[13173] in APO-L
Re: pledge stuff (fwd)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Brian Johnson)
Thu Nov 2 18:09:37 1995
Date: Thu, 2 Nov 1995 18:17:37 -0400
Reply-To: Brian Johnson <bjohnson@COMP.UARK.EDU>
From: Brian Johnson <bjohnson@COMP.UARK.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
Hi. I'm Brian Johnson, and I'm one of the advisors to the Beta Rho chapter
at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. I also work at the university
as the Assistant Director of Campus Activities responsible for student
organizations. I am one of the two main people on campus who deal with any
hazing incidents, the other person being the Assistant Dean of Students for
Judicial Affairs.
The guidelines we use to determine if something is hazing are these three:
1- if a pledge is required to do something that an active is not also
participating in.
2- if a pledge is doing something that serves no true purpose in a
membership education program.
3- if a pledge is put into a situation where the person may feel demeaned
as a person by active members.
At the University of Arkansas, paddles could fit into parts 1, 2, and 3.
Part 1-actives aren't carrying around paddles but pledges are. Part
2-Requiring the signing of a paddle by all actives/pledges really serves no
true purpose in membership education. Being sure that the pledges know all
the actives can be done in a much more constructive manner than by
requiring a paddle be signed. Part 3-The symbol of the paddle has many
connotations dating back to the time when they were used to strike pledges,
and by having pledges carry them around, whether its just to meetings or
all the time, it can be demeaning, depending on the situation. Optional or
not. We simply don't allow paddles of any kind on this campus, mainly
because of the connotation of what the paddle was used for. I truly
believe there are other ways to accomplish the goals you desire without
using a paddle. The only exception that is allowed is if the chapter or a
big brother wishes to give a paddle to a pledge as a gift, but only if
there are no "strings" attached to that gift, such as having to get
signatures, having to varnish it, etc....
What concerns me about the word "optional" is that depending on the
situation, it really isn't "optional" at all. Because if the group says
it's optional but peer pressure is applied to do the activity, whatever it
is, THAT IS probably HAZING! Even if pressure isn't really applied, if the
pledge somehow thinks that he/she will look better in the eyes of the
members if the optional activity is done, THAT IS probably HAZING!
NOW, UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS HOW THINGS ARE VIEWED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
ARKANSAS. YOU SHOULD CHECK WITH YOUR STUDENT ACTIVITIES OFFICE OR YOUR
JUDICIAL AFFAIRS OFFICE IF YOU ARE WONDERING IF SOMETHING YOU ARE DOING
MIGHT BE HAZING. YOU SHOULD ALSO CHECK THE ALPHA PHI OMEGA GUIDELINES ON
HAZING AS WELL. REMEMBER THAT A CAMPUS MAY HAVE STRICTER GUIDELINES THAN
ALPHA PHI OMEGA NATIONALS AND THAT YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO BOTH THE
CAMPUS AND APO NATIONAL.
I tell any group that walks in my door with a pledge program with
"optional" activities to either make them formal activities or take them
out, period. Each pledge should go through the same program as another
pledge within that chapter (at least this is my view).
If these type of activities were being done here at the U of A by a
professional organization (because I have full confidence that Beta Rho
would never haze), I'd put them on suspension until such time that the
J-Board would hear their case, but again, that is what would happen here.
I'm just writing as a concerned member of APO. I really hope that those of
you on this list take an opportunity through this discussion to review what
you are doing with your pledges.
FYI-I'm not on this list, so if you wish to reply, do it to me personally.
Otherwise, one of the other advisors from Beta Rho can send me stuff from
the list I guess.
Brian Johnson
Assistant Director, Campus Activities
Arkansas Union, Room 504
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Fayetteville, AR 72701
501.575.2240 - voice
501.575.4844 - FAX
bjohnson@comp.uark.edu - Internet
http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/rstoinfo/ - RSO Home Pages
>More paddle stuff. O.
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Thu, 2 Nov 1995 17:07:03 EST
>From: Cindy Strawbridge <CSTRAWBRIDGE@YSI.COM>
>To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
>Subject: Re: pledge stuff
>
>Shawn wrote...
>
>> From: Shawn Putnam <U290003@UNIVSCVM.CSD.SCAROLINA.EDU>
>> Subject: pledge stuff
>
>> In response to some past letters, allow me to respond to some comments
>> about pledge manuals before hazing charges go flying everywhere.
>
>
>Let me second that.... I have had comments about "singing for a
>pledge board"...
>
>I believe that it is not hazing for the following reasons:
>
> - the pledge is not required to carry around their board all the
> time - it is a place for them to get sigs, a nice souvineer of
> their pledgeship, something they take a great deal of pride in
> (we have a "Best Board" award - recently, one pledge dyed rice to
> glue to the board for the design), is rich in heritage (it is the
> "key" or the formal pin (I can never remember what it is actually
> called) it contains the chapter letters and a string of 10 knots
> off the top of it. IF the pledge was required to carry it around
> campus, then it would be hazing
>
> - There is a "rule" for stealing pledge boards (I'm not sure where
> it came from, but it is probably there to let the actives know their
> limits) that it has to be returned within 24 hours & that the
> stealer must leave the pledge a not saying that it has been
> stolen.
>
> - The "singing" thing started with an active losing something, so
> it is more of an extention of an active tradition... also, in
> every instance, the pledge was given the OPTION to sing to get their
> board back sooner (& hey, they were singing a happy scouting
> song)
>
> - In my opinion, the pledge was treated more as a brother by being
> given that option... (since it started with the brothers anyway)
>
> - It is not a frequent thing - it happened a few times the last
> year I was an active...it never caused any problems (the
> chapter is generally very careful & watchful of hazing because
> the campus is fairly wachful of that type of thing (some socials were
> booted because of hazing while I was there)) I never heard this
> questioned at all.
>
> - I only saw it come up in smaller groups when people were joking
> around. More of a teasing (like you would do to anyone
> regardless of pledge/active status) It was never at an official
> event, meeting, etc.
>
>Again, I stress that in the instances that it occurred, it was
>OPTIONAL OPTIONAL OPTIONAL
>
>I hope this clears things up a bit
>
>Cindy Strawbridge
>Alpha Gamma Alum
