Does your chapter haze?

[sphinxbeauty]

At my school, almost anything is considered hazing. There is a meeting that all new members and their educators are required to attend where the Greek Life staff shows a power point regarding the different levels of hazing: Subtle, Harassment, and Violent.

Subtle Hazing - silence periods, scavenger hunts, house duties, carrying a pledge book, getting signatures, threats, and deprivation of privleges.

Harassment Hazing - verbal abuse, questioning under pressure, requiring new members to wear rediculous costumes, skit nights.

Violent Hazing - forced alcohol consumption, physical violence, and intense emotional ridicule.

My school also informs you that if you take part in any sort of hazing (whether you're an initiated member or new member) you can be punished.

There have been many accusations of hazing among the greek community at my school, but just remember that if you heard it from someone who wasn't there, it's just a rumor. Don't believe everything you hear.

http://blog.nj.com/timesupdates/2007/04/rider_freshman_died_of_alcohol.html
^This just happened to a nearby school, read it and let me know what you think.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by sphinxbeauty

Subtle Hazing - silence periods, scavenger hunts, house duties, carrying a pledge book, getting signatures, threats, and deprivation of privleges.

There's something that doesn't mesh there.

[sphinxbeauty]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

There's something that doesn't mesh there.

Sorry what it specifically says is "Scaring new members with what may happen at initiation." I should have clarified that.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by sphinxbeauty

Sorry what it specifically says is "Scaring new members with what may happen at initiation." I should have clarified that.

That makes more sense. When I think of "threats" I think of something like "I'm going to kill you" or "I'll add that to your file I'm keeping on you".

[sphinxbeauty]

Yeah I understand. But basically what I'm trying to say is just about ANYTHING during the new member process is considered hazing. In the handbook they give you as a new member, they state "Each pledge activity can be measured against the definition for each category [subtle, harassment, violent]". So by that statement, how can we not haze?

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

She's had three posts, and they've all been about hazing...

I was just demonstrating that she's not as anonymous and harmless as she thinks she is.

Originally Posted by 33girl

SirHornyToad goes/went there too, and his posts were similar.

A girl I knew from high school who eventually became my chapter sister was a member of the oldest women's society at Whittier. I was gonna post its name, but if you really wanted to know which one, I'm sure you could figure it out.

I recall a moment during her Fireside when she was moved to tears when her sister-mom read a poem she had written especially for my friend. She couldn't believe how special everyone made her feel.

Later on that night, she confided in us that her pledge period was one filled physical and psychological torment. After she DP-ed, it got so bad that she ended up leaving Whittier completely because of the harassment she received from the sisters of this particular society.

Funny how this is what they say about hazing on their website:

Is hazing a part of New Member Education?

NO! The Society values and teaches the importance of respecting the individual and each other above all else. This includes appreciating each person's background and experiences while helping one other become the best person each of us can be.

Screw tradition...it's a wonder how these women (and the other societies who haze on that campus) haven't been arrested for their actions. My chapter sister honestly believes that school administration chooses to look the other way whenever incidents happen.

Hopefully no one has to die before the college decides to take action.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by sphinxbeauty

Yeah I understand. But basically what I'm trying to say is just about ANYTHING during the new member process is considered hazing. In the handbook they give you as a new member, they state "Each pledge activity can be measured against the definition for each category [subtle, harassment, violent]". So by that statement, how can we not haze?

The idea is that you measure the activiting against those definitions and it SHOULD NOT match because you SHOULD NOT be hazing. They're not saying that everything you do is hazing... unless of course you're doing all of those things.

Nothing in my new member period qualified under those categories except perhaps a scavenger hunt (participated in by actives and new members and it ended in ice cream). If you're doing anything even under the "subtle" category, you need to stop. There's nothing wrong with having a pledge manual, but requiring the NMs to carry it around in case they're challenged? Hazing.

[sphinxbeauty]

I'm not saying that we do haze. If you knew how the faculty/staff at my school was, you would understand what I'm trying to get at. They honestly see EVERYTHING as hazing, whether you're trying to or not. You say that nothing (besides the scavenger hunt) you did during your new member period was hazing, but if you were called a "pledge" by ANY means, HAZING!

I'm not trying to argue what-so-ever. I'm trying to say that no matter how your new members go through the process, or they learn your history, now a days everything is under scrutiny to be considered hazing.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by sphinxbeauty

I'm not saying that we do haze. If you knew how the faculty/staff at my school was, you would understand what I'm trying to get at. They honestly see EVERYTHING as hazing, whether you're trying to or not. You say that nothing (besides the scavenger hunt) you did during your new member period was hazing, but if you were called a "pledge" by ANY means, HAZING!

I'm not trying to argue what-so-ever. I'm trying to say that no matter how your new members go through the process, or they learn your history, now a days everything is under scrutiny to be considered hazing.

I wasn't called a pledge because that's considered hazing.

What I'm saying is that you shouldn't be doing anything that falls under that purview in the first place. I'm fairly certain my chapter has stopped doing the scavenger hunt since they are unilaterally banned, not just banned for NMs as they had thought.

Seriously, I understand overzealous administration, but if you're following your national guidelines you really wouldn't get in trouble. Don't call your NMs pledges, don't kidnap them, don't make them do stupid shit just to show that they "respect you." The guidelines aren't really that strict.

[33girl]

I understand what she's saying. They are given a handbook that says EACH (i.e. every) pledge activity can be measured in terms of subtle, harassment, or violent. Under that kind of thing, getting presents from your big can be considered hazing - it "subtly" separates the pledges from the actives.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I understand what she's saying. They are given a handbook that says EACH (i.e. every) pledge activity can be measured in terms of subtle, harassment, or violent. Under that kind of thing, getting presents from your big can be considered hazing - it "subtly" separates the pledges from the actives.

I guess I interpreted that differently where the NM should measure the activity to determine if it hazing or not. Not that everything IS hazing...

[sphinxbeauty]

Thanks 33girl. Finally someone understands what I was trying to say. If you seperate your NM is ANY way from the initiated members, it's considered hazing.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by sphinxbeauty

Thanks 33girl. Finally someone understands what I was trying to say. If you seperate your NM is ANY way from the initiated members, it's considered hazing.

Again, I don't see what you're saying you should be allowed to do that you're prohibited from doing.

[Yami_Cassie]

My school also lists scavenger hunts as hazing.. although I personally don't see it as that. In addition to the very specific rules, I just try to keep in mind that everything pledges do, no matter how little a task they need to be comfortable with and comfortable with the sorority enough to say no at any time.

(For example) If we told pledges to write an essay about why they want to join and one says she really feels uncomfortable/degraded by doing so, I would not let her do it.

[DPUDChi]

Really hard to say yes or no to this one. The difference between DePauw's hazing guidlines and FIPG is rediculous. According to one of my profs (a DePauw alum and Lambda Chi Alpha), an ice cream social can technically be considered hazing at DePauw. I think FIPG guidelines are very reasonable and appropriate. My chapter does NOT haze according to FIPG. But any little thing can be hazing at DePauw.