1977 Chi-Zete Sorority Pledgebook

The ritual of pledging, often accompanied by hazing, has been present in Greek organizations for over 100 years. In an effort to curb hazing, many laws and policies have been passed. However, it is still an inescapable problem on many college campuses. The severity and type of hazing that occurs differ within each fraternity and sorority, but a few “common hazing activities that pledges experience include sleep deprivation, calisthenics, eating unappetizing foods, engaging in embarrassing behavior, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, verbal abuse, and physical violence.” Many of these cases have led to hospitalization and even the death of pledges.[1]

Pledging and hazing at Concordia has never been as extreme as it is nationwide. The earliest recorded societies in Concordia’s history were debating societies. These organizations were first present on campus in the 1890s.  By 1904, there were three debating societies present on campus. By 1909, two literary societies had formed, Chrysotom and Pereclesian (though the groups were criticized for being too musical and less literary).

            Beginning in the 1920s, societies became more selective and hazing rituals appeared more often. Societies had become more social, less literary, and more secretive. The eight societies on campus at the time had 255 members in 1932 (56.5 percent of students enrolled). Shortly after, an intersociety council encouraged all freshmen to join second semester and open house programs were held allowing “frosh to assess the talent and personnel of each organization.”

Societies continued to become more social in the 1930s. Many abandoned their original scholarly intent for becoming a modified fraternity-sorority system. Two societies even dropped literary from their name. Many argued that the campus needed more social life and supported the change.

Societies saw their great time during the 1960s. Participation was great; 78 percent of the senior men and 68 percent of the senior women had joined. Societies no longer pretended to have a literary purpose but embraced the social aspect. However, within a decade, societies would take a tumble. By 1979, the number of societies on campus had declined to only three  brother-sister organizations remaining. One of which that remained was the Chi Zete-Chi Delt society. [2]

This object you are viewing is a 1977 Chi-Zete society pledge book. While the book’s appearance isn’t grand or ornate, being just a six inch by four inch notebook, the history on its pages re-instill the cliché of not judging a book by its cover. Inside the pages of this old notebook, we find the stories that were long forgotten. We first find the humbling “Amoeba Pledge”, an oath that begins, “I am an amoeba. My lowly, unbelievable, miserable existence is a gloomy nocturnal blot on the gleaming, glistening reputation of my Chi-Zete Chi-Delt big brothers and big sisters. My sole purpose is to slither aimlessly in the slime, sludge and slop initiation ooze, muck and mire.”  

As we continue to page through the book, we find signatures of various active club members. Signatures were acquired by doing something special for a member of the club. There are also merits and demerits listed in the book. Merits vary from “For letting me be the first to sign this book” to “For knowing my name”. Some demerits include, “for not knowing Norwegian” to “for not being here during the society song”.

The notebook itself has no intrinsic value. It is worthless. But the memories written and extracted through that worthless book will never be forgotten.  History can live on forever in items but items cannot live on forever without history.


[1]Cokley, Kevin, Kesi Miller, Dana Cunningham, Janice Motoike, Aisha King, and Germine Awad. 2001. "DEVELOPING AN INSTRUMENT TO ASSESS COLLEGE STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD PLEDGING AND HAZING IN GREEK LETTER ORGANIZATIONS." College Student Journal 35, no. 3: 451. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed December 16, 2013).

[2] Engelhardt, Carol L. On Firm Foundation Ground: The First Century of Concordia College (1891-1991). Moorhead, Minn: The College, 1991.