Five Towson Sororities on Probation (Alcohol)

[AOPIROSES]

i graduated from Towson many years ago. We had the running of the bulls event back then too. EVERYONE DRINKS.... yes its a dry rush. But lets get real ladies. We all know we drank back in college even when we werent always supposed to.

Its unfortunate that these girls were injured this year to the point where panhel felt it necessary to eliminate the event forever. I remember when I ran to AOII i got the hugest bruise on my knee. And then again when I was a rho chi and ran to them I was tackled and knocked in the face by elbows. Lot's of us got injured in some way or another. It was all part of the fun. Battle wounds if you can call them that.

And yes, when i was a rho chi I drank before bid day too just like these girls did (we never included new members. rho chi's would have a pre bid day party before meeting up with our rushees). We all did... girls from Alpha Phi to Phi Sig to Zeta to AGD, phi mu and KD and AZD. WE ALL DID IT!! We were just smart enough to do it responsibly and without getting caught. We knew we'd get in major trouble if we were caught, so we used our brains. No one was exempt from drinking ill tell you that.

Although, we ALSO DID NOT HAVE FACEBOOK BACK THEN. Facebook was a major issue in this case (from what i heard) where panhel went online and printed pictures that girls posted of themselves drinking before bid day was completed. I have pictures of myself drinking on past bid days. I just didnt have facebook back then to post them on.

I do think Panhel made a bigger deal out of this than they should have. But, whatever is necessary to keep our girls safe is fine by me. I just feel sorry for the future new members who won't get to experience all the fun that once was "The Running of the Bulls!"
(probably one of the most fun events that ALL sororities participated in as one)

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by AOPIROSES

i graduated from Towson many years ago. We had the running of the bulls event back then too. EVERYONE DRINKS.... yes its a dry rush. But lets get real ladies. We all know we drank back in college even when we werent always supposed to.

It's true that most college students, regardless of whether they are Greek, drink, and drink underage. I went to school a few miles down 95, and I can tell you that drinking is NOT a bid day tradition. No one drinks on bid day! Is my school in the minority or is Towson?

[BabyPiNK_FL]

What is with the urgent need to drink on bid day? This day is so important because you have to be out making sure that the new members feel welcome and they fully understand the time and financial commiment they are making since many blow it off during rush. They also need to be meeting the sisters and if they've been drinking, how many will they remember? I could not imagine drinking on bid day, nothing would get done and it'd be a fiasco! If my sisters had been drinking on bid day I would have quit on day one.

I wonder how this got to be such a tradition and how their bid day is structured. (I'm wondering if they have houses and don't have to worry about certain things women at my school would) any info?

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by BabyPiNK_FL

I wonder how this got to be such a tradition and how their bid day is structured. (I'm assuming they have houses and don't have to worry about certain things women at my school would) any info?

My school had houses, and there was no drinking on bid day. None. And honestly no one really gave it much of a thought... we were too busy getting to know our new sisters. Sober.

[BabyPiNK_FL]

Originally Posted by Blondie93

My school had houses, and there was no drinking on bid day. None. And honestly no one really gave it much of a thought... we were too busy getting to know our new sisters. Sober.

Don't worry. I wasn't referencing all chapters with houses. Just this particular campus I was wondering.

[WVU alpha phi]

Originally Posted by BabyPiNK_FL

What is with the urgent need to drink on bid day? This day is so important because you have to be out making sure that the new members feel welcome and they fully understand the time and financial commiment they are making since many blow it off during rush. They also need to be meeting the sisters and if they've been drinking, how many will they remember? I could not imagine drinking on bid day, nothing would get done and it'd be a fiasco! If my sisters had been drinking on bid day I would have quit on day one.

I wonder how this got to be such a tradition and how their bid day is structured. (I'm wondering if they have houses and don't have to worry about certain things women at my school would) any info?

Not sure how this is a tradition, but to answer your question, Towson sororities do not have houses.

[AXiDGirl10]

Originally Posted by AOPIROSES

i graduated from Towson many years ago. We had the running of the bulls event back then too. EVERYONE DRINKS.... yes its a dry rush. But lets get real ladies. We all know we drank back in college even when we werent always supposed to.

