The Common Misconceptions of Greek Life

Stereotype - noun - a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image of idea of a particular type of person or thing 

When I think of the word "stereotype" naturally my mind drifts to the many times I've watched movies like "The House Bunny" or "Legally Blonde" or the time I reluctantly watched the television show on TLC called "Sorority Girls". All of these portray sororities and Greek life in general as an understated group of people with shallow morals. The media even does a fine job of shining a negative light on Greek life, capturing only the bad and rarely the good. 

Being Greek myself and coming from a Greek family, I thought it would be unfair for me to preach about the common misconceptions I hear regularly. So, to make sure the common misconceptions were in fact authentic, I took it upon myself while writing this blog post to get an outside perspective on how non-Greeks view Greek life and here is what I found.

1. "Everything Greeks do revolves around partying in their house and getting drunk" - False. Each chapter of each Fraternity or Sorority has a national board overseeing their activity and regularly sending regional representatives to chapters do to check-ups. Granted we're in college and college students like to let loose on occasion but to say that Greeks only care about partying and getting drunk is like saying the football team only cares about pumping iron and getting jacked. There's much, much more to Greek organizations than what meets the eye.

2. "Greeks haze their new members" - Speaking from a sorority affiliated with NPC (National Panhellenic Conference) there are strict guidelines to determine what is considered "hazing" and what is not with the safety and well being of new members constantly in mind. If a chapter neglects to follow those rules and regulations the appropriate actions will be taken, including fines, the chapter being suspended, having their charter revoked, and even termination of the chapter as a whole. Additionally, why would you want to be a part of something that made you feel as though you are less amazing than you already are? The purpose of Greek life is to build you up, not break you down. 

Delta Zeta sisters showing their bid day t-shirts

3. "They are all the same" - Absolutely not. Each chapter is so incredibly unique because each chapter is made up of different girls. The only things that remain consistent from chapter to chapter is the respective values and traditions each individual sorority upholds. Yes, some sororities and chapters wear matching outfits during recruitment season or during a special time of year but the sole purpose of that is to be identified as unit, a group, a sorority - not because we are all identical clones of one another.

Alpha Omicron Pi sisters and campus rep KateLynn Dotson

4. "Daddy must pay for everything" - First, I would like to speak from my own experience - I have worked full or close to full time throughout my entire college career which, at this point, is going on 5 years. I have always been an extremely independent person and I would never rely on my parents to support my extra curricular activities or anything else in my life, I'm 22 years old. With that being said, I know hundreds of sorority women and fraternity gentlemen who are also working their way through college to pay for not only their chapter dues but their basic needs as well. 

5. "You pay for your friends" - I hear this one the most and it was no shock to me that I heard it again when asking non-Greeks how they feel about Greek life. Let me lay this out for you, any Greek organization is exactly that, an organization. You have to pay a membership fee for a variety of organizations so does that mean you're paying for your friends in organizations such as the environment club or colleges against cancer? No. Each chapter has a set amount of dues, a portion stays local to support the chapter and a portion goes to their national board to support their efforts. If your chapter has a house, there are house dues to pay as well for regular house maintenance. When I paid my first set of dues I didn't automatically have 100 new best friends. Friendships, like everything in life, take time and effort. It takes time to form those deep connections and no amount of money could ever "pay" for that. 

Kappa Tau Epsilon sisters, Olivia, Nicole, and Kaitlyn (me!) - bonding at a formal event

6. "You will never get a "real world" job being in a Greek organization" - This misconception really threw me for a loop because being Greek has taught me so much more about myself than I could have ever imagined. I've learned and polished my time management skills, social skills, speaking skills, marketing skills, conflict resolving skills, team building skills, team work skills, and the list could go on. My point is that being Greek has given me and many others the opportunity throughout college to work together for a common goal. Isn't that what the "real world" is all about? In my personal opinion, being Greek has been more beneficial for me than anything else I've done in my life thus far. By the time I graduate I will have almost 4 years of "real world" experience working in my career field and about the same being involved in Greek life serving on different boards and committees - the two paired together sound like a dynamic duo if you ask me. 

Greek Statistics

7. "Greeks don't care about their grades" - Each chapter sets a GPA minimum that each member must at least maintain to remain active in their chapter. In addition, each chapter sets a minimum amount of study hours that must be completed each semester. Greeks are serious about their grades and it shows as statistics have proven that individuals in Greek life have, on average, .15 grade point markings higher than those who are not affiliated with Greek life.

