a comment!

Making the Most of Alum Groups

The end is near for you seniors. Time to don your sorority stoles and make the walk to receive your diploma. After four years of all-nighters, formals, and random 2 AM Taco Bell runs, you are moving on into a world where these are not acceptable. How do you hold on the the letters you love so much while making this transformation?

1. Join your local alum group - The simplest way to connect with your local alum group is to simply request to join. Send an email to the chapter president and express your interest in joining.

2. Get to know each sister in the group - Once you join, don't just show up for meetings. Reach out to the members and get to know them all. Though there may be an age difference, you can always learn something form everyone.

3. Help plan events for the group - You are fresh out of college, meaning you are the one who has most recently been involved in planning active events. Use your expertise in planning and help plan the next alum brunch or philanthropy event.

4. Send snail mail to your "new" sisters - Everyone loves to receive mail. Remember how you loved sending mail to your big when she was doing study abroad? Remember how much she loved to receive it? Take the time to send fun letters to the members  of your local alum group.