bad Idea

[jeash]

[This message has been edited by jeash (edited April 18, 2001).]

Okay, I'm assuming that the wet t-shirt participants are female. That being said, you're right, Jeash, it is tacky, not to mention degrading to women!

Wet t-shirt contests generally have sexual connotations as women have their "assets" peeking through their shirts. At the same time, you have men reveling at the sight of them. Take that, add some alcohol, and I think you know where it may lead up to.

What good will it do to your house if you do hold a contest? If it's a moneymaking idea, then earning it this way is definitely not worth it. There are many alternatives and certainly more dignified ways to make money.

Say one of the brothers or one of the women gets hurt during this contest. Your chapter can certainly be held liable.

Explain to your brothers that this is simply too much of a risk to take. I've actually read about chapters losing their charter after holding events similar to this. Put it this way...boobies vs. your charter? I hope your brothers are smart enough to choose the more important one.

------------------
"Talk doesn't cook rice."--Someone smart

Visit Alpha Gamma Delta-Delta Sigma chapter!

[jeash]

thats exactly what I am talking about, for the record there is no money involved, I really dont want to loose the charter over something this stupid.

[AlphaXiGirl]

You know, here's my test of whether or not an event is a good idea...

Would you want your mom to see a t-shirt advertising the event when she does your laundry over Spring Break?

Whether or not your mother actually does your laundry when you go home for break isn't the point.

I think that for most of us, the answer for this event is NO!!!

[jeash]

well we finally shut down the t-shirt contest, we had to make it an executive decision.We dont like to have to do that but it was for the best. But we are still going to have our party.

[dzrose93]

I second that, Hootie. Wet t-shirt contests are a BAD idea. Might as well hang out a sign saying "Here's our charter. Come and get it!"

[N2]

jeash,

Depends on your state law. Can you tell that mostly, if not only, women answered you? This is another example of that PC mentality that makes me sick. If women don't like stripping, then don't strip and don't go. If you don't like women in a wet T-shirt contest, then change women's minds so that they will not participate. What's the strip club law in your state? If its allowed, then you probably are not going out on a limb. If you use strippers, then they cannot come back on you later and claim mental dysfunction, trauma and all that other whining bullsh*t. They already do it for a living. Also, in my state, the age for entering a strip club is 18 if its a bottle club. All of our functions that involve strippers are dry, until they leave. This way you can avoid the IFC (read: University) control as an alcohol function. Technically, its 2 events held back to back.

[DeltAlum]

N2,

Go peddle that PC stuff somewhere else. I don't recall seeing anything about a strip club in the original post. I think this is a party at a fraternity house. This is not a whole lot different than the Mardi Gras thread earlier. There are a ton of liability issues involved here.

This isn't a matter of Political Correctness -- this is a matter of good taste, maturity and common sense. There's a whole lot of difference in a case like this.

The Animal House era is over for organizations who want to survive.

DeltAlum

[N2]

If you do it right, you can still have an "old time" blast and stay within all these PC rules. I know what he is talking about. If they were to allow girls off the street to do this wet T-shirt contest, they may extend liability. However, if they use strippers, the likelihood that a court could/would hold them responsible for someone ending up nude is severely reduced, and depending on the state, it may be completely legal to intend too do so. It is in my state, we have strippers every couple of months. If you want too eliminate all risk maybe you should stay in a rubber room all the time. You could be safe for the rest of your life.

We have had this conversation before, but I believe that life is worth risking to live all you can. The guy was asking about a wet T-shirt contest. What kind of fun do you think that his chapter was thinking of. It sure as hell isn't an ice cream party. I gave him a way of reducing the liability. This board needs another voice besides all this warm and fuzzy stuff.

I would be glad to keep all the PC bull out of it. If everyone would keep it away from our house. I am sick and tired of the assault. I have NO intention to roll over as many people and chapters have chosen to do. I/we have every intention to fight the fight and are doing so on a daily basis. And do not give me the "If you want to survive" crap. We have and are surviving fine. I wish I could find a way show people like "jeash" exactly what life in the house could be, without extending liability to my chapter for what I have already admitted here.

[33girl]

N2,

So when will you be participating in that "wet boxers" contest?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

[Billy Optimist]

I wanna be in a wet boxers contest. If you got it, flont it.

[This message has been edited by Billy Optimist (edited April 15, 2001).]

[N2]

33girl,


Been there, done that, be glad to do it again. Can bring a few dozen Brothers who would be obliged to accommodate your Sisters. Actually we do this (at our house) for 2 sororities, usually once a year, but I'm sure we can make an exception for you.

