Yeah, the littler box and pacifier thing are completely taking it too far. I guess it's a lot like the scavenger hunts - people who take things too far will ruin something that was once innocent and not meant to be demeaning

I'm wondering if any risk management policy actually specifically mentions Photo scavenger hunts as being OK. I know it is still possible to get cutsey and wrong on these (get us a picture of a naked 4 year old and what the members *expect* you to do is take a picture of the school mascot, a live pig) but it still seems less obnoxious.

It's ironic that all this "baby" talk has come about because pledges weren't allowed to be called pledges. I had zero problem with being referred to as a pledge, but anyone who called me a "baby bug" would have gotten smacked upside the head.

Let's just face it, "new member" is awfully lame and clinical and you don't want to call someone who's going to be your SISTER something lame and clinical.

Precisely.

It's a bit of a lane swerve, but I find the "baby" stuff being hazing to be completely absurd. Try telling a jury you were hazed because someone called you a baby whatever. They'd think you were an idiot and promptly return a defendant's verdict.

It appears some NPC groups have forgotten what hazing really is. It's kind of like the zero tolerance policies you hear about at schools where kids are suspended for bringing little GI*Joe guns to school.

I don't think that national organizations are calling this "hazing" as much as they just think it's ridiculous and a practice that shouldn't become a habit.

NPC groups calling absurb things hazing is nothing new. Example: We were told a bulletin board in the house with our new pledges' pictures, majors and a little bit about them on it - quite handy for sisters who had busy schedules and not a lot of time to get to know the pledges right off the bat - was hazing. Reason? It "put the pledges on display." This is 15 years ago.

We're just commenting on the raaaaaaaayn on your wedding day that supposedly eliminating one "awful" term just caused another to spring up - one that many people find more "demeaning" than the worst word EVER CREATED EVER.

And I do agree w/ sherrybaby that it's a generational thing. I don't hate it because I think it's hazing. I hate it because I think it's stupid. I also think Hello Kitty is stupid and that ish is all over college campuses.

Baby-related side note: IU is big on the 'baby' terminology. Baby Hooters, Baby Squirrels, Baby Turtles...you get the idea.

'Baby hooters' disturbs me.

Yes. I think many of the policies, namely the "thou shalt nots," are reasonable at their cores, but then become over-expanded because of the risk of liability.
Example: We are not allowed to physically join new members together. Yes, typing pledges up is bad. Having them do a 3-legged race could be bad, even though some might see that as a fun activity. But we can't have them hold hands. So asking them to hold hands in a circle and sing a sorority song is considered hazing instead of a bonding activity.

I'm not so much frustrated with the policies themselves, but rather the general nature of society, in the sense that people like to blame and sue for anything they can, that makes a sorority have to ban hand-holding, scavenger hunts of any kind, etc. even though most people and organizations would only use those things with good intentions.

I've never heard of this hand-holding thing. Is this a new national policy of some groups?

To be honest, I can't remember if that specific policy was a national policy, or from UGA Panhellenic. I do remember reading it though, and it definitely specified hand-holding under the rule stating we can't physically put new members together.

The pacifier necklaces bid day picture was at IU, a couple years ago.

That sounds like a local Panhellenic rule passed because someone pushed this or that. Some panhels have a "no touching" rule during rush.

UGA has the no touching rule as well. You aren't even supposed to shake hands when introducing yourself to a PNM/active. They usually won't fine you for it, or if, say, an active sees a PNM she's related to and gives her a quick hug, but that active will probably have a Gamma Chi tailing her for the rest of the party if that happens.