Throwing without Knowing?

[snowflakemom]

https://www.kappakappagamma.org/kapp...t.aspx?id=3988

Kappa Kappa Gamma will not show hand signs on their website. Your thoughts?

[33girl]

Couldn't agree more. The whole handsign trend among NPC groups is asinine and needs to vanish. Yes there are some NPCs that do have official hand signs that have been around for decades - but let them do that and you do you instead of a poor imitation. It reminds me of groups trying to come up with their version of KD's AOT and the like.

[Griffins&Quills]

I think it's an overreaction. I think the hand sign pics are cute.

[DrPhil]

KKG should do what works for KKG.

But I found this article dumb, culturally insensitive (which is humorous considering the purpose of the article), and borderline offensive.

[ASTalumna06]

The article is pretty ridiculous, and so are some of the arguments both for and against hand signs in the comments. People are getting extremely bent out of shape, all because their sorority chooses not to post hand signs on social media. In the grand scheme of things, is this really a big deal?

Maybe I'm missing something...

[33girl]

She went into more detail than she needed to. All she needed to say was that these signs aren't anything official, have no basis in tradition or ritual and therefore the national org doesn't want to post pictures of them so as not to muddy the waters.

[DrPhil]

Yes, she should've said that.

Instead she came across as being unfamiliar with the existence of non-NPC women's GLOs; mocked the GLOs that use hand signs; and announced she's on the late bus for just discovering gang signs (I hope her "expert" is a fictional character she created in an attempt to validate her message).

[33girl]

Also....she went to Pitt. The school is not tucked away in a bucolic small town or suburban enclave. It's in a city setting.

[Sen's Revenge]

Paraphrasing one of my facebook friends:

KKG didn't care when their members were culturally appropriating hand signs from NPHC organizations, but suddenly they care when they are vaguely associated with white hate groups.

The perception of racism is more important than the actual racism. Okay.

But another layer to this is the reaction of NPC alumnae members... "I've always been uncomfortable with this..." they say. Let's be honest - you're uncomfortable because it doesn't seem refined, and it doesn't seem refined because you know it's something black people do.

[Sen's Revenge]

And many NPHC organizations have LONG had prohibitions of showing pictures of hand signs in publications and official social media. It has only been very recently that several orgs have relented and embraced hand signs as a benign part of the culture of the orgs.

And by very recently I mean like this year.

[DrPhil]

Some NPHC NHQs will not use photos with hand signs on official documents or will only use the photos for information on collegiate members or occasionally when showing updates on alumnae/alumni/graduate chapter events.

Yet the NPHC GLOs that frown upon the prevalence of hand signs (and stepping and strolling) often do so without labeling and mocking the overall practice and the GLOs that engage in that practice. We know that gangs do hand signs and physical gestures like Crip Walk that are similar to strolls. I have been at parties with Bloods and Crips doing hand signs and movements alongside NPHC fraternities doing hand signs and strolls. It sometimes is difficult to distinguish the groups in that kind of setting and there can be tension.

Still, these GLO traditions didn't come from gangs. There are BGLOs (NPHC and non-NPHC) and other GLOs that consider calls, strolls, stepping, and hand signs to come from global cultures and traditions, practices learned in the military, and practices created years ago for the GLOs. It is fine if some GLOs don't want those practices adopted for their GLO. Just handle your own business without even appearing to call everyone else out on their use of these practices.

[amIblue?]

I don't even know what to think about this one. I was going to share it the other day when I read it, but I got busy with work and didn't get around to it yet.

In general, I don't like the use of (most) hand signs for (most) NPC groups. So, in that respect, I agree with the new stance from HQ. I don't think that it has anything to do with being "too refined" as Sen mentioned (although I do think that there is that element among some NPC women). The cultural appropriate aspect is bothersome as well.

For me, I think it boils down to the fact that we didn't do it when I was an active, so it just doesn't seem to be a part of my experience with Kappa. (Get off my lawn!) I also think that the hand signs that I've seen associated with Kappa look stupid because I usually can't figure out what the heck they're trying to show. (Seriously, I usually turn my head sideways a bit to try to figure them out.) There is no consistent Kappa hand sign. I've seen attempts at making letters, keys, stupid owl eyes. If we're going to have a hand sign, let's have ONE.

I also think that the message was delivered in a rather heavy handed and culturally insensitive way, but knowing what I know about how people get dramatic when changes are communicated, I can see that HQ felt that they had to deliver some reason beyond "it's not part of our ritual, so stop." They just didn't think enough about how they were sending the message. Unless it's part of the unanimous agreements, we don't need to bring in any other GLOs when making decisions about our policy.

Honestly, I think they could have just stopped using the photos with the hand signs quietly without making a big PR statement about why. It's not like they use every photo that is submitted. There will still be plenty of shots of people showing the back of their spirit shirts or beach shots, etc. When the actives see the kinds of shots that are being chosen, that's what they'll submit. It's not like these photos are usually particularly creative in composition.

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

Honestly, I think they could have just stopped using the photos with the hand signs quietly without making a big PR statement about why. It's not like they use every photo that is submitted. There will still be plenty of shots of people showing the back of their spirit shirts or beach shots, etc. When the actives see the kinds of shots that are being chosen, that's what they'll submit. It's not like these photos are usually particularly creative in composition.

Yes. The article kind of feels like someone hearing something and then going "Oh My Lands, we have to stop this nonsense!" whilst clutching their pearls and swooning without really thinking through it. To be honest, I searched for images of what they referenced and it took some time to find one. Even then, I wouldn't have connected the two.

Either the trend will die out and be replaced by something different (way back when, sororities used to have their own individual whistles that members used to recognize one another, or other hand signals that are no longer used) or it will be accepted and one singular "symbol" will be designated - though still not as part of our ritual.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by ISUKappa

Yes. The article kind of feels like someone hearing something and then going "Oh My Lands, we have to stop this nonsense!" whilst clutching their pearls and swooning without really thinking through it. To be honest, I searched for images of what they referenced and it took some time to find one. Even then, I wouldn't have connected the two.

Either the trend will die out and be replaced by something different (way back when, sororities used to have their own individual whistles that members used to recognize one another, or other hand signals that are no longer used) or it will be accepted and one singular "symbol" will be designated - though still not as part of our ritual.

There's apparently a petition going around to get HQ to reconsider. Oh my. Glad I'm only serving on a local level.

FWIW - I think we *technically* still have a whistle. I couldn't tell you what it is, though.

ETA: I am totally cracking up at all the current actives' comments about throwing away "long-standing" traditions.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Jen

I don't like the use of hand signs because they seem to be a recent innovation with no basis in tradition (for the majority of groups, as I know some did have official hand signs). It bothers me more because it feels like appropriating a tradition from NPHC groups who have had a long history of hand signs.

Yes. Perfect.

Maybe if these kids would stop taking pictures every moment they breathe they wouldn't have to keep thinking up ridiculous things to do in them.


(Kidding)



(not really)