DoggyStyle82,
You bring up a point I've been screaming to make for a while. I am by no means what you would call "old skool" in that I pledged in '97. I will not disclose information about my process, for obvious reasons. But, here is my POV on pledging:
Like you, I think that the definition of "pledging" has been very distored over the years. To me, it has come to mean "hazing" when the two words are VERY different. Because of the new "interchangability" of the two words, most of the traditions you speak of like:
Quote:
Originally posted by DoggyStyle82:
marching on the yard, greeting big bruhs in public, serenading the Deltas, being dressed alike, social silence, the Lamp Stare, the Dog Grit, not walking on grass, always running, never seen walking or eating in public, the unbreakable chain, six men living, sleeping, and eating together, never separated for six weeks, crossing "real" sands together,
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...are considered hazing although they are the very things that many greeks reminisce about with starry (and sometimes, teary eyes), and with smiles characteristic of a child remembering happy times and childhood friends. My cousins and I used to LOVE hearing pledge stories told by my mom, aunts, and uncles and their greek friends. I had huge expectations of what I'd go through, so it was quite a shock to find that the only way tradition could be carried on was "underground". Part of the fun for old-skool greeks was the above-yard pagentry of pledging; nowadays pledgees can't even dress alike!
I agree that many, many, many greek chapters have taken things WAY too far. In a public speaking class I did a presentation about hazing. My research findings would make your jaw drop; some of the things pledgees were put through were sickening, life-threatening, and even deadly! But I can't help but feel like the "new" definitation of "pledging" (i.e. hazing) isn't meant to keep these gruesome acts from occuring, but more to protect greek organizations in the face of lawsuits.
What do YOU think?
Coleman Luv!