Tag Archives: fraternity

Pint Night

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: student
Residence: Arizona
Performance Date: April 25, 2015
Primary Language: English

As far as traditions stuff goes, for the frat (preferred anonymity), every winter… I think the first Saturday night after classes, we do Pint Night, which is like our version of Secret Santa. And you get assigned them and you get them a pint of alcohol…but actually it’s a half-pint. So like 5 or 6 shots.

And you can be nice to them and you request what you want so you could be nice and get them what they want.

But the tradition is if you say “fireball”, that’s the bitch move. So then your person is definitely not going to get you that. Freshman year, I didn’t know that, so I put it and then I got gin.

And then this year I put soko, but I guess they misinterpreted and thought that was a bitch move, and they gave me scotch.

So what happens… an alum, dressed as Santa, comes and picks 2 people, you got 2 at a time, he calls you up and you have to race the person you’re against. 3, 2, 1, start drinking and then when you’re done you slam the bottle in the trash can right after.

And the matchups are not random, someone picks who you’re racing against. The best one was our president at the time was against the hind tit of our pledge class.

What is the hind tit?

Oh, hind tit is the worst pledge. So they’re initiated last. Actually the worst pledge is second to last, the hind tit is more like a joke in their pledge class. Like one kid shit himself while the pledge master was carrying him home, so that kid became the hind tit.

But like President vs Vice President and stuff like that is a good matchup. And you tally who wins for each family. So the families are named by different colors. So this year my family, pink family, and my pledge class both won. It’s all just bragging rights. Everyone forgets about it in like a week.

How did you learn this tradition?

Well you kind of just get thrown into it your first time. If you’re a fall pledge, it’s your very first semester in it. And then spring pledges, not til the end of the next fall.

How long have you been doing it?

Long before I got here. Uh, for probably since our refounding or close to that. Everyone gets really fucked up. I think I peed myself that night.

Wow. I’m definitely putting that in the archives.

Just put “anonymous fraternity at USC”.

 

 

Jiggle on the Washing Machine

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 2014-03-10
Primary Language: English
Language: Hebrew

“Apparently at Kappa, to haze you, they take all of the pledges [new sorority members] and sit them on top of running washing machines. Then they bring in some guys from different frats on the row and give them markers. It’s so fucked! They get these frat stars drunk and make them circle all of the parts of the pledges’ bodies that jiggle with the markers they give them.”

This account depends entirely on hearsay, making it all the more interesting. As the informant is a member of a rivaling sorority, it is possible that the story was invented slanderously. However, this particular hazing practice corroborates that image of Kappa Kappa Gamma, as an aggressively looks-oriented sorority, that seems to pervade USC. As with most hazing practices, this ritual promotes unhealthy body image, but reaffirms the dominance of older member of the sorority over the new members. Such practices are allegedly “team-building” and “character building,” at which I roll my eyes.

SigEp Gold Shorts and Vest

Nationality: Canadian
Age: 20
Occupation: student
Residence: Vancouver, Canada
Performance Date: 2014-02-15
Primary Language: English
Language: French

Every pledge class president of Sigma Phi Epsilon must wear gold shorts and an American flag vest during their live-in week of their pledge semester. Live-in week is the last week of pledging where you essentially live in the house and become everyone’s bitch for a week. You stay in the house on the floor with your whole pledge class, and you only leave to go to class.”

The informant was unclear as to whether or not this hazing ritual was a national tradition. However, he was certain that it was the case at USC, given that he was forced to do it, as pledge class president.

Senior Schlaugen

Nationality: USA
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/18/14
Primary Language: English

This informant is a member of a USC fraternity and I asked him to share some of their traditions or stories he might have.  Among others, here is a year-end senior tradition he shared with me. It’s called Senior Schlaugen and here is our dialogue.

Me: Tell about this Senior Schlaugen, and what does the name mean?

Informant: Haha, I have no idea where the name came from but since the game is all about drinking and –schlaugen sounds German, maybe that’s why?  Anyways it’s a tradition the seniors do every year, where we try to drink as much as possible for the last month of school.  So for this year it goes from April 15th to Graduation on May 15th.  Basically we form teams of three and you get points every night someone on your team goes out, also there are weekly team challenges, like finish a 30 rack in a library.  Its really fucking with me right now, I have been out six nights in a row, I gotta fuckin win.

Me: Is there a prize?

Informant: Uh, ya winning team gets little gimmick trophies, but its more about the pride.

Me: So this competition means a lot to you?

Informant: Well ya, nothing I do in school now is gonna change what I do post grad as long as I don’t fail any classes.  Couldn’t really give less of a shit about my classes right now.

Me: Well, you’re about a week in do you think you’ll burn out before graduation?  Any surprises after just a week?

Informant: Haha, no way ill burn out I fuckin live for this.  But ya even though this game is all about getting fucked up and partying, it really does serve a purpose that I am just now realizing.

Me: What’s that?

Informant: Well its just brought me closer to all the guys that I may or may not ever see again, and really forced us to make the best out of the last month.  You get extra points if your whole team drinks together in one night so we are all always in the same place.

For starters, this tradition at the informant’s fraternity is a blaring example of the drinking culture at USC, and the Greek community more specifically.  However, although it seemed completely centered around partying on the surface, what my informant said at the end really shed light on why the tradition has stayed around for years.  The game brought all the seniors closer, students who may never see each other again and definitely will never all in the same room again.  Some people say fraternities are all about partying, but by looking further into their traditions, you can see the important role brotherhood plays as well.

Pinning

Nationality: USA
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/16/14
Primary Language: English

Just the other day one of my best friends had “pinned” his girlfriend of three years and so I sat him down to talk about the act of pinning and what it meant to him.  He is a student at USC and a senior.

Me: Please explain, “pinning” to me.

Informant: It’s a tradition at USC and I think all across the nation in Greek life but not sure about that.  It’s really just a way for me to express my love and appreciation for [name] as we get close to graduation.

Me: Right, but what actually happens during the ceremony?

Informant: The girls do a whole bunch of ritual shit on their side that I don’t know about, but the guys all get dressed up in suits and each take a rose to the girl getting pinned.  Also the couple involved both have two of their best friends give speeches that are usually funny.  After that the guy gives his fraternity pin to the girl, which is suppose to signify him giving up his dedication to the fraternity and giving it to her. Then the girls do some of their sorority songs and whatever and everyone goes to the 90.

Me: Does this happen often?

Informant: Not at all I have only seen three in my fraternity since I have been here.

Me: So this is a big event that everyone shows up to?

Informant: Ya pretty much, its during Monday Night Dinner, which is the most popular meal of the week so most of the house shows up.

Me: How many people would you say?

Informant: I’d say like 60 people from each house.

This long-standing custom between couples on the Row shows how strong the brotherhood and sisterhood becomes throughout the years.  I found it amazing that so many people would show up to support this “pinning” when they probably aren’t even that close to the couple.   This custom also shows the importance placed on the guy’s allegiance to his fraternity, because it seems to be an equal trade for the allegiance to his girlfriend.