Greek pledges work their way to initiation

For a while, Emily Childs had to wake up her "big sister" at 9 am. Filling in for a broken alarm clock, Childs said she didn't mind the added responsibility. After all, it was one step closer to becoming a lifetime sister -- a sorority sister, that is. For more than a month, fraternity and sorority new members have been spotted across campus acting a little bit different. Maybe they're more tired than usual, maybe they're carrying a stuffed animal or maybe it's just their pledge pin that makes them stand out. But whatever it is, these dedicated new members are participating in a rite of passage of sorts -- dubbed "new member education" -- to become a full-fledged member of Penn's Greek system. The new member education program incorporates educational workshops, community service projects, chapter rituals and traditions and bonding activities in an attempt to enlighten Greek hopefuls about the community they are getting ready to join. According to InterFraternity Council President Mark Zimring, one of the major aspects of the new member education program is to facilitate bonding among the new members. It's "to help them get to know the men they're going to be spending the next three-and-a-half years with and developing life-long friendships with," the College junior said. Panhellenic Council President Kristen Buppert added that this task has become especially difficult this year due to the unusually large classes of new members. "It's certainly easier to get to know a group of 15, 20 girls than a group of 50 or 52," she said. Despite the benefits that many attribute to the process, those who both organize and participate in the program won't deny that it is a large commitment. "It's really time-consuming," Engineering freshman Jennifer Chang said. "It's hard to balance that and school work." Zimring noted that in response to this concern, many chapters have incorporated time-management workshops as part of the new member education process. "We want to make sure that grades stay up," he said. Chang, now an Alpha Phi sister, added that new member activities were intensified last week due to her sorority's Inspiration Week -- a name some national sororities have attributed to the week preceding initiation. Childs, who is also now an Alpha Phi sister, echoed those sentiments. "There's something every night," she said, adding that "we're supposed to wear certain things around campus." Childs said that during "Inspo" Week, women participated in themed days, such as no-jeans day, different-colored shirt day and Britney and Christina day. "We'll see how much people dress up," she laughed. Buppert noted that wearing chapter bid-day shirts, a part of new member education for some chapters, "is definitely something that is a sense of pride for the girls." While some may gripe about the time commitment and the occasional embarrassment, most claim that they really enjoy the process. "It's been a good experience," Blake Bourne, a College freshman and Pi Kappa Alpha new member, said, adding that he's "gotten to know a lot of guys really well, learned a lot about my fraternity and myself." For Bourne, typical new member activities include hanging out at the fraternity house watching television and playing video games. But sometimes, things get a little more intense. Bourne explained that his fraternity had a battle of sorts as part of their training. New PKA members spent five days trying to conceal teddy bears from the new members of Delta Delta Delta. The Tri-Delts presented the stuffed animals to the new members of PKA as a gift and then spent their days trying to reclaim the toys. "It made walking around campus more interesting," Bourne said. "You had to watch behind your back every step you took." And while activities aren't always as exciting, they're still important. Bourne noted that he dedicates an average of 14 hours a week to pledge activities. But it's a dedication that he considers worthwhile. "It gives you a sense of pride of being part of a group, an organization," he said.

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