Whether you realize it or not, what you say affects what you think just as much as what you think affects what you say.

Studies have shown that if you are continually a part of a group that uses racial and sexual slurs, whether you agree with them or not, you will eventually find yourself using them too. This might not seem like a huge problem if you don’t mean it, but scientific studies show that repeated use of slanderous language trains your brain to view the world that way. Thus, if you speak like a racist/sexist/whateverist, you’re likely to become one.

What does this have to do with me, you ask? You treat women with respect, your best friend is of a different race, you love your gay fraternity brother and you once took a religious studies class because you wanted to check out your options. You may think you’re pretty open-minded, but here are some prejudicial terms you’ve probably been unconsciously using that are in desperate need of a makeover.

1. GDI, also known as a Geed, also known as a…well, you know what it means. You may think it’s cute or funny to make fun of people outside of the Greek system, but what it does is create an elitist system where Greek students automatically think they’re better than everyone else because of the letters on their chest. We know the amazing advantages to being a part of a Greek system, but the people outside of the system either don’t know about these advantages or have some other legitimate reason for not being in the Greek system. Instead of making fun of them, target them for recruitment, make friends, and at the very least work to change the stereotypes that the outside world has against us.

Instead:Independent or Unafilliated

2. Sorostitute. Don’t ever use this phrase. Ever. It doesn’t matter how baggy her comfort colors t-shirt is or how many times she has worn a shirt with letters that are not her own, she is a woman of class and you should respect her.

Instead: Sorority woman/girl

3. Rush. This brings back awful images of the TV show GRΣΣK, with girls being pushed into houses, judged, and outright treated like nobodies. Let’s be honest with ourselves. Despite the 110 degree temperatures, the heels and the minor dramas, our recruitment system isn’t really that bad. You shouldn’t be in a “rush” to pick your chapter, you should take the time to have meaningful conversations with the people who could be your new family.

Instead: Recruitment

4. House. I didn’t ever stop to think how prejudicial this phrase was until our house burned down this semester. A house is a physical structure in which you hold chapter meetings, a chapter is a group of people from the same organization. Your brotherhood or sisterhood is not confined by the bricks and mortar that hold your meetings, and you should be respectful of those of us who are successful chapters without houses.

Instead: Chapter

5. Rushie. This term is ridiculous, and reminds me of Dory from Finding Nemo’s rant about her “squishy.” Contrary to popular belief, men and women going through recruitment are fully fledged men and women and deserve to be treated as such…without the stupid name.

Instead: PNM or Potential New Member

6. Pledge. You know what a pledge is. A pledge is a person from Animal House who takes paddle spankings and has to complete ridiculous challenges in order to get initiated into a brotherhood of cruel, sadistic sods. This is the 21^st century, where we recognize that we need to treat our new members with respect in order to gain their friendship, loyalty and trust. Give them the respect they deserve as an intelligent human being.

Instead: Call them by their names, call them New Member, Junior, Associate or Provisional Member.

I hope this week you’ll seriously think about the implications that your word choices have on your reputation, your chapter’s reputation and the reputation of the Greek community as a whole. What you choose to say and how you choose to say does matter, and it’s time that we start reevaluating.