Post on 20-Oct-2018
Style Guide
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written permission of Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority.
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Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
Updated January 2018 2
Table of Contents
Grammatical Voice ............................................................................................................. 3
Editorial ............................................................................................................................... 4
Collegiate Chapter School Names .................................................................................. 22
Punctuation ...................................................................................................................... 27
References ........................................................................................................................ 28
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
Updated January 2018 3
Grammatical Voice
In grammar, the voice is the usage of a verb that indicates whether its subject acts (active
voice) or is acted upon (passive voice).
In a sentence written in the active voice, the subject of sentence performs the action. In a
sentence written in the passive voice the subject receives the action.
Active: The Vice President of Finance believes the chapter must place a limit on the
budget.
Passive: It is believed by the Vice President of Finance that a limit must be placed on the
budget by the chapter.
Active: Research shows that high stress can negatively impact grades.
Passive: It was shown that grades can be negatively impacted by high stress.
Active: The dog bit the man.
Passive: The man was bitten by the dog.
Use the active voice whenever possible. Writing in active voice makes your meaning
more clear and concise for readers, and keeps the sentences from becoming too
complicated or wordy.
Tips:
• Look for a "by" phrase (e.g., "by the dog" in the last example above). If you find one,
the sentence may be in the passive voice. Rewrite the sentence.
• If the subject of the sentence is somewhat anonymous, see if you can use a general
term, such as "research” above.
When to use passive voice:
There are sometimes good reasons to use the passive voice:
• To emphasize the action rather than the actor: “After long debate, the proposal was
endorsed by the Executive Committee.”
• To be tactful by not naming the actor: “The procedures were somehow
misinterpreted.”
• To describe a condition in which the actor is unknown or anonymous: “Every year,
thousands of people are recruited into fraternities and sororities.”
• To create an authoritative tone: “Visitors are not allowed after 9 p.m.”
Copied from The Writer’s Handbook, The University of Wisconsin – Madison, with slight alteration
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Alpha Sigma Tau Style Guide
Updated January 2018 4
Editorial
A
academic courses/degrees/majors
Always lowercase except for languages:
English major, science major.
If academic degrees are spelled
out, they should be lowercase: a
bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree. There
is no possessive used in bachelor of arts
or master of science.
A bachelor’s degree or bachelor’s is
acceptable in any reference.
When academic degrees are
abbreviated, they are capitalized: B.S.,
Ph.D.
When academic degrees are used
after a name, separate by commas: B.A.,
Ph.D.; Judy Morris, Ph.D., attended
Convention.
accept, except Accept is a verb meaning
to receive: Judy will accept the award at
Convention. Except is a preposition
meaning to exclude or omit: Alice would
like to hold any position on the chapter’s
Executive Committee except Chapter
President.
actives Do not use when referring to
Alpha Sigma Tau members. The terms
members, collegiate members, alumnae
members, or Sisters are appropriate.
acronyms Are allowed and they should
be spelled out on first reference. For the
Sorority name, avoid using AST; use AΣT
instead.
advisor Do not use the other spelling,
adviser. Capitalize only when referring to
a title: Chapter Advisor Betty Smith.
affect, effect Affect is a verb meaning to
have an effect on or to make a difference
to something: Her attitude affects those of
all chapter members.
Effect is a noun means a result of an
action or another cause: The effect of the
Tau Honor Council hearing was noticeable.
Affiliating Alumnae Initiation
Ceremony Ritual Ceremony initiating
non-affiliated women as alumnae
members of Alpha Sigma Tau.
afterward Not afterwards.
age Always use figures and use hyphens
for ages expressed as an adjective: A 70-
year-old chapter, but the chapter is 70 years
old. The Chapter Advisor, 55, has a
daughter, 25. The woman, 27, has a
daughter 4 years of age. The woman is in
her 20s (no apostrophe).
alcohol free, alcohol-free Hyphenate
when used as a modifier: This is an
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alcohol-free event. The event tonight is
alcohol free.
all-campus, all-university Lowercase
and hyphenated.
all-campus average Lowercase and
hyphenated.
all-women’s average Lowercase and
hyphenated.
all right Do not use alright.
alma mater Lowercase and no hyphen.
If referring to a song, then capitalize and
set off with quotes.
a lot Always written as two words.
Alpha Signal Full name of the official
Sorority collegiate chapter newsletter.
May be abbreviated to ASN upon second
reference.
Alpha Sigma Taus Plural of more than
one member (no apostrophe).
Alpha Sigma Tau National Foundation
Always capitalize the full title. On second
reference, it may be referred to as
Foundation or the Foundation.
Alpha Sigma Tau Ritual Capitalize.
alum Do not use.
alumna Feminine singular.
alumnae Feminine plural.
alumnae chapters/associations
Capitalize only when referring to a
specific chapter or association: Chicago
Alumnae Chapter.
alumna(e) initiate(s) Women who were
initiated as alumnae members through
the Affiliating Alumnae Initiation
Ceremony.
Alumnae Panhellenic Association An
association for alumnae of National
Panhellenic Conference member groups.
