As someone who was made in the days when pledging was allowed (not hazing; it's never been allowed), I think that engaging in uplifting and learning activities with your line sisters while on line is a good thing. I was sad to see these type of POSITIVE (not hazing) activities go away. I still believe that these things are helpful in building sisterhood BEFORE entering the sorority, and establish a foundation for life and work once in AKA.
The point of such activities was to not only "prove" oneself and one's devotion to the sorority, but to understand exactly what kind of organization one were getting herself into and be ready to serve. Kind of a separating the wheat from the chaff sort of thing. It also helped build sisterly feelings toward line sisters.
Unfortunately, hazing often produced the opposite: lazy people unwilling to do much other than wear letters, and scarred people hurt by the cruelty inflicted on them by their "big sisters." Some of these folks insisted on perpetuating that same pain on others once a new line was being formed.
I don't think that hazing, especially among women who claim to be sophisticated, educated, and ladylike, is at all proper. Due to hazing, pledging activities have been drastically curtailed in an effort to stem the tide of violence and litigation. It has pushed out the good aspects of pledging with the bad. However, the current law of the land has its challenges too and helped create this foolish "real" or "paper" debate.
But, the majority rules in our organization, and we must obey her rules and laws. Sorors who want to change them must work within the system to affect that change, or else risk losing not only their own individual rights and priviledges in AKA, but that of the whole organization.
Just as an aside, I'd be really bemused if anyone IN FAVOR of hazing responded to this post!
So sorry for the long post, sorors and friends! I'm passionate about this subject.
DG
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