Quote:
Originally Posted by BrendanMcGrail
The only point you've made that I agree with is that I also do not believe in an 8 week pledge program - ours lasts the entire semester, and I absolutely feel it should. It's impossible to adequately communicate the nature of the organization in a shorter period. However, both before and after that, you failed to produce a single statement I agreed with beyond the tangential "real world companies dont tend to hire people who show up in emo gear or american eagle tshirts", which I will address after tackling the larger issue(s) at hand.
First, the issue of hazing. It's not who we are, or want to be. It goes against our fundamental principles to haze - if you're a Beta, I'll be more than happy to delve deeper into this with you, but if you're not, then trust me - it does. This also covers rules like carrying cigarettes for brothers. Aside from the obvious issue that none of us smoke, I absolutely fail to see the benefit that can come from having someone carry object x around with him. And again, we don't have a dress code for ourselves, so why would we have one for pledges? Clearly, there is one for chapter meetings and other events, but for day to day purposes, we're much too practical for that. Perhaps it's because we are (with only 1 exception), all science and engineering majors and value practicality, our founding principles, and logic over concerns of whether we are being sufficiently ostentatious; our reputation on campus and in the community speaks to the character of both our brothers and pledges in a light that is more than positive.
And now the collared shirt issue. I'm slightly bothered by the fact that you think I lack the class to dress appropriately for work-related activities. Clearly, if the situation warranted it, I would. Fortunately, it seldom will in my life, since I plan on spending most of my professional career in academia, where again, practicality trumps social convention.
Maybe I just lack an understanding and appreciation of why the idea of a "southern gentleman" is still around in 2006. Shouldn't you be more concerned with being a good global citizen? The world extends beyond the Mason-Dixon Line - in fact, it gets a lot better(well, politically, anyway).
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I do realize that the world extends past the Mason-Dixon, yet I have no desire to go north of it, except to hunt, and certainly will never live above it. Also the way you dress was a joke, obviously you feel like you wont have to dress the way I do to get your job. However, Shinerbock is right in that, the South we tend to dress nicely at all times. And as for "why a "southern gentleman" is still around in 2006?" Maybe it is because in the South we appreciate the fact that men still hold doors for women, we dress nicely, and adress our elders with respect. I visited some relatives that unfortunately moved to Michigan a few years back and I was amazed at how rude and inconsiderate the people were. That isnt an attack on their personal character, but it was strange to me to hear cars honking at everyone and men not holding doors for women, and much less the profanity used in public, especially with women present. I also have no desire to be a good "global citizen" because I put my interest in my country before the rest of the world. I know that business is now completely global, and interaction with other countries is far from avoidable, but I do not really care about the rest of the world as much as my own country.
I am not a beta, but I do know that the betas here do make their pledges wear khakis and collared shirts with pledge pins and im sure that they have to carry items on them such as smokes.