Its unfortunate that these girls were injured this year to the point where panhel felt it necessary to eliminate the event forever. I remember when I ran to AOII i got the hugest bruise on my knee. And then again when I was a rho chi and ran to them I was tackled and knocked in the face by elbows. Lot's of us got injured in some way or another. It was all part of the fun. Battle wounds if you can call them that.

And yes, when i was a rho chi I drank before bid day too just like these girls did (we never included new members. rho chi's would have a pre bid day party before meeting up with our rushees). We all did... girls from Alpha Phi to Phi Sig to Zeta to AGD, phi mu and KD and AZD. WE ALL DID IT!! We were just smart enough to do it responsibly and without getting caught. We knew we'd get in major trouble if we were caught, so we used our brains. No one was exempt from drinking ill tell you that.

Although, we ALSO DID NOT HAVE FACEBOOK BACK THEN. Facebook was a major issue in this case (from what i heard) where panhel went online and printed pictures that girls posted of themselves drinking before bid day was completed. I have pictures of myself drinking on past bid days. I just didnt have facebook back then to post them on.

I do think Panhel made a bigger deal out of this than they should have. But, whatever is necessary to keep our girls safe is fine by me. I just feel sorry for the future new members who won't get to experience all the fun that once was "The Running of the Bulls!"
(probably one of the most fun events that ALL sororities participated in as one)

I haven't posted in awhile and I've just been lurking, but I am inclined to reply to this...

I can't believe that an alumnae that graduated "many years ago" would say this. It WAS NOT made a bigger deal than it should have. Something needed to be done. Greek life at Towson needs to have many changes if we want to stay on this campus and improve our reputation. And we are working to make those necessary changes. We have had several programs and retreats to decide how we are going to do this.

We most likely will still have "Running of the Bulls," so don't worry, new members will still be able to experience this. We are just structuring it a little differently, so it will be safer. And we will have a more selective Rho Chi application process to ensure that the Rho Chis will be following and implementing the rules. We are also trying to plan several other fun alcohol-free events for all sororities to participate in on Bid Day.

I understand it was tradition, but seriously, do you want to keep a tradition that could possibly get all of Greek life eventually removed from Towson? We have a bad enough reputation as it is with the administration and the rest of campus.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by AXiDGirl10

I haven't posted in awhile and I've just been lurking, but I am inclined to reply to this...

I missed you!

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

The reason they think the probation is harsh (social probation until Spring Break 08 and University probation until fall 2008) is that the error in judgement was committed by recruitment couselors who were not in contact with the sororities who had counseled their members that there would be no drinking allowed on bid day. The Panhellenic advisor apparently failed to enforce this policy. The women of the chapter did not drink on bid day but cannot have any socials and are on social probation for nearly the entire school year after doing nothing wrong. Social probation for the women caught drinking would be appropriate. Social probation for chapters who followed the rules except for their members out of their reach is inappropriate. Also, three chapters had drinking recruitment counselor sisters but no harsh probation...not sure how that is fair either.

Obviously some of these chapters are guilty of a little more than having recruitment counselors drink.

NPC rush IS DRY. That means no drinking, to make sure it's clear. Every member of an NPC sorority has the responsibility to know and follow recruitment rules. If no copies were given to the chapter, their Recruitment officer should have marched to the Panhellenic adviser's office and gotten a copy to distribute to members. There's no excuses on that one.

While some responsibility definitely does rest on the adviser's shoulders, it ultimately falls on the shoulders of the girls who actually did this. We're in college, we're old enough to use common sense. Tradition or not, it's not NPC-legal. And of ALL people, the recruitment counselors should know EVERY recruitment rule way before it ever starts.

I do have to say it's pretty ridiculous that these girls weren't sent home. If we (recruitment team) ever show up to an official event (including the men's fraternity parties, as according to IFC, they are also dry parties) having had a drop, we're kicked off of the team, no questions asked.

I realize it's really hard to control or police every member of a chapter when they're out on their own time, but it is the chapter's responsibility to police them at official events, when there are tons of sisters to watch out for each other. There's just really no excuse for any of this. If it's an official rush event, including an official Bid Day activity (from running to whatever official event the chapter holds), it has to be dry.

And I have to say I am not very sympathetic at all to this whining about the punishment. I know every campus has different attitudes towards alcohol, but on mine if our chapters were pulling this...stuff...our punishments would be a lot more harsh.