<p>Perhaps eating clubs at Princeton believe that hazing rituals should include paddling one with a silver spoon after drinking a few flutes of Piper-Heidsieck?</p>
<p>^Yes, hazing at fraternities has been denounced at Princeton. The practice ranges from very light to non-existent at the eating clubs, according to students on these forums.</p>
<p>I am curious to see how the administration plans to implement this prohibition on freshman rush since they have been unable to control these associated rituals. But they are taking a year to figure that out and we’ll see what they come up with.</p>
<p>The hazing described in that article is simply disgusting. What can one say about the people who do it, and the people who put up with it? It is not news that there are individuals out there with a wide sadistic streak, and it seems as if organizations like that one attract them. I supposed we shouldn’t be surprised, given all that is known about pack mentality, Stockholm syndrome, and the famous experiments in which people were willing to torture others, but it is discouraging. To be fair, it also seems clear from reading the comments that a couple of frats at Princeton, including SAE, are known for terrible hazing, but that other frats there do not do it.</p>
<p>I agree. There is no place for hazing, whether it’s a fraternity, eating club, or athletic team. Light hearted hijinks and rituals? Sure. Hazing that puts someone in physical danger or exposes them to emotional or mental cruelty? No way.</p>
<p>And being with sadists who inflict the kind of cruelty described in the article above is far worse than not hanging around with a “diverse enough” crowd. Who cares if these guys are rich or poor – they are jerks!</p>
<p>So, would it be better for P to recognize these frats and then have oversight and be able to slam down the hammer to prevent or address hazing and alcohol abuse?</p>
<p>Is a blind eye turned to alcohol in the eating clubs?</p>
<p>Nothing like a gross, inaccurate overgeneralization.
NOT true."</p>
<p>I can’t speak for Princeton, but Harvard has a very similar sorority system (3 chapters, unrecognized) and obviously a similar student body.</p>
<p>As a graduate 10+ years out, I can distinguish sorority A’s group photos from sorority B’s with great ease, despite not knowing any of the members. Sorority A’s members are all slender and attractive; they sparkle. Sorority B has a wide variety of body types and sex appeal/charisma levels.</p>
<p>I don’t think sororities are evil, but looks TOTALLY play a role in recruitment. Members may not actually score the freshmen on looks, but they don’t need to. Everyone’s got eyes. You don’t get 80 hot women in one room at Harvard by accident.</p>
<p>“Is a blind eye turned to alcohol in the eating clubs?”</p>
<p>I really, really don’t think you’re getting it. Alcohol in the eating clubs is essentially a non-issue. It may be problematic once a year, during bicker week/pickups, but that’s it. Clubs serve beer. Beer that is watered down. Students pregame in their rooms and then go to the Street. Those that ultimately get hospitalized have consumed hard liquor beforehand, which kicks in when they reach the clubs.</p>
<p>The administration has an alcohol policy in line with most other universities, i.e. curbing high-risk drinking, which does NOT happen at the clubs.</p>
<p>
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<p>Why when they can ban them outright and then enforce the ban? The administration’s justification is not solely based on ending hazing.</p>
<p>In all seriousness, what’s the essential difference between students pre-gaming in their dorm rooms, students drinking heavily at a fraternity party, or off-campus students drinking heavily in their apartments? Excessive, dangerous drinking is excessive drinking no matter where it happens.</p>
<p>Would everybody who is Princeton-affiliated agree with Baelor – excessive drinking doesn’t occur at the eating clubs, that it’s merely watered-down beer?</p>
<p>"Should that mean that freshman Jewish students should not be approached by Hillel, freshman Republican students not approached by the Young Republicans, freshman gay students not approached by the LGBT association? "</p>
<p>I dont know about Princeton, but at the Ivy I attended, and at RPI where my DD is starting, Hillel allows ANYONE to join (yes even 100% gentiles AFAIK) and anyone to attend their events. I cant speak to Young Republicans (though Id imagine its college republicans - young dems at least is for folks under 35, not mostly for college students) but College Dems in my experience is also open to anyone. And in both case there is a range of levels of participation. I cant speak to LGBT associations, but I assume they are similar. </p>
<p>Comparing those kinds of orgs to greek life seems to me to be just argumentative.</p>
<p>Nobody is speaking FOR Princeton here; we all are speaking ABOUT it! </p>
<p>I think it was clear that Hanna spoke about Harvard and about her views on sororities. One does not need to attend Princeton to have an opinion on the subject. </p>
<p>Fwiw, there seems to be plenty of evidence that many do challenge the opinion and perception of the one student who happens to be at Princeton. Should they also be asked to stop posting their opinion?</p>
<p>Daily Pricetonian, February 8, 2011:
“Eleven students required medical transports this past weekend for excessive alcohol consumption. Between Friday morning and Sunday morning, Public Safety confirmed, three students were taken to McCosh Health Center and eight to the University Medical Center at Princeton.
These numbers represent a significant increase from those of the corresponding weekend last year. After the weekend of Bicker initiations in 2010, five students required medical transport for alcohol intoxication. In 2009 a total of 16 students required medical transport and three were taken to McCosh Health Center and 13 to the University Medical Center.”</p>
<p>I think the big difference between the eating clubs and the frats is that the frat members don’t seem to do much but get together in someone’s dorm and drink heavily, sometimes dangerously so. </p>
<p>The eating clubs do have a social component to them, but this includes music, dancing and the watered down beer that Baelor mentioned. And of course they serve food to 2000 upperclassmen. They also provide study space and computer access for their members.</p>
<p>This is according to my son, who is not in a frat, but whose roommate was.</p>
<p>Back in my day the ECs would send busses out to nearby colleges (Trenton State, Rider, etc) for women (PU was all male) to go to the parties. I’m sure they had more than beer available.</p>