OPINION EDITOR – MARIANA CHAMORRO
ORIGINALLY PRINTED ON NOV 10, 2022
Joining a fraternity or sorority can be an overwhelming yet fun experience that allows students to feel more connected to their university and the students around them. This society introduces new members into the brotherhood or sisterhood through fun rituals, songs and activities seen as the essence of the college experience. However, for some, there is a catch: hazing.
This tradition has a history that goes back many years. Hazing is an informal ceremony for new members entering the Greek life, however, it is much more dangerous than it seems. In a study published in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, Michelle A. Finkel, MD, defines hazing as “committing acts against an individual or forcing an individual into committing an act that creates a risk for harm in order for the individual to be initiated into or affiliated with an organization.” Many of these acts include extreme and forced alcohol consumption, lack of sleep, humiliation, chores, intimidation and more.
In years prior, hazing has proved not only to be dangerous but also fatal. Just last year, a student at the University of Missouri was left with extreme brain damage, causing him the inability to walk, talk or see. This consequence resulted from just one night of heavy drinking under the responsibility of his new brotherhood and their hazing ritual.
According to Professor Hank Nuwer at Franklin College, there have been at least 200 deaths due to hazing since 1838. 40 of these recorded deaths happened between 2007 and 2017.
Even with many incidents like these, this issue has been proven difficult to control and monitor. Many states and universities have rules and laws set in place to prevent heavy hazing. However, they have proven weak and reduced to merely a symbol. Brandon Chamberlin, a law student at Emory University in Atlanta in 2014, stated that a reason why hazing continues to be a problem, and will likely continue to be one, is because it is seen as a secret practice that formally ties new members to Greek society. In turn, hazing gives fraternities and sororities more worth and appeal. The main reason why hazing is so hard to identify and prevent is that it is a custom to keep all hazing rituals a secret. This rule is not taken lightly and can even cause consequences to anyone who reveals anything.
Luckily, St. Mary’s has strict rules and guidelines set in place to prevent any mishaps involving fraternity and sorority events. For example, fraternities and sororities use risk management, which is the act of reducing risk for any member or individual involved in an event. The rules for risk management involve federal, state and local laws as well as any policy in the university.
An anonymous new member of a fraternity on campus stated: “Hazing is very controlled and isn’t very harsh nowadays compared to what it used to be in St. Mary’s specifically.” Even though many universities seem to have hazing under control, is this a tradition that should continue? When asked if hazing should be a continuous tradition, the anonymous pledge replied: “I think all traditions change, and it depends on the specific fraternity and whether or not they decide that tradition is important enough to stick around.” All organizations need ways or rituals to feel connected to
their members and the challenge is to do this in a way that develops leaders and friends, not fear.