T-shirt club

[33girl]

Originally Posted by LPIDelta

Since interviews were brought up--this is a great example of what I call an unhealthy tradition. It may not be hazing or dangerous in anyway, but it does create a "level" of sister versus active. Many unhealthy traditions, if modified, should not be considered hazing. So in the case of interviews, why not have the sister and new member meet for coffee one on one and interview each other? Accomplishes the same thing--the new member gets to know the active sister, but in a less hierarchical environment. And the active sister gets to know the new member better, too.

Interviews are NOT an unhealthy tradition. They're one of the best things that has been lost. Many groups had ALREADY instituted sisters interviewing pledges on their own. If there were chapters or sisters that said "you have to do x, y, and z before you get my interview" then those chapters/sisters should have been disciplined before throwing out the whole thing.

And when I was pledging, in addition to interviews, we had what we called "coke dates" - the sister treated me (the pledge) to lunch or dinner. Then she wrote a page long signature about how glad she was that I was going to be part of the sorority. How the eff is that "hierarchical"?

And yes, THERE ARE LEVELS. Not everyone is the same in a sorority, and I think that pretending everyone is is why we've been getting such an influx on GC of "OMG, everyone in my sorority hates me - I haven't bonded with anyone - I want to quit." The poster then goes on to say she hasn't gone to any extra events, has blown off a lot of required things and barely knows the names of any of her sisters or pledgesisters. And she expects them to be her lifelong friends!! Honestly, if people in this age group are that socially backward, we need to reinstitute interviews and other pledging activities more than ever.

I agree with a lot of what Tess is saying. I would never tell the ASAs at Truman or Mankato or Penn State what I think is best for their chapter, and I don't think they should tell me what is best for mine either. Interviews and scavenger hunts in SOME chapters were used as hazing tools. I'm sure ritual was too. Did we get rid of it?

And I'm not saying "tradition for the sake of tradition." I'm not someone who was active in college and then never went back to the campus. I worked with my chapter long after our pledge program had been "diluted." There was a difference in the way the women treated each other and treated the sorority. And it was NOT a good difference. Other women I attended college with have said the same thing. It was almost as though the women were encouraged to be more businesslike and less sisterly. Maybe that works for a 200 member chapter, but I am not from one of those. As for your "one on one" coffee idea - we weren't even allowed to do that. No sister was to be alone with any pledge at any time. Everything was group, group, group, constantly. Now of course it's swung to the other end of the pendulum and everything is an "individual challenge" but that's another thread.

whittleschmeg - your post is so full of inconsistencies I don't know where to start - perhaps by telling us exactly what an "interview" entailed that made it so dangerous?