Stop the "Baby" Talk

[sigmagirl10]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I maintain that, if you want to get rid of "baby", you have to come up with a term that is better than "new member". I think "baby" is a hilarious side effect of them banning "pledge". Murphy's Law, my friends.

You may be right about "baby" as a side affect of switching to "New member"...however, my organization (non-NPC national) still uses the term "pledge" for very specific [positive] reasons and my chapter--and others around the country--still have the massive "baby" problem.

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by kateee

I kind of wish we were still pledges, not new members. New members is a mouthful. Being called a pledge reminds you of what you are doing - you are pledging your life to an organization. I see nothing wrong with it.

I completely agree.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by sigmagirl10

You may be right about "baby" as a side affect of switching to "New member"...however, my organization (non-NPC national) still uses the term "pledge" for very specific [positive] reasons and my chapter--and others around the country--still have the massive "baby" problem.

"Babies" started long before the whole New Member trend. My New Member manual specifically said that NMs were not to be called babies, our educator was not to be called "Mom" and they couldn't give us baby items like bottles and pacifiers. This was 1993 when AOII started it's NM program year 1. That means all of this baby crap was going on with pledges long enough for them to include it in my NM manual the first year it was published. Correlation is not causation.

[alum]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I had to chuckle when I saw the first post re: wearing NPC crests and how ugly they are. When I was in graduate school, I was in my mid-to-late 20s and my favorite sweatshirt was a white cotton one with a large, full-color Chi Omega crest on the front. There was not a collegiate chapter at my college -- I was a young, proud alumna and loved wearing the crest and felt more comfortable doing so than I would have wearing letters on a jersey. I often got compliments. I still think it was a sharp look and oh how I wish I could still wear a size medium sweatshirt!

If you still have the shirt, have it made into a t shirt pillow. If you have lots of Chi O and college shirts, a quilt is always a nice way to repurpose the garments. I saved mine as actual shirts hoping that the legacy would get to wear them. Alas, she chose her own home in Pi Phi so I made a Kappa Quilt as I have seen my collegiate clothing size in a long, long time.

Great fabric for a Chi O themed project:

[NutBrnHair]

I do love that fabric!

No, my crest sweatshirt is long gone -- that was 25 yrs ago.

[DGTess]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

"Babies" started long before the whole New Member trend. My New Member manual specifically said that NMs were not to be called babies, our educator was not to be called "Mom" and they couldn't give us baby items like bottles and pacifiers. This was 1993 when AOII started it's NM program year 1. That means all of this baby crap was going on with pledges long enough for them to include it in my NM manual the first year it was published. Correlation is not causation.

Hmmmm... I wonder (no, I'm pretty sure I know) how our term "pledgemaster" would go over today. That wasn't the official title, but I don't think I ever heard Libby referred to by a formal title.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by DGTess

Hmmmm... I wonder (no, I'm pretty sure I know) how our term "pledgemaster" would go over today. That wasn't the official title, but I don't think I ever heard Libby referred to by a formal title.

Yeah, I know a lot went on at chapters in the past that (Inter)Nationals didn't find out about, including nonstandard names. I think the advent of social media makes it more in your face which is why we all think it is so much worse now. My Great to the 5th Grand Big Sis calls me Baby II, as she does all her younger family members. She's Granny II to me. I've been an AOII going on 20 years. She hit 25 years this year, and she was most definitely a pledge with the full semester pledge program. Oh well...maybe she started it all?!

[Cheerio]

Didn't read entire thread, so please excuse if repeat: In ye olden NPC days, an on-campus Sorority Window display rotated every two weeks between groups. Several sororities exhibited Greek-lettered baby bottles and pacifiers. Umm, yeah, they were considered cool pledge gifts for 'baby' members.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

Didn't read entire thread, so please excuse if repeat: In ye olden NPC days, an on-campus Sorority Window display rotated every two weeks between groups. Several sororities exhibited Greek-lettered baby bottles and pacifiers. Umm, yeah, they were considered cool pledge gifts for 'baby' members.

Yeah, it's also funny when people act like members today drink and we didn't back in the day. I have a 1968 pledge dance flask. Maybe members in the 60s didn't binge drink...I know they did in the 90s. Difference? Social media. Managing social media is the big game changer in the new millennium. It's our biggest risk management issue. Thank God it didn't exist when I was in college. I shudder to think of the trouble I'd have been in.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

"Babies" started long before the whole New Member trend. My New Member manual specifically said that NMs were not to be called babies, our educator was not to be called "Mom" and they couldn't give us baby items like bottles and pacifiers. This was 1993 when AOII started it's NM program year 1. That means all of this baby crap was going on with pledges long enough for them to include it in my NM manual the first year it was published. Correlation is not causation.