8. "Greeks have no respect for their universities or community" - Each chapter sets a minimum amount of philanthropy hours that must be completed each semester in order to maintain active membership. Those philanthropic endeavors can be completed either on campus, in the community, or on a regional level. We strive to give back to what surrounds us as much as possible.

Kappa Tau Epsilon sisters participating in Tau Kappa Epsilon's Zombie Run For Reagan Philanthropy Event

Campus rep Brooke Benson and her littles at Leigh Valley's Kidney Walk

Panhellenic Women from Central Michigan University volunteering at a mobile food pantry - featuring one of our campus reps, Lucie Sertich

9. " Greeks live and breath by Total Frat Move (TFM) and Total Sorority Move (TSM)" - Both websites are intended for fun and fun only. What is stated on those websites are by no means what each person in Greek life lives by. 

10. "Greeks act like they love each other but really they all hate each other" - I can't speak for everyone at every university but I'll speak for the Greeks at my university. My university has a small Greek population with three IFC Fraternities and three NPC Sororities making us a very tight knit bunch. I'll share a short, tragic story from this past year to hopefully give you a better idea of just how close we all are. Within a matter of two weeks a Tau Kappa Epsilon alumni passed away and a brother of Phi Kappa Tau lost his battle with cancer. This hit our community hard, not because we all knew the individuals or because we were very close with either of the gentlemen but because they're part of our Greek family. I've never been more proud to say I belong to a group of people than I was in that moment when we all came together to support and help those suffering the most from the losses. The best way that I could possibly explain it is we're like literal brothers and sisters, we may have disagreements and not see eye to eye but at the end of the day we're always there for each other. 

Saginaw Valley State University Greek Life Fall 2013

The point I'm attempting to make is that being involved with Greek life is much more than what it's "cracked" up to be. This goes back to how the media portrays Greek life because from an outside perspective, that is really all you see. Do a lot of girls and guys in Greek organizations fit the "stereotype", sure but a lot of girls and guys who are NOT in Greek life also fit the "stereotype". Not every chapter is a cookie cutter and not every organization is 100% perfect, nothing in life ever is. Along with all the decorated paddles, the mixers, and the formals there is hard work, dedication, and integrity that goes in to being Greek. If you're considering going Greek I strongly encourage it because I can promise it will be one of the most rewarding things you ever do in life. If you're not, I hope this post helped to debunk some of the common misconceptions associated with Greek life.

XOX & LP,
Kaitlyn

Staying Close With Your Big After Graduation

Going through recruitment as a potential new member, you meet a lot of girls. In my case, there was one girl who I effortlessly clicked with. She was the very first girl I met going through recruitment and is one of the biggest reasons that I accepted my bid. Being that I am a legacy, for as long as I can remember I had wanted to go Greek and get a Big. I spent a lot of time my freshman year of college going back and forth between wanting to transfer to a university with more Greek options and wanting to bite the bullet to go Greek. I went to a few recruitment events for my legacy sorority, but never seriously committed to anything. During the second semester of my sophomore year, I made the choice to go Greek and thus began my journey of a lifetime. 

As I mentioned, my Big, was the first girl I met at Kappa Tau Epsilon’s recruitment event. I was low-key obsessed with this girl and, to this day, I could not explain it to you. During the course of the week I met a ton of girls, but my mind always drifted back to Kappa Tau Epsilon and the women I met at their events. After being extended a bid from KTE I immediately accepted it. On the day of our Big/Little reveal, my Big knew I was her Little but I had absolutely no idea yet and I remember her asking me, “So, who do you think your big is? I wish I could have taken a little this semester it would have been so much fun!” I had a hard time telling if she was kidding or if she was being serious. During our reveal, my heart was racing in anticipation because we clicked so well that I just could not fathom having another person as my Big. When I opened my eyes to see who my Big was, I was overwhelmed with joy and it was honestly one of the happiest moments of my life. My Big and I were inseparable from the beginning. 

My first semester as a sister and the start of my junior year was the start of her senior year. Lucky for me, it took her an extra semester to graduate. We did everything together. We even won “best big/little” duo! Life was a field of sunshine and daisies until the day came when I got a phone call from Rebecca telling me she was on track for graduation and would be graduating the following semester. Summer came and went faster than a tornado in the mid-west and the fall semester did the same. My big is a huge part of my life and it was extremely difficult for me to cope with her graduating. A lot happened to me emotionally during her last semester making it even harder to deal with her leaving me. 

