It’s been more than a month since Assistant Dean of Students Lowell Davis announced the termination of pledgeship activities to Interfraternity Council presidents.

“All investigations have been completed and appropriate action has been taken,” Tim Hebson, dean of students, said. “No chapters are still suspended. All greek organizations can recruit new members in the spring.”

Since that day on Oct. 18, pledges have shed their pledge gear and have blended in with the active fraternity members across campus. For those outside the fraternities, the change in dress has left it difficult to tell if this year’s pledges have been initiated.

Jacob Adrian, former president of the Sigma Pi fraternity, said his new members have not yet been initiated.

“They were made neophytes immediately following the cancellation of pledgeship, which means they basically hold all the rights of members, but have not yet been initiated,” he said. “They will be initiated as soon as we receive their grades, assuming they are satisfactory.”

This process was a decision Sigma Pi’s Executive Committee and Nationals reached together and made in an effort to maintain its scholastic standards, Adrian said.

“Our new members have continued to integrate themselves into the fraternity, and while this process may be occurring somewhat slower than normal, it has given them the opportunity to further acclimate themselves to our organization after the pledge period was cut short,” he said.

Adrian said he doesn’t foresee the future of Sigma Pi being greatly affected by the administration’s decision.

“We were fortunate enough to have a quality group of young men that were committed to learning about what our organization has to offer, and growing as individuals despite the premature end of their pledge period,” Adrian said. “Rush is a constantly evolving process, and regardless of this situation we will continue to seek out quality individuals to add to our organization.”

Alex Worley, a senior majoring in marketing and secretary of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, said ATO’s most recent pledges have been neophyted until their first semester grades are final because its bylaws require that any new member hold a 2.6 GPA to gain membership.

“We do not feel the termination created a negative atmosphere in the fraternity, but I think any initiated member of any fraternity feels that each successive pledgeship should reflect similarities to their own, like traditional events or the length at which they participated in pledgeship,” Worley said.

Worley said even though the pledges would have less involvement due to pledgeship ending early, ATO’s initiation requirements still applied.

“We would not initiate any member if they did not meet our qualifications and if we did not have trust in them to carry on and lead the fraternity in a positive direction in the future,” Worley said.

Looking back on his freshman year, Worley said he hates the fact the pledges have less to reflect on.

“I think most people remember the fun and bonding with their pledge classes that resulted from hardships and traditional events,” Worley said.

Worley said although the pressures and responsibilities of his position as secretary were challenging during the termination, most of the pressure came upon his president and pledge trainer.

“The rest of the executive committee and myself did our best to help suggest and support those two to comply with university’s decision without taking anything away from our pledgeship process,” Worley said.

Worley said he wants to move ahead and focus on growing and pushing ATO to new heights.

“I don’t think anyone was happy about the termination, but with the amount of issues that had arisen throughout the fall semester, you have to respect Dean Hebson’s decision to ultimately protect the longevity of greek life on our campus,” Worley said.

Adam Sherburne, a former pledge trainer for a fraternity he declined to identify for publication, said his new members were initiated last Sunday and their pledgeship was probably the easiest ever at the University.

“The new generation of students want to have everything given to them on a silver platter and if they don’t get their way they will either call their moms, the hazing hotline, or Greek Affairs,” Sherburne said. “I was infuriated with the suspension due to the fact that much worse things had happened in years past, yet pledgeship still went on because they were dealt with internally.”

Sherburne said if men want to be in a fraternity, they should know what they’re getting themselves into.

“If you do want to be in a fraternity, then shut your mouth, go through it like everyone else has in the past and don’t go crying to mommy when something bad happens,” Sherburne said. “Everyone before you has done the same, if not worse.”

Sherburne said with the exit of Guy Bailey, he doesn’t know what to expect for future pledgeship.

“I have been at UA for four years and there has never been a problem like this,” Sherburne said. “Most if not all hazing will be cut out and it will be a different experience.”

JJ Butler, a senior majoring in dance and a member of Lambda Sigma Phi fraternity, said he thought it was unnecessary for everyone to pay the price for the incidents that occurred in the fraternities investigated.

“UA has never had a problem with our fraternity or our pledgeship process,” Butler said. “The fact that we have to suffer under the acts of other fraternity pledgeships is a little unfair.”

Butler said the new members took it upon themselves to challenge one another to finish their journey through pledgeship.

“Our pledges this semester have been initiated, and they more than well deserve it,” Butler said. “They more than proved to the active brothers that they were here to further the fraternity’s future with a God-centered focus. This is where our fraternity is headed, and no one is going to stop that.”

Looking back on his pledgeship, Butler said the process for LSP has grown greatly.

“Since my pledgeship back in 2009, we have taken the character-building events and shaped to be more focused around brotherhood bonding, sharing life stories and challenging one another spiritually,” Butler said. “By doing this, our Christian values have been greatly strengthened, and have helped the active brothers home in on the guys that our fraternity needs to attract.”

Aaron Carter, a freshman in the Lambda Sigma Phi pledge class, said he was disappointed when pledgeship was suspended.

“I found myself growing more during pledgeship than I had in any previous time of my life,” Carter said. “I was being pushed to be my best, both in Christian and fraternal ideals, and joyfully accepted the challenge. I enjoyed the tough road that was pledgeship and was proud to earn, as opposed to simply be given, the title of a brother in Lambda Sigma Phi.”