May be abbreviated as APA upon second
reference.
alumni Masculine plural.
alumnus Masculine singular.
a.m., p.m. Lowercase, with periods.
Avoid redundancy: 10 a.m. in the morning.
ampersand (&) Use the ampersand
when it is part of a formal name. It should
not otherwise be used in place of and,
unless on social media where character
limitations exist.
The Anchor Official magazine of Alpha
Sigma Tau. Always italicized, never set off
by quotes.
anniversary Capitalize when
accompanied with a specific year: Alpha
Sigma Tau celebrated its 100th Anniversary.
Lowercase when used in general
reference: The chapter is planning an
anniversary celebration.
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annual Do not use first annual. Instead,
use inaugural. Annual can only be applied
to an event that has happened two or
more years in succession, and intended to
occur every year.
app Short for application, as in a
technology application. App is acceptable
on second reference and is never
acceptable when referring to a job
application. App is also acceptable when
commonly referring to a smartphone app.
apostrophe Use in place of omitted
letters and numbers: I’ve, rock’n’roll, class
of ’94, the ‘80s theme. Use to show plural
of a singular letter: mind your p’s and q’s,
the Oakland A’s. Do not use to show plural
of multiple letter combinations: DVDs,
JPGs.
assume, presume Assume means to take
as true without evidence. Presume means
to take as true for a specific reason.
AST Do not use in print. Always use a
Greek Sigma instead of S, as in AΣT.
award(s) Capitalize only when referring
to a specific award: Ada A. Norton Award,
award presentation.
awhile, a while He plans to stay awhile.
He plans to stay for a while.
B
bachelor of arts, bachelor of science
see academic degrees/courses/majors.
backward Not backwards.
Badge Always capitalized.
biannual Means twice a year.
Bid Day Always capitalized.
biennial Means every two years.
Billhighway Financial management
system for all Alpha Sigma Tau chapters;
one word, always capitalized.
bimonthly Means every other month,
every two months.
biweekly Means every other week, every
two weeks.
board/committee Capitalize only when
referring to a specific or formal board or
committee: Chapter Advisory Board,
Nominations Committee, a committee.
bylaws One word and only capitalized
when referring to specific bylaws: Mu
Chapter Bylaws.
C
cannot Do not use can not.
CAMPUSPEAK All one word; one “S.”
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chair Not chairman, chairwoman, or
chairperson unless it is someone’s formal
title in an non-Alpha Sigma Tau board or
committee. Capitalize as a formal title
before a name.
chapter Capitalize “chapter” when
immediately following “Alpha Sigma Tau”
or the Greek-letter name of the specific
chapter. Whenever possible, include the
host university upon first reference: The
Alpha Chapter at Eastern Michigan
University won an award. The Alpha Sigma
Tau Chapter at Eastern Michigan University
hosted a picnic. The Alpha Chapter was
present at National Convention. When
referencing two or more particular
chapters, do not capitalize: the Alpha Beta
and Mu chapters.
Chapter Advisory Board Official title.
Always capitalized: Chapter Advisory Board
members. On second reference, may be
referred to as CAB.
charter Always lowercase.
class year Lowercase: freshman,
sophomore, junior, senior.
colony Status of a new chapter prior to
installation. Only capitalize when referring
to a specific colony: The colony is doing
well. The Zeta Alpha Colony is doing well.
college Capitalize only when used with
the actual school name: Eastern Michigan
University, the college swim team. See also:
university.
College Panhellenic Association Always
capitalized. CPH may be used upon
second reference.
collegian(s) A noun meaning college
students who are members. The collegians
attended Officer Academy.
collegiate An adjective meaning relating
to college students: The collegiate
members attended Officer Academy.
Collegiate Initiation Ceremony The
proper term for Alpha Sigma Tau’s
collegiate membership initiation Ritual
Ceremony. Always capitalize.
comma After a series listing, there is a
comma before the last conjunction:
Alumnae, collegians, and volunteers are
present at the workshop.
committee See board/committee.
composition titles Use italics to identify
titles of books, magazines, newspapers,
computer games, movies, operas, plays,
works of art, and albums.
Use quotation marks to identify
the titles of articles, poems, songs,
television programs, lectures, videos,
lectures, and speeches.
Do not use italics or quotation
marks around software programs:
Microsoft Word, Photoshop.
In a title, capitalize the principal
words, and prepositions, conjunctions,
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Updated January 2018 8
articles (the, a, an), or any words of fewer
than four letters if it is the first or last
word in a title.
check-in (n. and adj.) The National
Officers met at the check-in desk at the
hotel.
check in (v.) Did you check in at the hotel
yet?
continuous open bidding An
opportunity for chapters that do not
reach quota during a recruitment process
to reach quota and/or total. Always
lowercase. May be abbreviated as COB
upon second reference.
continuous recruitment A style of
recruitment defined by the National
Panhellenic Conference. Always
lowercase. May be abbreviated as CR
upon second reference.
Convention In reference to Alpha Sigma
Tau National Convention, it is always
capitalized: The 40th Alpha Sigma Tau
National Convention was held in Atlanta.