I was dealing with a whirlwind of emotions ranging from proud to sad to excited for her future and it was hard to find a common ground to stand on. Our relationship evolved from being together all the time no questions asked to having to make time to see each other. It was a change that neither of us prepared for. To say that our relationship is not different now would be a lie but the key is finding ways to make sure the relationship never fades away. I can’t tell you we haven’t hit a rough patch or two and I can’t say it was easy, but nothing that’s worth it is ever easy. It’s especially difficult because we both lead very busy lives, but I’m lucky enough that my Big relocated about an hour away from where I live and not half way across the country. 

The most important thing to remember is that life will go on and your relationship with your Big will change, but change isn't always a bad thing. Instead of being down the hall, in the same house, or in the same city you'll be a phone call, a car ride, or a flight away. She will always be your number one fan and your biggest supporter and you'll always be her Little. You'll probably even end up color coordinating on accident, just like old times. 

Here are my tips for staying connected with your big after graduation.

1. Make date plans:  Go out just you and your Big - have a drink, grab lunch, go shopping; things all girls love to do. Yes, this is a lot different than just barging into her room and eating macaroni and cheese in bed with her while watching Netflix, but so is the dynamic of your relationship.

2. Plan a vacation together: Go see your Grandbig, go to a lake house, or get a hotel in a hot spot city and just explore some place new together.

3. FaceTime or Skype: Take 20 minutes out of your day once or twice a week to catch up, sometimes it really helps just seeing the other person.

4. Invite her to sorority events: As an alumni of your organization she still cares about what’s going on and would love to be invited to events that alumni are able to go to.

5. Send her small gifts: Little things make a big difference – sometimes you both just    need a reminder that you’re inseparable even though there’s distance between you.

“Together forever never apart, maybe in distance but never in heart.”  

Summer Beauty

Summer is all about being carefree and having fun, about trying new things and seeing where life takes you, about experimenting with colors, styles, and products...most importantly, summer is about owning you! This summer, trends are very noticeable, easy to try and easy to make your own. Here's to hoping you find something new in this blog post that's worth a try!

*To the left I am sporting the Pop of Color and to the right mom is sporting the Peek-A-Boo. Also modeled is a version of the beachy waves featured in this article.


Make Up:

Seeing as I work at a makeup store, I am constantly seeing "this season's hottest trends" and learning new color combinations that are always a sure hit. This season's color to try for eyes is blue. My favorite thus far in my search for the perfect blue is Glacier by Merle Norman.

There are always so many different ways to apply eye shadow, especially with such a vibrant color. Here are a few tutorials for you to try:

The All Over Color
          The colors used here are Glacier and Cloud 9 by Merle Norman, but any brand in similar shades can be used. Apply Cloud 9 to the under part of the eye almost as an eyeliner, along the brow bone to highlight, and fading from the inner part of your eye to the middle. Next, apply Glacier by blending through the crease and outer corner of the eye into the middle, opposite of what was done with the Cloud 9. To finish, apply black eyeliner to only the upper lid (another popular trend right now) and two coats of black mascara.

Peek-A-Boo Color
                The colors used are Glacier, Ebony and Ivory, and Oyster. Start by highlighting the brow bone with Oyster. Next, pack on the color by covering 3/4th's of your lid below the crease with Glacier. Blend Ebony and Ivory in your crease, be sure to blend well between the three colors until you reach the desired effect. Complete this look with black eyeliner and two coats of black mascara.

Pop of Color
           This is my personal favorite, and what I wear most of the time. The colors used are Oyster, Glacier, and Ebony and Ivory. Start by highlighting the brow bone with Oyster, then blend Oyster from the inner corner of your eye to the middle. Next, blend Ebony and Ivory into your crease and from the outer corner in toward the middle. Finally, for a pop of color, blend Glacier right above the crease toward the brow bone. I complete this look with Teal Soft Touch eyeliner by Merle Norman, but you can use any color you like. Follow through with two coats of your favorite mascara!

*If blue eye shadow is to far out of your comfort zone, you can always opt for a blue eyeliner or mascara for a more mild and subdued pop of color.

Eye make up is just the tip of the ice burg this season. To continue any of these looks, follow through with bright and colorful lip color. Some of my favorites include A Flare To Remember, Romance, and Bistro Berry by Merle Norman, and Diva by MAC.

