Ah late October, the season for fall clothes — and skeletal remains. This photo was disinterred by a member of Ivy’s Facebook group, and alas the grave marker was undated. It also looks like springtime.
Of the eight pledge cycles I experienced as both a pledge and active member only one pledge was hauled off to the Kansas Neurological Institute and then Menningers. He got to meet lots Northeastern politicians’ children and Hollywood celebrities while at Menningers. Only one other pledge quit during Hell Week over four years, he found out the love of his life had a threesome with two guys from her Human sexuality class. There’s nothing a progressive liberal arts education can’t do. 😉
In college I belonged to a men’s organization that involved a strong sense of brotherhood, initiation rituals, not a small amount of partying, and even some light hazing. But I didn’t pay money for a ready-made set of friends: instead, we bonded over pulling oars, as hard as we could, for 4 hours per day together. And it was all sanctioned by the NCAA.
“But I didn’t pay money for a ready-made set of friends”
You did if you went to a prep school, your parents bought the “right” friends. To some extent the same can be said attending university and paying tuition. It’s always amazing how much GDIs are such experts on frats having never been in one. On the other hand most frat members at most universities lived in dorms their freshman year. Let’s pretend their are only clicks in frats.
The truth is that unless you’re the uni-bomber you make friends where ever you find yourself.
@ MacMcConnell: touche re: private school tuition.
The point I was trying to make was that, fair or not, I always perceived a difference between organizations where the best elements of fellowship and brotherhood were by-products of actually pursuing a specific, defined common goal together, rather than just deciding to be together, socially.
Finally, if most frat brothers spend their freshmen year in dormitories, it also seemed that most of my friends who were in fraternities at schools which had them (mine never allowed them) also moved out of the house for their senior year, or even went inactive. Definitely (at least in the rural Virginia schools they all attended) a sophomore/junior experience.
Paul
Most frats just don’t party. I can’t count how many homes in the inter-city we painted or cleaned up, then there was our charities. Yes we had great parties especially because our house was off campus. Do you know how much team work and planning go into having a great party? 😉
Many frat seniors move out to make beds available to younger class men wanting to get out of the dorm. It was also done to let the younger guys get experience running the place. In our case living in the house was cheaper than the dorm and the food was better. The only member required to live in our house was the president and he was a townie. I moved out my senior year with three others, we rented a house a block away, but ate at the frat house.
Being an ex-jock I get your point of fellowship and brotherhood, but that is exactly what the hazing and Hell Week were about, It makes the pledge class cohesive and resourceful, a team. I can’t tell you too much, but no animals were injured.
I love the white athletic socks and boat shoes.
Springtime. And/or in the South. Or perhaps even Bermuda: a couple of bon vivants wearing jackets, ties and shorts?
It’s Dartmouth, Anthropology dept. I originally uploaded the image to the Talk Ivy forum in 2014.
Are these guts doing what Hillary calls “man spreading”? 😉
The lucky ones who survived hazing
Of the eight pledge cycles I experienced as both a pledge and active member only one pledge was hauled off to the Kansas Neurological Institute and then Menningers. He got to meet lots Northeastern politicians’ children and Hollywood celebrities while at Menningers. Only one other pledge quit during Hell Week over four years, he found out the love of his life had a threesome with two guys from her Human sexuality class. There’s nothing a progressive liberal arts education can’t do. 😉
Hazing: institutionalized humiliation
Not my cup of tea
In college I belonged to a men’s organization that involved a strong sense of brotherhood, initiation rituals, not a small amount of partying, and even some light hazing. But I didn’t pay money for a ready-made set of friends: instead, we bonded over pulling oars, as hard as we could, for 4 hours per day together. And it was all sanctioned by the NCAA.
“But I didn’t pay money for a ready-made set of friends”
You did if you went to a prep school, your parents bought the “right” friends. To some extent the same can be said attending university and paying tuition. It’s always amazing how much GDIs are such experts on frats having never been in one. On the other hand most frat members at most universities lived in dorms their freshman year. Let’s pretend their are only clicks in frats.
The truth is that unless you’re the uni-bomber you make friends where ever you find yourself.
Sorry,
“there are”
@ MacMcConnell: touche re: private school tuition.
The point I was trying to make was that, fair or not, I always perceived a difference between organizations where the best elements of fellowship and brotherhood were by-products of actually pursuing a specific, defined common goal together, rather than just deciding to be together, socially.
Finally, if most frat brothers spend their freshmen year in dormitories, it also seemed that most of my friends who were in fraternities at schools which had them (mine never allowed them) also moved out of the house for their senior year, or even went inactive. Definitely (at least in the rural Virginia schools they all attended) a sophomore/junior experience.
Paul
Most frats just don’t party. I can’t count how many homes in the inter-city we painted or cleaned up, then there was our charities. Yes we had great parties especially because our house was off campus. Do you know how much team work and planning go into having a great party? 😉
Many frat seniors move out to make beds available to younger class men wanting to get out of the dorm. It was also done to let the younger guys get experience running the place. In our case living in the house was cheaper than the dorm and the food was better. The only member required to live in our house was the president and he was a townie. I moved out my senior year with three others, we rented a house a block away, but ate at the frat house.
Being an ex-jock I get your point of fellowship and brotherhood, but that is exactly what the hazing and Hell Week were about, It makes the pledge class cohesive and resourceful, a team. I can’t tell you too much, but no animals were injured.