September 12, 2007
Last week, I talked
about why I pledged a
sorority. Now I want
to talk a little about the
pledge process, without
revealing anything that we
were told was “strictly confidential.”
Because I didn’t know
much of anything about
pledging, everything was
new to me. Friends on
campus said that pledging
was a mind game and I had
this air of superiority
thinking that since I was
from the north, those southerners
wouldn’t have
anything on me.
Now my reasoning came
because as a child, anytime a
new student came from the
South, that child was automatically
put in a lower
grade than they were in the
South.
For that reason, I thought
northerners were smarter!
So I just knew I would
breeze through the pledge
process and into the membership
of Delta Sigma
Theta. At least that is what
my naïve 19-year-old Jerseyself
believed.
But believe me when I tell
you I was in for a rude awakening!
Pledging was hard!
My line sisters and I began
the weekdays at breakfast
together and then we were
off to classes. Later in the
evening we all went to the
library for three hours a day.
From the library, walking in
a line, we sang songs all the
way to our cars. On Saturday
mornings we were up
washing cars before we went
off to some community service
project. On Sundays, we
went to church. Our spare
time was spent together,
working and learning. And
getting to know our big
sisters!!!
We dressed up every day,
oftentimes alike and we had
to look good. We laughed
and cried together, and
shared our innermost feelings.
We also had some
tough times! Much of what
we did then is now outlawed.
If you are considering
pledging, you should first
visit the websites of the
sororities and see their
positions on hazing. You
need to understand that
anyone hazing will be
punished and you run the
risk of never becoming a
member because you will be
punished also!
That’s right. You will be
told, usually by a graduate
chapter member, that hazing
is against the law and anyone
caught participating will be
sanctioned.
Now, there are those who
say they want to be hazed.
How stupid is it at a time
when kids are calling the
police on their parents for
whipping their bad behinds
and then they go away to
school and let someone who
is in their same age group use
a paddle on their butts?
The sororities and fraternities
are taking a hard stance
because too many lives have
been lost or ruined because
of hazing.
While dressing alike,
walking in a line and spending
hours together practicing
steps and songs may not
seem like hazing; there are
other things that have made
headlines because of the
cruelty some pledges have
been subjected to, all under
the guise of pledging.
Human degradation and
public humiliation, sleep
deprivation, excessive
alcohol use, childish pranks
and physical abuse are just a
few of the acts pledgees have
been subjected to. Many will
wonder how a person can be
subjected to so much and
then become a member and
call the perpetrators, “sister.”
There are some who will
say it’s easy. Others will say
that once they become a
member, they dismiss all that
went on during the pledge
process. And still others will
get their pin and never look
back or contribute to the
organization because they
couldn’t get past that “pledge
period.”
Personally, I enjoyed my
pledge period. I am a stronger
person because of my
experiences and I have lifelong
relationships that were
worth the entire process.
I take pride in knowing
that I never hit a pledgee nor
have I tried to take away
another person’s dignity. I
really took to heart the
opportunity to have all of
these sisters by way of DST,
in addition to the three I had
by way of DNA.
If you are interested in
pledging, do your research.
Watch your mouth and your
actions, as well as your
inactions. Hopefully you
will run into a group of ladies
who really understand what
sisterhood is about and you
will have a wonderful experience
as you learn more
about the organization and its
focus. And hopefully you
won’t be the victim of illegal
activities by people who take
pleasure in tearing others
down to make themselves
look or feel important.
Then too, accidents do
happen. That is why you
have to be careful. That is
why the Divine Nine (Alpha
Phi Alpha, Iota Phi Theta,
Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta
Sigma and Omega Psi Phi
Fraternities and Alpha Kappa
Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta,
Sigma Gamma Rho and Zeta
Phi Beta Sororities) have
rules. Some people really
don’t mean any harm but
things can get out of hand.
Please remember, we
don’t want things to get out of hand with you!
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