Hazing: Good or Bad?

The Truth *Editors Note: Names of people and Organizations have been changed to protect everyone involved Since the dawn of Greek Life hazing has been a hot button issue that has directly resulted in injury, death, and the passage of new legislation. The thought of Hazing has steered many away from Greek Life and directly resulted in the changing of the way Greek Life works. Pre 1993 hazing was hardly considered an issue and in fact it was almost encouraged by some people. Now a-days hazing has become nearly obsolete in the sorority community and is disappearing slowly from Fraternities. In order find out more about hazing I conducted some interviews in order to find out students reaction to it. Amber in (Amber is in one of the better sororities on campus tri-pi)

Have you ever been hazed? There was one time when some of the older sisters took us off campus and made us think we were going to get hazed but then let us know it was a joke and we hung out the whole night. Do you feel hazing is bad or good? I feel as though it is both. If you haze to much and hurt someone it is a bad thing but if you are just messing around and make it a right of passage so to speak it can be good. Hazing makes you have respect for the older members and that can be a good thing because honestly some new girls have no respect for older sisters. Will you be an advocate for hazing within your sorority? No, due to the fact that Michelle, the head of Greek life, has come down so hard on all the hazing on campus. A couple years ago hazing was openly allowed within sororities but since she has arrived one mistake can cost us our charter and the risk isnt worth it. Sara in (Sara is a new member of a top tier sorority on campus Xi Phi Chi)

Have you ever been hazed? I would say no we have not been hazed. There have been times at which the sisters have scared the living hell out of us but I would not consider that hazing. How do you define hazing? I define it as physical or mental torture. Do you wish you were hazed? Not a lot but at least a little bit. While we still did a lot of things I feel as though it would be more rewarding when we got our letters if we endured something that all the sister of the past had to endure.

Do you feel as though hazing is necessary for a good chapter? No, we have made our way to the top without hazing and any other chapter could too. You can strengthen your chapter through education and you can bond through such things as philanthropy to strengthen your chapter. Mike in (Mike is a second year brother in a top tier fraternity Gamma Beta Pi)

Have you ever been hazed? Yes I was hazed a little bit in high school when I was on the varsity football team and then was hazed a lot more when I was a pledge and Gamma Beta Pi. Do you find hazing beneficial? Yes I would say that hazing is beneficial for a chapter because it first and foremost makes you have respect for the older brother and second it allows you to bond with your pledge class. When you look at fraternities that are hazed they always seem much closer then those that arent. Would you say that hazing can go to far? Yes it certainly can go to far. If someone is getting seriously injured or could die it has definitely gone to far. What kind of hazing did you endure? The kind of hazing you imagine is what I had to do. Drinking, Pledge Food, and Physical activity that wasnt too pleasant. Did hazing ever make you want to drop? Yes it did plenty of times but the thing that kept me going was my pledge class. My class and I all had to do the same thing so you can reach out to them when you feel down. This is really where you tend to bond a lot. Bill in (Bill is a founding father in the ZBZ fraternity)

Is hazing needed to have a successful chapter in Greek Life? No I dont believe hazing is needed to have a successful chapter on campus. Have you ever been hazed? No not at all and dont really plan on it. How close would you say your brotherhood is? Do you see all your brothers each week? Its pretty close I mean we meet up at least once a week and hang with each other some. I typically see most of them weekly we could be closer though. After conducting interviews I realized a reoccurring theme that hazing could be beneficial to promoting closer members. Everyone other than the founding father

thought hazing should happen at least in some aspect. It seems that hazing can has a positive effect on bringing members closer together and also promoting that respect aspect for the members who came before you. So is it safe to say hazing should be allowed on college campuses? Well this is a two-part answer. I personally believe it should be allowed to a degree to promote this brotherhood bonding but you need to be careful. Every year since 1970 a death has occurred on a college campus from some sort of hazing ritual. Many injuries have also been reported and many more have gone unreported. There is no need to endanger a kid just to promote brotherhood because honestly when you do that you are doing the exact opposite. It seems to me that everyone calls for hazing to take place in order to build better bonds but because of chapters in the past that have taken it too far there is a strict ban on any aspect of hazing and any chapter that takes place in these hazing rituals puts them self at risk for suspension, expulsion, and legal action. If you take a look at one of the biggest fraternities in the world the U.S. Military hazing takes place daily and they all seem to have become men from the hazing they have received. I think the millenarian concept should be taken because hazing can be used to make better men and promote brotherhood but if you take it too far you lose the purpose. Overall hazing can be good but if unregulated it can be detrimental to a persons life.