Stop the "Baby" Talk

[NutBrnHair]

I really like this blog written by a Theta.

If we all do a good job in recruitment by choosing smart, confident, achieving women, we shouldn't call them "baby" anything.

http://www.kappaalphatheta.org/alumn...aeBlogBricklet

[chi-o_cat]

I wonder if the writer of this blog, a Theta, saw the Twitter posts saying "Baby kittens- run to your litter box!" from a Theta collegiate member on bid day.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by chi-o_cat

I wonder if the writer of this blog, a Theta, saw the Twitter posts saying "Baby kittens- run to your litter box!" from a Theta collegiate member on bid day.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

http://www.kappaalphatheta.org/alumn...aeBlogBricklet

I love it!
(Do chapters really give New Members baby bottles and rattles?!? )

[MaggieXi]

I agree that this is a great blog and the term "baby" should not be used to refer to or describe new members of any organization. I know that the term "baby" came about when I was a junior (gah! 13 years ago!). It was the year that Rush became recruitment, Rushees became Potential New Members and Pledges became New Members. Campus panhellenic had decreed that we were to use all the new terms and added that we were not allowed to call the new members, or even the PNMs "Girls" or even "new girls" or "Ladies" because it was derogatory (I'm not sure how Ladies was derogatory, but it was on the list of words that we could no longer use). However, the word Baby was not on the list.

So the sororities who had names for their new members - Phis for Phi Mu, Rosebuds for AOPi, continued on with their tradition. Since the rest of the orgs on campus didn't have names for their new members and could essentially only call them mouthful "new members", and a year before called them pledges, adopted new names for the them. Zeta had "Zeta Babies", AXiD had "Little Xis", Sigma Kappa had "Kappa Kuties", etc. I don't know when all of them changed over to "Babies", but eventually they did. But I think a lot of this Baby calling came out of the fact that they could no longer be called "Pledges" and "New Members" is a mouthful and boring if you compare it to the groups that have names for their new members.

IMO, Pledges is far less derogatory than Babies.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by MaggieXi

IMO, Pledges is far less derogatory than Babies.

YES! I hate the baby thing. There is nothing wrong with "pledge." I loved being a pledge.

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by MaggieXi

IMO, Pledges is far less derogatory than Babies.

I totally agree with you! There is/was nothing wrong with the word pledge. If I ran the world, we'd still use the words pledge and Rush.

[KillarneyRose]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I totally agree with you! There is/was nothing wrong with the word pledge. If I ran the world, we'd still use the words pledge and Rush.

Yes! "Recruitment Crush" just does not have the same ring to it.

Speaking of pledges, do they even wear pledge pins anymore?

[XOtillIdieO]

Originally Posted by KillarneyRose

Speaking of pledges, do they even wear pledge pins anymore?

We wore our pledge pin, but only to our new member meetings. Did sororities used to wear them all the time like fraternities do?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by XOtillIdieO

We wore our pledge pin, but only to our new member meetings. Did sororities used to wear them all the time like fraternities do?

They did back in the dark ages when I was in college.

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by XOtillIdieO

We wore our pledge pin, but only to our new member meetings. Did sororities used to wear them all the time like fraternities do?

I loved wearing my pledge pin, which we "had" to, except during the three Ss - shower. sex, sleep.

At parties, we were told to wear the pin on the inside of the shirt, with the clasp bar on the outside. That way, you were still identified as a pledge (the school was small enough to know who you were pledging), so it worked out well. I remember I had surgery during my pledge period and asked my pledge mom if I had to wear my pin into surgery, lol. I think my pledgesister/a.k.a. next door neighbor held it for me.

Sigh. Good times.

[KillarneyRose]

Originally Posted by XOtillIdieO

We wore our pledge pin, but only to our new member meetings. Did sororities used to wear them all the time like fraternities do?

Yeah, we always wore them. (at least on my campus) I remember once going down to the cafeteria and realizing I'd forgotten to put on my pledge pin and going back to my room to get it because I didn't want the sisters to see me without it.

I am currently undergoing therapy for PTSD because the experience was so devastaing for me

[lovespink88]

Originally Posted by XOtillIdieO

We wore our pledge pin, but only to our new member meetings. Did sororities used to wear them all the time like fraternities do?

Same here!

The thought of wearing it all the time is nice, but I personally like that we wear it just when we are dressed up. I generally went to class in yoga pants, t-shirt and hoodie. My pledge pin deserved more than that. You can represent your org by wearing a t-shirt, carrying a bag, wearing jewelry with letters/colors/symbols, etc.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by MaggieXi

I agree that this is a great blog and the term "baby" should not be used to refer to or describe new members of any organization. I know that the term "baby" came about when I was a junior (gah! 13 years ago!). It was the year that Rush became recruitment, Rushees became Potential New Members and Pledges became New Members. Campus panhellenic had decreed that we were to use all the new terms and added that we were not allowed to call the new members, or even the PNMs "Girls" or even "new girls" or "Ladies" because it was derogatory (I'm not sure how Ladies was derogatory, but it was on the list of words that we could no longer use). However, the word Baby was not on the list.

So the sororities who had names for their new members - Phis for Phi Mu, Rosebuds for AOPi, continued on with their tradition. Since the rest of the orgs on campus didn't have names for their new members and could essentially only call them mouthful "new members", and a year before called them pledges, adopted new names for the them. Zeta had "Zeta Babies", AXiD had "Little Xis", Sigma Kappa had "Kappa Kuties", etc. I don't know when all of them changed over to "Babies", but eventually they did. But I think a lot of this Baby calling came out of the fact that they could no longer be called "Pledges" and "New Members" is a mouthful and boring if you compare it to the groups that have names for their new members.

IMO, Pledges is far less derogatory than Babies.

Agreed. I've said this previously: every org should come up with a respectful name for its new members and use that uniformly. Officially, I only know of the two you mention above and Alphas for ADPi, and while I'm sure there are others, some don't have anything, and nobody is going to say "new member".

Incidentally, the writers of this and the other article on this topic come from Theta and APhi, two groups that don't have a name for the NM's, AFAIK, so I'll take the giant liberty of suggesting some: "stars" for Theta, and "ivies" for APhi. They get harder from there: AGD..."ferns"?

[agzg]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

They get harder from there: AGD..."ferns"?

I'm fine with "New Members."