A Chi Omega can correct me, but a friend's daughter went XO this fall and was initiated in the same semester though it was longer than the 6-8 week we normally see.

I’m not a Chi O, but maybe they were on the quarter system?

Maybe it varies by chapter. I'm not a Chi Omega either, but I'm pretty sure the Chi O chapter at Ole Miss waits until second semester to initiate their pledges. Seem to recall a friend's daughter at Ole Miss (in another house) mention this.

No semester, but I could swear she got initiated right before school let out for winter break.

An update:
Alpha Phi has reached out to its members explaining that Harley Barber was referred by a relative (a member at another chapter) who was horrified by her behavior and has personally apologized to the chapter.
It was also confirmed the other girls in the video were not members of AΦ.

I don't mean to sound defensive but want to say that I explicitly mentioned how my new member process was educational, informative, and detailed. I don't believe I made a single mention of gifts in my post, because I actually didn't get any besides a bid day tee-shirt and some candy during big/little reveal. My point was that there is absolutely a way to do new member education in 6-8 weeks without sacrificing understanding of your sorority's history.

As far as time commitment goes, again, I had roughly the same time commitment as a new member that I have as an initiate - two hours of required meetings, optional study hall 4 hours a week, and optional participation in social events every weekend. Add that to "dating" 10-15 potential bigs for an hour each over a two week period and I was a busy bee, same as I am now while holding an officer position! If you think my point was "gifts or it's hazing!" then I'm sorry I didn't get my point across better.

To bring this back to the original issue, there's now a screenshot of a Snapchat going around from members of Alpha Phi at the George Washington University, in which a member can be seen holding a banana peel and the caption reads "Izzy: I'm 1/16th black." The chapter has already taken down their Instagram page and the university has received multiple complaints/tweets about it.

Honestly, I don't know what surprises me more: that people are still dumb enough to think racist jokes are funny, or that they're dumb enough to post them on the internet with their names, faces, and other easily identifiable information.

Their insta and FB are both down.

http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/dc/g...ure-/513637697

What surprises me is that this age generation thinks it's funny. I understand older generations thinking that since race relations were different 30-40 -50 years ago.

What also boggles my mind is that they're dumb post this stuff online - even pictures of them stupid drunk. Even those pics can harm job opportunities.

So I wouldn't characterize adding material to your new member education program as hazing. I would characterize it as adding new material to your new member program. If that in itself is verboten, then it's not hazing, but it's also not allowed and that's of course just fine and it's probably much smarter than what my organization does.

Sigma Nu does have its LEAD program which has 10 sessions as part of the new member education program. It also has various leadership and interpersonal workshops which happen throughout a member's experience with the fraternity. I think our new member program is great. Most chapters implement it. Most chapters are also given leeway to have their own local traditions

We just can't do things which violate this:

http://fipg.org/

So could we require new member class lock ins? Camp outs? Requiring new members to do some house chores? Require them to participate in a ropes course? Yes, absolutely, so long as those things aren't conflicting with their academic obligations and aren't humiliating or degrading.

For instance, we could require a new member to vacuum the dining room twice per week. We could not require them to do it at 3 AM dressed in a French maid's costume.

For us, there is no such rule stating we can't require new members to do things the initiates don't have to do. Hazing is hazing, that does not fit any definition of hazing I've ever worked with.

I think young people often enjoy "shock" humor. I think that comes with their freedom and them testing the boundaries of their freedom. I'm honestly shocked that we've not yet had a national incident come out of members recording themselves playing Cards Against Humanity [think Apples to Apples, but highly crass], because when aren't some of those cards the sorts of things which convince people to picket a house?

Sorry- it sorry- but the girl is trash, period. If we need social media training to tell people not to call other people the N word on social media, the world and/or our organizations are moving in the wrong direction. And it's not "this generation." I'm so tired of hearing that. If anything, this generation is the most diverse in history. But wht so I know? I grew up in a diverse neighborhood, so if I went around spouting off the N word, I would have had my teeth knocked out, if my mother didn't get to me first. Who the hell raises these people? And if her life is ruined...too bad. Black people work for HR, too, bitch.

Yes I agree that this could have been any NPC group. I feel very badly for Alpha Phi which has had to deal with back-to-back incidents.

I also agree regarding the shortened member period. Making grades should be a top priority for any new member. At least with a semester long program, there was the opportunity to become better acquainted with a larger percentage of the actives as well as your own pledge class. Having listened to my chapter sisters accounts regarding their own daughters' new member period, IMO there is too much emphasis upon the gift giving and less on learning about the history and goals of our fraternity.

There's also another trend I've heard of - not sure it's everywhere, but it is at some Greek-intensive SEC schools: Rush Gifts. Literally multiple times during the week. And not just little gifts, but really nice things. And for bid day? It's the norm to buy a Bid Day Basket. My knowledge is that they start at $100 and go upwards rather quickly. A friend's daughter went through rush last fall at Ole Miss and she spent a small fortune on these gifts. My friend - not from the South - was stunned to learn about them and said she felt like she "had to" buy the gifts since everyone was getting them.

Call me old fashioned, but this type of stuff just seems to coddle girls, as if they can't deal with the stress and frustration that is part of rush; even my friend said her daughter said "the gifts are a pick-me-up to get through the week". And it plays into the constant gift-giving the girls get once they've pledged, it's as if they need constant reassurance.

EDITED TO CLARIFY that the gifts are from the PARENTS, not from actives. Pick-me-up gifts to "keep going", it seems.

Ok, wait.. Rush Gifts? Are you saying potential members are receiving expensive gifts from initiated sisters during recruitment? If so, holy rush infraction, Batman!

No, from their own mothers. "Support" gifts to give them encouragement thru the arduous rush process.

Ok, gotcha. :: Phew :: I clearly was up way too late last night :p

I guess I don't really understand that pressure. Not every PNM is receiving such gifts, and if your own daughter is disappointed that she's not receiving gifts from you (the general you) every day of recruitment, perhaps she might need the reality of recruitment - and life - to knock her down here and there.

That might sound harsh, but I don't think that lavish gifts are necessary for talking to people for 10 hours in one day for five days straight.

Welcome to a regular work week! :p

No...rush gifts from their parents. Sorry if that wasn't clear, but I thought it was since I explained what the PNM's mom told me (and other moms I know whose daughters have rushed at Ole Miss) about the stress of spending so much money on unnecessary gifts, including a pricy Bid Day Basket. I've since added an edit to clarify this.

Agree. I find this "gift-giving" to be coddling and part of why a lot of kids -- NOT ALL, to be clear - have "adjustment disorder" once they get to college and also post-college - it's a real thing in the therapy/student counseling world and counselors are seeing more kids from good families, top grades, etc. with this issue.

And sorry if I offend any moms here who've done this, but I think the whole "parents being there on Bid Day" and running to the house (after daughter texts parents what they've pledged) and posing for pictures (including making the sorority's 'letters with their hands, posing with daughter and members) to be over the top. It happens at Ole Miss and at Alabama (a former colleague from LA flew in for Bid Day there two years ago). Probably at other Greek-intensive schools.

I'm glad this wasn't around when I pledged and I could enjoy the day with just my new sisters. No gifts either - just a tee-shirt with sorority letters and a sweet card from my temporary Big Sister.

I agree. Even though I'd joined my legacy group and chapter, my mother was not present at my bid day nor did we receive any gifts from our chapter beyond our traditional DG flower leis and our pledge ribbons. Bid day at our school was a relatively low key affair with just a simple luncheon with your new sisters and some photos.