University of Alabama Alpha Phi Expelled for Racist Video

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

Old broad here who has spent many years advising chapters. It is not yearning for the "good ol' days" we base our opinion of the current abbreviated pledge period on, but the fact that initiation is no longer worked for; short pledge, excuse me, new member periods, showering the new members with gift, after gift, after gift, makes for members who don't fully appreciate the gift of membership. Heck,many of them don't fully know the history of the org. they were just initiated into! It should be looked on as a privilege, but many these days look on initiation as an entitlement. And please understand that earning initiation does not necessarily mean hazing.

We were told that the shortened new member period was, in part, inacted to help cut down on hazing, yet we still see chapters on probation or closed for hazing. If I had a vote, I would vote for a semester long "new member" period. It would allow the new members to learn more in-depth history of their sorority and chapter, as well as allow them to fully understand the obligation they were about to undertake, but would give them more time to decide if sorority life was for them, and would allow the chapter more time to get to know the new members and determine whether they were worthy of the gift of membership.

All of this. Ideally, I'd like to see (for my own organization):

1. At least a 10-week new member period.
2. More education on the history of Greek life, as well as AST.
3. In addition to anti-hazing, alcohol awareness, and sexual assault and abuse programming, hold educational sessions - maybe presented by a professional or experienced alumna - geared toward leadership, time management, etiquette (business or otherwise), study skills, resume building, etc.
4. Team-building exercises and activities. It could be something as simple as doing one of those hour-long escape rooms together.

And ultimately, I'd like to see organizations give chapters a little more leeway in building a new member program that fits them and their circumstances. Maybe it would require submission to and approval from national officers to keep everyone in check. But I don't think the short, simplistic, gift-filled new member programs are doing chapters any favors.

[Kevin]

It depends on whether your organization is about forming lifelong bonds or whether they are into operating revenue neutral, campus adjacent glorified dorms.

[SoCalGirl]

NM Periods should prepare them to be Members. 6-8 weeks of being showered with gifts and 6-8 chapter meetings is not it. Members are generally filled with loads of required activities, committees, socials, etc. NMs that were "optional" for everything but NM meetings don't have a clue as to what they're in for as a full member. Then people quit because it's more time consuming and stressful than they realized.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

NM Periods should prepare them to be Members. 6-8 weeks of being showered with gifts and 6-8 chapter meetings is not it. Members are generally filled with loads of required activities, committees, socials, etc. NMs that were "optional" for everything but NM meetings don't have a clue as to what they're in for as a full member. Then people quit because it's more time consuming and stressful than they realized.

This is exactly it. I was not hazed, but I most certainly WORKED. I knew after my pledge period this organization was going to be something that took a lot of time. It wasn't my high school Quill and Scroll chapter.

Hockeyfan's post kind of proves all our points - she goes straight to hazing as if there were nothing in between that and 6 weeks of gifts. Again, I was not hazed, and never had fraternity men telling me my "process" wasn't hard enough - in fact, we had fraternity men express concerns in the other direction when a pledgemistress went a bit off the rails. Men and women do bond differently, but not that differently.

Also, dang, Kevin. Lol.

[hockeyfan]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Hockeyfan's post kind of proves all our points - she goes straight to hazing as if there were nothing in between that and 6 weeks of gifts.

I don't mean to sound defensive but want to say that I explicitly mentioned how my new member process was educational, informative, and detailed. I don't believe I made a single mention of gifts in my post, because I actually didn't get any besides a bid day tee-shirt and some candy during big/little reveal. My point was that there is absolutely a way to do new member education in 6-8 weeks without sacrificing understanding of your sorority's history.

As far as time commitment goes, again, I had roughly the same time commitment as a new member that I have as an initiate - two hours of required meetings, optional study hall 4 hours a week, and optional participation in social events every weekend. Add that to "dating" 10-15 potential bigs for an hour each over a two week period and I was a busy bee, same as I am now while holding an officer position! If you think my point was "gifts or it's hazing!" then I'm sorry I didn't get my point across better.

[panhelrose]

To bring this back to the original issue, there's now a screenshot of a Snapchat going around from members of Alpha Phi at the George Washington University, in which a member can be seen holding a banana peel and the caption reads "Izzy: I'm 1/16th black." The chapter has already taken down their Instagram page and the university has received multiple complaints/tweets about it.

Honestly, I don't know what surprises me more: that people are still dumb enough to think racist jokes are funny, or that they're dumb enough to post them on the internet with their names, faces, and other easily identifiable information.

[NinjaPoodle]

Originally Posted by panhelrose

To bring this back to the original issue, there's now a screenshot of a Snapchat going around from members of Alpha Phi at the George Washington University, in which a member can be seen holding a banana peel and the caption reads "Izzy: I'm 1/16th black." The chapter has already taken down their Instagram page and the university has received multiple complaints/tweets about it.

Honestly, I don't know what surprises me more: that people are still dumb enough to think racist jokes are funny, or that they're dumb enough to post them on the internet with their names, faces, and other easily identifiable information.

Their insta and FB are both down.

http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/dc/g...ure-/513637697

[NYCMS]

Originally Posted by panhelrose

Honestly, I don't know what surprises me more: that people are still dumb enough to think racist jokes are funny, or that they're dumb enough to post them on the internet with their names, faces, and other easily identifiable information.

What surprises me is that this age generation thinks it's funny. I understand older generations thinking that since race relations were different 30-40 -50 years ago.