My point is that people want to turn a Fraternity house into a dorm. The specifics of what goes on behind the closed doors of my house stays behind those doors and I/we will not tolerate anyone who believes that they have a right to dictate moral behavior behind those doors. If you don't like what happens behind those doors, don't go there. The feminist want to blame me because a member of their gender chooses to, in their eyes, degrade herself. I don't agree, but that's not the issue. Just as a well endowed women who chooses to wear skimpy clothes should not expect me not to stare. I shall, long and hard.

[N2]

Hootie,

I get your point. I searched for the Mardi Gras thread, but could not find it. The question is, “Do you think they should be banded or censored for their actions?”

They have the right to be complete idiots in public if they choose. Do I believe that they have the right to do so? Do I believe they shed bad light on GLO’s as a whole? Do I believe that they must be responsible for their actions? Yes to ALL! My chapter is responsible for its actions. First and foremost to themselves, then to the Alumni, and finally to the Nationals.

We are NOT going to operate our chapter according to the morals of others. My chapter operates according to the principals upon which it was founded. One of those principals is, generically, “That tradition is primary in all we do.” Our pledge period is virtually identical to the way it was more than 30 years ago, when the chapter was founded, albeit much more private that it once was. At our last Homecoming, I was amazed at the sight of 18-19 year old new Brothers bonding and truly having common ground with 50+ year old alumni. The annual or “theme” parties we hold are also the same every year. Many have to be under “Lockdown” now due to all the DO-GOODERS that would love to see us fail.

I do not pass judgment on other Fraternities or Chapters for what they do or believe. I expect the same. When people try to say that our way of pledging creates less of a Brother, I raise the BS flag. When it is said that you can’t do this or that in Fraternities, I raise the BS flag.

[AlphaXiGirl]

Originally posted by DeltAlum:
The Animal House era is over for organizations who want to survive.

DeltAlum

DeltAlum, I always like hearing your input on these situations.

Survival, unfortunately, is the name of the game for Greeks right now. And, I believe that we all have a right to come out against what's going on "behind those closed doors" because it's impacting all of us. I'm so glad that this event was ultimately vetoed - hear, hear to common sense!

Why do I care so much about what goes on behind "closed doors" of a fraternity house? When the university administration decides to ban all greek life from their campus, they aren't going to discriminate... all groups are going to be gone, not just one fraternity and not just the men's groups. I haven't heard of one situation where the university abolished Fraternities and let the womens groups remain.

All over the country, Universities are having discussions about "the value of Greek Organizations". I want them the hear about all of the great things that we are doing without it being shadowed by these other events. And, as is often stated in posts on this board, it's likely that a Wet T-shirt Contest at a fraternity house is going to get a heck of a lot more media coverage than the fact that Greeks have a higher GPA than non-greeks or that Greek Week raised $20,000 for some great charity.

Unfortunately, the actions of one group can have a huge impact on all of us.

[inzo]

Everyone made some really interesting points in this discussion.

I too agree that change is inevitable for the Greek system in order for it to survive the current social schema.

However, I am new to the "alumni game" - just graduating last May. I have to say, I wish I had known about this resource during my tenure at school.

I beleive that such events as wet t-shirt contests work both ways. First, they do indeed degrade the females that participate in them and most of the time bring about negative publicity to those organizations that host them.

However, I did a study with some communications professionals (Weber, Fregoe)for my degree and found that the avergae non greek student doesn't pledge or join because of the diminishing characteristics of a greek system - a theory contrary to the popular beleief that many beleive they won't get in or that the Greek system is fraut with negative morals.

With this in mind, it seems that such activities that seem a bit radicle, may indeed be the same activities that help recruit members and, more importantly, mature the current membership.

I say this because I'm sure we can all remember our first party that we held as an active - it was mostly work and a little bit of fun. A complete different perspective from when we were just partying at a Greek House. The same goes for any situation...point being made, you grow up a little when you have to take on responsibility that you aren't used to.

Also, keep in mind that other organizations including radio ststaions, media stations, and even University organizations (other than Greeks) do hold wet t-shirt contests and even other "questionable" events to attract students. I concur, the degree to which they are scrutinized for their actions is far less than that or a Greek organization - however it is done all of the time. MTV is a prime example.

In all, I think that hosting an event like this in your own house is a very BAD idea - mostly for the liability reasons but also because of other factors including relations with neighbors, sterotypes, etc.

My recommendation would be to co-sponsor the event with a bar or even another organization on campus (we did ours with the Entertainment Affairs Committee). We let them use it as an event that they put on (they were required to do 10 / semester) and gave them 1/3 door money while we worked with the bar to give drink specials and raffles. The bar bouncers took care of the "security" and the bar took liability issues. In a small town, we did about $1000 every time we did one (6 six I was in - 1 per semester.)

The key was getting others involved, planning and implementing in a PROFESSIONAL manner, and being responsible about it.

Okay, I knwo it was long - just trying to help.

Thanks to everyone who keeps posting...I think we need more of this.

inzo