Hazing question

Originally posted by UNFSigmaChi:
This happened to me and several other pledgebro's but none of us think this was hazing cause you could always throw the match away before it burned you, and it always gave you enough time to finish and then some. Like i said, i don't believe i was hazed cause it honestly makes you learn the material better cause the first few times you do it your thinking i gotta get this out quick before i burn myself, but unless you were a total screw up you never did. I think because that happened is why i can recite anything about my organization quickly and accuratly today.

A few comments..

* The match test is somewhat in the grey area, nonetheless, a National organization, with liablity insurance to pay, would probably consider it hazing.

* Hazing comes in many forms. And just because you don't consider yourself as being hazed. Doesn't mean it didn't happen. Hazing is an act in which someone purposely exercises power over someone else and in doing so place you in mental or physical dangers. (But that is a soapbox for another thread.)

* UNFSigmaChi, I have a question for you. In your post you mentioned that you now can recite quickly and accuratly anything about your organization. How do you feel that has helped you, and your brotherhood? While you know the information, did the way you learned it help to engrave the purpose, meaning of the words into your life and your actions?

I can see instances where having words, facts at your fingertips as being benefital. But rote memorization didn't do much for me. The only place I've ever claimed it to be benefital was in learning math tables...

just words for thought...

Artimis

[UNFSigmaChi]

Well i didn't expect for other people to flip out over this question. Sorry guys..i thought this was a forum to discuss issues facing memebers of Fraternities and sororities. Guess i was wrong. I'll try to stick to the monatinous happy happy joy joy stuff about greek life such as derby days, seeing what everyone thinks of their organization on campus and seeing who outdid who raising the most in a can food drive. I just thought you could discuss anything in here and get a wide range of input o nthe matter. Sorry i was wrong. I didn't take anything on here personally. I guess im just more or less shocked that you truly can't discuss anything in here. I understand how some potential rushee's might read into the matter though. I do think some people took this a little overboard...they acted like i was slapped around, kicked a couple times and then was forced to recite things. TOTALLY untrue. But hey if you think this was unnecessary then hey thats your opinion. Totally not offended..honest. Calling on the editing police is pretty funny though.
Artimis to answer your question...I think that if you learn your standard creed etc and thats all it is to you is just a memorized couple of lines or what-have-you, then ya its nothing more than math tables. You have to learn it first, then apply it to your life, then after becoming initiated along with knowing the material you learned as a pledge will you fully come to understand and strive to maintain the values or your organization. But you do have to learn it first. Cause if a pledge asks you...hey man what do you think of the standard and how do you apply that to your life and your fraternity. If you don't know the standard in the first place by memory...how in the WORLD are you going to answer the kids question???? Your gonna be like um um um the standard yeah...let me look in the pledge manual real quick and see what it says and i'll answer you. Now what the hell is the pledge gonna think...whats the purpose of me learning this if he got in and HE doesn't even know it. So by memorizing and being able to recite our history, purpose etc, it very much enhances your brotherhood and you truly do understand the meaning of your fraternity(in my case sigma chi). Learn it and then apply it to your life. If you don't agree with me, thats cool dude. Personally, i think thats why we say if your a sigma chi, your a sigma chi for life. Because we learn our stuff and apply it to our everyday life..for the rest of your life. I've known sigma chi's that are in there 80's that can recite the standard and tell me how much it means to them in their further understanding of Sigma Chi. Now im not saying you need to make a guy light a match to do that. Hey it only happend to me twice and personally for the most part it didn't help me at all....maybe in that i could say it under pressure. But im definatly not losing sleep over it or scarred for life. =)

UNFSigmaChi,

Well, I was going to email yah this and keep it of the boards. But alas, i can't...

Thanks for your answer. I asked the question, because I was curious about the difference of words and meaning. Taken a step away from greek life and into another community organization (ie religion), I know that since I was old enough to parrot back words, standardize prayers have been part of my life. While in this case maturity plays a role, it wasn't until i was older (high school age) that the words that i recited almost daily, had any real affect on me.

Artimis

oh- not that it matters.. but its a dudette here not a dude..

[UNFSigmaChi]

Oops my bad, didn't know you were a chick. =)
Thanks for your reply though! Have a merry christmas people!!!

[preppie]

UNFSigmaChi.........OH NO! You've posted an actual, thought provoking topic on this mesdsage board! What were you thinking!? LOL...Anyway, I couldn't have responded better to all the negative posts myself!Great answer!

[33girl]

Just my 2.5 cents about what UNFSigmaChi said as far as knowing their standard and applying it to life, etc. I know that one of the things that I dug about the Sigma Chi's on my campus is that they seemed to know their history and symbolism backward and forward. They always wanted to share it with us, with great pride. It was very clear that they didn't just learn it for 6 weeks of pledging and then put it in a drawer, they thought about it every day. They also displayed a very obvious love for each other as brothers and for their fraternity. Whatever they did, it worked the way pledgeship is supposed to work.