Quote:
Originally Posted by AGDee
Making them get to know every member on a personal level: Are the initiated members open and willing to let them get to know them? Why is this only accomplished via interviews? Wouldn't this be better accomplished by arranging for different groups of members and pledges to eat lunch together in a student center once a week or something? In my day, we did have to interview every member, but I REALLY got to know my sisters just from hanging out with them, not from an interview. I really liked them, so I wanted to hang out with them. I selected them because I liked and respected them and that's why they chose to give me a bid. And, there were always a few members who just didn't make themselves available or were too busy to meet with every new member for an interview. If you have members who aren't available or who make a pledge do outrageous things in order to "earn" an interview, or if there is "punishment" for not getting a few of the interviews done, that can lead to problems.
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Hanging out in group settings isn't always the best, especially for those who are shyer. Plus sometimes actives (especially seniors) don't come on to campus a lot except for class and to force them to, for example, go to the caf and sit with a bunch of pledges and actives to get to know the pledges just isn't feasible. Everyone has different schedules. I would have never gotten to know some of the seniors when I was pledging if I'd expected them to do that. But I'm glad I DID make the effort to go interview them. I think this is another reason why seniors become inactive sometimes - they get kind of tossed to the side if they can't do "group" things.
You're not supposed to know someone up and down the minute you finish your interview, but as busy as college students are, it's a lot easier to have things that are scheduled and open up a door to get to know someone that way than say "hang out with them, you'll get to know them eventually."
If there are members who don't want to be interviewed or are a-holes about giving their interview just to be a-holes, then that's another story. They should be disciplined, not the pledges.