Hazing in general...
 

The only thing you have to do as a new member is run like hell if you get hazed, and turn them in. Hazing is not, and should not, be tolerated.

She said it perfectly...

I think nearly every international sorority has a hazing hotline you can call, I know we do. NPC sororities do not tolerate hazing under any circumstances whatsoever, and if you are hazed, they need to know. It should not and cannot happen.

woohoo!

and i'm in before the thread gets locked!!

nice way to use the 1300th post.

Kitso
KS 361 questions i've seen about "Hazing, what are they going to do to me?"

Actually, they should be treating you like a princess. Even back when I was in school, when the fraternities hazed unmercifully and the NPHC sororities visibly hazed (walked pledges around in lines carrying bricks) NPC sororities didn't haze.

The worst we ever did was line up the pledges and quiz them on sorority history and current-member hometowns & majors, and one girl brought a water pistol once and squirted people who got wrong answers (that lasted about 2 minutes, because people were laughing so hard they couldn't answer). And even something that mild would be considered hazing these days, so not to worry.

But mostly we took pledges out for dessert (hey it was Penn State - we were all broke), decorated their rooms, left them secret gifts, sent them fun cards, and generally tried to make them feel welcome.

Of course, there was the giant ladybug tatoo we required, but......

hazing
 

You should never have to worry about hazing. we never haze. NPC sororities dont. you should never feel obligated to do anything that demeans your character. Should you be put into a situation where hazing does occur.... don't submit to it, and do not continue to pledge.... that is not what the Greek experience is like. Don't worry. Real life and the MTV version of a sorority are completely different. Just sit back and relax... enjoy this time, and do NOT worry about hazing. Honestly, sororities do not haze as a whole... if there are some rogue elements that do, please dismiss them. Do not do anything you are not comfortable with.... but right now, just relax and enjoy yourself and smile.... you are so close!!!! congrats!:) :)

I just find it very disheartening to know that this girl's EXPECTING to get hazed.

Wtf?

I think it's a combination of the stereotype of Greek life and the fact that on some campuses, it does still happen -- or even if only or two sororities do it, it can seem like all of them do. I know that two of the sororities here haze, and had I known that before rush, I probably wouldn't have rushed because I would have assumed they all did it. Most of us don't.

While some may think it blissful ignorance, I see reports sent to me almost daily about hazing infractions.

I totally agree, if this young lady sees any or gets any form of hazing, run as fast as you can!

Hazing is Verboten in all National Orgs.

Yes it is Stereotypical of Greeks because of incidents that still happen!:(

I wish her the best for the experience she should soon have!:)

Re: hazing
 

this is a great thought, but if no one hazes then why do chapters get shut down for hazing? yes, hazing is illegal. yes, npc and ifc glos have prohibited hazing. does it still happen? yes.

pink- if you find that you are being hazed, take ginger's advice and run!!!! as far as initiation goes, i think that it is a misconception that initiation is some scary thing where you are expected to do terrible things to get accepted. think of it more like a wedding ceremony. it is beautiful, special and definately not scary at all!

Hazing isn't supposed to happen, but it still does at some schools and in some chapters. If you are hazed, leave, contact the sorority's headquarters, and campus greeklife. Good luck!

Re: hazing
 

Blanket statement!

Hazing does still happen.

NPC groups do still haze - just not all of them.

I think a "pledge" should at certain times be worried about hazing because it does still go on today.

Re: Hazing in general...
 

HI PinkShip,

As everyone else has said at any time during the new member period (or after) if you feel like you're being hazed contact the headquarters of the particular chapter you are in. All NPC groups have an official statement regarding hazing and that is it is not allowed. Unfortunately you have some chapters that may have been around for 50 to 100 years that it is hard to break their tradition of hazing. The only way to truly stop the hazing is if their headquarters knows about it. Often times if it's a first offense the chapter may only be placed probation by their headquarters.

Good luck with recruitment and I hope you find your home with a sorority that puts all your fears to rest.

Carolyn

This is ridiculous.

WHY would you want to join an org that you think is going to haze you?

All I can say is.... judging from her screenname and her post, one of her preferencial sorority's colors is pink. I'm just hoping she's not going Phi Mu.... this is crazy.


Overview:


(1) If you think hazing sounds like fun, you're too young to get WHY WE JOIN SORORITIES.

(2) Hi, welcome to the internet. If we hazed, this is DEFINATLY where we'd talk about it.

(3) Have you even gone to any of the GLO's websites on your campus? Specifically, the one you put first on your bid card? Specifically, the hazing section on that organization's site?


sheesh. any bets on how many more posts before this sucker's locked?

I think that was a bit harsh...She seems to just be wondering about the reality of a sorority as contrasted with the NPC rule against hazing-a perfectly reasonable question. I don't think she implied that it was fun or desirable. I also think you should probably censor comments saying that you hope a PNM isn't going to your organization-it's pretty mean considering she started this board and has definitely read your reply.