Carrie Staehle attended National
Convention. National Convention – alone,
but capitalized – may be used upon
second reference.
Council See National Council.
The Crest The official alumnae newsletter
of Alpha Sigma Tau. Always italicized,
never set off by quotes.
cut (during recruitment) Do not use.
Correct terminology is released.
D
dates Always use Arabic figures, without
st, nd, rd or th. See months.
daylong One word.
days of the week Capitalize and do not
abbreviate.
daytime One word.
day to day, day-to-day Hyphenate when
used as a compound modifier: They have
extended the contract on a day-to-day basis.
deactivate, depledge, desisterize Do
not use. Use resign or dismiss.
dean’s list Lowercase in all uses.
decades Use Arabic figures to indicate
decades of history. Use an apostrophe to
indicate numerals that are left out; show
plural by adding the letter s: the 1920s, the
‘80s, the mid-1800s.
degrees See academic
courses/degrees/majors.
directions, regions Lowercase north,
south, southwest, eastern, etc., when
referring to compass directions. Capitalize
when referring to specific geographic
regions: the Northeast.
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dollars Always lowercase. Use figures
and the $ sign in all except casual
references or amounts without a figure:
The gavel cost $20. Jane, please give me a
dollar. Dollars are flowing into the
endowment.
For specific amounts of more than
$1 million, use the $ and numerals up to
two decimal places: The campaign
fundraised $1.25 million.
do’s and don’ts Use apostrophes.
double-click Hyphenated.
download One word.
E
e.g. Use as an abbreviation of for
example, as in: Every chapter has the same
executive officers (e.g. Chapter President,
Vice President of Growth).
See also: i.e.
each Takes a singular verb: Each of the
members has a Badge.
Educational Consultant May be
abbreviated as EC after first reference.
See titles for capitalization standards.
email No hyphen
every day (adv.), everyday (adj.)
except See accept, except.
Executive Committee Proper term for a
chapter’s leadership. Always capitalized
since it is a specific committee. Do not
use Executive Board, E-Board, exec., E-
Comm, etc.
extension For phone number
extensions, abbreviate as Ext. or ext.
F
Facebook Always capitalized.
farther, further Farther refers to a
physical distance: She ran farther in the
marathon than she anticipated. The Chapter
Advisor will look further into that matter.
fewer, less In general, use fewer for
individual items, less for bulk or quantity.
Fewer than 10 applicants called (applicants
are individuals); I had less than $50 in my
pocket. ($50 is one quantity)
Formal Capitalized when referring to a
specific event. Lowercase when referring
to a general event. The women had a great
time at Formal. The chapter usually holds its
formal in April.
formal recruitment Do not capitalize
per the NPC Manual of Information.
Foundation/foundations Always
capitalized when referring to the Alpha
Sigma Tau National Foundation. On
second reference, it may be referred to as
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
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Foundation. When referring to a general
foundation, it is always lowercase.
Founder(s) Capitalize when referring to
one or all of Alpha Sigma Tau’s Founders.
Founders Day Not Founders’ Day or
Founder’s Day.
founding Always lowercase.
founding members Colony members
who are present for the chapter’s
installation. Always lowercase.
fractions Spell out amounts less than 1,
using hyphens between the words: two-
thirds, four-fifths. Use figures for precise
amounts larger than 1, converting to
decimals whenever practical.
fraternity, Fraternity Capitalize in
reference to a particular fraternity.
Lowercase to refer to fraternities in
general.
freshman, freshmen Always lowercase.
fully structured recruitment A style of
recruitment defined by the National
Panhellenic Conference. Always
lowercase. May be abbreviated as FSR
upon second reference.
fundraising, fundraiser, fundraised
One word in all cases.
G
GINsystem One word. GIN is always
capitalized and system is always
lowercased.
good standing Always lowercase.
grade point average Abbreviated as
GPA on all reference.
gray Not grey.
Greek Do not use in reference to a
group: the Greek life on campus is thriving.
Replace with fraternity/sorority life,
fraternal, or fraternal community.
Greek is only acceptable when part
of a formal name, like Greek Council.
GreekLifeEdu Online prevention
program designed to educate fraternity
and sorority members on the risks of
alcohol, hazing, and sexual assault while
equipping students to make healthy and
safe decisions; offered to all new
members of Alpha Sigma Tau. One word.
Greek Week Always capitalized.
H
Headquarters Capitalize when in
reference to Alpha Sigma Tau
Headquarters. Example: Headquarters
Staff can answer your questions.
The History of Alpha Sigma Tau Alpha
Sigma Tau’s history book. See composition
titles for formatting.
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Homecoming Always capitalized.
home page Two words.
hometown One word.
house Refers to the building, not the
chapter.
Housing Corporation Always capitalized.
I
i.e. Use as an abbreviation of namely or
in other words, as in: Every chapter has the
several leadership positions (i.e. advisors,
officers, committee members). See also: e.g.
Illuminate Alpha Sigma Tau’s four-year
member development program for
collegians.
in-depth Hyphenated.
Induction Ceremony Ritual Ceremony
for collegians becoming alumnae
members.
informal recruitment Do not capitalize.
initiates Always lowercase.
