Bigs and Littles

I'm not completely certain if all sororities and fraternities and Bigs and Littles, but I know that the greek organizations in Ottawa have them! Again, I'm going to explain what a Big and a Little are using a sorority view, even though it works pretty much the same way for a fraternity.

A Big (or Big Sister), is already a member of the sorority. She decides that she wants to help a pledge, or hopefully future sister, through the processes of the pledging period and initiation.

A Little (or Little Sister), is a girl who has been chosen to go through peldging, and has accepted. She chooses a sister to help her through her journey.

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{ first photo of my Big, Lydia, and I }

Within my sorority, the pledges vote from a list of potential Bigs, and are then paired up as Big and Little. This bond tends to be one of the strongest formed within the sorority. The Big helps the Little with anything she needs, whether it be sorority related or just a friend to talk with about life. The Little helps bring out the love in her Big and is a proud representation of them.

My Big is an amazing girl who helped me through so much personal distress and made me realize that I was good enough to be a sister. To add even more to the bond we had, my Big chose my sister name (as do all the Bigs in my sorority), which is Sister Little Jay. It seems self explanatory, but there is a back story that is just something between the two of us.

A Big is one of the greatest parts of being within the sorority. I love my Big to death as she is one of my best friends and will always be close to me and have a place in my heart. I cannot wait until I have a chance to be someone's Big.

xo.Jay

Meet My Sorority

Since all of the information I've been giving has been based off the sororities that I know of, which are the ones located in Ottawa, I thought it would make sense to give a mini introduction to my sorority, Xi Delta Theta.

Xi Delta Theta has a long history in the Ottawa-Carleton Greek Community. Founded by our seven founding mothers in 1993 at Carleton University, we are also active at both the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College.

Members of Xi Delta Theta pride themselves on being women who strive for excellence in everything they do, who are determined to be the best they can be and are respectful and loyal to the trust of their sisters and the sisterhood.

Sisterhood is the most important aspect of our organization. Once you become a Xi Delt, you are a member for life. Being a part of Xi Delta Theta means you always have someone to lean on and turn to when you need a helping hand, encouragement or a friend. When you become a part of our sisterhood you become a part of a legacy which continues to help in developing well-rounded women in our community.

Members of Xi Delta Theta are committed to giving back to the Ottawa community through our philanthropic and volunteer efforts. These organizations include but are not limited to: Big Sisters of Ottawa, The Canadian Cancer Foundation, The Ottawa Mission, Christie Lake Camp, The Humane Society and Interval House. Our main charity is the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, for which we throw an annual pub night to raise money for cystic fibrosis research in honour and memory of Amelia Lee L'Homme, a sister who passed away during her active membership due to the disease.

This sorority has become the biggest part of my life and has impacted it in such amazing ways. I have personally been able to give back a lot more than I used to, to socialize with a vast amount of different people that I probably would have never had the pleasure of knowing, and to make strong friendships that will last me a lifetime. Although a sorority isn't for everyone, it is a great way to break out of your comfort zone or explore a new realm of college life.

So that's a short and brief history and look into the sorority which I call my family, Xi Delta Theta. Not all sororities value the same aspects to the same degree, but no matter which organization one chooses to become a part of, the unity between sisters and the commitment to the community shouldn't change.

xo.Jay

What is Rushing and Pledging?

So you're thinking about joining a sorority or fraternity? That's great! But how do you know which one is right for you? By rushing and pledging! These are two of the madatory time periods one must go through to becoming a brother or sister. I will be talking about this subject as I know it for sororities, but I doubt there's a huge difference for fraternities.

When thinking of joining a sorority, one goes through a RUSH PERIOD. During this time the organization holds sisterhoods, philanthropies, and mixers with the members of local fraternities for you to come and see if that partiular sorority is a good fit for you.  For the sororities around Ottawa (where I am from), the rush period tends to last 2-3 weeks.  This is your time to bond with the sisters and see if this is something you truly want to pursue.

