While that was physically disgusting, a lot of the hazing was psychological. I tried not to take the whole thing too seriously, but several of my pledge sisters found the process really upsetting and broke down frequently. It wasn't my first-choice sorority, and had a reputation for crazy partying, drugs, eating disorders—everything I wasn't looking for, but I decided to go through with pledging anyway.
And yes, I was hazed. However, I will say definitively that the hazing actually made me feel a lot more comfortable with my pledge class and broke down barriers. When you're huddled outside of an upperclassman's house together in line waiting for a pledge event—sometimes at 3 a.
Our worst night involved crazy tasks, quizzing, and food being thrown at us. While we went through a lot, it ended with a big group sleepover with skits and dancing and was ultimately so much fun. Hazing is not for everyone, but I was able to laugh at myself and take it for what it was.
I really did make amazing friends during those tough times! My pledge class wasn't hazed because my house got in trouble for hazing a few years prior, and I'm so glad we didn't. We had to do things like separate sequins by color while repeating a sorority chant, but nothing mean or harmful. Given who was in my pledge class, I think actual hazing would have seriously messed some of us up.
I strongly, strongly believe it's really hard for girls to trust other girls after they're abusive 'just because. A pledge at that time didn't like being asked to dress up and attend her normal classes, so instead of opt out of the costume day which was honestly and truly optional , she called the national headquarters of our sorority and complained. Seemingly overnight, my small sorority had gained four new, very prominent members: 'elder sisters' sent by nationals to observe the goings-on of our chapter.
I pledged largely because of the social opportunities associated with the Greek system at my tiny suburban college , and at the time of the hazing investigation, I held three leadership positions within the organization. Although at the end of our investigation nationals determined that we were not in fact hazing, they completely dismantled our leadership system and replaced everyone with the newest class of pledges.
Needless to say, our sorority did not carry the same social clout anymore. These sororities cater to a specific cultural interest -- a sorority for Asian-American women or Latina women, for example. A multicultural sorority encourages not a particular cultural interest, but actively recruits multiple cultures. Theta Nu Xi is one example. In this article, we'll discuss the sorority recruitment process, what pledging is like and what to expect from life as a member of a sorority.
Potential new members -- commonly known as rushees -- must go through a recruitment process, traditionally known as rush. Recruitment differs depending on the college campus. At a large university with a large Greek population, like in the South at a state school, sorority recruitment may be a highly structured and dressy event, with girls teetering around in the heat wearing high heels and their mother's pearls.
At a smaller university or a college with less Greek interest, sorority recruitment events are usually much less formal gatherings. Rush usually consists of a few rounds. During these rounds, sisters meet potential new members. The women talk, perform skits, sing songs and share personal stories about what the sisterhood means to them. As rush progresses, potential new members and sororities list their choices in order of preference.
Desirable rushees will receive invitations to the next round. Ideally, rush is a time for potential new members and sisters to meet one another and see if they would be a good fit. But, the larger the Greek population and university, the more difficult that goal is. If more than one thousand girls go through rush, realistically most of the sorority members will not meet each girl.
This is one instance where people get the idea that sororities can be superficial -- snap judgments may be made based purely on looks. At some schools, a rushee has to rush all sororities -- meaning she must meet with each group at least once and attend each rush event. At other schools, a girl may choose to rush just the sororities she might like to join, based on reputation.
At these schools, attending a rush party can be seen as an indication of your interest in joining that sorority. If you're considering going through rush, there are some sorority recruitment terms you might want to know:.
Each sorority has a different private way of voting for new members. It may be an open discussion between members of the sorority or a more confidential, written process.
At the end of rush, when finalizing a list of desirable potential new members, voting members will likely discuss each rushee, pointing out why she would or would not match the sorority's values and desired attributes. With a large recruitment group, sometimes a computer algorithm can help by matching sororities and their favorite rushees with rushees and their preferred houses.
For a smaller group of rushees, sorority members could simply discuss the merits of the potential new members among themselves and then hold a vote on each potential new member. At many colleges, the sororities give out formal bids on one special day, which is called bid day. At some schools, potential new members dress in a particular way white dresses, bright T-shirts and go to the sorority house to spend time with their new sisters-to-be.
If a potential new member accepts a sorority bid, she becomes a new member , more commonly known as a pledge. Because of negative associations with words like "pledge," many sororities have chosen to adopt new language. At present, NPC-affiliated sororities usually refer to the pledging process as new member education.
During the new member education process, pledges learn more about the organization. For example, a new member might learn the history of the sorority and its values. She'll meet the other new members and spend time bonding with current members.
There might be mandated study times, weekly meetings and optional social events. New members must also spend some additional study time getting ready for a sort of entrance exam, which each pledge must pass in order to join the sorority. The test might have information about the organization's history, symbols or founding members as well as general information about the Greek system -- pretty much whatever a pledge has learned during the pledging process is fair game.
