Circling the fat on pledges' bodies and coercing freshmen into near-fatal situations, the sorority sisters of NBC's Dying to Belong lived up to the negative stereotype of hazing that many freshmen fear. In order to reduce prejudice and reassure new members, the Panhellenic Council screened the movie -- based on the true story of one Southern campus's extreme hazing -- and led a discussion about it at the Delta Delta Delta house on Locust Walk Monday night. "Panhel is very proud of the fact that we have a hazing-free campus," Panhel Vice President of Publicity Beth Linn said. "We want to dispel any rumors and answer any questions." Sorority sisters agreed the movie was a far cry from Greek life at the University. "This was the poorest representation of Greek life that I could have seen," said Panhel Secretary Jamie Miles, a College junior. And Panhel President and College junior Jessica Lennon added that NBC refused to feature Panhel's national anti-hazing rules -- which define hazing as any activity producing "mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment or ridicule." Kappa Alpha Theta sister and College junior Mandy London noted that contrary to the movie's portrayal of sorority sisters as generic copies, Penn's sisters "are all such strong individuals." And Linn added that new members need not worry about dropping friends or other commitments while participating in the new member education process. "I think that a house views your other commitments as part of you," the College junior said. "A sorority at Penn is not the be-all and end-all." To ease the new member education process, sororities also match new members with upperclassmen through a "big sister" program. These pairings afford younger women the opportunity to feel closer to the house and benefit from the guidance of someone who has already gone through what they are experiencing, Linn said. Tri Delt sister Danielle Silverman said her initiation into sorority life was "a great way to meet people." But the College junior said "the rush system is not perfect," in a letter to The Daily Pennsylvanian, (Letters to the Editor, 1/28/97) adding "but hey, you only experience college once, and you must take Greek life for women for what it is." But some new members complain they are afraid to remain in the initiation process or to request certain "big sisters" out of fear of being hazed. "I think that's a fallacy that a lot of girls believe," Linn said, adding that she hasn't heard of any women dropping out of the process. And she said Penn's sorority sisters receive negative publicity because freshmen assume rush and initiation periods are the same at all schools. Panhel Vice President of Rush Jen Wigman said she will survey new members to gain their impressions of the rush process so that Panhel can improve rush in future years. Lennon added that the executive board members are "disaffiliated with [their] houses," and welcome new members to share any initiation problems. "You should not feel discouraged to come forward," Miles addressed the new members, adding that the executive cabinet is prepared to support any woman who feels she has been hazed. And Wigman added that the executive board members will introduce themselves to each chapter. Some freshmen have contacted Panhel executives regarding specific issues, Linn said. But Lennon said she could not disclose whether complaints were registered during the rush or the new membership education periods, because of the executive board's promise to remain "completely confidential."
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