I think I'm OK with her having read my reply.

I would hope NONE of my sisters entered the organization with this kind of immature, half-baked mindset.


"Of course, hazing is supposed to be prohibited on our campus, but everyone knows it happens anyway."

Everyone? Like who? I think we can assume non-greeks. Because (1) I'm very doubtful there are hazing organizations on her campus who like to broadcast the fact and (2) if she WAS hearing this from greeks, she could have gotten more information from her source directly.


"Lol, now that I'm this close, I've started worrying about what the girls might do to me."

Now that she's this close? Doesn't sound like she thought through the process very much. She's got a responsiblity to herself to check something like this through if she has issues about it.


"During initiation and everything, what are some things that I might have to do?"

This just seems disrespectful toward her group of choice -- whichever it might be. Did she expect to jump on an internet chat board, ask about ritual and hazing procol, and get dozens of explicit replies back?



What can I say, this girl just rubbed me the wrong way. To me, she seems immature, unresponsible, flighty, and in general NOT the kind of new member most groups would want.

HotDamnImaPhiMu- why are you being so mean? Unfortunately, hazing does happen at some places and it is only natural that the original poster might be worried about it if that is the case at her school. When people post with questions like this, they want advice, not to feel attacked.

at any rate, Phi Mu is not one of the groups at PinkShipChick's school.

PinkShipChick asked a question about hazing which does still occur at some schools regardless of NPC or campus rules. I think that she should be told what her options are in case she finds herself in a hazing situation. I think that she is just concerned about rumors that she may have heard.

If she thinks that certain Groups Haze for god sake, ignor them like fly paper and bad breath!

Is that so hard. I am sure that the word does get out of who may and who may not haze!

Is this a Rocket Science School!??:(

There are to many Great Greek Organizations to join! Just because a certain one LOOKS GOOD, dont make it right!;)

The problem is there are rumors and then there are facts. She doesn't know for sure that they haze. If she drops a group based on inaccurate rumors and not facts, she could miss out on a great opportunity to go greek.

You made quite a judgment about this girl based on ONE post!?!? Geez I'm glad I've never crossed paths with you...

Let's review.

(1) She made it clear she didn't research her options. Going to any GLO's website would've cleared up any confusion about hazing, as would the Student Life office, the org. itself..... basically anyone OTHER than whatever non-greek told her that the sorority she's considering joining hazes. And now she's looking toward internet chat boards for her information?

(2) She's asking for ritual information on a public website. I, for one, find this insulting. I'd hate it if she was asking about Phi Mu and I hate it knowing she's asking about DZ or Chi O or GPhiB or whoever she's asking about.

(3) She's being flippant about something I, for one, take very seriously. My sisterhood is built on trust and honor and all those other good things that come with NOT ABUSING YOUR PLEDGES. And I know y'alls are the same way -- built on a sisterly love that comes from knowing your sisters are looking out for you.



yeah, I'm making a judgement about her based on one post. Could you be more specific about what confused you?

I agree...and I hate to say this but the majority of my friends who joined sororities got hazed to some degree. It is even very prevalent on my campus (more so with the guys...the girls is more mental). This is not to say that every sorority hazes at all, but I remember when we came home for the summer everyone was trading stories about pledging, what they had to do, etc. I think that hazing is on its way out, but there still needs to be a ton of work done if we think that it is going to go away.
This girl's view/ questions are not uncommon for younger people who ask me about sororities and I think that it is unfair to judge her for asking such a question. All we can do is educate her on how a sorority should be run.

Just to clarify, if you look at the post she wasn't asking about ritual. That would obviously have been extremely inappropriate for Greek Chat-I think everyone would agree. The distinction between the starter of this thread and many people on this board is that this girl is not an intitiated member of any organization and was wondering what to expect, in general, from the pledge process.

I don't think anyone is confused about your response, but it seems very clear that you have judgments about her which are based on her ONE post on a message board. My point was that I'm glad I didn't cross paths with you when I was a rushee because I probably would have asked the same type of question and apparently would have been judged for my ignorance. All I knew when I rushed were the rumors about Greek life which included hazing stories. I think we should all be careful about jumping all over anyone on this website because all it does is contribute to another rumor-the one of Greeks being elitist and snobby.

>She made it clear she didn't research her options. Going to any GLO's >website would've cleared up any confusion about hazing

No, it would not have. It would have cleared up that the national organization forbids hazing and that the university has a "zero tolerance" policy regarding it, etc. Would it confirm that she won't get hazed at a given chapter of that sorority? Unfortunately, no...not in any national organization.

>She's asking for ritual information on a public website. I, for one, find this insulting.

She's a PNM, and she may not know what you consider appropriate to ask about. She may assume that members will simply say whatever they are allowed to say and hold back whatever is private -- which is the same assumption I make. Why jump to the conclusion that she wants to know privileged information? Couldn't the answer to her question be, "Expect a warm welcome, a busy schedule, and a beautiful ceremony at the end"?

