Syracuse University’s sorority women celebrated their chapter and greek pride Monday by recognizing International Badge Day.

The annual celebration is a century-old tradition sponsored by the National Panhellenic Conference and celebrates and honors the spirit of sorority women and greek life.

SU’s Panhellenic Council has informed each chapter of the event over the years, but emphasized the day more this year, said council president and former Daily Orange columnist Dana Lucas.

‘We told the women, ‘It’s one day out of the year to show your sorority pride,” Lucas said.

Each chapter asked their women to wear their national organization’s badge or pin, as well as the individual chapter’s guard with its greek letters, Lucas said.

‘Women all over the country are doing this today,’ she said.

Sphinxes, kites, keys and quills were among the pins representing some of SU’s 12 sororities, all members of the National Panhellenic Conference.

Badge Day is just one day of many when sorority women can take the opportunity to be involved on campus in a positive way, Lucas said.

Kappa Alpha Theta celebrated by handing out hot chocolate in personalized cups to students in the Schine Student Center Monday morning.

Lisa McAllister, Theta’s vice president for external relations and the Panhellenic Council’s programming chair, was among the sisters handing out cocoa to students.

She hopes Badge Day will ultimately grow into a bigger celebration with more sororities doing organized events, she said.

‘We want to show that greeks are doing good things out there,’ she said.

The sorority women also braved the mud and wore heels and dress clothes as part of their formal badge attire, which is usually only worn at formal chapter meetings, Lucas said.

‘It’s showing you’re honoring your chapter and actively promoting that you’re a Panhellenic sorority woman,’ she said.

Being a member of a sorority means opportunities in leadership, social aspects and community service, Lucas said.

While the pins represent each individual chapter, their indiscreet size also allows them to represent greek unity, said Danielle Rodrigues, Alpha Chi Omega president.

‘Most people get this terrible stereotype and miss all the good things that go on behind the scenes,’ she said. Badge Day gives sorority women an opportunity to make good impressions on their professors and the community and show that there is more than just the ‘scruffy letters,’ she said.

Students stopped Lucas throughout the day to ask her what her pin and nice clothes represented, she said.

‘People usually just see letters and assume ‘greek,” Lucas said. ‘We want to show we take pride in what we’re doing.’

Published on March 6, 2005 at 12:00 pm