The Elephant Walk... does it really exist?
 

Any first hand accounts of it actually happening? Any accurate second hand accounts? I think its just a myth.

I've heard reports, but nothing first hand.

My father pledged Phi Sigma Kappa back in the mid 60's at Oklahoma. The stuff those guys did leads me to believe that things like the EW and Sea Biscuits aren't pure mythology.

There's a black and white, decades-old, photo of some naked pledges doing the elephant walk. I saw it years ago on some site that posts old photos of hazing rituals. I don't remember the name of the fraternity but they are IFC.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,194974,00.html

This news report references a previous incident involving elephant walking (the fraternity hazing ritual, that is).

I was an accidental witness to it during my college years at a neighboring fraternity (didn't have all the windows blacked out - oops)....don't know if it still happens - that was 20+ (sigh) years ago...

I haven't been witness to it, but I do know of some pretty archaic rituals among some locals and national orgs... it wouldn't surprise me...

Nice find... thats a little embarassing!

A fraternity chapter on my campus does the elephant walk.

People have said its just a FIJI thing, but I doubt it.

This isn't frattinghard,you can't smite. Also I don't know much about phi gam, why did they call it FIJI?

FIJI is very particular about where their letters can be used. I believe there are only six places, but I don't know them off-hand. That's why they put FIJI on most of their shirts and whatnot. Also the elephant walk most definitely does exist.

And is the most homo-erotic thing EVER. Way to prove how cool and straight you are by making the guys you want to be as cool and straight as you are do it to prove how cool and straight they are.

There were rumors at my school but I never saw it for myself.

There was a fraternity who made their pledges run naked down Greek Park the night of their initiation. The sorority girls would bring out lawn chairs and watch the boys run by. :) This stopped after my sophomore year when the campus cops caught wind of what was going on.

I think you meant cool and tuff.

Phi Gamma Delta is one of the few Greek-letter organizations in North America to limit the written display of its Greek letters.[32] In accordance with the fraternity's international bylaws, Fiji chapters and members only portray their letters in the following seven locations:[33]

• On a uniform diamond-shaped member badge
• On the Fraternity's official seal
• On the Fraternity's official flag
• On a chapter house marker
• On memorials to deceased brothers
• On a brother's certificate of membership
• On a brother's official college ring

The fraternity's letters are, thus, considered sacred and are never to be displayed on an object that can be easily destroyed. Whereas other fraternities often display their letters on clothing or other items, this tradition prevents Fijis from doing so. In place of the actual Greek letters, "Fiji," "Phi Gam," or the English spelling of "Phi Gamma Delta" are used in their place.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phi_Gamma_Delta

very interesting.

I thought you were talking about me for a second...

I don't know if it happens or not. It's a rumor (and a rather gross one)...I think every campus has a fraternity that's rumored to do the Elephant Walk.

That's really cool. I looked on their national website for that info and overlooked it. I've now found how I overlooked it there because I followed Wikipedia's citations. :)

(I always look for Wiki's sources.)

Did you name yourself after a gross "rumor" (it isn't just a rumor, though) or were you thinking about the other types of elephant walks?

Gross hazing rumor.

I could go by "munting" but it's not Greek-related.

The actual nickname originated with the publication of our fraternal magazine (I want to say in 1898). Phi-G used to be pronounced Fee-Gee instead of Phi-Gee. I feel that our letters should also be allowed on Lavaliers since you're allowed to let women wear your badge anyway.

so then what is on your lavalier if not your letters?

"Phi Gamma Delta."

I heard it was a fiji thing too. So tell us...does it really exist?

Not anywhere that I know of. Sig Ep is the only one that is rumored to have done it here.

Yeah I think at every school there is always "that fraternity" that is rumored to do the elephant walk. Here it's Pike.

But I doubt that it happens on my campus. That kind of stupid, pointless hazing doesn't happen here, that I know of.

Ewwww. Thank you for not going by it, but boo on you for even bringing it up.

The reason the rumor is around is for shock value, honestly.

Someone will say to a freshman "those guys do the elephant walk, you don't wanna hang out with them" Then, the freshman asks what an elephant walk is. After being shocked he repeats it to all his buddies cuz of the novelty of it. And thus it continues to the next year.

.

There ya have it, folks.

There you have what? The joke of changing people's quotes to make them sound gay that is popular on a handful of other "Greek sites" and was meant to be an inside joke here?

If so then yes, there you have it.

Relax.

Despite your "joke," some people are intrigued by the existence of the elephant walk. And if chapters are going to haze, there's nothing barring them from also trying the elephant walk.

Seriously, with hundreds of chapters of over a dozen fraternities, why's it so hard for people to get that they don't know what every chapter of their fraternity, and certainly other fraternities, is or isn't doing?

Except for...perhaps a complete and utter disgust of homosexuality?

Not even that.

I bought a copy of a history of Southwest Texas State - and in the Greek section they have a picture of my father's pledge class being hazed! It was turkey day - I'll have to try and get it scanned. It is hilarious. String Day sounds really, really awful though.