Pledge Class letter shirts

sbhill2 · #1 10-18-2002, 12:51 AM

We were told by someone that having a specific letter shirt for your pledge class is hazing. How is it hazing if the members of the pledge class are the ones choosing the pattern and choosing to buy the shirt. Are we hazing the sisters? I dont understand this. Can someone please explain?

Optimist Prime · #2 10-18-2002, 01:31 AM

Supposedly hazing because it makes you stand out from the rest of the chapter. 'remember that you joined a national organization, not a new member class.

MTSUGURL · #3 10-18-2002, 04:29 AM

We can't wear letters yet, but the actives have ordered shirts that have omega phi alpha spelled out so that we can wear those. Our retreat shirts have letters, and we can wear them once, but then they have to be given back until initiation. I don't think this is hazing. I'm not an active, so I should be separated from the rest of the sorority. I haven't finished my pledge process, which means I haven't yet earned my letters.

MoxieGrrl · #4 10-18-2002, 10:20 AM

Wow....while I understand that one has to "earn" the right to call themselves a sister in the sense of learning the history, rules, etc.... I think it's bunk that you cannot wear "real" letters until you are initiated. That just doesn't seem fair.

aephi alum · #5 10-18-2002, 11:07 AM

AEPhi has a rule that new members cannot wear letters. They can wear shirts with "AEPhi" or "Alpha Epsilon Phi" written out, but not "AEF". Theta has a similar rule, and I think there's another NPC sorority with that rule.

The idea is that the new members don't know what the letters stand for, so they shouldn't be wearing them. I don't consider this hazing - you wouldn't let your new members wear badges, right?

As for a specific letter shirt for a new member class, that's not hazing either. If I understand you correctly, each new member is choosing whether to buy the shirt, and nobody is making them wear them. It's just a subgroup within the GLO choosing to get the same letters, just like families sometimes get the same letters, or two or three members who are especially close friends might decide to get the same letters.

Lady Pi Phi · #6 10-18-2002, 11:31 AM

I was not allowed to wear letters as a pledge, and I completely respect that. I did not want to wear something that I did not yet know the meaning of. However, my pledge class all received the same t-shirts with our very first letters on them after we were initiated and on the back it stated our pledge class, and I know classes before ours got the same shirts as well. Same maybe you would think of doing something like that. I'm not really sure what you mean.

MoxieGrrl · #7 10-18-2002, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by aephi alum
AEPhi has a rule that new members cannot wear letters. They can wear shirts with "AEPhi" or "Alpha Epsilon Phi" written out, but not "AEF". Theta has a similar rule, and I think there's another NPC sorority with that rule.

The idea is that the new members don't know what the letters stand for, so they shouldn't be wearing them. I don't consider this hazing - you wouldn't let your new members wear badges, right?

That is a good point....I just thought that rule was people being degrading to others they are in charge of. My roommate from my 1st college pledged a sorority & went over to Oakland and bought letters......she wore them to a pledge meeting & got in big trouble (she came home in tears and tales of punishment) for doing it.

I do not think that a pledge class wearing all of the same shirts would be hazing. Was it your choice? Are you putting yourself or others in psychological/financial/physical pain over these shirts? If not, then my guess would be that it's fine. If you are really concerned, maybe call a NO that works closely with your chapter.

sbhill2 · #8 10-18-2002, 08:56 PM

I guess I should clarify a little that we doing this after initiation so now we are full sisters in the sorority. I do see the points though from a pledge perspective as our pledge class is the first in many many years to be allowed to wear letters before initiation as it is considered hazing supposedly.
anyways, so if a pledge class is trying to get the same letter shirts after our initiation is that still considered hazing?

DeltAlum · #9 10-19-2002, 11:28 AM

I guess things have changed over the years.

As a pledge, we could (and were encouraged to) wear letters, but couldn't wear or display the Fraternity Coat of Arms because we didn't yet understand the symbolism and secrets it represents.

I think it was the same with other GLO's in those days.

Glitter650 · #10 10-19-2002, 02:57 PM

Our new members aren't allowed to wear letters either.... and also Pledge class shirts are considered hazing because of the seperation... we can't even give our classes names...( I know a lot of GLOs name their new member classes as the Org names the chapters in order of the greek alaphabet) and BOTH the other NPC sororities at our school do this, but we aren't allowed to because we were told it's hazing... I think it would be cool to have stuff with my class's letters on it... oh well...

PM_Mama00 · #11 10-19-2002, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MoxieGrrl
Wow....while I understand that one has to "earn" the right to call themselves a sister in the sense of learning the history, rules, etc.... I think it's bunk that you cannot wear "real" letters until you are initiated. That just doesn't seem fair.

I don't think it is. I think it's extremely fair. What if that new member is allowed to wear letters during the pledge period, then decides to de-pledge? I don't want people who aren't initiated to wear them because they don't know the real meaning behind them. Our Phis are allowed to wear them on party shirts or Bid Day shirts, but as actual letter sweatshirts they're not, and I think it's best that way.

sbhill2 · #12 10-19-2002, 03:59 PM

We are allowed to wear tshirts and stich letter shirts all the time but it seems weird to me to wear stitch letter shirts before intiation. I was just curious as to why and I get it know. Now I feel like I can wear the letters and understand the true sisterhood nad meaning behind them after initiation.

nauadpi · #13 10-19-2002, 04:09 PM

To me this all seems odd, because ADPi believes that once you become an alpha (new member) you are an equal members of the sorority. You can wear letters and even hold an office. The only thing they are not a part of yet is ritual. As for new members class letters after everyone is intiated, I personally cannot see that as a problem, but personally I cannot understand doing that. To me it still feels like seperating yourselves from the chapter on purpose.

XOMichelle · #14 10-19-2002, 04:10 PM

sbhill, whoever though of that "rule" was not using common sense. Hazing has less to do with what you do, and much more to do with the manner and attitude in which it is done. If the pledge class wants shirts, and wants to buy them together, that's unity not hazing. If they are meade to wear shirts that are different from the rest of the chapter at a function so that people can ask them to get drinks for them or belittle them, that's obviously not kosher. Rules like this need a little common sense fused into them. Go with the common sense, not the blind rule.

-Michelle

emb021 · #15 10-21-2002, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MoxieGrrl
Wow....while I understand that one has to "earn" the right to call themselves a sister in the sense of learning the history, rules, etc.... I think it's bunk that you cannot wear "real" letters until you are initiated. That just doesn't seem fair.

Why? You are not a Brother/Sister UNTIL you are initiated. So restricted letter shirts until one is a Brother/Sister is certainly fair to me. And I have zero tolerance for hazing and the like.

In APO, most chapters allow pledges to have APO t-shirts, so long as the name is spelled out. But stich letter shirts are reserved until they are initatied, and most chapters make a big deal of the Big presenting the little with their first letter shirt after induction.

As to pledge class letter shirts, my chapter has had a tradition for a long time of having the pledge class pick the color combination of their first letter shirt. After that, we only order letter shirts of the traditional color combination.

And as to 'sticking out', many chapters indicate pledge class of the members on the sleeves of the letter shirts (usually "Fall02" of the like). So even if everyone is in the same colors, you can usually tell the pledge class of the person.

Hope this helps.