Sorority rush at U AL is hazing, I think

[hoosier]

If my chapter made a pledge drink 15 glasses of ice water in a row, we'd be indicted for hazing. Apparently this is allowed/required at Tuscaloosa:

U. AL (Tuscaloosa) Rush 2002 nears completion
by Amanda Dawkins
Senior Staff Reporter
September 09, 2002

The Panhellenic Association's fall Rush will come to a close Tuesday afternoon when sororities offer bids to potential new members in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
After a week of Rush activities, the rushees will be able to develop sisterly bonds with the sorority of their choice through pledging.

The first round of Rush consisted of ice water teas on Sept. 1. During the teas, potential new members visited 15 houses for 15 minutes each.

The second round of recruitment began Sept. 2. Philanthropy Day, implemented in 1998, was a day where potential new members made hands-on creative projects with sorority members to donate to different charities. Each sorority commits itself to a philanthropy or charity by raising money and working one-on-one with the organization. On Philanthropy Day, potential new members visited 10 houses for 30 minutes each.

The rushees participated in skit parties on Sunday. Skit parties consisted of songs and skits revolving around a theme of the sorority's choosing. Potential new members went to six houses for 45 minutes each.

Tonight is Serious Night, marking the final night of Rush, and the night's parties are by invitation only. An invitation to a preference event means a sorority is very interested in a potential new member. Each sorority presents a ceremony on what it means to be a sister and what the group offers to new members.

At the conclusion of Serious Night, the rushees walk to the Ferguson Center to fill out their formal membership recruitment acceptance cards.

Bids will be distributed Tuesday.

No black students signed up for Panhellenic Rush this year. The newly instituted upperclassman quota has not yet been determined, Panhellenic President Kathryn Rutledge said.

"All quota is determined after skit party. We have 73 out of 76 upperclassmen left. More upperclassmen went through Rush this year than last year," Rutledge said. "As far as upperclassmen quota, some houses didn't understand beforehand how it was going to work out. When they got more involved with voting, they understood it more."

Holly Morris, president of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, said recruitment is going well for the sorority and the greek system as a whole.

"Rush went a lot smoother this year than last year," said Kay Tidwell, president of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. "The new upperclassman quota has made things a lot easier. It's working very well. All the sororities have really been coming together and are really helping each other out."

Tidwell said Panhellenic is planning a cookout this week, after Rush is complete, to raise money for Delta Sigma Theta sorority, whose house was damaged in an early-morning arson last month.