Quote:
Originally posted by 33girl
But my point was that in large chapters the pledges are usually all freshmen...who would probably hang out together ANYWAY. So how can all the blame for the cliqueishness be placed on "pledge class unity"???
Do you understand what I'm saying...it's like blaming a high cancer rate on a small-town factory and then finding out that the majority of the women working there have breast cancer in their families.
|
I agree with you that there is some cliqueishness that naturally develops, but I don't think that it should be exagerated by organization policy.
The argument used when I was an undergrad, is the same one that you advocated; that making them operate as a team prepares them to drop right into the organization. I disagree with that. From my observations, making the pledge class operate as a team, often causes them to reinvent the wheel, and a lower grade wheel at that.
Rather than simply have a pledge class treasurer, have the pledge class treasurer, and a few other pledges, intern under the chapter treasurer. Have the pledges become functional members of the organization's committee structure, and they will operate in it better, and faster. Also, the pledges will get to know the members sooner, and in greater depth.
Another issue for many schools, FSU included, is that a minority of pledges may be freshman. My chapter has always had more sophmores and juniors combined, in a pledge class, than freshman. The natural age factor simply doesn't apply for us.