nEMIEI Panhellenic Council, which is currently made up of nine African American Greek-let- ter organizations, met and decided that hazing and other negative pledging activities would come to a stop, she said. "Stopping is a gradual process. It takes a while to trickle down to every mem ber," Herring said. Millersville's Sigma chapter was one of the first to recognize that such nega tive pledging practices were not a necessary part of the sorority' experience. Lori Johnson-Negron, former vice president of the Millersville undergraduate chapter, recalled what the Sigma pledging process was like in 1989. The sorority would check on pledgee's academic schedules, to make sure everyone was doing wel I with their c lasses, she said. And, for two hours each evening during the pledge period, the women were required to spend time in the library, whether they had specific course work to do, or not. If a pledgee had a long project to work on, pledging participation was not expect ed at that time. "You could never give the excuse that you didn't have time to do work or a paper because you were pledging," she said. The taint of past pledge processes is still with some of the Greek-letter organizations in terms of potential members, Herring explained. She did observe a decrease in new black Gree k letter memberships about 10 years ago, she said. "At this time, 1 don't think there's a decline. I think you have to do more to market a sorority or fraternity on a campus, now," she said. Today, other things, such as jobs and other orga nizations, campete for a stu dent's attention. "We're dealing with an older popula tion of students," Herring said. Although Sigma never had an abusive pledging process, it now has no pledge process at all. Today, young women who want to become Sigmas undergo a 28-day period of completing forms, attending to fees and other requirements, and then can be inducted on the 28th day, Herring said. Much of Herring' s attention right now is also focused on planning for a celebration for Sigma's 75th anniversary, which will be held in Indianapolis, Ind., the weekend of July 10-13, 1997. Attendance will be open to all members, and the event will be called, "Sigma Gamma Rho's 75th Birthday Party." Beyond their anniver sary celebration, the Sigmas have to consider their direc- t ion as they enter the next century. "It's going to e imperative that we become businesses that are patterned after the business structure. We no longer survive on vol unteers," Herring said. The sorority must have a regular staff than can be available to respond to members' needs as they have emerged in the computer age, such as com munication through e-mail, she said Greek-letter organi zations must take on a lead ership role in their commu nities in the 21-st century, and bear in mind that many accomplished and celebrated people have been members of sororities and fraternities, she said. At Millersville, Tamiko Barber expressed an optimistic view of Sigma's future, worldwide. "I think we're growing. We just opened a chapter in the Virgin Islands," she said Then she considered her own chapter. "I see it growing because we are taking in members next semester We're not going to focus on quantity, but quality," she maintained. In the future, as peo- ple discuss African- American sororities, Sigma Gamma Rho is bound to become a familiar name as the sisters gain a presence on more and more college campuses. And if you hadn't heard about them before, it's a pretty safe be you'll be hearing a lot more about them before long. From Fierce The animals in Fierce Creatures make the movie even more funny. Just imag- ine sleeping in bed with a raccoon and an ostrich. Or a Panda being ferocious. I thought a twenty pound cat whose only goal is to try to -sleep on my chest was coml The cast of F ierce Creatures is quite short corm pared to the sponsor compa- vies in the movie. The movie should have been paid for by NEWS the promotional spots or endorsements. I can not imagine this movie being over budget. The movie is quite enjoy- able. I felt the promotional spots in the movie toward the end were a I i the much. I f you need a break from the rigors of college life, this will provide you with it. Or in my case, a break from Statistics. The quintessential company man, Rollo (John Cleesel, finds his sanity beginning to unravel once he's reassigned by Octopus, Inc. to run Marwood Zoo in Univemal Pictures' Tierce Gestures' Mailing phone cards. No experience necessary For more information send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Global Communication, P.O. Box 5679, Hollywood, FL 33083 January 23 February 13 March 6 March 27 April 26 Call Jody, Kelley, or Joleen for ad rates. my) 1 1 63-66431 D Contributions from campus communit CAPTIMES, February 13, 1997 Positions Available for students interested in providing a summer of recreation for special needs children & adults. Beacon Lodge Camp, located in Central PA, is seeking camp counselors for the summer camping program beginning May 28 and ending August 13. Also hiring WSl's; Lifeguards; Program Director; Unit Directors; Nurses and the following instructors: Canoeing, Kayaking, Archery, Riflery, Games, Arts & Crafts, Music Drama, Nature, Ropes Course. The summer offers a well rounded program of activities from bowling to overnight camp outs, and canoe trips down the Juniata River. To request an application andiOr additional information, write PA LIONS BEACON LODGE CAMP 114 SRIO3 SOUTH MOUNT UNION PA 17066-9601 PHONE 814-542-2511 FAX 814-542-7437 * $2004500 WEEKLY * ',- , The Capital Times F -- ---- - - - 1 L E I I 41 I k` . ‘ ) f .,- i, 1 1 , 1 r i ‘, ,f{ e. r 1 P f 1 1 .ii. I I ) The Capital Times Publication Dates and Deadlines January 16 February 6 February 27 March 20 April 17
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers