Page 112 - 1916 February - To Dragma

TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA 0MICRON PI 191

A fraternity ought to hold in a small way toward the college life of a girl
the place that her religion holds toward her whole life. It should be her
refuge when college life is too burdensome, the place where she can come for
strength and encouragement, the source of inspiration, the fountain of high
ideals. We have often felt the strengthening power of an hour of quiet thought
when life becomes too boisterous; a fraternity meeting pledge service, or initi-
ation ought to leave us with much the same feeling. We are better fitted to
take up our work by having come close for a time to the big things of life.

Looking at it fiom this point of view it is easy to see why fraternities should
be secret. We do not go about showing our inmost soul to the world nor need
we wear the heart of our college life on our sleeve. It would lose much of its
sacredness if we did. Let us not have the—"I know something I won't tell,"
point of view, casting an unnecessary air of mystery over our fraternity; but
let us rather feel that it is a very real part of us, which has grown into us with
our college life and which is too vital to be shown carelessly to the world. I f
we really feel this there will be no danger of making our fraternity seem
ridiculous by acting in a foolish and artificial way.

H E L E N N . S P I L L E R , Beta Iota.

In one of the best of the men's fraternity magazines—The Shield
of Phi Kappa Psi; but cannot we college and fraternity women
take it to ourselves?

To adopt the French proverb, "noblesse oblige," what obligation does the
rank, the nobility, of the fraternity impose upon you? It seems to me that
your duty is double, to do three things: first, to make of yourself the best man
that you are capable of developing, that you may thereby raise the standard and
the standing of your fraternity; second, to realize in your fraternity chapter
those ideals of scholarship, of morals, and of culture, and in the chapter house
those graces and refinements of a true home, that will stand forth the exemplar
of not only the best in college but a better college; and last, and greatest of
all, to get under the college in its every activity and development, in its every
crisis, remembering that a boost for the college is a boost for yourself, and
that a slur upon the institution, either in its activities or its reputation, but
befouls your own escutcheon and lowers your own character.

The English essayist, A. C. Benson, terms personality the "greatest
mystery of being." The clippings which follow emphasize the power
and influence of that "mystery" i n the closeness of fraternity life.

Almost every young person entering upon a career, dreams of doing some-
thing big, something to make them famous. I f you stop dreaming and con-
nect yourself with real life and accept the small responsibilities right within
your reach the big things will come when you are ready for them. No matter
how far down the ladder you go for your start, do your part of the work the
v e r y best you know how, and they cannot keep you down. You will climb
'° ^e toj> as sure as the sun rises in the east, and as you climb your personality
keepg climbing with you, growing bigger, broader and stronger every rung.

If there is anything more I can add to the suggestions already given for
gaining a personality, I would say never lose an opportunity to be of service
0 humanity, never refuse to shoulder a responsibility; every act of this kind

us to the strength of your personality, and it is big personalities we need.