Hazing scandals have plagued the Greek system for years. Both sororities and fraternities alike have seen their fair share of problems with this topic. But when it comes to activities with new members, there’s often a fine line between what may be acceptable and unacceptable behavior. As colleges become stricter with how they define “hazing,” confusion and frustration for everyone involved will arise.
The new member process is complicated. New members are usually, for the most part, very excited about their decision to join whichever sorority they accepted a bid to. However, there are always those outliers who may not have gotten their first choice, or maybe who have already started to doubt their decision to be in Greek life at all. The job of the exec board and current initiated members is to keep retention rates of new members as high as possible and convince them that there is value in remaining a part of their organization. This is a difficult job in and of itself.
Girls come into the process and there’s often a misconception that as soon as you sign your bid card and attend the Bid Day party, you instantly have 50 best friends. And the truth is, that could not be further from the truth. Don’t get me wrong- most girls are really excited to meet new friends during the first week, but it’s very much a misconception that from day one your entire pledge class is going to be incredibly close to each other. It often takes several weeks for girls to learn each other’s names and be able spend time with each other one on one. It takes a lot of organized activities ~ and not to mention a lot of conscious effort~ to get to the point of being really close friends with everyone. Granted, this differs depending on the size of the sorority/ pledge class—but the concept is constant throughout.
This is where the idea of pledging adds confusion. Most sororities have a strict and formal new member education process where the girls are educated on everything you need to know to become a part of the organization ~ the history, the symbols, the mottos, the rituals, etc. But most sororities don’t have a formal “get to know you” program as designed by nationals. Most are very strict in how new member activities are to be conducted, leaving very little leeway for any “outside activities” that may be construed as ‘pledging’ or hazing.
Many sororities do have illegal pledge masters who conduct activities. This may include forcing girls to learn each other’s names, participate in scavenger hunts, or do tedious or time consuming tasks when they might not want to. These are all considered hazing activities. However, often the pledge master’s purpose isn’t really to torture the new girls but rather to have them join together against a common “enemy” and help them bond. (This is a generalized statement – each sorority does things differently, some do not pledge at all, and others have more brutal traditions and tactics).
In contrast, fraternities pledging process is often long, tedious, and sometimes painful. But its origins are rooted in the intentions of organizing the new members under a common enemy. By forcing them to spend hours on end together, and sometimes share in mutual suffering, the pledge masters intend to drive them closer together. Again, I am not endorsing this behavior, but rather highlighting the rationale of these pledge masters.
Undoubtedly, scandals and horror stories arise from these efforts being pushed too far, or groups of upperclassmen feeding off of each other- and turning a bonding activity into harassment and borderline torture. Plus, if alcohol is involved (which it generally is) questionable judgment calls are often made, and problems occur.
So, why do these trends perpetuate? Is pledging successful in its intentions? Some may argue that pledging is absolutely necessary in order to get new members to bond. Frat brothers themselves see it as a necessity. This may be why it continues from year to year. Others favor it on a case-by-case basis—deeming some behavior/activities (ie. forced scavenger hunts, dress codes, and name/fact memorization) as acceptable, while others as crossing the line.
As an upperclassman in a sorority, I too, am torn on the issue. Although I mostly disagree with the brutal tasks that fraternities put their new members through, I see value in some of the activities that sorority women are made to do. Without pledging and forced bonding of new members, I can see how it may be difficult for them to really get to know each other. They may take longer to learn each other’s names and spend time with each other if they aren’t forced to. That sounds bad and disheartening—that new members have to be forced to get to know the girls in their pledge class—but it may just be true. How else are you going to get 50 girls to spend hours together each week without mandating attendance? Activities under the definition of “pledging” and “hazing” – such as scavenger hunts or group dance routines—have actually been some of the most memorable times that girls spend together.
But, the other side of the issue is also very true. It’s easy for a “harmless” activity to escalate, and for “bonding” to transition to hazing. It’s a fine line to cross, and a difficult topic of discussion. But it’s a very pertinent issue on many college campuses today and one worth bringing to the forefront of our conversations about fraternity and sorority life.
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