Initiation Capitalize as a noun.
Lowercase when using a verb tense.
Example: She was initiated tonight. My
favorite memory of Alpha Sigma Tau was my
Initiation. See Collegiate Initiation Ceremony
Instagram Always capitalized.
installed/installation Lowercase when
referring to the general installation of a
chapter or of officers. Capitalize when
part of an event: The chapter was installed
yesterday. We had so much fun at the
Installation Banquet.
Interfraternity Council Not
hyphenated. IFC is acceptable on second
reference.
iPad, iPhone, iPod Do not capitalize.
When beginning the sentence, precede
with an article or modifier.
internet Lowercase.
intramural Not intermural. Intramural
should only be used as an adjective, not a
noun. She enjoyed playing intramural
sports, not She enjoyed playing intramurals.
it’s, its It’s is a contraction for it is or it
has: It’s up to you. It’s been a long time. Its is
possessive: The dog enjoys the tennis ball,
but its favorite toy is the Frisbee.
J
junior Always lowercase.
K
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L
last Avoid the use of last as a synonym
for latest if it might imply finality.
lay, lie The action word is lay. It takes a
direct object. Laid is the form for its past
tense and its past participle. Its present
participle is laying.
Lie indicates a state of reclining along a
horizontal plane. It does not take a direct
object. Its past tense is lay. Its past
participle is lain. Its present participle
is lying.
When lie means to make an untrue
statement, the verb forms
are lie, lied, lying.
PRESENT OR FUTURE TENSES:
Right: I will lay the book on the table. The
prosecutor tried to lay the blame on him.
Wrong: He lays on the beach all day. I will
lay down.
Right: He lies on the beach all day. I will lie
down.
IN THE PAST TENSE:
Right: I laid the book on the table. The
prosecutor has laid the blame on him.
Right: He lay on the beach all day. He has
lain on the beach all day. I lay down. I have
lain down.
WITH THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE:
Right: I am laying the book on the table. The
prosecutor is laying the blame on him.
Right: He is lying on the beach. I am lying
down.
lead, led Lead, as a present tense verb,
means to go first: She leads the chapter in
service hours. Lead, as a noun, is a heavy
metal. Led, as a past tense verb, means
went first: She led her team to a winning
title.
legacy Always lowercase.
less, fewer See fewer, less.
lie See lay, lie.
lifelong One word.
lifestyle One word.
lifetime One word.
LinkedIn Always capitalized.
long-term As an adjective use hyphen.
long time, longtime They are longtime
friends. They have known each other for a
long time.
M
magazine title Capitalize and italicize
the name. Do not place it in quotes.
Lowercase the word magazine unless it is
in the publication’s title.
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Manual of Information National
Panhellenic Conference’s universal
manual. Abbreviated as MOI upon second
reference. Not Green Book.
marathons Most marathon-type events
are spelled with hyphens. If the word is
familiar enough to be read without the
hyphens, they can be omitted: bike-a-thon,
walk-a-thon, telethon.
master’s degree See academic
courses/degrees/majors.
Member Development Program See
Illuminate.
Membership Recruitment Acceptance
Binding Agreement. Abbreviated as
MRABA upon second reference.
midterm One word.
minimally structured recruitment A
style of recruitment defined by the
National Panhellenic Conference. Always
lowercase. May be abbreviated as MSR
upon second reference.
months Capitalize and spell out names
of months in all uses. Do not abbreviate.
When a phrase lists only a month and a
year, do not separate the year with
commas: November 1899 was a
monumental time for Alpha Sigma Tau.
more than, over In reference to
quantities, use more than, not over: There
were more than 400 women at Convention.
Over generally refers to spatial
relationships: Consultants fly all over the
country.
N
names Identify members with initiating
chapter and school in this format: Abigail
Pearce, Alpha (Eastern Michigan University).
Include maiden name if applicable and
use the first name upon second reference
in articles.
nationals Do not refer to the National
Organization as Nationals. Do not use in
reference to the National Officers,
National Council Members, or
Headquarters.
National Convention See Convention.
National Council Alpha Sigma Tau’s
governing board. Always refer to as the
National Council or National Council in
writing and formal communications. Can
be referred to as the board informally and
in casual conversation.
National Organization Refers to Alpha
Sigma Tau Sorority. Always capitalized.
National Panhellenic Conference An
umbrella organization for 26 international
women’s fraternities and sororities. Alpha
Sigma Tau is a member group.
Abbreviated as NPC upon second
reference.
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National Pan-Hellenic Council A
coordinating body for the nine
historically African American fraternities
and sororities. Alpha Sigma Tau is not a
member group. Abbreviated at NPHC
upon second reference.
new member Not pledge. Always
lowercase.
new member class Not pledge class.
