Pendulum
Tonight’s
Sidewalk Dance
Theatre
performance previewed
on p. 6
Volume XIV Number 6
Elon CoUege, Elon College, NC 27244
Thursday, March 10, 1983
Pledge bill of rights: a Greek effort
by Loulda Louka
News Editor
The Intra-Fratemal Coun
cil (IFC) and the Panhelienic
Council in cooperation with
ihe Dean of Student Affairs
Wiiliam Long has approved
a pledge bill of rights. The
biU is 21 regulatory guide
lines that fraternities and
sororities must follow during
their pledge period.
William Long, Dean of
Student Affairs, says that
this bill of rights was adopt
ed because in the past there
has been “verifiable evi
dence'* that during pledge
periods academic achieve
ment has dropped.
In addition, there were
cases where pledges felt they
were treated in an unaccept
able manner by some groups
or individuals.
“It dawned on us that the
pledges weren't told their
rights and they didn’t know
what was allowed,” says
Long. “If a student has a
test and a sorority or frat
ernity says the pledge has to
stay up late, we can yank
their charter.
“We thought it would be
fair for the pledges to know
what can and cannot be
asked of them. This is not a
new idea. New is letting the
pledges have a list.**
Bill Clarke, Coordinator
of Student Activities, who
acts as a haison between the
fraternities and the adminis
tration, met with the presi
dents of Penhellenic and
Intra-Fraternal Count;il
Betsy White and Greg Black
burn, respectively.
The Panhelienic Council
then proposed a bill to Dean
Long, who added more
details that he felt were
overlooked. Panhelienic and
IFC then approved the bill.
Long explains this bill as
an attempt to think of every
form of hazing, make sure
the pledges get a copy, and
hope they find it a help.
On Tuesday, all pledges
and their pledge educators
met with Clarke and were
given a copy of the bill and
had everything explained to
them.
IFC President Greg Black
burn says that as far as the
pledge bill of rights goes, the
regulations are stated by
everyone’s National Charter.
“Dean Long wanted the
Greeks here to have a basic
bill of rights. It’s not like
Pledge Bill of Rights
No pledge shall be required by any person or persons to
perform any act which:
1. Is sadistic—treats the pledge in a “sub-human” manner
2. Is illegal
3. Is immoral
4. Places the pledge in physical danger or in jeopardy of
losing his or her life
5. Places severe emotional stress upon the pledge
6. Interferes with the academic process—causes the pledge
to miss classes, labs, study sessions, or tests
7. Causes the pledge to violate College regulations
8. Requires the pledge to consume alcohol or to use it in
excessive quantities
9. Requires the pledge to be present at activities for
unreasonable periods of time
10. Prevents the pledge from securing normal amoimts of
sleep
11. Requires the pledge to perform personal services for
collegiate members
12. Requires the pledge to participate in a “Kangaroo
Court” or other individual questioning activity
13. Prescribes the wearing of anything other than the pledge
pin to indentify pledgeship
14. Requires the pledge to carry items which they would not
normally bear
15. Requires the pledge to answer the telephone in a manner
imlike a member would answer it
16. Prevents the pledge from speaking for an extended
period of time
17. Requires the abandonment of pledges or active
members— “Road Trips”
18. Requires the blindfolding of the pledge
19. Requires the pledge to stand when a collegiate member
entsrs the room
20. Require? the pledge to intentionally deface the house or
charter room so that clean-up is mandated
21. Requires calling other pledges “names”
they’ve never had the rules
before. These are 21 regula
tions that are set stan
dards,” says Blackburn.
Each fraternity and soror
ity has a pledge educator to
make sure that pledges are
aware of their rights and
know what is expected of
them.
Blackburn, a Kappa Sig
ma, says that “if one of our
pledges feels bad about the
com. on p. 2
MEMBERS OF Sigma PM Epsilon Is one fraternity that supports the new pledge bUI of
rights. Photo by Nader Hamidpour.
Anticipation^ nervousness^
excitement fill f rat rush
by Paul R. Deford
Rushing a fraternity is a mixture of
excitement, friendships, and continual nerv
ousness. It is open houses and smoker
parties mixed with too many games of
quarter toss. It is a time for students
interested in fraternities to show that they
want to become a Greek.
It is a couple of weeks of nervous
anticipation and hope that ends in a night
of jubilant howls and cheers ringing
through the halls of the dorms.
Elon*s sororities had given out their bids
six days earlier and now it was time for the
six frats to go and seek out new members
and formally ask if they would like to join.
Last Thursday night at 9 p.m. small parties
from each frat set out to relieve the nervous
tedium of many hopeful men.
Trip Godsey and Donny Kraper arc two
such people. They are average Elon
students. Godsey is 19 and a second
semester freshman who came to Elon from
Roanoke, Va. Kraper, who is also 19 and a
second semester freshman, calls Vienna,
Va. his home. They are good friends and
do many things together. They both
participated in rush, and they both received
bids from Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
For Godsey and Kraper the week’s events
included going to Simday’s open house
activities. Later that week the activities
became less formal with the fraternity’s
smoker party held at the Rebels Lounge.
The week came to an end with the
brother-sister party held the following
Sunday.
“It’s a gicat system,” said Godsey. “You
have to budget your time for school, but
you meet lots of the brothers and many
new friends.” “I’ve gotten constant invita
tions to parties, and that’s good,” said
Kraper. Godsey and Kraper said that it also
gives you the incentive to do well in school
because you have to have a 2.0 G.P.A. to
rush a fraternity. They both agree that rush
has been the best time they've had all year.
It was a few minutes before 9 p.m.
Thursday, when the officers of TKE
gathered behind the new dorms. The lights
from the dorms cut through the night air
revealing the red clad party to curious
onlookers. At the sound of the chimes, the
party started toward the building zig-zagg-
ing with no apparent destination, until they
reached wing C. With a loud knock at the
desired door, the blaring music on the
stereo was muffled and the long wait was
over for the anxious duo.
“The brothers of TKE invite you to
become associate members of our fratern
ity,” said one of the brothers. “Sign here,”
he said. They arose from their comfortable
sprawled positions and with happiness
written all over their faces, signed their
names. When the signatures were finished a
chorus of cheers and**all right” marked the
end of the long night of anticipation. The
crowd of fraters affectionately shook hands
with the men and were off in the night
seeking another new member.
This scene was repeated many times that
night by TKE and ^e other fraternities of
Elon. But these men are not through yet,
before they can don the caps and shirts
emblazoned with their respective greeir
letters, they have many more weeks of
same anticipation and nervousnes:». lns.c;iv
of it being over with, it’s only just ihe
beginning.