Personally, I understand all of the anti-hazing stuff going on but I am not a fan of all but eliminating pledgeship. I think that a semester of pledgeship was a good thing because it gave you a chance to get acclimated, bond with your pledge class, and see enough to make sure that you really want to stick with it. When I pledged in Fall '90 we got our bids at the end of September and were not initiated until January 26, 1991. We learned everything we were able to about the chapter and national's history (obviously ritual info wasn't revealed until initiation) and participated in a lot of pledge class activities. There was an all-chapter pledge retreat one weekend at a camp about 30 minutes from campus, and the pledges were basically pampered by the actives. I just don't like the direction that they are taking with reducing the term of pledgeship and eliminating pledge activities because they are "hazing." Would you believe that (at least for a while) they eliminated the big/little night hunt because it was hazing??? We used to do a scavenger hunt of sorts....some years it was where we hid somewhere in the house and left clues and gifts for our little to follow until she found us. One year we had a string that we tied to a start point and then wound all over the house until we hid. Then our little was given her end and she had to follow it all through the house to find us. THAT'S hazing??? I thought it was fun!!! Next thing you know, the girls will get their bids (unless they eliminate rush because it is "hazing") and come over that night to be initiated....well, not initiated because that's hazing, but they can pick up their pin at the house after bid day.
