Okay, okay maybe not really a legend, but I just discovered that I was an integral part in creating a service sorority on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus. No really.
So here's the story as I remember it:
While at SFA I had a friend named Lindsey and I would often drive her home when I would go home for a visit. On one of these visits to the DFW area we started wondering what would happen if we started a sorority. We didn't mean that we would start a chapter of an existing one. We didn't want to have to answer to the Greek council because, I'll be honest, there were very few social sorority gals we were impressed with especially on a campus already known for its social activities. Plus we didn't want to have to dedicate every waking hour and every single penny to our sorority. It would be something girls could be a part of without extra pressure to participate. The more we talked about it, the more we seriously thought we just might be able to begin a service sorority that would actually take hold and become big at SFA.
After throwing around mascot and color ideas (because that's the most important part of establishing any type of club), we landed on Gamma Kappa Omega because it sounded cool and three of the letters were in GECKO. Name for the sorority-check. Mascot-check. Colors...we were going to go with red and black when considering a ladybug as the mascot, but that didn't really define who we wanted to be as a service sorority. I don't quite remember how, but we eventually landed on lime green and aquamarine/turquoise/blue (trust me-it looks good together). As soon as we returned to SFA, after our enlightening weekend, we filled out the necessary paperwork and started looking for recruits.
We had a small group of gal pals that eagerly joined up and became the first set of officers/members. Even though we wanted to be dedicated to serving the community, we still adopted a few social traditions and made them our own. Of course this meant we had big and little sis activities once we convinced a few more girls to sign-up.
So what happened? I definitely don't mention my sisterhood status to anyone. Here's that story:
A co-founder turned out to be a little unbalanced and things between the two of us did not end well (I'm not the only one she abused-I believe she left a barbie hanging by its neck in the closet of a girl who had her dorm room after her-all she did to me was say unforgivable things about other people behind their backs then tell them I said it which ostracized me in a very special kind of way). So GKO started to be the one time I actually had to deal with her. Then I got a little nervous when our "service" sorority started to have a few more social events than it probably should. Therefore, it was becoming what I felt was a "wannabe" Greek sorority. Even though a couple of other officers picked up things and really set it on the right track by steering things back to volunteering and building a sisterhood through that, I had already started to separate myself from the organization because of my unpleasant experiences (my little sis kind of slacked off on the gifts thing-petty I know but I really worked hard on everything I got her). I kind of felt like an outsider since everyone else lived off campus, my little sis wasn't really into it, and Co-founder Crazy had soured the experience a bit. To top it all off, the original zest of founding something great started to fizzle and I figured it wouldn't last because those of us who started the group were just a bunch of friends who liked to volunteer and hang out. Once we all graduated I couldn't imagine anyone picking up where we left off.
BOY WAS I WRONG
A few weeks ago my friend, and co-founder (not the crazy one), sent me an e-mail regarding a GKO reunion. That's correct. A reunion for all the members since the organization's inception in 2000. This service sorority has been going strong for 11 years! They have a website and feel free to notice my name listed first as a founder under "Our History." My friend did attend the reunion. I did not. Since my affiliation with the Geckos waned, I didn't feel right showing up to a reunion. It turns out that my friend was like a celebrity since she is a founding officer. Apparently part of a pledge's job is to memorize the complete history of the organization and who all the founding members are. That means I too am a "celebrity." Had I gone, it seems my uninvolvement would be a forgivable offense.
After looking at what the Geckos have been up to, I'm quite proud to have been a co-founder of Gamma Kappa Omega. These girls are really making a difference while continuing to build a strong sisterhood. So I decided I'm going to be proud of my sorority status. I'm going to pull out my shirts and the next time we have a college shirt day, I will wear one. I've already e-mailed the current officers and told them I want to be involved somehow. We'll see how it goes.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Sunday, January 09, 2011
I love the 80s!
The title of this post is a gross understatement about how I truly feel regarding the years 1980-1989. Being born in 1980 makes me actually a child of the 90s because I didn't experience the 80s during my formative (a.k.a. adolescent) years. I didn't get to parade around in the glorious fashions of the day because I was occupied with other things like learning to walk and speak and going to kindergarten. So I spent a lot of my teen years longing to belong to the decade of big hair, synthesized music, and bitchin' teen movies. Of course, the 80s weren't popular when I was in high school; the 70s were the decade to love. (That's okay. I don't really believe loving the 70s would have improved my status much anyway.)
Wouldn't you know, it's 2011 and for the past few years the 80s seem to have come back in fashion! If that seems hard to believe, just look at the current trends among the youth. I believe leg warmers and colored tights are huge again. I've seen Mohawks make a comeback, and am I the only one rediscovering the melodious sounds of British pop/punk bands?
