A little taste of heaven is waiting for new Panhellenic sorority initiates at the end of this week -- a time perhaps best known by its more common moniker, "Hell Week."
Initiations, which are to be completed by this Sunday at the latest, consist of a ceremony or a series of ceremonies marking the conclusion of the new member education period.
"It's definitely not Hell Week," said one sorority president -- who asked to remain anonymous -- explaining that the week was the new members' last opportunity to learn everything they were supposed to learn. "It's a lot of time."
Panhellenic Council President Erica Shmerler agreed.
"Historically, this is sometimes when education becomes the most intense, but I don't know if [the term 'Hell Week'] applies to Penn because we don't tolerate a lot of the stereotypes of what Hell Week stands for," Shmerler said.
"More than anything, this time is a very happy and exciting time," Shmerler said.
The significance of these traditions seems to have diminished somewhat, however, over the years.
"In this day and age, people don't really take [initiation] seriously," the anonymous sorority president said. "At least, at our school, they don't."
She added that nonetheless, the ceremony is special for new members as a rite of passage.
The initiation ritual is especially meaningful to Greek members because the practice creates a common bond that is shared with the other sisters or brothers of their respective organization around the world.
"The ceremonies impart the values of the sorority and the meaning of the various symbols, colors, letters ... that the sorority uses to identify itself," Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski said.
The privacy of initiation ceremonies is strictly enforced; members are often asked to refrain from sharing details and meanings of the various symbols and ceremonies with nonmembers.
Initiations and symbols tend to reflect on the organization's foundations -- particularly if they are of a religious nature -- according to Reikofski.
"These ceremonies were written by our fraternity [and] sorority founders anywhere from 100 to 200 years or more ago and really have not changed too much since then," Reikofski said. "The initiation ceremony ... is but the first step in a lifelong commitment."