Hair:

For summer, I tend to keep my hair light and flowy with beachy waves. The best part about light and loose beachy waves is that they can easily be dressed up with a headband or a little tease at the crown of your head. The best way I have found to obtain these high demand beachy waves are as follows:

1. Wash hair the day or night before you want to style it. If this is not possible, be sure to "dirty" your hair and give it texture with a mouse or dry shampoo.
2. Section hair into three layers.
3. Lightly hairspray each layer.
4. WRAP HAIR AROUND CURLING IRON BARREL. This step is crucial! By wrapping your hair around the curling iron you are getting more of a wave vs. a ringlet.
5. Only hold your hair around the curling iron for 10 seconds as anything longer is just burning your hair.
6. Brush out with finger tips and hairspray all over.
7. Complete the look by adding a head band or any other accessories if your heart desires.

For a different effect (such as what I sported in the picture at the top), make the bottom two layers bigger, and don't curl the top. The key is to just have fun with it and see what works best for you!

Good Luck My Lovelies!
Ashley

Breaking Sorority Sterotypes

Everyone thinks of all of sorority girls as Lilly Pulitzer loving, crazy partiers, bows, crafters, and most of all boy crazy women. I have always wanted to be in a sorority since I was little, thinking about all of the women, having a family away from home and having a bond that is indescribable to most people. "From the outside looking in, you can never understand it. From the inside looking out, you can never explain it." This amazing quote says so much to us as sorority women but how do we prove it to those looking in from the outside?Breaking these stereotypes is something as Greek women and as a Greek life we need to do. We need to prove to the community that we are the exceptional people we think we are and prove them wrong that the drunken, slutty, no studying and party hard days are just in the movies… or at least not what they see. We want to keep everything on the down low and shine a bright light on the outstanding things our sisters and sorority do for philanthropy.

Within our philanthropies, we help children, animal shelters, and different cure foundations all around the United States. It is something to be proud of and advertise like crazy all around campus. Make shirts, banners, posters, announcements of any kind to promote your sorority in a positive way.

The best way to break sorority stereotypes is to always wear your letters in a positive way. Dress up, look nice and wear your letters, the idea seems like such a simple idea but you have no idea how many girls dress like sloppy messes in sweatpants. Another thing to remember when wearing your letters is to WATCH WHAT YOU SAY! Oh, you went out partying this weekend, hate a girl in another sorority and oh you decided to smoke a joint? Well did you know that all of the people around you are listening, watching, and observing you and all they see are Greek letters on your chest saying this ridiculous nonsense? When wearing your letters talk about positive things and promote what you stand for and love your sisters, do not talk about one another in a negative way.

You are always wearing your letters whether or not you’re in them. Being a positive role model and standing above and beyond what the non- Greeks  do and think is something we have to strive to do. Even though this is a super tiny thing to do, it could make a huge difference in the views everyone has on your sorority and Greek Life.
Here is a picture of me and my best friend at a baseball game. You could still be friends with other people in other sororities and still uphold a good outlook. We had a great day at a baseball game and didn't talk trashy or make others look at us. Yes, we had our letters on. Yes, we are apart of Greek life, but no matter where you are you need to watch what you say because you never know who is listening.

Quote of the Week: October 3, 2013

"You can take the sisters out of the Sorority, but you can't take the Sisterhood out of the Sisters."

I have been reminded of the truth in those quote many times throughout this year.  My chapter is the second newest on campus and our first pledge class of founders just graduated this past year.  These girls joined a sorority when there was no sorority.  They created it, they grew it, and now we are one of the top chapters on campus after just four short years.  These founding members put everything they had into the chapter.  They had faith when others did not, they had dedication to make the chapter succeed, and they gave love to not only the sorority, but every member that joined their sisterhood from that point forward.  Now that the founding class has graduated its amazing to see that their faith, dedication, and love for our chapter had never wavered.  We had sisters join us and celebrate on bid day and others just congratulating us from afar on welcoming 86 new members into our sisterhood.  We are happy to have many alumni attending our annual philanthropy event this coming weekend, and we even had a founder come back on big/little reveal to see how her family has grown.  These girls show the true meaning of sisterhood, and that though you can take the sisters out of the sorority, you can't take the sisterhood out of the sisters.

XOXO- Taylor S

You Don't Have to be PRVP to do Public Relations

So many women think that they have to be their Vice President of Public Relations to actively represent their sorority, FALSE! Anyone can, and technically everyone is always representing their chapter.

