In many schools across America, Greek systems will host formal fraternity and sorority recruitment rounds and parties in the spring time for Freshmen and upperclassmen who, for whatever reason, were not ready to embark on the Greek recruitment process in the previous fall semester beginnings. These invitations may also be extended to students who began the sorority and fraternity recruitment process but dropped out before accepting a bid from an organization. Often times, students will wait until spring recruitment to also check around campus for sorority and fraternity reputations to ensure they are a good fit for the potential new member.

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During the new member education, new members learn more about the organization’s history, values, event participation, sisterhood/brotherhood, philanthropic endeavors and academic expectations. This is also when the new members will heavily interact with other new members, known as their pledge class, and begin bonding with the current members. The new member educator, a sorority/fraternity member who is in charge of the pledges, organizes mandated study times, optional social events, mandatory philanthropic events and/or weekly meetings.

The new member education period is also when most new members receive their big brother or sister, a mentor to guide them through the sometimes stressful and overwhelming process.

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When a student is pledging a fraternity or sorority, often times the Greek organization will minimally investigate the student’s background to ensure that the member is an academically successful, morally responsible and sometimes athletic or philanthropic individual to ensure that the student is an appropriate addition to the Greek organization, and the Greek system as a whole.

Despite negative stereotypes that often plague the Greek community, fraternities and sororities pride themselves on the foundations that each member is socially, intellectually and morally profound and that organization members are some of the most athletic, academic, philanthropic and socially excelled students on campus.

Therefore, when 18 year-old Florida State University freshman Ashley Atchison received on online message from “Lexie” on August 31^, 2010 via Facebook, who was claiming to have been assigned to screen Atchison’s past because she was pledging a sorority and specifically looking to take on new leadership roles, nobody thought that was out of the ordinary, invasive or alarming.

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Tonight, November 16, 2010, a new comedy-drama series is set to premiere on TBS, called Glory Daze.

Starring Matt Bush, Drew Seeley, Hartley Sawyer, Kelly Blatz, Callard Harris, Julianna Guill and Tim Meadows this hour long show centers around college freshmen who pledged their fraternities and sororities in 1986.

Created by Walt Becker (Van Wilder) and Michael LeSieur, the show takes place at Hayes University in Indiana.

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The National Panhellenic Conference (known more commonly as Panhellenic or NPC) has released their 2010 annual report. Panhellenic is the governing umbrella organization for the historically social 26 national sororities or women’s fraternities within the United States, England and Canada’s collegiate Greek system.

The 26 chapters are Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Phi, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Alpha Sigma Tau, Alpha Xi Delta, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Delta Phi Epsilon, Delta Zeta, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Mu, Phi Sigma Sigma, Pi Beta Phi, Sigma Delta Tau, Sigma Kappa, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Theta Phi Alpha and Zeta Tau Alpha. Read the rest of this entry »

It seems that a contingent of Yale‘s male population forgot their school’s motto “Lux et Veritas,” or “Light and Truth,” while participating in fraternity activities last Wednesday. Pledges of Yale’s Delta Kappa Epsilon chapter paraded in front of The Yale Women’s Center shouting an offensive and rape-trivializing chant. The fraternity’s potential new recruits chanted “no means yes” and “yes means anal,” mocking common anti-rape campaigns. A viral video of the chant has garnered more attention.

CNN reports that the international board of Delta Kappa Epsilon has condemned the Yale chapter’s actions and affirmed that the chant is offensive. Yale has not commented on whether or not they will be taking disciplinary actions against those participating or those organizing the pledging activities. The dean of the college, Mary Miller, stated that “any and all disciplinary processes are confidential at Yale.” Members of Yale’s chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon declined to comment.

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About Kappa Kappa Gamma: Kappa Kappa Gamma has 137 collegiate chapters in North America and more than 300 alumnae associations. Since its founding in 1870, more than 235,000 women have been initiated. Kappa Kappa Gamma promotes leadership and seeks for every member throughout her life, bonds of friendship, mutual support, opportunities for self-growth, respect for intellectual development and an understanding of and allegiance to positive ethical principles.

Kappa Kappa Gamma Women’s Fraternity is a proud sponsor of National Hazing Prevention Week, September 20-24, 2010. Our goal is to prevent hazing by promoting respect and sisterhood. Hazing comes in many forms, but the most basic definition is any activity or action taken with or without consent that produces mental, emotional or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment or ridicule.

Members of Kappa Kappa Gamma and all Greek-letter organizations have pledged to uphold the values associated with leadership, scholarship and friendship. Yet, we continue to hear about the devastating effects of hazing on campuses. National Hazing Prevention Week is one of several ways we can combat this serious problem. Read the rest of this entry »

In America, there are over 100 different national fraternities and sororities with millions of members, and over the years, hazing has become a tradition that has plagued the Greek system’s reputation. To combat this demeaning stereotype and to increase awareness and prevention of the actions, many organizations have committed to participating in and promoting National Hazing Prevention Week. This year the campaigns take place September 20-24, 2010.

Hazing is illegal in 44 states across the U.S. and is defined as an action that causes a member or potential member to feel uncomfortable, harmed or embarrassed within a Greek letter organization, regardless of the person being hazed’s willingness to participate.

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Almetris Duren Hall Dormitory

It’s not unusual for colleges for freshmen to drink too much in the first few weeks at college, but is pledging leading students to drink dangerously? This week, two young women at the University of Texas were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning after a sorority pledging event.

One girl was found foaming at the mouth in the shower by her roommate. The other was discovered unconscious on the bathroom floor of the Almetris Duren Hall dorm. Both girls were hospitalized. “When freshmen get here, they kind of go a little crazy and you often times find people passed out or stumbling drunk,” said one University of Texas senior.

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As a part of this year’s National Hazing Prevention Week taking place on September 20-24, 2010, Sigma Nu, the Interfraternity Council Member Fraternity, is spearheading a social media campaign. Over the course of 40 days, Sigma Nu will release via their Twitter channel a comprehensive list of arguments against the 40 most common heard excuses for sorority and fraternity hazing.

The project began on August 11, 2010 and since then a team of contributors have blogged, tweeted and Facebook posted a different excuse daily using the Twitter official hash tag #40Answers.

This is the first social media campaign to combat hazing in Greek Life and is slated to become a popular resource for Greeks against hazing to ensure a quality fraternity and sorority experience for organization members

Numerous organizations within Panhellenic, National-Panhellenic, Interfraternity and Diversified Greek Councils have committed to endorsing and supporting the campaign.

Here is the list of scheduled tweets:

• August 11, 2010 Pledges must pay their dues to become a member.
• August 12, 2010 Hazing teaches pledges to respect their elders.
• August 13, 2010 Pledges must learn to appreciate the fraternity.
• August 14, 2010 I don’t think _________ is hazing. Read the rest of this entry »