How long is your pledging?

[SilverVI]

Greek life over the years at the College of Wooster has been forced by the administration year after year to make concessions and change traditions. All nationals were banned in 1913 and all greek life here is local. Pledging way back in the day used to be 4-8 weeks (depending on the fraternity/sororety) like many nationals, but for the past 15 years (at least) pledging is only two weeks long at a maximum. The two week restriction is mandated by the campus administration.

I have always wondered how long the pledging process is for local greeks at other schools is. How long is yours?

[jazing]

Two weeks is just too short.

I don't know how locals do it, but 2 weeks is way too short.

[AOT767]

I have to agree, two weeks seems extremely short to me. Our locals here have an average pledging time of about a semester - one is shorter and they get initiated before winter break, and one gets initiated right after winter break.

[SilverVI]

Originally Posted by jazing

Two weeks is just too short.

I don't know how locals do it, but 2 weeks is way too short.

Well from what I have gathered, most of the greeks pledging processes are a very intensive due to the restriction made by the administration. Once initiated the new Pledge Class is "at the bottom of the totem pole", and any menial tasks that need to be done fall to the new PC, this then continues until the next PC is initiated.

I can say personally that my fraternity has adjusted to the two week restriction well. We quickly formed tight bonds together, with the actives and some alums before us, and we definitely have our traditions and values instilled in us. Some friends of mine have told me the same for a couple of the sororities.

[jazing]

A 2 week long Hell Week?? Sounds like a general hell. No wonder you think 2 weeks is enough. Actual pledging should have at most one week of living in the house (what you might call Hell Week).

[SilverVI]

Originally Posted by jazing

A 2 week long Hell Week?? Sounds like a general hell. No wonder you think 2 weeks is enough. Actual pledging should have at most one week of living in the house (what you might call Hell Week).

I wouldn't say many of the greeks two weeks is all "Hell". Heck there is even one fraternity here that has one week of pledging.

The other thing is the school mandates that pledging can only take place between 7PM and 11PM. Anything outside of that is considered to be underground.

For my fraternity in the 80s it used to be 6 weeks, in the 90s it was four, and today it is only two.

[knight_shadow]

I will echo the other posters -- 2 weeks seems awfully short. The locals on my campus operated a lot like the nationals, so their processes were ~2 months (give or take).

The only way I can see 2 weeks working is if they were intensive programs with the pledges doing absolutely nothing else during those weeks (including school/work). That's obviously not ideal, but if it works for y'all, kudos. Also, having your new classes at the bottom of the totem pole until the new class comes in seems like a way to get around the pledging restrictions. But again, it seems like it works for y'all.

[33girl]

Grove City locals back in the day did a 1 or 2 week pledging that was basically what k_s said. Nothing but pledging and hardcore hazing.

If they are forcing you to hold it at a minimum 2 weeks, what you are doing is the only way you can do it. You might want to point out, though, that the administration is basically condemning people to a semester long pledgeship - unless they don't care about reality and only care about how it looks on paper.

Also the 7-11 thing is rididiculous. For some people that's hazing as that's when they're working or studying.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Also the 7-11 thing is rididiculous.

I didn't even notice that. That is ridiculous.

[AlphaFrog]

Was this the college that comes up every so often that every group has a reputation for hazing like hell and their groups have sort of odd nicknames?

[pshsx1]

The local sororities and fraternity here have 10 week pledge periods. I mean, even SigEp & DPhiE (which don't pledge) have a 6-10 week new member period here.

Even from a non-pledging [fraternity] stand point (can't speak for DPhiE), our last 2 weeks get hellish/stressful. I can't imagine what a 1 or 2 week pledge period would be like.

[SilverVI]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

I didn't even notice that. That is ridiculous.

That is the allowed timeframe in which pledging CAN take place, not necessarily you go do pledging for 4 hours every day.

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Was this the college that comes up every so often that every group has a reputation for hazing like hell and their groups have sort of odd nicknames?

There have been 2 fraternities that have had their charters permanently revoked by campus administration for category three (Violent) hazing. One still exists underground but the other died out 7 years ago. These two instances DID bring national attention.

As for the nicknames when the administration banned Nationals in 1913 the remaining groups changed to Sections (Frats) and Clubs (Sororities). These groups eventually took greek letters again, and slowly over time the school chartered them as local greeks. The fraternities still refer to themselves by the sections of Kenarden Lodge that they lived in, a building built for the sole purpose of housing these groups in 1918. My fraternity is the Sixth Section. Some of the sections had nicknames too (Zards, Krappers, Rangers). The Clubs were primarily known for their nicknames and not a section (Peanuts, Echoes, Imps, etc.)

Sorry for the history lesson xD.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by SilverVI

That is the allowed timeframe in which pledging CAN take place, not necessarily you go do pledging for 4 hours every day.

I know what you meant. I still think it's ridiculous.

What happens if a student has to work between those hours? Or if the only time that all pledges have free time is noon?

[SilverVI]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

I know what you meant. I still think it's ridiculous.

What happens if a student has to work between those hours? Or if the only time that all pledges have free time is noon?

I cant speak for other greeks but in mine work and any varsity sports practice took precedent over pledging, and study time was allowed on long days when papers, tests, or quizzes followed the next day.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by SilverVI

I cant speak for other greeks but in mine work and any varsity sports practice took precedent over pledging, and study time was allowed on long days when papers, tests, or quizzes followed the next day.

Well yeah...but the point is, if you're a student who works at, say, Applebee's every night from 5 till close, how on earth do you pledge? It's not fair to students who don't have a strict 9-4 and then done with the day schedule.