Some sorority sisters will soon be seeing double.
In the next few weeks, new sorority members — affectionately termed “littles” — will be paired with “bigs” and join a lineage of sorority sisters. Due to the expansion of pledge classes this year, more upperclassmen will be encouraged to mentor two littles, or “twins.”
Each sorority chapter organizes their version of “big-little week,” in which incoming members of a sorority receive gifts and tokens from an anonymous upperclassman. The identity of her big remains secret until the end of the week.
“It’s kind of like Christmas again,” said College junior and Sigma Kappa New Member Educator Maryanne Mercedes. “It makes a big sorority feel even smaller.”
Surprises littles receive usually range from homemade goods to lettered T-shirts, jewelry and performances by a cappella groups.
According to Chi Omega New Member Educator and College junior Josie Minton, 10 upperclassmen will be responsible for twins this year in her sorority.
Panhellenic Council President and College junior Darby Nelson recognized that big-little week “can be a financial burden,” especially for those with twins. “The Panhellenic Council doesn’t set an upper limit to what bigs can spend,” she said. “However, it’s a process the entire lineage helps out with.”
According to Nelson, the connections between lineages often carry on beyond graduation. “We still have girls that have graduated who come back to Penn for Big-Little Reveal Night,” she said. “It’s amazing that you can have such relationships with alumni.”
She added that although lineages will no longer expand in a straight line, having twins in a lineage gives girls the opportunity to get to know more people.
In response to concerns about whether pledges will receive the same individualized attention, Nelson said the mutual selection process — in which freshmen and sophomore identify who they wish to be paired with — ensures that girls who volunteer to take on twins are usually prepared to put in extra effort.
College sophomore and Sigma Kappa sister Aileen Palmer said she had a “positive experience” as a twin last year.
“I feel very comfortable spending time alone with my big,” she said. “But it’s a lot of fun having a twin.”