If the sisters of the sorority believe you would make a good sister and mesh with the organization well, you will be invited to become a PLEDGE. This means you will have tasks to do to show your dedication and how much you want to become a sister, while also learning the history of the sorority.  This time period tends to last a few weeks and can be a very emotional time for the pledges. During this time, you may be asked to not continue on as a pledge, or you may decide to step down yourself for whatever reasons. In the end, there is an INITIATION that happens with the pledges who make it this far. Most sororities (and fraternities) have many personal traditions that are top secret for initiation, and should never be shared! It can jeopardize the chance of becoming a sister. At the end, if you make it through initiation, you will officially become a sister!

These times are ones that you will remember for the rest of your life and treasure forever. It's also important to go through all of this to become closer to your pledge class as well as the active sisters of the sorority.  Like I said, most of this is similar for fraternities, from what I have heard anyway. And there is no better thrill than being pinned and told you are officially one of the newest members of such an amazing organization that a sorority is...

So if you want to find sisterhood, new friends, amazing experiences, or just something new, rushing a sorority or fraternity may be the thing to do! Trust me, I'm the shy type until I get to know people, and it was the best decision I ever made and it's now one of the most important things in my life. :)

xo.Jay

Fraternities and Sororities

So one of the first things that should be covered is definitely what are sororities and fraternities anyway?

Sororities and fraternities are social organizations for undergraduate students that exist at many colleges and universities. They are sometimes also known as "Greek letter organizations" or "soros and frats." They tend to be single-sexed organizations in most cases, with sororities for women and fraternities for men.

{ The Greek alphabet which the organization names are based from }

Structure.  Each sorority and fraternity only has one national organization with the one name, but many have different chapters at different schools.  For example, Phi Sigma Sigma was born in New York but now has 107 chapters across the United States and Canada.  Other than international organizations, there are also such things as national (just one country) and local (just one location) sororities and fraternities. I am a part of a local sororitiy, only centering in Ottawa, Canada.

Members.  When one wants to join a sorority or fraternity, they participate in the rush period, and are then invited by the sorority or fraternity itself to become a member.  Each person can only be loyal to one sorority or fraternity. I'll talk more about rushing and such at another time. Once you are a member of a sorority or fraternity, you are a lifetime member. It is an honour you keep with you, even after graduation. Some members of the sorority or fraternity are elected by their sisters or brothers into positions that they hold within the organization. Some of the positions are more work than others, but they all tend to be equally as important.

Houses.  Some sororities and fraternities have a house to call their own, usually on or close by the school campus. Sometimes the houses will have the Greek letters on the front of it. Some members tend to live in the house, while a majority tend not to, but visit the house often. Many events, such as mixers and brotherhoods or sisterhoods, tend to be held at these houses.


There's a lot more to be said about each of these things, but it definitely changes depending on where you are and what organization you're talking about! I'll be back to teach more soon.

xo.Jay

The First Installment!

Hello blogging world!

I am going to just do my first post explaining what this blog will be used for and how I am linked to the Greek community.

Obviously, when you go to college or university you're there to earn grades that promise you a good future. But like in high school, it tends to be the friends and extra curricular activities that make it that much more of a special time. Greek organizations provide an excellent environment to hone leadership skills, personal development goals, and time management planning. Furthermore, Greek life has been a tradition on Canadian campuses. Many famous faces and celebrities and been a part of the lifelong experience that is joining a sorority or fraternity!

This blog will point out what's fact and what's fake with the stereotype that has shadowed the Greek community for so long, from what sororities and fraternities are to what occurs during rush, mixers, philanthropies, etc.

 {Xi Delta Theta Sorority Winter 2010}

Now why am I even slightly knowledgeable enough to tell you about these things?
 
I am a sister of Xi Delta Theta Sorority, Alpha Iota class, located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Xi Delta Theta is a local sorority that consists of girls from Carleton University, University of Ottawa, and Algonquin College. I have gone through the rushing, pledging, and pinning periods and have experienced the Greek life.  Even though I've been in the sorority a short time, I know what the Greek community is and how amazing it can make your life.

{ My Big, Lydia (left), and I}

So come along with me and ask me anything you want to know about being Greek!

xo.Jay