>She's being flippant about something I, for one, take very seriously.

To me, a flippant tone is not obvious from her post. It strikes me as an anxious tone, with a nervous laugh. Unless it is crystal clear that someone is deliberately trying to offend, I prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt and inquire a little more. Even if it then turns out that she is being flippant, maybe she could be encouraged to take things more seriously via a gentle explanation of how much sisterhood can mean.

Ivy

OK, I can be really cynical and suspicious, but every time I read a post like that by a newbie (with no offense to our friend Newbie), I just wonder what they are trying to get us to say on a public forum.

I'm sure that I'm wrong and that this person isn't a troll. Right?

jax, you know i love ya girl, but you totally need to relax on this one. first of all hazing does still happen. i can tell you with 100% fact that the other 3 NPC chapters on my campus haze (at least thru 1999, but it is possible that it still goes on). the ifc glos haze as well (somewhere on this forum is the notice about the dtd boys who were kicked off campus last year. 2 years ago, another house was kicked off for hazing too- and they DOCUMENTED IT ON VIDEO.) i know we all want to live in a world that believes that hazing doesn't happen anywhere, but it does. i think that pinkship IS doing her research and asking what she should do if she encounters it!

there are plenty of things that "aren't" supposed to happen bc there are laws or statements against them...underaged drinking, driving while under the influence, using drugs, murder....but that doesn't mean that it doesn't happen bc on some law book or on some website it says that it is not condoned.

I dunno. She specifically asked what she could expect at initation. The post, to me, smacked of trying to get information.

If she has a legitimate right to the information -- i.e. she's really just a poor, confused, pnm -- she has legitimate access to the information. All she needs to do, Ivy, is go directly to the members of the org. she's trying to become a member of and make her stance clear.

If she *doesn't* have a legitimate right to the information, then she's trying to get posts that don't belong on GC.

Either way. I think her post was inappropriate and, since her post is all I have to judge her on (Otter, wasn't that you jumping all over me for one post?) I stand by my earlier statements that she isn't the kind of girl I'd want in MY sisterhood.

additionally --

drug use exists in GLOs, too. If her posts had been about drug use, would everyone have been so quick to support her?

OK, I've said this before ... if you REALLY and TRULY think someone is a troll, don't answer their question. In any way. Because attention is what trolls want.

One of my friends said that one of the bad-hazing-sorority made for TV movies showed during her rush week. You can bet there were a whole lot of rushees who were pretty scared. NPC orgs do not require PNMs (or girls who just got the bid) to research sororities or Greek life in advance, so why should we expect them to know about hazing? Especially when, in defiance of all our national policies, it does occur some places.

For goodness sakes, this is an online message board! You cannot get a true sense of someone's character based on what they post on the internet! Chill out!

I still don't like her.

how about THAT?!

.... and in response to the research thing....


Why WOULDN'T you look into something you're tying yourself into for the next FOUR YEARS?!?!?!

Actually, I don't know if this person is a troll or not.

What I worry about is some new person comes on the board, asks about hazing, a bunch of us answer (truthfully, granted) that some hazing does exist -- and the response ends up somewhere we really don't want it to -- like quoted (or mis-quoted) in a newspaper, magazine or on TV.

I think that the best way to answer is to say that, if she is really concerned, she should check with the Greek Advisor, school administration, national office and others in the Greek Community to see if there is a problem at that chapter.

And, if there is, run the other way.

This is not PSC's first post. We've had "trolls" like that before and they usually don't have a dozen other posts.

She is going to a PA state (SSHE) school. To put it mildly, a lot of SSHE schools don't do anything to promote their Greek system and if there are rumors going around that make Greeks look bad, they're not going to do anything to disprove them. Anti-Greek sentiment on some campuses has gotten out of control in recent years. Unless you live in a very pro-Greek dorm or have friends on campus that are Greek, it can be hard to find accurate information.

So I would say that yes, she is just worried and confused.

Wow, that's a good point. I never even thought of it like that. I'd hate to be cited as an "official" source to prove hazing happens.

Although, I'd have to laugh if they quoted most of us with our screen names. "FuzzieAlum" just doesn't sound authoritative. ;)

I agree!!!

If she had asked: "I've been hearing rumors about drug use in the Greek system, and I'm worried that my new sisters might be using drugs in the house. What can I expect?"

I would have thought that was a totally reasonable concern, and I would have said: "Greeks are just like other college kids -- some of them make crummy choices and do illegal things. Hopefully your new sisters will be responsible. But you don't have to do anything that violates your values."

I simply don't think that it's a solution to ask the members of the GLO whether some kind of hazing is involved in pledging and initiation. First of all, if they haze, they are NOT going to say, "Oh yes, we will subjugate and abuse you. More water?" Second, if they don't haze...apparently some portion of the Greek population may take great offense to the question.

Ivy