Rushees should understand that pledging involves a hefty time commitment. The pledging process is somewhat different for traditionally black sororities.
Along with the incredible time investment dedicated to studying, meetings and social events and learning the sorority's history and ideals, many pledges must also learn how to step.
The pledge class practices together to perform a stepping routine during a campus step show. Stepping is a dance that involves using the body as percussive instruments -- steppers stomp, clap their hands together and against their bodies to make a rhythm for sorority chants and songs.
Routines are highly choreographed and often rely on a call-and-response technique. Stepping began with black fraternities in much the same way the white fraternities ' tradition of glee club-style singing sprang to life. Black sororities took up the tradition some time later. Some Latina sororities step as well. The first step show of an initiated member is called a probate show. When you think of pledging, it's likely hazing is the next thing that pops into your mind.
Most universities and colleges define hazing in a similar way; Dartmouth describes it like this:. Hazing can happen in any organized group including sports teams and military groups. On college campuses, it tends to be a bigger problem in fraternities , but it certainly also happens in sororities. Most universities have specific rules forbidding hazing, and every sorority's national organization forbids hazing as well. Despite these restrictions, hazing is still happening on campuses throughout the United States.
Hazing in a sorority might include forcing pledges to go without sleep , forcing them to binge drink, scaring them or forcing them to do degrading tasks. Stories circulate about girls being told to bring markers with them to meetings. Sisters use the markers to circle areas of the pledge's body to indicate where they think the pledge needs to lose weight. Universities and national umbrella organizations take hazing very seriously -- and for good reason as hazing has resulted in injury and even death.
Because it is such a serious concern, each school has a system to handle hazing complaints. If a potential new member meets all of her pledgeship requirements, she may be eligible for initiation, a secret ritual event during which she will become a full member of the sorority.
During initiation, she will learn the sorority's secrets, from the secret meaning behind the Greek letters to secret passwords and secret handshakes. Yes, lots and lots of secrets. Marking the transition with a special ceremony, which has been upheld for decades or even a century, is meant to have a powerful effect on the initiate, tying her to a tradition, the ideals of the founders and an idea of sisterhood. These rituals often have ties to Greek secret society rituals and involve symbols, and perhaps even costumes.
Sisters are forbidden to reveal the sorority ritual or its secrets. An Alpha Gamma Delta chapter at the University of Georgia caused a furor when a sorority member came forward saying that the sorority rejected a potential new member because she was black [Source: TIME].
Many chapters even have leadership positions dedicated to this aspect of Greek life. Members in charge of service initiatives will delegate responsibilities, log the hours contributed by each member, and coordinate service events and fundraisers. Every national organization has an award which recognizes the service contributions of its most outstanding chapter. Without exception, the chapters that win these awards are always aggressively involved in philanthropy and community service.
Some chapters raise tens of thousands of dollars every year for their charity of choice while instilling a lasting appreciation for the value of philanthropy and community service among members. Alcohol and illegal drugs are a common hazard for Greek organizations. The vast majority of hazing-related deaths have resulted from forced binge drinking. But the risks of excessive alcohol consumption are not limited to new members, nor do they stop once pledging is over.
Fraternities and sororities are social organizations and all social circles have cultures and sub-cultures. Far too often, Greek life harbors a culture of alcohol and drug abuse. This culture of abuse makes it easy for young, inexperienced drinkers to get into trouble in the name of acceptance. In some cases, recreational drinking habits in college can become real alcohol problems in adulthood.
Fraternities and sororities with cultures of excessive drinking may risk opening this doorway. According to Fraternity Advisor , they were all members of Greek organizations during college. Fraternity and sorority membership helps young men and women cultivate leadership skills, gain a sense of social identity, and learn to play well with others. Even the brightest year-olds arrive on campus with much to learn. Joining a fraternity or sorority can help. Participation in the traditions, collaborative activities, and organizational structure of your Greek organization can create valuable opportunities to contribute, coordinate and lead, which are all valuable skills for eventual participation in the workforce.
Fraternities and sororities not only offer the context to develop these skills but, just as importantly, can often verify your claim to those skills as you work toward future internships and job opportunities. Indeed, employers like seeing documented leadership experience. Greek life can provide that. You should expect to have exactly no free time during the pledging process. Nearly all hours outside of class are spent in meetings, completing tasks, or simply being present in the chapter house.
In fact, for this reason, some schools even have restrictions around rushing during your first semester as a freshman. Still, many students choose to rush during their freshman year. You need excellent time management skills to balance this initiation process with the experience of adjusting to a new academic setting.
And that time commitment does not end once pledging is over. Members are required to attend meetings throughout the year.
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