What also boggles my mind is that they're dumb post this stuff online - even pictures of them stupid drunk. Even those pics can harm job opportunities.

[JonInKC]

I'll add my anecdote here: I remember when I was in college talking to a young lady in a sorority about what her pledgeship entailed. She didn't even learn the Greek alphabet.

"What exactly did you do, then?" I asked.

She smiled sheepishly and said "They gave us gifts...?"

[Kevin]

So here's what I haven't heard--I haven't heard anyone from an NPC org state that the 'ol rule about not being able to require new members to do anything differently from initiates as being something actually written down anywhere. If you're following the FIPG guidelines, there are plenty of activities new members could do which are not hazing. You just have to work within those guidelines.

[panhelrose]

I've heard it this way from a fraternity friend of mine: women's recruitment is difficult, but their new member process is easy. Men's recruitment is easy, but their new member process is difficult. How many times do we tell PNMs that they should stick with recruitment even when they get cut from chapters they love, because they'll find their home? I'm sure these fraternity pledges are hearing something similar when faced with pledge tasks.

I've seen a difference in membership retention and involvement once initiated when a new member is treated like a china doll versus like an adult. New members who are given so many gifts and told they can just cheat on new member exams or miss meetings are often rudely awakened when they are initiated and need to buy a shirt for every philanthropy, need to come to not only chapter but recruitment, makeup ritual, workshops, and philanthropy. That's why I'm glad my chapter is very up front about what the expectations for membership are during recruitment, so that girls know what they're getting themselves into if they join a chapter. Yes, we love our new members and give them gifts for big little week and would never haze them, but the new member process is about learning about your new sorority, not just getting gifts and likes on your instagram. There needs to be a balance.

[PhilTau]

Individual members being thrown out of their fraternity or sorority for misconduct is nothing new. Although 30 years ago nationals rarely (if ever) came in and eliminated the memberships of everyone in an entire chapter. So I'm talking about members being thrown out for individual conduct. I suspect that thirty years ago (other than nonpayment of dues) most adverse membership actions for fraternities and sororities typically involved, without going into detail, some type of alleged sexual misconduct. This happened fairly often and to even long-time active members who did not conform the then cultural norms.

It is clearly a different world now and the reasons for ejecting active members are very different. My question, for those who are in a position to know, is this:

Do you see a greater number of ejections of initiated members for individual misconduct now than say thirty years ago when pledging was a longer process?

[carnation]

I remember people being thrown out of fraternities and sororities back in the day, although it was usually for something egregious. Like one of our cheerleaders got thrown out of her sorority for running naked from her date's car to her sorority house.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by Kevin

So here's what I haven't heard--I haven't heard anyone from an NPC org state that the 'ol rule about not being able to require new members to do anything differently from initiates as being something actually written down anywhere. If you're following the FIPG guidelines, there are plenty of activities new members could do which are not hazing. You just have to work within those guidelines.

I would have to track down information from when I was active 10+ years ago to see what was written down. All I know is that we had handed down to us instructions that stated we were not to include anything in our new member program that wasn't outlined by our national organization. They indicated we could get approval for additional activities, but we were told by a nearby chapter who made an attempt that they found the process difficult, and ultimately, they ended up just stepping in line with the new guidelines.

Now, maybe something has changed. But in knowing how a handful of chapters have operated since, I can't see that any of them are including additional programming or required events for only the new members within the six-week program (aside from their weekly new member meetings and an exam).

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I would have to track down information from when I was active 10+ years ago to see what was written down. All I know is that we had handed down to us instructions that stated we were not to include anything in our new member program that wasn't outlined by our national organization. They indicated we could get approval for additional activities, but we were told by a nearby chapter who made an attempt that they found the process difficult, and ultimately, they ended up just stepping in line with the new guidelines.

Now, maybe something has changed. But in knowing how a handful of chapters have operated since, I can't see that any of them are including additional programming or required events for only the new members within the six-week program (aside from their weekly new member meetings and an exam).

So I wouldn't characterize adding material to your new member education program as hazing. I would characterize it as adding new material to your new member program. If that in itself is verboten, then it's not hazing, but it's also not allowed and that's of course just fine and it's probably much smarter than what my organization does.

Sigma Nu does have its LEAD program which has 10 sessions as part of the new member education program. It also has various leadership and interpersonal workshops which happen throughout a member's experience with the fraternity. I think our new member program is great. Most chapters implement it. Most chapters are also given leeway to have their own local traditions

We just can't do things which violate this:

Any action taken or situation created, intentionally, whether on or off fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such activities may include but are not limited to the following: use of alcohol, paddling in any form, creation of excessive fatigue, physical and psychological shocks, quests, treasure hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips or any other such activities carried on outside or inside of the confines of the chapter house; wearing of public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste, engaging in public stunts and buffoonery, morally degrading or humiliating games and activities, and any other activities which are not consistent with academic achievement, fraternal law, ritual or policy or the regulations and policies of the educational institution or applicable state law.

http://fipg.org/

So could we require new member class lock ins? Camp outs? Requiring new members to do some house chores? Require them to participate in a ropes course? Yes, absolutely, so long as those things aren't conflicting with their academic obligations and aren't humiliating or degrading.

For instance, we could require a new member to vacuum the dining room twice per week. We could not require them to do it at 3 AM dressed in a French maid's costume.

For us, there is no such rule stating we can't require new members to do things the initiates don't have to do. Hazing is hazing, that does not fit any definition of hazing I've ever worked with.