Big and Little

Mallory Jordan
Kappa Kappa Gamma

There is nothing like the bond you have in a Big/Little relationship.  The relationship is great for some and not so great for others, but either way you can’t deny the sacredness of these two size-related words. 

One of the most exciting events we had last semester had to be when we did our Key Sis Reveal.  In the sorority world this is also known as Big Sis Reveal.  The tradition of Bigs and Littles has been ongoing for many years.  It is something that may sound silly, but truthfully it is a bond that is unique in itself.  The purpose of having a “Big” is to basically guide you through your four years in college.  When you are a new member you are going through a huge transition.  You have lots of questions, and sometimes you aren’t sure whom to ask or how to ask them.  Take those questions to your Big. The idea of getting a Big Sis is to help you through this transition of unknown.  A Big has the responsibility of helping her Little in whatever they need, whether that is answering questions or simply listening to their problems. 

My personal experience with getting a Little was great.  In fact, I have two.  Normally sophomores take a freshman as a Little.  This year Kappa got a total of 134 new members.  That number surpassed my 2010 pledge class by 30 members.  Therefore, some of the sophomores happily took two Littles.  In the Greek world the two freshmen that have the same Big are called Twins.  That goes along with the other Greek family lingo: Big, Little, Twins, Grand-Big, etc. 

It is a modern day sorority family.  Every year we make a big event out of revealing who everyone’s Big is.  Our pledge trainer plans the entire event, even how we will reveal ourselves to our Littles.  This year our reveal was fun and laidback.  The Bigs were required to come up with a matching outfit, so when they walked outside their Little would know who she belonged with according to who was wearing the same outfit. 

Girls were very creative with their ensembles.  Some girls wore tutus, some wore nightgowns, some girls wore wigs and some wore superhero costumes.  There were a variety of themes. 

I decided to go a little out of the box and go for a food theme.  I am from a small town by the name of Weiner, AR.   That tends to be how people remember me.   So for Key Sis Reveal I made one of the best purchases of my life: a hot dog costume.  I wore the costume while I had my two littles wear T-shirts, one saying ketchup and the other saying mustard.   It was my way of making fun, while also creating the perfect little hot dog family. 

Our Key Sis Reveal was so much fun.  We all were able to hang out and talk, while getting to know each other better.  After a while, all the upperclassmen left and the new members had the house to themselves.  

Besides the fun of the night, it was just another year of a great tradition that I consider to be a really important part of our sisterhood.  It allows you to get to know different people and opens up the opportunity to build a relationship with someone you enjoy and respect.  

No matter what sorority you are in or how you do your Big Little event, the importance of being a Big is something I think all Greek women enjoy and cherish.

Mallory is a sophomore studying broadcast journalism and marketing. You may contact her at malmjordan25@gmail.com.