Miss America 2015

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by phialum

Does anyone think it is a little tone deaf for Alpha Chi Omega's Clemson chapter to be hosting Miss America -- a former member of Alpha Phi -- at the University on Oct 28th?? I understand the "message" is about domestic violence awareness, but this "messenger" seems all wrong in the context of a Greek community & recent hazing allegations.

Yes. That is what they are.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by Alpha O

While I agree with the rest of y'all about the ridiculous rumors in the Jezebel article, I found this video (posted in one of the comments) to be interesting, informative, and funny:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDPCmmZifE8

Brilliant! (Well, except Kathy Griffith. Not a fan.)

Originally Posted by 1964Alum

Hazing is completely foreign to me. I certainly never saw nor experienced anything that could even remotely be construed as hazing in Chi Omega.

Were you initiated or born in 1964? I was an active in the late 1970s. During my entire Advisor experience, I was forever be held up as an example of someone who was hazed. I had a pledge notebook - hazing. I wore a pledge ribbon with my pledge pin for the first week - hazing. I answered the chapter telephone - hazing. I served beer & soda at a mixer - hazing.

I'm not trying to call you out on hazing, or on your GLO, but rather, pointing out that the definition of hazing has changed drastically over the years. If a sister doesn't do it, it's considered hazing. At least, by Alpha Delta Pi standards.

Knowing that the current Miss America did something, even in an email to her national, disturbs me. I think she's also a bad example of sorority women.

Originally Posted by azureblue

The new Miss New York is Jillian Tapper, an Alpha Delta Pi from Florida State. She takes over due to Kira winning Miss America. Congrats, Jillian!

YIPPEE!!!

[irishpipes]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Brilliant! (Well, except Kathy Griffith. Not a fan.)


Were you initiated or born in 1964? I was an active in the late 1970s. During my entire Advisor experience, I was forever be held up as an example of someone who was hazed. I had a pledge notebook - hazing. I wore a pledge ribbon with my pledge pin for the first week - hazing. I answered the chapter telephone - hazing. I served beer & soda at a mixer - hazing.

I'm not trying to call you out on hazing, or on your GLO, but rather, pointing out that the definition of hazing has changed drastically over the years. If a sister doesn't do it, it's considered hazing. At least, by Alpha Delta Pi standards.

Knowing that the current Miss America did something, even in an email to her national, disturbs me. I think she's also a bad example of sorority women.


YIPPEE!!!

Please tell me you didn't participate in a scavenger hunt too! And the very worst of all - being called a pledge. How humiliating. The wounds from our hazing experiences will never heal!

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

Please tell me you didn't participate in a scavenger hunt too! And the very worst of all - being called a pledge. How humiliating. The wounds from our hazing experiences will never heal!

Yes, I am WOUNDED FOR LIFE!!! (You couldn't tell??)

Seriously, all this new wording makes me crazy at times. Nobody pledges - they take their New Member (vows? oath?). Yikes!

[1964Alum]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Brilliant! (Well, except Kathy Griffith. Not a fan.)


Were you initiated or born in 1964? I was an active in the late 1970s. During my entire Advisor experience, I was forever be held up as an example of someone who was hazed. I had a pledge notebook - hazing. I wore a pledge ribbon with my pledge pin for the first week - hazing. I answered the chapter telephone - hazing. I served beer & soda at a mixer - hazing.

I'm not trying to call you out on hazing, or on your GLO, but rather, pointing out that the definition of hazing has changed drastically over the years. If a sister doesn't do it, it's considered hazing. At least, by Alpha Delta Pi standards.

Knowing that the current Miss America did something, even in an email to her national, disturbs me. I think she's also a bad example of sorority women.


YIPPEE!!!

I was initiated in 1964. Pledged the fall of '63. I was proud to be a Chi Omega pledge and had no expectation to have all the privileges of an initiated member. Which I was not as a pledge. I was happy to wear my pledge pin; attend weekly pledge meetings; have this period to have private coffee times with each active member; keep a pledge notebook; and learn more about my sorority, her history, and principles. There was nothing remotely belittling or degrading about it. We also had a pledge retreat, gave a party for the actives, and had a formal Pledge Presentation given for us. We worked alongside the actives on elections, homecoming, and the like. We had a long pledge period as we weren't initiated until after our Fall semester grades had come in. And we had to make our grades to be an initiated member. There was a lot of give and take between us and the initiated members. We were all offered a lot of help and support.