Always lowercase.
newspaper titles Capitalize the in a
newspaper’s name if that is the complete
name of the publication. Always italicize
the full newspaper name.
nicknames Nicknames that actually are
preferred first names are acceptable as a
first name. Nicknames should be
consistently used or be indicated between
parentheses upon first reference – such
as Jenny Smith or Jennifer (Jenny) Smith.
nonalcoholic One word, no hyphen. Use
only as a description of a beverage that
does not contain alcohol. See also alcohol
free, alcohol-free.
non-Greek Do not use.
non-members
nonprofit No hyphen. Example: The Alpha
Sigma Tau National Foundation is a
nonprofit organization.
Not Anymore An online educational
program designed to reduce the risk of
sexual assault; offered to all collegians of
Alpha Sigma Tau.
numerals Write out numerals of nine or
less, or when beginning a sentence. Use
figures for 10 or more. Exception: use
numerals for dates, times, sports scores,
and Alpha Sigma Tau titles. When large
numbers must be spelled out, use a
hyphen to connect a word ending in “y” to
another word: twenty-two, one hundred
forty-five. For numbers higher than 999,
use a comma after the first digit: 2,564.
Place hyphen between the numeral and
the year when designating the length of
membership or when using as part of an
adjective: 25-year member or 50-year
member or 25- or 75-year member.
O
Officer Portal Always capitalize. Items
are located in Officer Portal, not on Officer
Portal: The document is available in Officer
Portal.
officers Capitalize titles. Do not
abbreviate officer titles except in Sorority
reports/forms and business matters: The
Executive Director, National President, and
National Vice President attended the
conference. The Chapter President and
Chapter Advisory Board members received
the email. National President Carrie Staehle
made the statement. Effie Lyman, Chapter
Advisor, was present. Headquarters Staff
can answer your question.
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
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ongoing One word.
online, offline One word.
P
Panhellenic Capitalize when referring to
the College Panhellenic Association.
Parents Day, Parents Weekend
Capitalize, no apostrophe.
partially structured recruitment A
style of recruitment defined by the
National Panhellenic Conference. Always
lowercase. May be abbreviated as PSR
upon second reference.
party Do not use in relation to
recruitment, use event.
percent One word. Do not use the
symbol % in formal writing or articles.
Percent takes a singular verb when
standing alone or when singular words
follow an “of” construction: The teacher
said 60 percent was a failing grade. She said
50 percent of the membership was there. It
takes a plural verb when a plural word
follows an “of” construction: She said 30
percent of the members were in attendance.
percentages Use figures for numbers
over 10 or when expressing decimal
places below 10: one percent, 3.5 percent,
14 percent. For amounts less than one
percent, precede the decimal with a zero:
The cost of living rose to 0.9 percent.
periodical titles Use italics to identify
newspaper, magazine, or periodical titles.
For example: I read a story about a sister
who traveled for a year with her sorority
sisters. It was titled, “Around the World
with my Sisters.”
philanthropy, philanthropic The
philanthropy is the organization. Chapters
have philanthropic events.
philanthropic events Not
philanthropies. Do not capitalize.
Pin Pledging Ceremony The Pin
Pledging Ceremony is the Ritual
ceremony that shows the more solemn
and sacred side of our sisterhood. Always
capitalized. Not Pinning.
Pinterest Always capitalized.
play off (v.) Two words.
playoff(s) (n., adj.) One word: The playoff
game has started. We really enjoyed
watching the playoffs.
pledge A promise made by a new
member. No longer a term used to mean
“new member.”
p.m., a.m. Lowercase, with periods.
Avoid redundancy: 8 p.m. at night.
potential new member Preferred for
women participating in recruitment. Not
capitalized. Use PNM or PNMs on second
reference. Only use PNM’s when taking a
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
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possessive form: The PNMs attended the
event. The PNM’s pen was broken.
potluck One word. No hyphen.
probation Not poor standing.
publication titles Use italics to identify
Alpha Sigma Tau handbooks and other
publications: The Guide to Chapter
Business Meetings is a helpful resource.
Q
quota Always lowercase.
quotation marks The period and the
comma always go within the quotation
marks. The dash, question mark, and
exclamation point go within the quotation
marks only when they apply to the
quoted matter: “It’s an excellent
philanthropic event,” she said. They go
outside when they apply to the whole
sentence: Was their recruitment theme “Set
Sail with Alpha Sigma Tau”?
Also see composition titles.
R
recruitment counselor Do not use Rho
Chi, Rho Gamma, or recruitment guide.
recolonize, recolonization One word,
no hyphen.
recruitment Preferred word. Do not use
“rush.”
Recruitment Recommendation Form
Alpha Sigma Tau’s form to recommend
potential new members to chapters for
recruitment.
reinstall, reinstallation
reorganize, reorganization One word,
no hyphen.
Release Figure Method The National
Panhellenic Conference approved
method for matching potential new
members to sororities/women’s
fraternities for recruitment events and
invitations to membership. Use RFM upon
second reference.
retweet On Twitter, the practice of
forwarding a message or link from
someone else to your followers. Spelled
out in all references, though common
usage on Twitter abbreviates to RT.
Ribbon Pledging Ceremony The Ribbon
Pledging Ceremony begins the new
member education program and
welcomes the new pledged members into
our special bond of sisterhood. Also
referred to as Informal Pledging Service.
Always capitalize. Not Ribboning.
