First of all the rumor about DKE is true. i go to alabama and personally know all who were involved but the second part of what you said i couldnt have said it better myself. The fall in the south is a crazy time for new boys.

I am a recently initiated brother of a fraternity on an SEC campus. [My username has nothing to do with my fraternity]. During the last semester, I visited 3 other SEC schools, 2 Big Ten schools, and a Big 12 school. I can say wholeheartedly that the hazing I witnessed at the 2 Big Ten schools and the Big 12 school was much worse than what I even went through during my pledge period, or saw at the SEC schools.

I have come to the conclusion, just based on what I've seen and been through, and on my friends accounts, that the schools in the north have lost many aspects of the tradition of their fraternity - and as a result have resorted to hazing more. I have never seen a pledge have to abide by a dress code in the north, while in the south we - for a semester - wear a tucked in collared shirt, dressier shoes or sandals, and khaki pants or shorts at all times outside our dorms. Or, like 5 weeks of pledging, we wear a full suit to class.

It angers me to visit my chapter elsewhere and see pledges walk in wearing ed hardy shirts and jeans. I know that this is coming from a southerner who is just frankly in a different culture, but I have made pledges go to their dorms and change into nicer clothes when me and my brothers visit.

It's hard to say whether the south or north is worse on hazing, I got hazed, legitimately hazed. I never went through anything that was posted above (the pumpkin story), but I've heard of stuff like that.

Just my 2 cents,
Greek unity everyone.

ChiChiChi
I am from the south but go to college in the north. Some of the men I know in fraternites at my school are convinced that there is rampant hazing bordering on the brutal in their southern chapters. True or not, it is what they think. As far as dress codes, sorry that your northern chapters do not conform to your SEC standards. If a guy at my school were to wear a suit to class he would be asked who his job interview was with. It is just a difference in culture, nothing to get angry about. If you really want to blow your stack, visit a chapter on the west coast.

Sandals and a tucked in shirt???? Are you serious??

PrettyBoy,
I find all of your posts so funny.
Keep entertaining me. :)

Yeah, we don't allow our pledges to wear sandals or athletic shoes, ESPECIALLY with tucked in shirts.

To each his own, I suppose.

I didn't really clarify, when I say sandals I'm not saying like adidas flipflops, we could wear Rainbow sandals, not the giant snowshoe things from Abercrombie or anything. Couldn't wear athletic shoes either unless we were going to workouts.

Yes, tucked in shirt with nice khaki shorts and and Sperrys or some nice leather sandals is pretty much the status quo here for pledges. I don't tuck my shirt in anymore for anything other than church.


BadCat,

I wasn't really angered by the difference in the pledge program when I went up, I just wanted to flaunt my ability as a new brother to have a pledge do something haha, I moved to a northern state my senior year of high school so I have friends at these schools and I know the culture difference. I wanted to put the pledges in our shoes for the weekend. I haven't been to a west coast school yet but I have heard horrible things about fraternity life by my friends at USC and UCLA. Whole lotta "Brah" :( ... tisk tisk

I can't even begin to imagine what the members of your fraternity at USC and UCLA say about you.

Rainbows don't make it better. Guy feet are ugly and pairing them wih a tucked in shirt just makes them worse. Wear Sperrys, for the love of all that's holy.

Y'all also dress up for football games in the South, and in the North we don't. Just different cultures. Not good or bad. But yeah, at a Big Ten school, guys in suits get looked at like they must be going to work or something. We girls don't dress up for class either. I think in the South, from what I understand, fraternities are more a part of the culture. At the Big Ten schools I've been at, fraternity guys are not always highly looked upon. Besides, it's so cold here most of the time that sandals aren't even an option! :)

yeah, our pledges have to wear tennis shoes, jeans and a baby blue polo everyday.

son had to wear jeans, boots and a no-brand polo every day. He also couldn't talk on his cell phone in public.

That was kind of hazing for me because I like the "It's between classes, I'm bored" calls.;)

I would say it is in a unspoken way. I go to a private southern college, and I was hospitalized twice for pnumonia and other things during pledgeship, it was spring and cold and we got pushed off a local bridge blind folded and got soaked and then i got sprayed with a high preassure hose while doing up downs and had a relapse that night. I mean hell even brothers under christ got in trouble for hazing here, and FIJI's pledge trainers as far as I know are in jail for doing some disgusting things that isnt pledging, just plain gay. It is a unspoken truth on campus, everyone hazes but ATO and Sig Ep here, and its just said pledgeship is the worst and best time of your life you never want to re live and I will leave it at that.

And I agree about the dressing north vs south. I went to a national convention and about gagged at the individuals north of the mason dixon line. Mondays we had to do shirt tie blazer etc other days it varied from boots jeans and a collared shirt or khakis sperrys and a polo and pledge supplies at all times.

I have to wonder if half the people who wear Sperry's ever get on an actual boat, LOL! I usually sail barefoot if I can get away with it. Socks with boat shoes are an abomination, anyway.

Shoes! -- wear shoes, people.

Is this a joke?

First of all, you don't wear socks with Sperrys, ever.

Second, yes you can wear sandals with a tucked in Polo. Nice, conservative, Rainbow sandals and a tucked in Polo is cool for going out to eat at the beach.

Third, if you could wear sandals during pledgeship... what is the point of pledge gear.

Fourth, I think that pumpkin story is hilarious but stupid. It is probably real, I actually have heard much, much, worse. If you can't imagine someone going through something like that... well you don't want to know what actually goes on in a lot of houses still.

Fifth, if your pledgeship was easy. You missed out on great memories, stories, and bonds. I feel sorry for you. Hopefully you learned your lore.