Now if the above now constitute "hazing", then I think the definition needs to be refined. I don't remember a single pledge in either my pledge class or any after me thinking that what was expected or required of us to be onerous or demeaning in the least. I don't remember anyone failing to make her grades, either. Nor did we feel "entitled" to be full members upon the acceptance of our bid.

Retention rate in Chi Omega remains very high, so we must be doing something right!

[DubaiSis]

I think it has gone overboard too, but in this litigious society it's pretty hard to allow for shades of grey. I think allowing/requiring tests as part of the process to complete initiation is just fine. And I really really hate the new terminology. You will notice I never ever use those terms. And it has been enough years now that if they were going to catch on, they would have. And yet 18 year old girls know exactly what I'm talking about when I use words like rushee, rusher and pledge.

[OPhiAGinger]

IMHO most of the anti-hazing reforms are just window dressing. Changing the words we use to describe rush and pledging doesn't change what it is. I can adopt the term "recruitment" since that is actually a better description of the act of growing your membership, but I just can't wrap my head around the term "new member". The reality is that they aren't members until they are initiated. I'm glad OPA hasn't made that switch in terminology because it bugs me. (To be clear, we don't prohibit our collegiate chapters from using the NPC terminology on a local level if they want to. We leave it up to each chapter to use the terminology that makes sense in that environment.)

And I am equally relieved that OPA still has a standardized education period -- complete with a test -- that ensures our members understand all of OPA's history, structure, and policies before they are initiated. Making pledges recite the Greek alphabet three times while holding a burning match = hazing. Asking them to learn the chapters in their district, or what our national policies are on alcohol, discrimination, social media, and privacy not= hazing.

But curious… have any NPC orgs seen real harm from moving to the new hazing definitions and membership nomenclature? For instance, are you finding that your new members don't understand and appreciate your history as well as they did back in the pre-policitical-correctness era?

[1964Alum]

APhiAGinger posted:

And I am equally relieved that OPA still has a standardized education period -- complete with a test -- that ensures our members understand all of OPA's history, structure, and policies before they are initiated. Making pledges recite the Greek alphabet three times while holding a burning match = hazing. Asking them to learn the chapters in their district, or what our national policies are on alcohol, discrimination, social media, and privacy not= hazing."

I couldn't agree more! And in my humble opinion, the NPC needs to refine the broad term of what constitutes "hazing". Membership is a privilege, not a right.

[pinksequins]

"Pledge" has been a verb for a while ("I pledge allegiance to the flag ..."). : )

I do like the term "pledge" (used as a noun) better than the term "new members". I also loved my pledge ribbons! I am not personally persuaded that wearing them is hazing, particularly if wearing the pledge pin is not.

[1964Alum]

Originally Posted by pinksequins

"Pledge" has been a verb for a while ("I pledge allegiance to the flag ..."). : )

I do like the term "pledge" (used as a noun) better than the term "new members". I also loved my pledge ribbons! I am not personally persuaded that wearing them is hazing, particularly if wearing the pledge pin is not.

We wore our pledge ribbons until our formal pledge ceremony, when we were given our pledge pins. I can't remember a single woman who found that humiliating in any manner.

I don't care for the term "New Member". A pledge is perhaps a "Prospective Member", but is not a "New Member" until immediately after initiation.

[nyapbp]

Originally Posted by ukdzccd

Miss Texas Lauren Guzman, Delta Zeta, St.Mary's University

She's Miss Texas USA and she'll be competing for that title tonight. The Miss Texas contestant for the Miss America competition won't be chosen until July.

[NutBrnHair]

Go ahead and mark Miss Mississippi down as a Chi Omega. The state pageant isn't until July, but trust me, it's a tradition.

Kidding! I kid.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

Go ahead and mark Miss Mississippi down as a Chi Omega. The state pageant isn't until July, but trust me, it's a tradition.

Kidding! I kid.

A Chi O friend of mine became Miss Mississippi when the reigning one became Miss America!

[Jhawkie]

I bet my bank account she's going to turn this around and say that people speaking about her hazing (that she didn't deny) are bullies, she will make herself the victim and say people are jealous.

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by Jen

Why is she still Miss America?!?

Who is the runner-up that would take her place?

A sweet young Southerner from Virginia who attended Liberty University, which does not have NPC sororities.

ETA Correction from previous post: Kira is originally from California and was previously 2007 Miss California Junior Teen and 2004 Miss California Preteen. Some pageant women heavily state-shop during their Miss Yah-Dee-Dah pageant quest, attending multiple universities in different states. Kira has said she will attend The University of Notre Dame for Law School.