Delta Gamma Style Guide desk reference 2019 DELTA GAMMA STYLE GUIDE Revised: May 2019 1 Delta Gamma Style Guide with a master’s degree in Alcohol Skills Training Program psychology.” If abbreviating degree, Capitalized, abbreviated ASTP after In order to ensure that all Delta use capital letters and periods: “She first reference. Gamma publications and websites graduated with a B.A. in English.” represent the ideals and standards all right The dictionary may list of the Fraternity, such entities academic departments Lowercase “alright” as an acceptable word, but unless word is a proper noun (i.e. it is not according to the Associated associated with Delta Gamma or “English department” or “math Press. depicting its name, symbols, badge department.”) or slogans must adhere to certain allude vs. elude You allude to (or standards. academic titles Lowercase unless title mention) a book. You elude (or precedes name without a comma: escape) a pursuer. The name “Delta Gamma,” “Chancellor Green was a former the Greek letters “DG,” the professor of history.” Titles may “almost never” Do not use this crest, “Anchor Splash®,” “Most be capitalized for certificates and phrase. Instead, use “seldom” or Beautiful Eyes,” “The ANCHORA addresses. “hardly ever.” of Delta Gamma,” “Anchor Market Place,” “Anchor Girl,” academic years Always lowercase: a lot Always two words. “DeeGee,” “For hope. For freshman, sophomore, junior and strength. For life.,” “Here for senior. a part vs. apart a part means you are Good,” “#IAmASororityWoman,” part of something. apart means you “Do Good” and the badge of accept vs. except Accept (a are not. “She is excited to be a part the Fraternity are all registered verb) means to receive. Except ( a of the chapter.” trademarks of Delta Gamma preposition) means to exclude. Fraternity. alumna/alumnae/alumnus/alumni “actives” Incorrect when referring alumna--woman, singular The following terms are commonly to collegiate members. Instead use alumnae--women, plural “collegians” or “collegiate members.” alumnus--man, singular used throughout Delta Gamma alumni--men, plural or collegiate and alumnae websites adviser When an adviser stands men and women mixed, plural. and publications. Use this (in alone, it’s spelled with an “e.” conjunction with the Delta Gamma When she’s part of a team, the Alumnae Advisory Board Always brand identity guideline manual) as spelling switches the “e” for an “o” capitalized, may be shortened to “the a guide when designing web pages (i.e. “advisory team chairman” or Board’ on second reference. or preparing documents. Anything “advisory board”). Note: National that is not covered in the following Panhellenic Conference uses the alumnae association Always Delta Gamma Style Guide will be “advisor” spelling in all cases. lowercase, even though it looks like handled according to AP style. part of the title: “Albion alumnae advisory team A team of collegiate association.” May be capitalized for A chapter advisers, led by the ATC. certificates, titles and addresses. Always lowercase. Delta Gamma does not have “alumni abbreviations Abbreviations are associations.” fine for informal writing or in formal advisory team chairman Abbreviate communications as long as the “ATC,” but keep lowercase when alumnae chapter Always lowercase, first reference is spelled out: “The spelled out. even when it looks like part of the advisory team chairman served for title: “Denver alumnae chapter.” An three years. As ATC, she performed affect vs. effect As a general rule, acceptable variation/alternative title countless duties.” think of “affect” as the verb and to refer to an organized collection of “effect” as the noun. (There are members is alumnae group. May be academic courses and majors exceptions but they are rarely used.) capitalized for certificates, titles and Lowercase in all uses except “She was affected by the decision.” addresses. languages: An engineering major, “The effect on the crowd was a communications class, a French remarkable.” Alumnae Development Consultant major, a Spanish class. Always capitalized. Abbreviate “ADC” afterward vs. afterwards Use only after the full title is spelled out academic degrees If mentioning “afterward.” for the first usage. an academic degree in a sentence, the preferred form is to avoid an alcohol free vs. alcohol-free Delta alumna initiate A woman initiated abbreviation and use a phrase Gamma uses the term “events after her undergraduate career instead: “Mary Smith is graduating without alcohol.” is considered an alumna initiate; 2 DELTA GAMMA STYLE GUIDE Revised: May 2019 lowercase, abbreviated “AI.” Plural, Anchor Splash® Delta Gamma’s ASTP See Alcohol Skills Training alumnae initiates. official philanthropic project for Program. collegiate chapters is two words, alumnae officers Lowercase (“vice capitalized and followed by ®. (Ctrl as well as Use this preposition to add president: membership”) with Alt R in Microsoft Word.) The ® is not information to a sentence that could two exceptions: “vice president: required after the initial use. stand alone: “John, as well as Mary, Foundation,” “vice president: