Stop the "Baby" Talk

SWTXBelle · #1 08-23-2012, 08:13 AM

I will have to look and see what Gamma Phi chapters are calling their pledges - "new moons"? Hmmmmm . . . count me in for Team Pledge.

chi-o_cat · #2 08-23-2012, 10:43 AM

I thought of this thread just now...Chi Omega posted some Bid Day pictures from various chapters on FB, and one of them had a big banner that had a picture of the Olympic ring logo, and said "You're Gold to Us, Baby Hooties."

NutBrnHair · #3 08-23-2012, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chi-o_cat

I thought of this thread just now...Chi Omega posted some Bid Day pictures from various chapters on FB, and one of them had a big banner that had a picture of the Olympic ring logo, and said "You're Gold to Us, Baby Hooties."

Trust me, that does not mean that HQ likes the term.

MysticCat · #4 08-23-2012, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

Trust me, that does not mean that HQ likes the term.

But if it's on HQ's page, I guarantee you that lots of people would see that as implicit approval, and not without reason.

MaggieXi · #5 08-23-2012, 12:05 PM

So it sounds like the national sorority offices don't like the term babies and the connotations that are going along with it. Why don't they individually or the NPC do something about it now - much like when they erradicated the previous terms.

33girl · #6 08-23-2012, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaggieXi

So it sounds like the national sorority offices don't like the term babies and the connotations that are going along with it. Why don't they individually or the NPC do something about it now - much like when they erradicated the previous terms.

Because that would involve admitting that they made a really stupid mistake when they tried to jettison "rush" and "pledge" to begin with.

You can't really do anything about campus traditions or popular opinion/word usage. There are certain nicknames national HQs don't like, but on some campi, you can yell "proper nickname" till you're blue in the face and use it on every t-shirt and written communication, and everyone is still going to call you "nickname HQ hates" for forever. The bigger of a deal you make about it, the more of a douche you look like. Which no one wants.

I also think that the "baby" thing is something peculiar to this generation. When 22 year old girls are running around in Hello Kitty and Disney t-shirts without a smidge of irony, it's going to be a little different than the girls who came before. My class would have rather been called "bags" than "babies" any day.

MaryPoppins · #7 08-23-2012, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

I also think that the "baby" thing is something peculiar to this generation. When 22 year old girls are running around in Hello Kitty and Disney t-shirts without a smidge of irony, it's going to be a little different than the girls who came before. My class would have rather been called "bags" than "babies" any day.

By George! I think you're on to something. It's a Millenial thing.

NutBrnHair · #8 08-23-2012, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticCat

But if it's on HQ's page, I guarantee you that lots of people would see that as implicit approval, and not without reason.

Thank you for that, MysticCat. I will have it removed.

chi-o_cat · #9 08-23-2012, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

Thank you for that, MysticCat. I will have it removed.

Nice! I see that the banner has been cropped out of the photo.

crescent&pearls · #10 08-23-2012, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I will have to look and see what Gamma Phi chapters are calling their pledges - "new moons"? Hmmmmm . . . count me in for Team Pledge.

I have not really heard of chapters calling their new members anything "baby ________." I have seen G Phi Babes, which doesn't bother me at all, used purely as a term of endearment and limited to Bid Day. Also Red Hots, which doesn't bother me either, on Bid Day, and then let's just call each other sisters and friends.

Count me on Team Rush and Team Pledge. Sororities are unique organizations unlike any other women's organizations and "rushing" and "pledging" are part of our unique heritage.

adpiucf · #11 08-23-2012, 02:16 PM

The baby thing has been around in various forms for a long time. 20 years ago, I was a high school freshman and I recall being greeted by a "Welcome Baby [Insert High School Mascot Here]" banner on my first day.

Did I mention that [Insert High School Mascot Here] are the Trojans?

adpiucf · #12 08-23-2012, 02:19 PM

I doubt we're going back to the terms "pledge" and "rush." I think "recruitment" more adequately expresses what is occuring than "rush" if you don't have any conception of Greek Life before college. That's a big reason I didn't "rush" until sophomore year. And yes, I was a "rushee" and was sad when we could no longer use that term in our door songs.

What is a uniform name for a new member other than new member or pledge? First Years?

DGTess · #13 08-23-2012, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adpiucf

I doubt we're going back to the terms "pledge" and "rush." I think "recruitment" more adequately expresses what is occuring than "rush" if you don't have any conception of Greek Life before college. That's a big reason I didn't "rush" until sophomore year. And yes, I was a "rushee" and was sad when we could no longer use that term in our door songs.

I disagree. I think any process in which you choose sisters for life in 4-5 days, and having met 10-12 women for a total of less than 5 hours, is certainly rushing things.

NutBrnHair · #14 08-23-2012, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DGTess

I think any process in which you choose sisters for life in 4-5 days, and having met 10-12 women for a total of less than 5 hours, is certainly rushing things.

"Rush" supposedly got its name because university students used to rush down to meet the trains which brought the new students to campus. Some sororities/fraternities would arrive at the station in a town up the track in order to give a pledge pin to the most desired men/women! Imagine that.

33girl · #15 08-23-2012, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adpiucf

I doubt we're going back to the terms "pledge" and "rush." I think "recruitment" more adequately expresses what is occuring than "rush" if you don't have any conception of Greek Life before college. That's a big reason I didn't "rush" until sophomore year.

Recruitment = actively seeking people who will meet specific criteria you are looking for (whether they had any interest in your organization at all) and persuading them to join your organization. NOT inviting everyone who pays a fee to Panhellenic and meets a GPA requirement to check you out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by adpiucf

What is a uniform name for a new member other than new member or pledge? First Years?

Um, wow, no, that would be even more offensive than "baby" since it assumes you only pledge as a freshman. (Freshmen are referred to as "first years" at many schools) And since you already said you were a sophomore when you joined...

When we truly have "recruitment" and "new members" (i.e. women are initiated right away) I'll start using those terms...until then, as I said, they don't make any sense. I'm sure that there are people out there who are psycho about not calling someone a "pledge" (kind of what DGTess is talking about) but I tend to love to pull those kind of people's chains anyway.