I don’t think posters need resumes, but examples would be helpful. Maybe people who have been in the system, or know someone who has, could explain what the recruitment process is like at the houses they know about for those who haven’t experienced it. Which houses have you had experience with and what do they do that’s “physically and mentally grueling”?
I only know of two houses. One of my sisters was in Sigma Chi in FL in the 70’s. She loved it. I didn’t care for the set up because they had a fraternity matched up with each sorority and the frat members were referred to as “big brothers” while the sorority members were called “little sisters.” I thought that was pretty sexist. If they wanted to encourage a familial relationship, why not just use “brother” and “sister”? Why put the women in a subordinate role? It seemed like the fraternity existed to be doers and the sorority existed to be helpers. My sister’s descriptions of their activities sounded like the men were training to be executives and the women were training to be their supportive secretaries or wives.
The only fraternity I know of is the one in the Northeast that my husband pledged at, also in the 70’s. He and a couple friends were engineering majors and the frat (whose chapter name I don’t know) purposely kept them up all night the evening before a major exam. The boys all failed so badly that they were dropped from the major.
I don’t believe that the behavior of one chapter should reflect badly on other chapters or that sororities or fraternities are inherently bad. There has to be some measure of personal responsibility. My sister didn’t have to settle for being what I consider a second class citizen. My husband could have walked out anytime he wanted. The boy in the thread ucbalumnus posted a link to could have accepted that knowing not all students would get a bid meant that he might be one of them. I think the way the frat handled it was horrible; they should have let the boys they weren’t giving bids to out early so they could make the rounds at other parties. But no fair trying to join an exclusive club then crying foul that they’re exclusive. We need to do a better job of teaching our young people to stick up for themselves. I was reserved and shy as a teen, so I get it, but mindlessly engaging in an activity that’s not in your best interest because somebody else told you to is reminiscent of the grade school ploy, “If you do x, I’ll be your friend.” If young people are still falling for it when they get to college, we’re doing something wrong.
It was a calculated thing by the sororities.