I think that's an abberation. My son wore his FIJI pledge pin last year, and my daughter wore one when she joined Pi Phi 5 years ago...they both still have them, but I think they only wore them for meetings, not all the time. My daughter's school, W&L, has an annual yearbook, and many guys wear pledge pins in the first year photos. The women generally wear those drapes for the photos, so they don't wear pins (75% of the student body is Greek, so this is a pretty good indication). We still have pledge pins, but they're returned after initiation and reused.

None at all or just not required to be worn all the time? Another possibility, did they just not have enough in time? Do they do ribbons instead? So many questions!

Since most 'pledge' pins are rather inexpensive, do the common pin manufacturers use flimsy/poor pin materials that some sororities find cheapens the look (and possibly the meaning behind) their pin?

Conversely would a group having a more expensive 'pledge' pin decide it is less expensive for members to pay for ribbons instead of a pin?

Although it might rarely occur, using ribbons could save any group from theft of pins by women who never return pins after dropping before initiation (even if women must somehow then pay for said 'lost/borrowed forever' pins).

If I recall correctly there is at least one NPC group that doesn't require initiated members to have their very own pin. I wonder if that means they consistently pass-down old pins to their next generation of members as part of their traditions and standards.

I'm curious if anyone has or knows anyone that has their freshman cap/dink?

TTT -- I'm researching for a story that I’m writing and this thread was helpful.

I don't recall backpacks becoming popular on my midwestern campus until the late 1970s. Before that, one carried their books or had them carried by a strong and handsome fraternity man :) .

One item new female students of my day were encouraged to utilize was the school-issued plastic ID holder for dollar bills and credit cards, rather than carrying a purse. Good thing the wearing of jeans/pants with pockets had somewhat superseded dress-wearing. That ID holder cost all of ten cents!