I love this thread because there's a happy ending and I hate this thread because it still embarasses me to no end! But... I remember when I started reading Justamom's narrative I thought how lucky Li'l DG is to have such a fantastic mom, how lucky Justamom is to have such an awesome daughter and how much I wish Justamom lived in my neighborhood so we could hang out :)

JAM, you always have and always will ROCK!! :D

I wish Justamom lived in my neighborhood so we could hang out
We'd probably laugh ourselves to death!!!:D

sounds like a wonderful idea...
how's your son's recruitment doing?

Gee-he has been to a couple of parties been invited to others, but our town is out of the loop, so he would have to go to another town to attend and there's just a lot of distraction going on here. His sister and a couple of upper class soro girls he knew from HS have been talking to him about the different fraternities.
I KNOW what the national policies are, but that doesn't mean hazing doesn't go on. All of his close friends are pretty set against any fraternity that is going to beat-punch-brand-tattoo-make them walk around in a costume filled with vomit...the stories go on and on. SO, at this point it goes from who hazes the least to the most and of 16 (or so) it comes down to one and a posible 2 others. There is a 4th, but THEIR pledges' choice was a brand or tattoo. The crazy thing is, most of these guys don't have older brothers in a fraternity, so they haven't been raised to hear about the positive aspects. I have retained some great advice from some of the guys on GC. I am printng it out around the first of Aug. so he can digest it. If I try to vocally tell him, he'll think I'm running his life/lecturing him-when he reads it, he thinks it over, and becomes more open when we talk.
I just think he may say to hell with it all and pledge a group SOLELY on the hazing issue and if the brotherod isn't there...walk away. :( How could I blame him? I don't care WHAT your letters are! HUBBY says-you have to think you NEED to join pretty bad to allow people to beat you up. He has more confidence (ego???) than that.

JAM - my boyfriend is thinking about going through rush again. he's been invited to some rush parties and a few guys he's still good friends with who are going to be entering as freshman want him to rush with them. i'm nervous about it, but want him to be happy, too - whatever they decide, i hope your son and my boyfriend end up happy! plus, what people have said is true - you can still befriend and party with the greeks and have a lot of fun as an independent =)

i'm also kind of wary for him because two weeks ago two of our close friends got ARRESTED in new orleans and spent a night in jail after attending a rush party. i don't know exactly what went on, because these fellows don't remember, but i am quite sure this group is one of the ones that participate in forms of hazing...

Maybe we should talk! ;)

i love this thread! being new, this is the first time i read this! it' was soo sweet!

JAM, would your son consider remaining independent?

Munchkin03-JAM, would your son consider remaining independent?

No doubt about it. His Dad is "almost" encouragig it...and HE was in a fraternity! He dosn't feel it's important the freshman year and could actually be a hinderance to his grades. He has heard from our daughter and some other parents how demeaning and down right brutal some of the pledge programs can be. It disgusts him. Me too for that matter. Sigma Chi, at U of Houston, never laid a hand on their pledges. Yes, they got them up early and made them run, but their pledge trainer went through EVERYTHING with them-except hell week of course. They were so close to him BECAUSE they trusted him. That's a good philosophy if you ask me...but of course no one does!:D

I really want him to be in a fraternity, but not at the expense of his health. At this point, I believe he would be just fine as a GDI.
I think he would kind of miss being involved.

The last thing I'm going to tell him is- whatever he decides, I will be behind him.

I was just reading the LSU Greek Assessment scores, and now even more than before I can see why there could be concerns about LSU fraternities. If I read the listing correctly, only two fraternities (one NIC, one NPHC) received the highest assessment level. Of more concern, perhaps, are the two fraternity chapters listed as on probation and the six chapters listed as being "provisionally" recognized/accredited. Looks like there's work to be done at LSU. Of course, I don't know all the ins and outs and background of this assessment approach.

bumping this like I did 2 other years!

good call carnation...
this was a very sweet thread.
hope all is well with the jam crew.

Thanks, mmcat!

For those who didn't know what happened with JAM's son, he went Lambda Chi his freshman year.

bump again!

Thanks for bumping this time and time again! I will definitly keep an open mind during my rush! This thread is very helpful!