took the exam today.” Panhellenic.” Can be shortened to ANCHORA The ANCHORA of Delta “vp:” Titles may be capitalized for Gamma (pronounced anchor-uh) The Association of Fraternity/Sorority certificates and addresses. For plural, Fraternity’s quarterly magazine is Advisors Always capitalized; use “vice presidents: finance” or “vps: always all capital letters and italicized. abbreviated “AFA.” finance.” another “Another” should not be averse vs. adverse If you don’t Alumnae Officers Manual Always used in place of “additional;” rather, like something, you are “averse” or capitalized; abbreviated “AOM.” “another” refers to a repeated noun opposed to it. If the weather is bad, with the same quantity: “Ten women you could describe it as “adverse.” Alumnae Training Academy or passed; another 10 failed.” Adviser Training Academy Always Adviser Training Academy Always capitalized; abbreviated “ATA” on annual Do not use the phrase capitalized; may be abbreviated to second reference. “first annual.” “Annual” can only “ATA” after first reference. be applied to an event that has Alumna Recommendation Chair happened two or more years in awards Lowercase unless referring to Always capitalized; abbreviated succession. specific award: “Outstanding Senior “ARC.” Award” or “an awards banquet.” Annual Agreement Always a.m., p.m. Lowercase, with periods. capitalized, abbreviated “AA” on B Use figures with colons, except when second reference. listing times on the hour: “11:30 bachelor of arts, bachelor of science a.m.,” “1 p.m.” Avoid redundancy: anticipate vs. expect “Anticipate” See academic degrees. “at 9 a.m. this morning.” means to expect and prepare for something; “expect” does not backward Never use “backwards.” among vs. between “Between” include the notion of preparation. separates only two things or people “They expect a record crowd. They badge Preferred name for Delta while “among” introduces three or have anticipated it by adding extra Gamma golden anchor “pin.” more: “The argument is between Sally seating.” and me.” “We split the lunch among because vs. since Use “because” the four of us.” anybody, any body, anyone, any to show cause and effect: “He went one Use one word when meaning any because he was told.” “Since” Anchorbase One word, capital A, person, non-specific: “Anyone can indicates that time has passed. It lowercase b. be a part of recruitment.” Use two can also show a cause-and-effect words when the emphasis is on one relationship, but the effect doesn’t Anchor Games The umbrella term single person or thing: “Any one of necessarily have to follow the cause: refers to the various “anchor” the members will be available to meet “He went to the game, since he had philanthropic fundraisers Delta you.” been given tickets.” Gamma chapters host, including Anchor Splash®, Anchor Bowl, apostrophe Use in place of omitted biannual Twice a year. Anchor Dash and Anchor Slam. letters and numbers: “I’ve,” “rock’n’roll,” “class of ‘72,” “the biennial Once every two years. Anchor Girl Formal title of the legacy ‘20s theme.” Use to show plural of program. Plural, no apostrophe. a singular letter: “mind your p’s and bi, semi Bimonthly or biweekly mean q’s” and “The Oakland A’s won the every other month or every other Anchor Grant Program Always pennant.” Do not use to show plural week. Semimonthly or semiweekly capitalized. Can use “Anchor Grants” of multiple-letter combinations: mean twice a month or twice a week. when referring to the actual grants “DGs” and “PROs.” rather than the program. bid Lowercase when standing alone. archives Lowercase if not using full Anchor Run for the Blind Always and proper name: “The Frances Lewis Bid Day Always capitalize. “We capitalized. After first reference, can Stevenson Archives.” welcomed new members on Bid Day.” use Anchor Run. DELTA GAMMA STYLE GUIDE Revised: May 2019 3 Big/Little Reveal The event during address. To write a specific chapter collegiate officers Lowercase: which women are paired together as DG style, see p. 11. (“vice president: membership”) with big sister and little sister. Lowercase two exceptions: “vice president: big sister and little sister unless chapter house Always lowercase. Foundation,” “vice president: referring to the Big/Little Reveal Panhellenic.” Titles may be capitalized event. Do not abbreviate little to lil. Chapter Giving Program Always for certificates and addresses. May capitalized, do not abbreviate. also be abbreviated “vp:” A colon blind Put the person/people first; always follows vice president or vp. Never use “blind people.” chapter incident procedure the For plural, use “vice presidents: procedure by which a collegiate finance” or “vps: finance.” Board of Advisers Always capitalized. chapter is assessed; abbreviated “CIP.” Refers to past Council members Collegiate Recruitment Consultant and Executive Directors, and is chapter management team Always Always capitalized; abbreviated abbreviated “BOA.” lowercase; abbreviated “CMT.” “CRC.” Refers to president and all vice Board of Trustees The governing presidents who lead a collegiate collumnae Refers to combined body of the Delta Gamma chapter.