Let me paint a better picture of my obsession: I own all the movies John Hughes made reflecting teen angst. I fell in love with John Cusack because of The Journey of Natty Gann and decided I must marry him after Say Anything. (And yes, I still adore him to this day.) I wanted to be on Dance TV because of Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt. The Fraggles kept me company along with Labyrinth (kick ass soundtrack by David Bowie) and The Dark Crystal furthering my adoration of Jim Henson as well as the 80s. In college when I had to create a decorative bulletin board for the residents on my floor, instead of doing a Valentine's Day themed one, I made a Molly Ringwald bullentin board since her birthday is the 18th of February. A dear friend of mine recorded all of VH1's I Love the 80s on VHS so I could watch them anytime I wanted. I searched radio stations to find the ones who highlighted one hit wonders from the 80s. The Karate Kid I and II got so much play in my VCR, that they were among the first DVDs I owned. However, I guess it wasn't enough to have The Golden Girls playing every evening "forcing" me to research any references made in their jokes that I didn't understand so my knowledge of the 80s could expand.
In 2003 I met a man I was convinced was only 6 years older than me (seriously, ask my friends if my husband acts or looks his age). It was only after falling head over heels for him did I discover he was in fact 11 years older than me. One might think this gap in our age would be too great to bridge. Not true. He was an actual child of the 80s! He graduated high school in 1988! He lived the decade I studied so vehemently! In the end I married my very own 80s commodity (I sort of let the whole "marrying John Cusack" thing go by this point). One of the great things about my husband is that he'll sit next to me while watching shows that regularly reference or discuss the 80s and answer me when I ask, "Did you do that?" or "Did you have one of those?" or "What event are they taking about?" Since he is a genius, I think he enjoys being able to share his wealth of 80s facts and experiences with me.
Therefore, when TBS debuted a show, Glory Daze, that follows four freshmen (a jock, a Young Republican, a proud Jew desperately seeking female company, and a clean-cut Catholic school boy) as they enter college in 1986, I had to be there for the pilot episode. As expected, I love it! The music is superb, all the characters are charming, and the episodes have great names like "Hungry Like Teen Wolf" and "Shamrock You Like a Hurricane." And of course my husband is always next to me when we watch ready to answer any questions I have or comment on memories the show brings up. It's good to know that the decade I adore will live on for decades more (and even if it doesn't perhaps the flux capacitor will finally exist to send me back to a place where girls just want to have fun).
Wouldn't you know, it's 2011 and for the past few years the 80s seem to have come back in fashion! If that seems hard to believe, just look at the current trends among the youth. I believe leg warmers and colored tights are huge again. I've seen Mohawks make a comeback, and am I the only one rediscovering the melodious sounds of British pop/punk bands?
Let me paint a better picture of my obsession: I own all the movies John Hughes made reflecting teen angst. I fell in love with John Cusack because of The Journey of Natty Gann and decided I must marry him after Say Anything. (And yes, I still adore him to this day.) I wanted to be on Dance TV because of Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt. The Fraggles kept me company along with Labyrinth (kick ass soundtrack by David Bowie) and The Dark Crystal furthering my adoration of Jim Henson as well as the 80s. In college when I had to create a decorative bulletin board for the residents on my floor, instead of doing a Valentine's Day themed one, I made a Molly Ringwald bullentin board since her birthday is the 18th of February. A dear friend of mine recorded all of VH1's I Love the 80s on VHS so I could watch them anytime I wanted. I searched radio stations to find the ones who highlighted one hit wonders from the 80s. The Karate Kid I and II got so much play in my VCR, that they were among the first DVDs I owned. However, I guess it wasn't enough to have The Golden Girls playing every evening "forcing" me to research any references made in their jokes that I didn't understand so my knowledge of the 80s could expand.
In 2003 I met a man I was convinced was only 6 years older than me (seriously, ask my friends if my husband acts or looks his age). It was only after falling head over heels for him did I discover he was in fact 11 years older than me. One might think this gap in our age would be too great to bridge. Not true. He was an actual child of the 80s! He graduated high school in 1988! He lived the decade I studied so vehemently! In the end I married my very own 80s commodity (I sort of let the whole "marrying John Cusack" thing go by this point). One of the great things about my husband is that he'll sit next to me while watching shows that regularly reference or discuss the 80s and answer me when I ask, "Did you do that?" or "Did you have one of those?" or "What event are they taking about?" Since he is a genius, I think he enjoys being able to share his wealth of 80s facts and experiences with me.
Therefore, when TBS debuted a show, Glory Daze, that follows four freshmen (a jock, a Young Republican, a proud Jew desperately seeking female company, and a clean-cut Catholic school boy) as they enter college in 1986, I had to be there for the pilot episode. As expected, I love it! The music is superb, all the characters are charming, and the episodes have great names like "Hungry Like Teen Wolf" and "Shamrock You Like a Hurricane." And of course my husband is always next to me when we watch ready to answer any questions I have or comment on memories the show brings up. It's good to know that the decade I adore will live on for decades more (and even if it doesn't perhaps the flux capacitor will finally exist to send me back to a place where girls just want to have fun).
