Labeled as hazers

[Roseblum15]

What do you do if your sorority is labeled as being a hazing sorority and your not? Just recently a few of my sisters have heard around campus that our sorority hazes. This is something that we do not do. I don't understand why we are getting the blame. One of our biggest messages for our new members is that if at any time they feel the slightest bit uncomfortable that they should tell us right away, because we are not intentionally doing that. And we also tell them that it shouldn't even get to the point that they would feel uncomfortable.

So I guess what I want to know is how should we react when we here people talking about our sorority hazing? Should we ignore it or just say that we do not haze and risk them thinking that we are just saying it to cover our behinds?

[crystalline]

If you know for a fact that it is another organization who is saying it, you should report it to whoever your Greek advisor is. Those are serious allegations that can really hurt your reputation if enough people believe them (even though they shouldn't). Even if another organization is doing it to try to make them look better, that really is no excuse.

[Kevin]

What type of things do you do where you have to tell people that they don't have to do something if it makes them feel uncomfortable?

(if it's okay to ask)

[sororitygirl2]

Originally posted by ktsnake
What type of things do you do where you have to tell people that they don't have to do something if it makes them feel uncomfortable?

I don't think she was saying they were doing things like that. If you reread her post, it sounds like it was just a general notice to the new members.

My chapter did the same thing when I joined. We never were forced to do anything, and none of our chapter activities could have been interpreted as hazing. However, at our first new member meeting, our new member educator said, "I can't be everywhere all the time to see what's going on, and IF any sister should happen to do something that makes you uncomfortable let me know." So, you know... it covered it if one girl tried to haze some new members at a party or something.

Anyway, for Roseblum... I think you should talk to the people who are saying these things. Find out where they heard it, let them know it's not true and ask them to stop saying things. Talk to a higher authority only if necessary, because it could just cause drama.

Tell your girls to let all their friends know how great the chapter is, and how you follow rules, etc...