Big and Little Sister Reveals in a Sorority

This Thursday was an eventful day for the Theta Sigma Chapter of Alpha Phi.

First was big sister reveal & let me just say, that was all sorts of emotional. Bigs got tackled, girls cried (happy tears of course), there was way to much screaming, a little bit of hatred for the last 2 weeks of deception & of course there was laughter. Alpha Phi families grew larger and I am happy to announce that not only my immediate family but also my Alpha Phi family has grown tremendously. I not only received another little sister, but I also received a grand little. 

For this reveal, the 18 new members were given a "key" made out of poster paper from their big. Each key was individually made, making not one key the same as another. They were then lined up outside of a room and one by one they would walk into to see who their big was. Inside the room, the big sisters carried a heart made out of the same poster paper and inside of the heart was a replica of the key that they had made for their littles. The poster hearts were held above their faces so that they littles didn't know who they were until they found the matching key. 

What my little didn't know was that I was hiding in a completely different room so that when she went to find her matching key, she would be unsuccessful. After about 30 seconds of stressing that she couldn't find her big, I snuck into the back of the room and revealed to her that I was her big. Below is a video of her reaction: 

After the reveal, we celebrated our 142nd annual Founders' Day with cake & a special ceremony. Founders' Day is a special time for Alpha Phi's all across the nation to celebrate our rich heritage and to honor our special members. Chapters will hold luncheons, special gatherings, and scared ceremonies to remember those members before us, including our 10 Founders. Founder's Day falls every year on October 10th. Big sister reveal this year fell on October 9th, so what better way to celebrate this organization than combing the two events. 

After the reveal and after the Founders' Day activities, we went to dinner at Centro Pizza as a family. In our family, there are now 9 active members. Before the reveal, there was four active members. It was such a fun time and we even got a free desert pizza. We couldn't decide if it was because if our waiter thought we were that cute or if it was because I said my birthday was tomorrow when he asked us when our birthdays were. (My birthday is in March) Regardless, we got a free Nutella pizza and had the best time with our newly developed family. What more could I ask for? 

My littles are my pride and joy. In a previous post, you heard about my first little Shanna. Now it's time to give Karlee, my second little, the spotlight. We clicked right off the bat. How? Someone fell and we both about died laughing & once we saw each other laughing, we just laughed harder. We have so much in common. Everything from not being a fan of getting ready & thinking blow drying our hair is quite possibly the worst thing we could ever have to do, to our hatred of cats, lack of patience and our competitive nature. I find her absolutely hilarious and she knows how to make me laugh, always. In the last 3 weeks we have become best friends and I could not be any happier about it. I can't wait for all the good times to come and for her to be initiated this Friday. Love you Smalls.<3 

Do Greeks Pay for their Friends?




Butler University house in Indianapolis, Indiana

When people assume the stereotype that greeks pay for friends, I cannot help but laugh. It's hilarious to me because I know different. I have experienced a time where my dues have gone so much farther than I could have ever imagined they could.

Through Alpha Phi, there is an opportunity for underclassmen to apply for the chance to participate in Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI). What ELI is, is an all expense paid leadership conference where you are flown out to Indiana to learn more about Alpha Phi and how to strengthen your chapter, to get ideas from other chapters on & to bond with 49 other sisters from all around the world. It is held every summer at Butler University, in Indiana. There are several different sessions of ELI held throughout the summer and one to two girls from each chapter are chosen to attend this conference every year. I was encouraged to apply by some girls that had gone in previous years, and so I did, not thinking I would receive it or anything. 

Sitting in chemistry on August 1, 2013, not understanding anything going on, even though that was my major. Class was dismissed & I could not be anymore ecstatic. Check my phone, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, all of that fun stuff, then I checked my email. I immediately started screaming, crying and just about threw myself on the floor out of pure excitement. As we walked to our next class, still crying, and screaming at the same time (picture that one), my roommates thought that I was crazy, and I was beginning to think the same. It was from Stefania Rudd (director of ELI) and it read:
 

"Dear Briana, CONGRATULATIONS! We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to attend session 2 of Alpha Phi's Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI) on June 5-9, 2013." 

 

There was no way that I was just offered this amazing opportunity, no way. I waited until the last day to fill out the 3 page application, including essay questions, because I had completely forgotten about it. I was at an orientation leader retreat out in New Harmony, Utah with very little cell phone service. My mom would text me the prompt question & I would respond via text on what I wanted her to say on my application. How did I get chosen?!

