Every sorority has them, and every sorority girl dreads a message from them. Anyone who is willing to become Standards Chair is a brave soul. They are disliked by most, not for their personality, but for their job. Telling your sisters to take down photos, tweets, Snapchats, etc. is tedious and is often met with disagreement and rebuttal. At some point in the time spent as an active member, each girl will find herself doing something that prompts one of those dreaded messages. All your efforts, sweet talking (and even being the best friend of the Standards Chair) will not exempt you from her watchful eye.
However, playing by the rules and avoiding a few key things will make your (and the Standards Chair's) life easier, so take notes.
When you block them from your social media accounts.
Don’t think they won’t notice. When the newly elected chair goes from seeing your ridiculous tweets and Instagram posts daily and then, all of a sudden, they disappear, she’s not going to assume you’re on a social media cleanse. This will only put you on her radar, rather than giving you the low profile you thought it would.
Underage drinking in photos.
Most students will be under 21 until we are juniors or seniors; that’s just how it works. So, if you are seen shot-gunning, chugging or funneling anything in a picture before then, you can guarantee you will get a text from Standards. No matter the situation or the excuses you provide, blatantly drinking while underage will cause any Standards Chair to give you the eye roll of all eye rolls. She knows you’re not 21, and she knows you have a good fake, but that doesn’t mean she’s not going to tell you to take that sh*t down.
Drinking in letters.
This is not just a PR nightmare to deal with, but it also violates most sorority bylaws. Wearing letters, stitched, screen prints or on any form of jewelry comes with a certain code of conduct. Don’t challenge someone at a party to go shot-for-shot and definitely do not go to a bar in letters; someone is going to Snapchat it, and it will be seen by all. The standards meeting that will follow will make the hangover you have ten times worse. I promise.
Events.
Formals, socials, tailgates, Greek life events ... they all pose an opportunity for members to pre-game. We have all seen that one sister who pre-games a little too hard and is a sloppy mess that you have to deal with the whole night. Then there is usually one sister who takes fraternity relations to a different level at the social and is found making out with some guy in a corner. Don’t be that girl. If you’re going to drink, keep it together and don’t interrupt everyone’s night with your shenanigans.
Holidays.
The holidays are supposed to be a time for fun and relaxation, but if you’re Standards Chair, you will probably spend most of your day scanning social media doing damage control for some of your party animal sisters. Halloween, Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day and even Arbor Day — if there is a recognized holiday, you can pretty much assume someone is going to have a party. Even though you came up with a super-creative Halloween costume that shows your “best assets,” it does not mean you need to put it all over social media. If you wouldn't want your grandma or boss seeing it, don't put it up.
Inappropriate photos.
Much like the holiday issue, be careful what you post. If your Standards Chair is innocently scrolling down her Instagram newsfeed and finds you and your sister participating in the #freethenipple campaign, you can bet you will be receiving a message from her. It's not only the photos; if you caption a picture with anything insinuating drugs, alcohol or other choice activities, you will have to take it down. Play by the rules. It will save everyone time.
When you treat her message as a personal attack.
Don’t blame your sister for doing her job. She is in college and goes out just like you do, there might even be times she finds your photo cute or your tweet hilarious, but in the name of the sorority, she has to ask you to take it down. I swear she is not out to get you, it's just her job, remember that.