Ritual In referring to specifically Alpha
Sigma Tau Ritual, it is capitalized. The
book, Alpha Sigma Tau Ritual Book, is
capitalized and italicized. General
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references are not capitalized: The ritual
ceremonies of most fraternal organizations
are secret.
Ritual Ceremony Refers to ceremonies
in the Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Ritual Book.
Capitalize when referencing Alpha Sigma
Tau Ritual Ceremonies.
roommate One word.
rush, rushee Never use these words.
Use recruitment and potential new
member.
S
seasons Lowercase spring, summer, fall,
and winter, unless they appear as a part
of a formal name or event: Spring Formal;
are used to specify issues of the Sorority
magazines: The Anchor, Fall/Winter 2015;
The colonization will happen in fall 2015.
semiannual Twice a year, a synonym for
biannual.
semicolon See punctuation.
semiformal One word.
semimonthly Means twice a month.
senior Always lowercase.
series listing After a series listing, the
punctuation is used before the last
conjunction: The collegiate chapter
representatives, alumnae chapter
representatives, past National Presidents,
and fun-loving alumnae attended National
Convention.
sightsee One word as a verb.
sight-seeing Hyphenated as an adjective
or noun.
sightseer One word.
sisterhood events, sisterhood socials
Not sisterhoods. Do not capitalize.
sisterhood retreat Do not capitalize.
snap bidding An option available to
chapters that did not fill quota. Chapters
may offer bids to PNMs whose
preferences were not matched. This
process takes place before bids are
distributed. Snap bidding is NOT intended
to fill spaces in the chapter total and is
limited to any woman who participated in
the designated recruitment. Do not
capitalize.
sophomore Always lowercase.
sorority Not all NPC member
organizations use sorority in their official
name: Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority; Delta
Gamma Fraternity. Verify before attaching
sorority to the formal name. Capitalize
when referring to a specific organization:
Alpha Sigma Tau is colonizing in Colorado
next semester. This will be the Sorority’s
second chapter in Denver.
spring See seasons.
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
Updated January 2018 18
spokesman, spokeswoman Do not use
spokesperson. Use representative if you
do not know the gender of the individual.
Standing Committees Capitalize only
when referring to specific Alpha Sigma
Tau Standing Committees: Nominations
Committee.
states In articles, spell out completely:
She has lived in Ypsilanti, Michigan, for
many years.
stationary, stationery To not move is to
be stationary. Writing paper is stationery.
subcommittee No hyphen is used.
substance free (n.), substance-free
(adj.) Means in absence of alcohol, drugs,
and tobacco. Example: Sororities must
maintain substance-free housing.
summa cum laude Graduation honor
equivalent to with highest distinction.
summer See seasons.
syllabus, syllabi
T
tailgate One word.
teammate One word.
teamwork One word.
telephone numbers Use hyphens, no
parentheses or periods. Example: 317-
613-7575, ext. 7572.
television shows Put names of
television shows in italics: The Today Show.
Specific episodes should be put between
quotation marks. For example: My
favorite episode of Seinfeld is “The Bizarro
Jerry.”
text, texting, texted Acceptable in all
usages as a verb for to send a text
message.
than, then Than is the conjunction used
in comparisons; then is an adverb
denoting time.
that (conjunction) Use the conjunction
that to introduce a dependent clause if
the sentence sounds or looks awkward
without it. When it doubt, include that.
Omission can hurt; inclusion never does.
that, which (pronouns) That is the
preferred pronoun to introduce essential
clauses that refers to an inanimate object
or an animal without a name: The anchor
is a symbol of the sorority that means so
much to all members of Alpha Sigma Tau.
Which is the only acceptable pronoun to
introduce a nonessential clause that
refers to an inanimate object or an animal
without a name: Alpha Sigma Tau
Headquarters, which is located in
Indianapolis, is where the Sorority’s
employees work. An essential clause
cannot be eliminated without changing
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
Updated January 2018 19
the meaning of the sentence. A
nonessential clause can be eliminated
without altering the basic means of the
sentence.
-thon Lowercase such as walk-a-thon.
Most marathon-type events are spelled
with hyphens. If the word is familiar
enough to read without the hyphens, they
can be omitted: bike-a-thon, telethon.
till Or until. Not ’til.
times Use figures for noon and midnight.
Use a colon to separate hours from
minutes: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m. Avoid
redundancies: 9 this morning or 9 a.m.
Avoid adding zeros to the hour: Use 2 p.m.
rather than 2:00 p.m.
time zones Abbreviations are acceptable
on first reference for zones within the
continental United States if the
abbreviation is linked with a clock
reading: 9 p.m. ET. Avoid using
designations for Daylight or Standard
time: EDT or CST.
titles See officers.
total Allowable chapter size, as
determined by the College Panhellenic
Association. Not capitalized per National
Panhellenic Conference Manual of
Information.
toward Not towards.
trending Used to indicate that a
particular topic is getting a lot of attention
on a social networks, typically Twitter. Do
not use without context and explanation:
The topic of the Super Bowl is trending on
Twitter today.
trick-or-treat Hyphenate.