Summer flew by and before I knew it, I was on the plane on my way to Indiana, by myself to meet 49 other women that shared the same love for Alpha Phi that I did. Pulling up to the Butler University house, I thought I was dreaming. Walking in, my eyes had gotten teary. Here I was, a newly initiated member of Alpha Phi, walking into a 3 story sorority house, equipped with a chef, house mom, multiple living rooms, study areas, and so much more. At this moment, I saw that Alpha Phi was so much larger than what I had just seen at SUU & throughout the week I was reassured of this thought. While in Indiana, I received many tips on how to further my chapter, completed a challenge course, found out why it was a good thing that SUU did not have a house with a chef (2 deserts a night), & had many late nights staying up and talking/laughing with girls in which I felt like I had known for years, all while learning about myself and my leadership potential. Leaving was the hardest part. Shuttles would come in increments of about 30 minutes to pick up girls to take them to the airport, where they would then head back to reality. Walking out of that house for the last time, I cried. Hard. I couldn't believe it was over but I was ready to take everything I had learned back to my chapter and share my newly found knowledge with my sisters, and that's exactly what I did. 

To this day, I tell everyone about my ELI experience. When you think $365 is a lot to pay for a semester, think about things like this. Think about how much it would have cost me to fly, eat, and sleep for an entire week & just then you will realize that this small amount will never be able to pay for the amazing experience that I had out there. So no, I don't pay for my friends, I pay for opportunities to better my future.

What is a Big and Little Relationship like in a Sorority?

One of the most exciting parts about being in a sorority is receiving a big sister. Every new member will become a little to an older member. A big/little sister is a mentoring program within the sorority in which an older member (big) and a new member (little) are paired together by their interests. Throughout their time they will remain big and little. When more and more littles are added, a family is then formed. For example, when I was a new member, I received a big. When I found a new member that I connected with, I took her as my little sister (Shanna). When Shanna takes a little sister, I will become a grand big. If two new members are taken by an older member either at the same time, or even at different times, they become twins. I am a little as well as a big and hopefully soon to be a grand big.

About two/three weeks after receiving a bid, new members will begin to start thinking about who they want as their big. We are at that time right now within our chapter, and last Thursday, all 18 new members of Alpha Phi wrote down their top four choices of initiated members that they would want as their mentor.  The best part about this process is they have to go an entire two weeks without knowing who their big is. These two weeks are filled with pure lies and deception. They will receive all sorts of goodies throughout the week including a flower and a note, their favorite drink and candy, and a personalized pin box, all from their big sisters, still not knowing who they are. After the two weeks of confusion, bigs are finally revealed to their littles in a fun and inviting way. Last semester, bigs were wrapped up with wrapping paper and had gift tags on them that said their littles name, the littles then came into the room and unwrapped their bigs to find out who they were.

When I received my little, it was by far one of the happiest moments of my time in Alpha Phi. It was so hard deceiving her for those two weeks, but I did what I had to do. I knew from the beginning, she was the girl I wanted as my little. Never did I think that I would become this close with my little, nor did I think she would impact my life the way that she has. We talk every single day, all day long, the longest we have been away from each other is about two weeks and that was because it was summertime. Sure we bicker, but we get over it in about 4 minutes because we realize we were both being dumb & we shouldn't be fighting over the little things. Even though I am her big sister, she is the one I call when I need advice, when I need someone to talk to or when I just when I need a good laugh. She is also the one that tells me when something is a bad idea, but will most often times do it with me, like driving up a questionable road with a clearly marked 'Road Closed' sign. We by far have some of the best adventures anyone could have including, but not limited to: double tubing in Lake Powell, stealing random abandoned shopping carts, screaming at the top of our lungs to 'Sippin' on Sunshine', football games, sending screenshots of creepy pictures to each other and captioning it with a simple 'Good Morning' or even a 'Goodnight', jumping in a reservoir at midnight when it's still freezing outside & who could forget those laughing attacks. This just names a few. This girl is my rock & can tell when something is wrong with me without me having to say a word. I'm not only lucky enough to call her my little, but also my best friend. We support each other in everything that we do, even when we might not agree. This is what a big and little relationship is all about in a sorority. These are the types of friendships that will last far longer than just the four years of college. & for this, I am thankful because if it wasn't for Alpha Phi, I wouldn't know what it is like to be a big sister. Forever & Always little one!<3

As big and little week approaches, anxiety is high as the new members will find out who their bigs are. Will my family grow? I guess we'll just have to see come this Thursday.