When many people think of a fraternity or sorority in college, hazing seems to be a natural aspect of the experience. Hazing is depicted in many comedy movies as a hilarious, shameful rite of passage. While most hazing practices are harmless, such as wearing a bathrobe to school or dressing in ridiculous costumes, some practices are extremely dangerous and have the potential to permanently harm students. For many young college students seeking friends and future contacts through student organizations, being subjected to hazing rituals are inevitable.
KSU’s hazing policy defines hazing as “Any action taken or situation created, on or off the premises of the University, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, ridicule or suffering as a means to gain entry into an organization; and any activities which are life threatening to the individual or intended to physically hurt the individual or humiliate the individual mentally.”
Any college freshman who wants to join an organization, whether it be a sports team or a fraternity, knows to expect some kind of initiation. Unfortunately, hazing has become a popular method to initiate the uninitiated. Despite efforts of schools and various anti-hazing laws, this rite of passage can be dangerous or even fatal.
Perhaps the most recent and most high-profile hazing incident resulted in the death of Robert Champion at Florida A&M University. Champion was a member of the marching band and died in November 2011 after a hazing ritual that involved running down a bus aisle while being beaten and deprived of oxygen.
As heinous as this act was, it does not stand alone. According to Hank Nuwer of Franklin College in Indiana, 104 hazing-related deaths have occurred since 1970. Nuwer has written several books on the subject and says that as long as there have been universities, there has been hazing. In his book “Wrongs of Passage,” Nuwer lists the people who died as a result of hazing as well as the year they died. The first death reported as a consequence of this ritual occurred in 1838.
The response by schools and states has been steady but slow. Georgia, along with several other states, has had laws against hazing since the 1980s, but many states within the past few years have passed strengthened versions of these laws. Hazing has been thrust into the spotlight more recently because of accidents and fatalities. Georgia students are required to sign a membership guideline, which states that they will not participate in or encourage hazing under penalty of state law. KSU has one of these guidelines, which was revised in 2011. It requires members of any organization in 2012 to sign one. However, six states still have no anti-hazing laws.
It seems to me that no matter how many laws or policies are enacted to prevent hazing, this disgraceful form of initiation will not be eradicated until the attitude toward hazing changes within the Greek Life and sports organizations themselves. Freshman should not, under any circumstance, allow themselves to be put through hazing. If reported, the organization would most likely be banned, as recently happened with our own fraternity, Delta Chi. Senior officials within groups that would be likely to engage in hazing should stand firm against this senseless form of initiation.
Students need to report any kind of hazing to senior officials in their universities or high schools and should not be afraid of losing their friends or place in a group. Until students put their foot down and refuse to be subjected to hazing, these laws and policies will have no effect.
