Be Proud, Not Lazy With Your Quill

Anyone who experienced "lazy Sundays" was never in a sorority at college (unless, for some reason, your sorority met on a different night–then you got lucky). My sisters and I would spend the beginning of the day the way most college kids spent it: we slept in, ate junk food, talked about our weekend adventures and started our homework in our sweatpants. 

It would start out as a really nice lazy Sunday, but by 5:30, our plans would change. We would have to change out of our sweatpants into nice dress pants, a skirt, or a dress. The messy ponytails we were sporting before? We began brushing out the tangles and straightening or curling our hair. Last night's make-up was washed off and a fresh new makeup job was applied to our faces. No, we weren't on our way to job interviews. And no, we did not have any hot dates that night. We got dolled up for our AΞΔ chapter meetings, held at 6:30 most Sunday nights.

This type of dress is called "Quill attire," because we only wear our badge, the golden Quill, while wearing an equally sharp outfit to show it off. My old roommate and I are displaying a stunning example of Quill attire.

Back then, chapter meetings seemed like a hassle. I didn't like putting my homework aside, just as I was getting into it. I didn't changing out of my comfortable clothes, especially when it was cold out. And I especially didn't like missing the Oscars for the past three years (thank god we had a DVR at the house, otherwise things would have gotten nasty). But now? I treasure any opportunity to dress up and wear my golden quill (especially now that I don't have that pesky homework to interfere!). I realized after graduation, I don't get many opportunities to use it.

My alumni group, Alpha Xi Delta Chicago North Shore, meets on the second Wednesday of each month. It's not required to get as dressed up, but most of us do–it's exciting to be able to wear our Quill (or, for some of our members, their Order of the Rose pin–which is earned after 50 years of being a member of Alpha Xi Delta). 

Unlike college, we don't just have standard chapter meetings. The meetings often start with a program to educate us on our community–this week, one of our own members talked about her experience volunteering, and encouraged us to get involved. We then follow the program with coffee and dessert, and then we begin the actual chapter meeting. It is more like a big event than a chore for us, because we don't get to do this that often. Sometimes, we don't even meet every month! Next month, we will not be having a meeting because we will be preparing for our big Founder's Day luncheon on April 20th. 

For any collegiate members of Alpha Xi Delta, here's my advice: you will have many, many opportunities to enjoy a lazy Sunday post-college life. Trust me, I've enjoyed several of them. They're great. But you know what else is great? Being able to wear your Quill in a place where everyone understands the meaning behind it. You don't realize how much you miss it until you don't have as many opportunities to wear it. 

And my advice for current alumni? There are opportunities to wear your Quill, but they're harder to find: alumni group meetings, International Badge Day (which was March 4 this year), even work if you're feeling up to it (there's no rule that says you can't!). It's up to you to seek these out and put them to use. No one is making you go to meetings anymore, but why even bother becoming a member if you can't take advantage of these opportunities?

If the University of Iowa mascot, Herky, could talk to you right now, he would say, "Be proud, not lazy with your Quill!"

(My hair is covering it, but I am most definitely wearing my Quill with pride in this photo. Herky seems cool with it, don't you think?)