I’m considering rushing but I’m concerned about hazing - are there any sororities that are known for it? And does anyone know specifically about the Asian sororities at Michigan and whether or not they haze? Thanks.
Hazing is absolutely prohibited and does not take place at Michigan. Don’t worry and have fun.
No hazing for girls at least…
National panhellenic doesn’t allow it. Are the sororities you are considering part of NPC?
There is certainly no hazing in Rush, so go through Rush and make your decision based on your gut feelings.
You can’t be serious… You are either lying or don’t have a clue.
It definitely happens for girls too.
Hazing does happen - how “serious” it is (and if it occurs) depends on the fraternity/sorority. It is strictly prohibited, and when it is exposed, strict response occurs (either through IFC/Panhel or another student government, from the respective national fraternity/sorority organization, or from the University).
Kappa Alpha Theta (sorority) was “suspended through the Greek Activities Review Panel process for violations involving hazing and under-age drinking”
(https://www.michigandaily.com/section/news/kappa-alpha-theta-kicked-campus).
That was just last winter, and that was a sorority.
Not suspended. Disbanded. They are no more.
If that is the case, that is even worse.
Kappa Alpha Theta Kicked Off Campus
Monday, February 22, 2016 - 6:28pm
https://www.michigandaily.com/section/news/kappa-alpha-theta-kicked-campus
There’s a lot of suspicion about what really happened to Theta. My daughter personally knows most of the girls who were Thetas. I have personally talked to many of them amd their mothers. Hazing was not the issue. And if you think it was underage drinking I know a Nigerian prince who’d like to do business with you. It’s not a coincidence that most of the pledge class ended up in AE PHI.
The situation with Theta was a very soft buzz. People were definitely talking about it but no one really knew for sure what’d happened or the real reasons they were disbanded, besides some video that got posted somewhere. My advice to you would be to stay away from the really top-tier sororities, as those are the ones notorious for the crazy activities that go on between rush and initiation. It’s not necessarily awful and horrible things, but it’s there in one form or another (prohibited or not, it happens). However I don’t think you would see those kinds of issues in an Asian sorority.Rush, have fun, and don’t do anything you’re not comfortable doing. Those kinds of things are not worth acceptance in one particular group on a campus with thousands.
I think the overall point is that hazing DOES happen - how bad and prevalent it is varies quite a bit between the fraternities and sororities.
@maya54 I am confused by the Nigerian Prince comment (I know the reference, but fail to see how it applies), can you please elaborate?
@agriffith I am not too sure about the complete lack of “crazy activities” in Asian Sororities.
@yikesyikesyikes Oh, I have no doubt that they’re there, but I think it’s probably far milder in lower-tier sororities than what most people think when they think of hazing.
Perhaps, but I think it is tough to compare minority sororities with their predominantly white counterparts, especially if we are talking about tiers.
My point is that anyone who believes that this was about underage drinking ( or hazing) is naive and will believe anything.
@maya54 So what was it about? I linked to the Michigan Daily article, which said hazing and drinking. I thought it was a reliable news source. It’s an excellent student newspaper.
@brantly @maya54 I think underage drinking (and/or) hazing certainly played a role in their disbandment, but that happens in so many other sororities and I think there were other things going on that the university did not make public.
Well, there was a raunchy video that ended up on the internet. What I heard (fourth hand) is that the girls were cautioned about some of their behavior by alumni/National and kept defying their alumni/National. I have to question how much hazing played a role in their removal, with the caveat that sororities define “hazing” very broadly so when you hear of a sorority hazing it could be something many would not consider to be problematic.
I can’t speak to today, but thirty years ago when I was in a sorority at Michigan, (a time when there was less scrutiny of the Greek system than today), there was no hazing in the traditional sense in my sorority and I never heard of any in other Panhel sororities either. Even back then we got in trouble with our alumni for having a scavenger hunt for pledges, even though it was a lot of fun with no pressure to participate, because the activity treated pledges differently from actives. With increased scrutiny and changes in the whole “pledge” process (it’s not even called that anymore), I have a hard time believing there is rampant hazing going on.
There’s a strong belief that National did not like the demographics of Michigan Theta and was looking for any excuse to disband.