T-shirt Capitalize the “T.” Hyphenated.
tug of war Not hyphenated.
turnout no hyphen when used as a
noun: They anticipated a large turnout to
the event.
TV Abbreviated is acceptable, though
spelling out television is preferable.
Twitter Social media platform where
messages are restricted to 140
characters. Always capitalized.
tweet, tweeted Verb used to describe
sending an update via the social media
site, Twitter. A Twitter message is also
known as a tweet.
U
Unanimous Agreements Always
capitalize when referring to the National
Panhellenic Conference Unanimous
Agreements.
undergraduate Do not use when
referring to Alpha Sigma Tau members
who are currently enrolled in college and
belong to the collegiate chapter at their
college/university. Refer to these
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
Updated January 2018 20
members as collegiate members or Alpha
Sigma Tau collegians.
unfollow To stop receiving updates from
an individual or organization on Twitter.
One word.
unfriend To remove someone from a list
of friends, usually on Facebook. Defriend
is acceptable but less common.
United States Spell out when used as a
noun. Use U.S. (no spaces) as an adjective
only.
university See college.
until or till. Not ‘til.
V
voicemail One word.
W
www.alphasigmatau.org The official
website for Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority.
wall As in Facebook wall. Always
lowercase.
Washington, D.C. Use a comma after
D.C., like with a state name. If used at the
end of a sentence, do not add another
period.
website One word.
weeklong One word as an adjective.
well-being Hyphenate.
who, whom Use who and whom for
references to human beings and to
animals with names. Use who when
someone is the subject of a sentence,
clause or phrase. Use whom when
someone is the object of a verb or
preposition: Who is there? Whom do you
wish to see?
who’s, whose Who’s is a contraction for
who is: Who’s coming to the recruitment
event? Whose is the possessive case of
who: Whose notebook is this?
winter See seasons.
woman Use woman or women, not girl(s)
or lady/ladies when referring to Alpha
Sigma Tau members or sorority women.
work force Two words.
workout One word when used as a
noun: She enjoyed her workout at the gym.
He is going to work out.
workshop One word.
worthwhile One word.
X
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
Updated January 2018 21
Y
year-end Hyphenate when used as an
adjective: They attended the year-end party.
yearlong One word.
years When referring to a period of years,
no apostrophe: the 1950s. When omitting
years, use apostrophe: The early ‘70s.
your, you’re Your is the possessive case
of you: Your mother is an inspiration to all
of us. You’re is the contraction for you are:
You’re a great sister!
YouTube One word.
Z
ZIP codes Use all caps for ZIP, but
lowercase code. Do not put a comma
between the state name and the ZIP code:
Indianapolis, IN 46268.
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
Updated January 2018 22
Collegiate Chapter and Colony Listing, Including School Short
Names
Chapter School Long Name Acceptable Upon Second
Reference
Alpha Eastern Michigan University EMU
Alpha Epsilon Western Illinois University WIU
Alpha Gamma Henderson State University Henderson State
Alpha Lambda Radford University Radford
Alpha Phi West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester University
Alpha Pi Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock University
Alpha Psi University of Northern Iowa UNI
Alpha Tau Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Edinboro University
Alpha Xi Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Mansfield University
Beta Central Michigan University CMU
Beta Chi Ferris State University Ferris
Beta Delta Duquesne University Duquesne
Beta Epsilon Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg University
Beta Eta Southern Illinois University Edwardsville SIUE
Beta Iota Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville University
Beta Mu Salisbury University SU
Beta Nu Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg University
Beta Omega Monmouth University Monmouth
eta Phi California University of Pennsylvania Cal U
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
Updated January 2018 23
Chapter School Long Name Acceptable Upon Second
Reference
Beta Pi Eastern Illinois University EIU
Beta Rho Arkansas Tech University Arkansas Tech
Beta Tau University of Massachusetts Lowell UMASS Lowell
Beta Theta St. Mary's University St. Mary's
Beta Upsilon New Jersey Institute of Technology NJIT
Beta Xi Michigan Technological University Michigan Tech
Chi Shepherd University Shepherd
Delta Indiana University of Pennsylvania IUP
Delta Alpha Gannon University Gannon
Delta Beta Fairmont State University FSU
Delta Delta University of Illinois at Chicago UIC
Delta Epsilon Marist College Marist
Delta Eta Belmont University Belmont
Delta Iota Providence Campus of Johnson & Wales
University
JWU's Providence Campus
Delta Mu Cumberland University Cumberland
Delta Nu Beloit College Beloit
Delta Omega Penn State Altoona Penn State Altoona
Delta Phi New York University NYU
Delta Pi Oglethorpe University OU
Delta Psi Denver Campus of Johnson & Wales
University
JWU's Denver Campus
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
Updated January 2018 24
Chapter School Long Name Acceptable Upon Second
Reference
Delta Rho Chowan University Chowan
Delta Sigma University of the Sciences USciences
Delta Tau Oakland University OU
Delta Theta Moravian College Moravian
Delta Upsilon Saint Leo University Saint Leo
Delta Zeta East Stroudsburg University of
Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg University
Epsilon Alpha Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Embry-Riddle
Epsilon Beta University of Texas-Pan American UTPA
Epsilon Chi University of Minnesota Duluth UMD
Epsilon Delta Rogers State University RSU
Epsilon Epsilon North Miami Campus of Johnson & Wales
University
JWU's North Miami Campus
Epsilon Eta University of the Incarnate Word UIW
Epsilon Gamma Georgia Southern University Armstrong
Campus in Savannah
Armstrong Campus in Savannah or
Armstrong Campus
Epsilon Iota New York Institute of Technology NYIT
Epsilon Kappa Trine University Trine
Epsilon Lambda Indiana University South Bend IU South Bend
Epsilon Mu SUNY University at Buffalo UB
Epsilon Nu McDaniel College McDaniel
Epsilon Omicron University of Southern Indiana USI
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
Updated January 2018 25
Chapter School Long Name Acceptable Upon Second
Reference
Epsilon Phi Winona State University Winona
Epsilon Pi Rhode Island College RIC
Epsilon Psi Rowan University Rowan
Epsilon Rho SUNY Geneseo Geneseo
Epsilon Sigma Bridgewater State University Bridgewater
Epsilon Tau Kenyon College Kenyon
Epsilon Theta Fairleigh Dickinson University FDU
Epsilon Upsilon Dalton State College Dalton
Epsilon Xi Gustavus Adolphus College Gustavus
Epsilon Zeta University of Virginia's College at Wise UVa-Wise
Gamma Delta University of Massachusetts Dartmouth UMASS Dartmouth
Gamma Epsilon SUNY Potsdam SUNY Potsdam
Gamma Gamma University of West Alabama UWA
Gamma Lambda Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown University
Gamma Mu West Virginia University Institute of
Technology
WVU Tech
Gamma Omega La Salle University La Salle
Gamma Pi Lycoming College Lycoming
Gamma Psi Fitchburg State University Fitchburg State
Gamma Rho Seton Hall University Seton Hall
Gamma Tau Lebanon Valley College LVC
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
Updated January 2018 26
Chapter School Long Name Acceptable Upon Second
Reference
Gamma Theta Penn State Erie, The Behrend College Penn State Behrend
Gamma Upsilon California State University, Los Angeles Cal State L.A.
Gamma Xi Grand Valley State University Grand Valley
Gamma Zeta Frostburg State University FSU
Omicron Concord University Concord
Phi Southeastern Louisiana University Southeastern
Psi James Madison University JMU
Rho Southeastern Oklahoma State University SE
Sigma SUNY Buffalo State Buffalo State
Upsilon University of Central Arkansas UCA
Zeta Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Lock Haven University
Zeta Tau Longwood University Longwood
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
Updated January 2018 27
Punctuation
apostrophe Use in place of omitted letters and numbers : You’ve, rock’n’roll, Class of ’99, the
’30s theme. Use to show plural of a singular letter: I need to dot the I’s and cross the T’s; the
Oakland A’s. Do not use to show plural of multiple letter combinations: CDs, JPEGs.
capitalization (general) Capitalize all specific Alpha Sigma Tau personnel, boards, and
committees: The Nominations Committee met last week. During the meeting, the committee
came up with a new nominations chart.
comma During a series listing, use the serial (or Oxford) comma before the last
conjunction: My sisters, my advisor, and the fraternity/sorority advisor of the campus met for a
meeting.
dates A comma always follows the day and the year of a date in a sentence: The Sorority
was founded on November 4, 1899, in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
geography A comma always follows the city and the state in a sentence: The Sorority was
founded in Ypsilanti, Michigan, at Michigan State Normal College.
hyphens Hyphens are joiners. Use them to avoid ambiguity or to form a single idea from
two or more words. The fewer the hyphens the better; use them only when not using them
causes confusion. Small-business owner but health care center.
compound modifiers When a compound modifier – two or more words that express a
single concept – precedes a noun, use hyphens to link all the words in the compound
expect the adverb very and all adverbs that end in -ly: a second-period goal, a greyish-blue
skirt, a know-it-all-attitude, a very fun event, an easily remembered number.
semicolon(;) In general, use a semicolon to indicate a greater separation of thought and
information than a comma can convey, but less than the separation than a period implies.
The latest issue of The Anchor is being printed; it should arrive in mailboxes later this week.
to compare a series Use semicolons to separate elements of a series when the items in
the series are long or when individual segments contain material that also must be set off
by commas: The meeting consisted of Effie Lyman, Alpha Sigma Tau Executive Director; Carrie
Staehle, Alpha Sigma Tau National President; Ada A. Norton, Alpha Sigma Tau Vice President of
the National Foundation; and Abigail Pearce, Alpha Sigma Tau National Vice President.
spacing In sentences, use a single space after a period at the end of a sentence, after a
semicolon, and after a colon.
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Style Guide
Updated January 2018 28
References
Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, 2015
Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity Style Guide
Alpha Sigma Tau Stylebook, 2014, 2015
National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) Manual of Information 20th Edition, 2015
The Writer’s Handbook, The University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2014