This term "Pan Love" gets thrown around all the time. It’s posted on facebook and instagram between different chapters all the time. We are encouraged to practice it at all Greek events and anytime we all come together to accomplish something. But what does it really mean?
It means having a good attitude.
There are so many Greek competitions and get togethers throughout the year. Philanthropy season we’re all crammed into small spaces every day for what seems like two months straight. Homecoming week (month) is spent bumping elbows with people of all chapters until all hours of the night. But for some reason we’re usually cold towards each other. Recruitment week is spent judging other’s outfits and bid day themes. All you have to do is be positive. People feed off of what they are greeted with. If you spread kindness during these activities it’ll catch on.
It means being competitive in a healthy way.
Winning is awesome. Bragging rights are phenomenal. But what about the people who are benefitting from what you’re competing for? They’re the real winners. Philanthropy events and competitions are about the cause you’re playing for. It’s not about which chapter has the best dancers, who can decorate a house the best, or who can break the most noses in a three on three basketball tournament. We all grew up and graduated from elementary school so we should play like it. We should be kind to girls in other chapters because technically we’re all sisters in the Panhellenic community.
It means being understanding and supportive.
We’re all in college for a short period of time. We’re just going to blow through these years and move on to a long life of doing everything other than sorority stuff. Whether you realize it or not, we all go through the same things. We have rough nights, bad days, failed tests, tough break ups. We all get killed during recruitment week, messy during philanthropy events, go crazy planning for social events, and stay up for a week straight to build homecoming floats. We all come from the same places, so why not be encouraging and uplifting to our fellow Panhellenic women instead of crushing them under judgements, criticisms, and insults. It’s easier to be happy and kind than angry and rude.
"Pan Love" means being positive and working together. It means spreading a smile when someone may need it. It’s being a liaison to other groups of people in Greek life. Being helpful in a time a stranger could need you most. Showing up to events that your chapter may not be participating in but you can still support. Instead of finding negatives, you can reflect on something a chapter did well. A little goes a long way and it doesn’t take much to be a light in your Greek community.