"You are always wearing your letters." 

If you are your respective chapter's Public Relations Chair like I am, I have some useful information for you to think about and potentially implement on your campus. SOCIAL MEDIA! Use it, it can be your best friend and it is a quick and easy way to keep the world up to date on what is happening, and doing it in real time. It is great for big events on campus like homecoming! Check out how I have been keeping our campus up to date on our chapter's successes during homecoming!

Members of our Battle of the Brains team right before the event! 

Here is a tip that I have learned, if you are managing multiple pages, make sure that you are posting to the desired page you want your information on, and not your personal page. Being a PRVP is definitely in need of a someone who is paying attention to the details! I have flubbed a few times where I have posted to my personal page, which is great because I am promoting my chapter, but then I have to go back and fix that post and send it to our page! Here is the most recent flub I had the other morning!

The post after our team won 1st Place in the Battle of the Brains Competition.

If you are using social media from a chapter stand point make sure that you are following up on what you have posted before, especially if it is a series of events, i.e. Homecoming or Greek Week.

Like I said earlier, you don't have to be your chapter's Public Relations Vice President to promote your chapter positively. You can talk up your chapter, post videos that inter/national headquarters provides, talk about events, successes, and just how awesome your sisterhood is! Social Media will get what you want out to the world quick but you know that saying "actions are louder than words" it is so true, even more so in the sorority world.

As members of sororities we are under such scrutiny from the public and those who do not know how awesome and special Greek Life is. Show your campus how awesome Greek Life is through you actions. Create a service project for around campus, volunteer in your local community, sit in the front of the class, get to know your teachers, be prompt on all assignments, and easiest of all WEAR YOUR LETTERS! You paid good money for them, why not flaunt them, I know that they are all adorable so why are you hiding them!

I love all of my letters! 

You are always wearing your letters, they are forever imprinted on your heart, make sure that the world knows that, and you as an individual have to remember that you don't have to run your chapter's public relations to help promote your chapter, for true success it has to be a chapter wide effort. I hope that this post has empowered you to get out, promote your chapter, and truly your letters and the organization that you are a part of.

Quote of the Week: September 12, 2013

"We're not sisters by birth but we knew from the start, God put us together to be sisters at heart."

I love this quote because I actually do not have any sisters of my own. Though my best from from elementary school is still my best friend now and we treat each other like sisters, I have made so many more friends that I have become close with through my sorority.  They are girls that I live with, laugh with, and will be standing beside me at my wedding.  These friendships were made through the simple choice of choosing a sorority, and that choice is one I will never regret.

XOXO- Taylor S

My Greek Life Experience: Christine Cassimus

Going Greek wasn't much of a decision for me. It was something I had wanted to do ever since I saw my brothers join Fraternities at the University of Georgia. I've never actually admitted this but I immediately ruled out schools that didn't have any kind of Greek life at all. At Queens, sorority recruitment is usually in September so the potential new members (PNMs) have quite awhile to wait. 

For me, it was pretty easy to go through recruitment because both my roommate and the two girls who lived next to us were also doing it. I had someone to rush around and get ready with. You know that old saying that you “shouldn't talk about what house you’re prefing”. Well we didn't keep to that. Every night after the parties we would talk and gossip about the different houses. All four of us had different opinions about the four sororities on campus. Preference night came and went and we were told that Bid Day would start at noon the next morning. We were also told that if someone didn't receive a bid, that girl would get a phone call early in the morning so she wouldn't have to show up. Of course this made my mind race about in fear; I thought I was going to be that one girl who didn't get a bid. My nervousness woke me up at 7AM the next morning and for the life of me I couldn't go back to sleep. So what did I do instead? What any good sorority girl would do instead: shower, shave, and make myself look perfect for bid day. I was the very last girl in my Pi Chi (rho chi for some schools) group to get my bid and when I did it was the happiest moment of my life. 

As fate would have it, I went KD, my roommate went Chi Omega, and our next door neighbors went ADPi and Phi Mu. We were still the best of friends but that didn't mean we were destined to be sisters. You can’t fight fate after all. If you are on the fence about going Greek, do it. I can promise that you won’t regret it.

Made With Love

Good afternoon, everyone! It’s Amanda, back with another of my easy and affordable snack ideas for recruitment! Now, I know for a lot of you, recruitment might either be well on it’s way or over, but I’m still holding out some hope that there are some of you left going through the same, exciting time as I am. My recruitment period starts tonight!

