So this is for the people who are in Greek life and went through a new member process. Did any of you think you were any worse off after that process? I know I came away knowing more about my fraternity and the men I was going to call brothers. This made me feel like I was a member because I studied and learned about my fraternity and my brothers, which in turn helped me make friends I would have for the rest of my life.

Well, at the University of South Carolina the administration has determined that it is detrimental and dangerous to have a pledge process and/or new member process. They say, “Ending pledge terms would steer Greek organizations back to their founding principles and create a 'constructive environment' for personal, professional and leadership development” and “We know that there are negative behaviors associated with pledgeship: hazing; servitude, which is a form of hazing; and alcohol and drug use,” Wes Hickman Spokesmen of USC. Due to the actions of a few people and generalizations about what the process of joining a fraternity or sorority is, they are trying to ban the way a person learns about a group they wish to join, which is where you learn what the founding principles of your organization are.

Though, again, Hickman contends by getting rid of this would “steer Greek organizations back to their founding principles”. With that statement, I have to ask how, then, do you learn what the principles of your organization are? If you don’t have a period where someone teaches you what your organization stands for, when will you learn? How will you find out if this organization is the one you wanted to be a member of? I believe its during the new member process that you learn all of this. It is during this process that you learn the secrets of your organization and the history of it as well.

But, I agree with MC Lombardo, president of USC’s Sorority Council when she says, “The idea that a decree from USC’s administration will be a catalyst to the disappearance of deeply ingrained problems, like hazing and personal servitude, is nothing more than wishful thinking,” Stuhrenberg said. “These risky behaviors – and others like them – will simply move underground, leaving all stakeholders with even bigger issues at hand.” It’s true, if something like what people actually believe is happening, actually happened, it would just not be public anymore; organizations would just hide it. Though as any Greeks know none of this stuff actually happens, getting rid of the new member process makes no sense because you are simply taking away the time in which one learns about the organization. You aren’t really preventing hazing or stopping alcohol consumption because, at least in my organization, hazing doesn’t exist and people will drink no matter what.

P.S. - this is a response to an article by the State http://www.thestate.com/news/local/education/artic...