Maybe in some areas, but I don't think it was as widespread. When I joined, one of our chapters somewhere in the Midwest was still using "pledge mom" and "pledge daughter" and we were all like WTH??? Pledge mom =ed pledgemistress (NM educator) in our terminology. When I see the "baby" use at my alma mater I know it's reached critical mass.

The other thing that gets me rolling is NPC and IFC groups using terms like "crossing" but that's a whole 'nother thread.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Maybe in some areas, but I don't think it was as widespread. When I joined, one of our chapters somewhere in the Midwest was still using "pledge mom" and "pledge daughter" and we were all like WTH??? Pledge mom =ed pledgemistress (NM educator) in our terminology. When I see the "baby" use at my alma mater I know it's reached critical mass.

The other thing that gets me rolling is NPC and IFC groups using terms like "crossing" but that's a whole 'nother thread.

That's it though, you used Pledge Mom for your NM educator. We can't even do that. It brings up the idea of Mom vs children. This isn't new. Your seeing it more wide spread because of social media, not because we call pledges NMs. It was there all along. That is the argument. Sorority women have wanted to call pledges/NMs cutesy names forever.

[ASTalumna06]

I would have to agree with 33girl. I don't think "baby" was as widespread, regardless of social media blowing up. My chapter just started using this term a year or two ago, but AST came out with their own statement about it recently, stopping my chapter (and many others) from using it.

I also know 2 Chi Omegas, biological sisters, from 2 different chapters. They always post or share pictures from their alma maters. Only recently did the word "baby" start showing up in those pics.

It's not as though Facebook was just created yesterday. I started using it in.. 2004? I met and became Facebook friends with many ASTs from other chapters in the area. They would post bid day pics, none of which displayed the word "baby." Some of them have even shared their pain regarding the use of "baby" among their chapters within the last year. They were thrilled when the sorority attempted to put an end to it.

This is why we have an entire thread about it, with many alumnae upset/confused about why their chapters (or other chapters of their sorority) are using the term.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

That's it though, you used Pledge Mom for your NM educator. We can't even do that. It brings up the idea of Mom vs children. This isn't new. Your seeing it more wide spread because of social media, not because we call pledges NMs. It was there all along. That is the argument. Sorority women have wanted to call pledges/NMs cutesy names forever.

I stand corrected. I really don't know, then, why "baby" wasn't a thing when I was a collegian. We definitely DID use the pledge mom/pledge dad terminology.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I would have to agree with 33girl. I don't think "baby" was as widespread, regardless of social media blowing up. My chapter just started using this term a year or two ago, but AST came out with their own statement about it recently, stopping my chapter (and many others) from using it.

I also know 2 Chi Omegas, biological sisters, from 2 different chapters. They always post or share pictures from their alma maters. Only recently did the word "baby" start showing up in those pics.

It's not as though Facebook was just created yesterday. I started using it in.. 2004? I met and became Facebook friends with many ASTs from other chapters in the area. They would post bid day pics, none of which displayed the word "baby." Some of them have even shared their pain regarding the use of "baby" among their chapters within the last year. They were thrilled when the sorority attempted to put an end to it.

This is why we have an entire thread about it, with many alumnae upset/confused about why their chapters (or other chapters of their sorority) are using the term.

There is nothing new under the sun. Trends come and go. Your chapter didn't use this, but others did, and over time it has spread until it hit a tipping point. Also, just because banners on bid day didn't say Babies on them doesn't mean that pledges/NM weren't called that. I had never seen a banner for bid day at all until recently. That is a recent trend except on the larger campuses. Since "Baby insert mascot/symbol" is at a tipping point, it would make total sense that you would suddenly see banners at every chapter welcoming them. As with all trends, this too will play out and go away when people get tired of the cheesiness of calling people babies.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

There is nothing new under the sun. Trends come and go. Your chapter didn't use this, but others did, and over time it has spread until it hit a tipping point. Also, just because banners on bid day didn't say Babies on them doesn't mean that pledges/NM weren't called that. I had never seen a banner for bid day at all until recently. That is a recent trend except on the larger campuses. Since "Baby insert mascot/symbol" is at a tipping point, it would make total sense that you would suddenly see banners at every chapter welcoming them. As with all trends, this too will play out and go away when people get tired of the cheesiness of calling people babies.

This is my point. That it has spread. I thought that you were saying that it's always been a problem to the extent it is now, but we've only now realized it because of social media. But maybe you weren't? I don't know.

All I'm saying is, I've noticed it blow up and spread to other campuses where it was never used before.