One of my favorite parts about joining a sorority was knowing that I was going to be someone’s Little. For those who don’t know, a Little is a new member that has pledged to a sorority or fraternity that is paired with an older member, formally known as a Big, who serves as their mentor through the new member process. When becoming someone’s Little, you have this week that the sorority refers to as “Big-Little Week”. During this week, the Little receives gifts and messages from their Big anonymously. Most of these items are hints at who their Big might be. Since the Little is unaware as to who their Big is, this is what makes it, at least for me, one of the most anticipated times of the year! Being a Little is so exciting and new, but what those new members aren’t warned about is how much stress and anxiety goes on during that week once they’re the new Bigs-to-be.
A few days ago, I became a Big to my Little, and although the reveal was rewarding, the overall process drove me insane. To make the reveal of Big & Little special, the Bigs enjoy pranking their Little’s into thinking that they can’t take a Little or that they didn’t get the Little that they wanted. So many future Bigs struggle with hiding the fact that their Little is their Little and mess up the surprise before Reveal day.
Photo courtesy of Michaela Molnar
Here’s a few pointers that made me successful throughout Big/Little Reveal Week:
1. Set Your Story Straight
The girls are a lot smarter than you think when it comes to figuring out whether or not you’re telling the truth. I know that my Little questioned not only me, but also our mutual friends and friends of mine that she had just been acquaintanced with. If you’re coming up with a story as to why you cannot take a Little, make sure that you inform other people, so that your story seems credible. The second that something doesn’t line up, your secret will be exposed.
If you’re struggling to come up with some ideas on what to tell your Little, try some of these…
- I didn’t make grades.
- The New Member mom messed up the system, so no one got the Little or Big that they wanted.
- I’m graduating soon, so they don’t want me to take a Little if I’m not going to be here in a year.
- Someone else put me as their Number 1 pick and I said yes to them before I said yes to you.
- I don’t have the time or money to take a Little this year.
Buy a Texting App
Most texting apps on phones are free, so this shouldn’t be difficult to achieve. The entire week, I needed to find out information from my Little, but wasn’t sure how to get that information without constantly bugging my New Member Mom. Assuming that the New Member Mom had a lot on her plate, I decided to get a texting app to ask my Little questions or give her information. For example, on the day of Reveal, I was able to tell my Little what she should arrive in without giving myself away. The app that I used was called TextFree. On this app, you have the opportunity to choose your area code, as well as the remaining seven digits in your phone number. And the best part is that it appears as an actual phone number, so you don’t have to worry about her trying to track you down because she won’t be able to. My only caution with this app is that you have to turn off notifications and hide it among your other apps, just to be safe that she doesn’t find it and discover the secret, herself.
Tell Her in Person
This may be one of the hardest parts of the entire process, but it needs to be done. If all of a sudden you aren’t hanging out with her, or you decide not to text her as often, she’s going to know that something is up. Plus, if you tell her in person, she’ll be more likely to believe that you’re telling the truth. Know that your Little will do anything to try to get the truth out of you BUT YOU NEED TO COMMIT TO YOUR STORY. My Little told me she was going to drop, and my friend’s Little bawled her eyes out in front of her. IF SHE CRIES YOU CANNOT GIVE IN. THIS IS ALL A PART OF THEM TRYING TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH. If you’re afraid you may give in to the secret while telling her, put some lemon juice underneath your eyes or constantly yawn and cover your mouth. Just do whatever it takes to guarantee you will not expose yourself.
Recruit Some Friends
No one said you ever had to trick your Little, alone. In fact, one of my Little’s good friends helped me out the entire week. Since he lived in the same building as her, I had him place gifts in front of her door, tell me when she had gone to her dance practice, and he even told me her Tuesday schedule when I needed to drop off a gift before her class that morning. Try to avoid using other members of your sorority, especially if they are in the same class as your Little. Telling the smallest amount of people as possible will work to your favor in the end.
Handwritten Letters
Every time that my Little received a gift, I wrote a letter along with it. In this letter, I would give the most subtle of hints to my Little. An example of one was that I wasn’t blonde, which eliminated a few of her guesses, but she still had no clue. I know other sisters in the past have written “Two Truths & a Lie” to also trick their Littles. In fact, one of my sister’s this past Reveal wrote her “Two Truths & a Lie” in the perspective of another member of my sorority. This made her Little believe that she didn’t get the Big who she wanted almost instantly. Another way to trick your Little while handwriting letters is to say a statement that you know is false about yourself or your Little. One of my sisters told her Little that she didn’t like McDonald’s when it was the favorite restaurant of both her and her Little. Handwriting seems more real to the Littles than texting does, so seeing a reality they don’t approve of on paper may convince them a little more.
Now, I may be thought of as an awful person, but this manipulative concept is all worth it in the end. My Little went into Reveal thinking that she didn’t have me as her Big, but all of the hints that I gave her throughout the week, along with the heartfelt gifts were to show her that even if I wasn’t the Big that she wanted, that I was still someone who cared for her and wanted the best for her. Don’t worry about hurting your Little’s feelings during this week. She’s going to forgive you the second she comes running out and sees you running towards her.