Along with some simple recipes that anyone can execute from their teeny, tiny dorm room kitchens, I will also be showcasing bakegreek.com, a website I found during one of my daily travels across the internet. Bake Greek is a website that specializes in Greek letter and alphabet cookie cutters. They are an official licensed product, with more products aimed toward Greek life to come.

Using their products, my organization’s recruitment chair will be baking cute and delicious Greek letter cookies to serve to the PNMs. They’ll hopefully be in for a sweet surprise! For today’s recruitment treat, we’ll be making sugar cookies from scratch. Though it may be less time consuming to simply use a Pillsbury roll, cookies made from scratch have the kind of flavor that not all cookies can capture (and how proud of yourself will you be after you’ve finished them up?)

The recipe that I’ve provided below makes four-dozen cookies (probably enough for one rotation of PNMs), but doubling or even tripling the recipe shouldn’t be a huge ordeal.

Homemade Sugar Cookies: Made with all the love of a sorority girl!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients Include:

Two 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

One teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

One cup softened butter

One 1/2 cups white sugar

One egg

One teaspoon vanilla extract

All of these ingredients can be found in small and bulk amounts at your local supermarket.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)

2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder

3. In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar until smooth

4. Add egg and vanilla extract into the large bowl

5. Combine the contents of both bowls gradually, kneading the ingredients

6. Separate dough into pieces and roll them up into balls.* Place onto ungreased cookie sheet

7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven, or until golden

8. Remove and let cool

*If you were planning on making these little beauties into the shapes of your letters, replace this step with the Greek cookie cutters instead!

Once you've finished baking, your cookies should look a little something like this:

Look at them little golden brown nuggets.

But don't stop there! They're so boring, aren't they? And no one wants to serve boring sugar cookies to potentials. So what can you do to spice them up? Here are a couple of pictures I've found of various decorating ideas and the like to help you out.

Sprinkles!

Flower power!

Greek letters, man.

Aww yea, no one can resist these guys.

Bake Greek has some pretty awesome tutorials that would be great for decorating. They're easy to follow and really fun to execute (I know, I've tried!)

Now, if baking from scratch is too time consuming (and, with how stressful recruitment can be, this is a possibility), there's no shame in buying a couple rolls of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie dough. Each 16.5 oz roll makes approximately 16 cookies, but it shouldn't be hard to squeeze 20 out of the roll. The instructions are on the sides of the rolls and only takes about 15 minutes to finish up.

Well, I don't know about you guys, but I think I'm gonna end up making my roommate take me out for some cookie dough in a minute or two... I hope recruitment has been going well! Congratulations to all of the new member classes that have been established and all of the beautiful new sisters to come!

It's Basically a Fruit Salad... On a Stick!

Hey, y'all, it's Amanda Ramirez here! I'd like to say, first: thanks for checking out the Little Problems Blog! We appreciate each and every one of you, and hope you're here to stay!

Now, onto the post :)

We've decided on some interesting things for us to present to you and, today, I'm gonna be showcasing some cute, generic snack ideas for the upcoming recruitment season.

Now, it's probably easiest to think of small, easily accessible snacks (remember to stay away from things that most people are allergic to, like strawberries or nuts!) Less is always more, and it's definitely more affordable. One of the ideas that my organization's Recruitment Chair has come up with are Fruit Kabobs, which are incredibly easy to make. Here's the recipe for anyone who's interested!

Fruit Kabobs: It's basically a fruit salad... On a stick!
Prep Time: Approximately 30 minutes (depending on how many you plan to make)
Cook Time: N/A

Since Recruitment yields anywhere from 100-1,000 girls (depending on the size of your school and how many organizations there are to choose from), you're going to want to make these kabobs small, so  I suggest making them 6-inch skewers instead of the typical 10-inch. It makes it more affordable and easy to transport.

Ingredients Include:
Strawberries*
Cantaloupe pieces
Mandarin Orange pieces
Pineapple pieces
Kiwi or Honeydew Melon pieces
Blueberries
Any other fruit you might want to include

Most of these fruits can be found pre-cut in any supermarket.

*Strawberry Allergies!!! Be very careful!

Directions:
1. If using wooden skewers, make sure that all splinters and frayed wood are removed from the skewers (usually by rubbing two of them together between your palms)
2. Cut any fruit that is not already small in 1-inch, or bite size, chunks
3. Skewer the fruits in any assortment that you wish. You can make them uniform, or just have fun with it. Maybe make a rainbow.

You finished product should look a little something like this:

Always make sure there's room on both ends to hold the kabobs.

You can have fun with them, too! Some organizations buy ribbons in their colors and tie them onto one end, or you could even splurge and buy colored, plastic skewers (which eliminates step one entirely!) It's not too hard to make things cute for cheap, so never be afraid to push those boundaries and think of new ways to spice things up!

Remember: the way to a PNM's heart is probably through her stomach (because who doesn't love to eat?)

That's all for today, ladies! I hope this first recipe was helpful. Be sure to come back soon for new ideas and for all the amazing things we have planned for you!

Quote of the Week: August 22, 2013

"Sisterhood is not a destination, but a journey." 

This quote is so perfect to describe being in a sorority.  Being in a sorority isn't just about going through recruitment or being initiated, or even getting a big.  Being in a sorority is all four years.  It's the highs and lows, the philanthropy events and Friday nights out.  There isn't one exact time everyone feels they have gone from having friends to having sisters.  But one thing is for sure, after college is over and your 4 years is up, those girls will no longer be your sorority, they will be your family.

XOXO- Taylor S

Welcome Back to Recruitment

 
Every chapter has their own ceremonies, traditions and events, but there is one thing that every chapter has in common, recruitment.  Everyone seems to have a strong opinion about recruitment, whether they love it or hate it, its something that has to be done in order to make your chapter the best possible.  As an incoming senior I’ve experienced my fair share of recruitment on both sides of the fence, and over the years I have come to understand, and maybe not completely always enjoy, but appreciate everything that recruitment has to offer. 

There is the obvious, which is adding members to your chapter.  These girls not only boost your chapter total but they add to your family.  They become your littles, grand littles, or even great grand littles.  They create an image for your chapter on campus and even though it’s hard to imagine, those incoming freshman will be the ones that can make or break everything you have been working toward and will be the ones leading your chapter one day. 

Though the goal of recruitment is to add new members, a common misunderstanding is recruitment isn’t all about them. I come from a large school with a lot of girls in my chapter and though everyone tries their best, it is hard to get to know everyone during the year.  When recruitment rolls around, that all changes.  Everyone spends two weeks together, basically 24/7 working toward the common goal of having the best recruitment week ever, but what also ends up happening this week is that everyone learns more about each other and themselves.  

This is the time that you hang out with girls you might not necessarily hang out with, and you become even closer with the ones you do.  It’s where you learn songs that you will never get out of your head.  Dress up in crazy outfits to boost moral, and try to win that coveted tank top for most spirit.  You share funny stories and your deepest secrets.  You laugh, you cry (happy tears of course) and you become closer with your “sisters” than ever before.  This is the time that your sorority becomes your family and at the end of the week your family gets a little larger.  

Though recruitment can be daunting and stressful, and sometimes even seem unimportant.  Recruitment is a memory you will always look back on fondly and remember the laughs you had, the bonds you made and the sisters you gained along the way. So whatever you do, don’t take the week for granted, though your sisterhood last a lifetime, college and recruitment does not.

XOXO- Taylor S

Welcome to the Little Problems Blog!

We are so excited to introduce the latest endeavor of Little Problems. This blog is dedicated to helping you! We want you to be the best you can be when it comes to big/little, formal recruitment, and everything Greek life. With the help of our amazing team of bloggers we are here to give you all the advice you need to know!

Being Greek is important to the members of Little Problems. We have all been there and done that and we want to offer you the blog we wished we had when we went through recruitment and first joined our sororities. We don't want to be pigeonholed though because we will offer tons of advice for even the most seasoned Sorority pro!

On a consistent Monday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday timeline you will see posts from our amazing line up of bloggers; Campus Reps Amanda Cross, Amanda Ramirez, Christine Cassimus, Karlee Nuttelman, Morgan Miller, Samantha Bender, and Taylor Stewart will give you ideas on all aspects of Greek Life and give you some insights into the wonderful world of Little Problems!

On Tuesdays we'd love to hear from you! Contact Amanda C. at amandac.litprobs@gmail.com to pitch guest posts! We'd love to feature your work on this blog because it is all about collaboration!

We are so excited to take this journey into blog-land with you!

Love in Little Problems,
The Little Problems Blog Team