Hazing And Sororities

In Frank Bruni’s article “The Real Campus Scourge,” the main argument that many college freshmen are extremely lonely at the start of their college careers is supported by numerous testimonials and statistics, which add to the credibility of the argument and ultimately make the argument very believable.

Hazing is essentially the way a greek organization educates its new members on their values and ideas, and is often conducted in secrecy in order to be able to continue the tradition. However, every greek member does not engage in hazing, only “thrity-six percent indicated that they had engaged in a behavior that would actually constitute as hazing” (Campo, Poulos and Sipple 143). Some of the behaviors that can be affiliated with hazing activities include: negative team building and initiating activites (e.g. carrying unnecessary items, required to remain silent, and verbal abuse), positive team building and initiating activities (e.g. community service, maintaining gpa, playing sports, and organizing fundraisers) and

Hazing as we know it today is most commonly to initiate members into a fraternity, sorority, or club of some sort. Hazing’s roots go into Ancient Greece when Plato first observed the occurrence and wrote about it in one of his works. The first sign of the term “hazing” appeared in the 16th century, when veteran soldiers would harass new sailors whenever the weather would create a haze. The integration of hazing in American society occurred in the 19th century after the Civil War. Before the war, university fraternities were a place to exchange ideas which most students did not find too engaging. After the war, the meaning of university fraternities had evolved to strengthen bonds with one another. The war put not optimal events and situations, which made soldiers strengthen bonds between one another. Fraternities would often replicate the traumatic events that occurred during the war to strengthen bonds between the recruits and the organization. The fraternities would base hazing rituals on stories their fathers or grandfathers who had participated in the war. Three hazing related deaths occurred in the

A common myth is that hazing is a “reality” in Frats and sororities. We've all seen it in movies and we've all heard stories from our friends. Hazing can be defined as people or individuals who are forced to do something that is psychologically, physically, or emotionally harmful or damaging (Merriam Webster). Greek organizations all over the world have taken steps in developing human rights policies and strict “anti-hazing” policies to get rid of hazing in all forms from all campuses and fraternities. In the 1980s the movie “Animal House”, became a hit. The movie’s “mocking” of the wild side of fraternity life: binge drinking, hazing, sexual harassment, wild parties, drug use, and poor living conditions, became the American public’s view of Greek life. Many television movies and shows depict the ‘crazy side,’ of Greek life and choose to show its negative side. In doing so, many movies and shows do forget to showcase the beneficial side of joining a Sorority or fraternity and show its positive

To some fraternity and sorority chapters hazing may be a way of group bonding and teaching respect, it is not indispensable. Hazing has been going on for quite amount of time, and banning organization who haze will make other chapters want to inflict pain and humiliation to their own pledges. Not only does is lead to a physical and mental breakdown path, but it also weakens the students and strips them of their power. Studies have shown that there are in fact fraternity and sorority chapters who believe that hazing is unnecessary, degrading and view it as juvenile, do not haze their members and perform true Greek rituals. Those chapters reported to become popular on campuses and did not see a loss in member loyalty and respect (Lowery). Fraternity

Students involved in clubs, fraternities, sororities, and organizations experience hazing. In fact, 55% those college students involved in clubs, teams and organizations experience hazing. Hazing is any action taken or any situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule and risk emotional, or physical harm to members of a group or team, whether new or not, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate. Hazing can occur in high school, intercollegiate, or even professionally. As an individual, you have to know what is hazing. What is going over the edge? Am I doing anything illegal? Or is this causing emotional or physical distress or stress to myself or to others? Hazing, even though its tradition,

This case poses the ethical dilemma of hazing, a dilemma that can be found throughout sports teams on all levels in today’s society. Hazing, as defined by the Hazing Prohibition Act of 2003, is “any assumption of authority by a student whereby another student suffers or is exposed to cruelty, intimidation, humiliation or embarrassment”. Additionally, the term hazing describes rituals and other activities used as a way of initiating a person into a group that involves performing excessive exercise, committing dangerous activities, or consuming offensive foods and alcohol. In many circumstances, hazing is directed by team leaders, such as captains or seniors. Another ethical dilemma in this case is poor supervision by the

Though some members in a fraternity or sorority may be against what is happening to these individuals, the codes of secrecy and brotherhood/sisterhood are so strong that they fear to break them and come forward to report these acts (Ruffins 18). Lydia Bradley, a strong advocate of anti-hazing laws and national speaker for

Friendships are essential for a freshman in college. One has to decide the type of friends to have within the college. Nathan notes that nowadays, students socialize more while in school, than while at home. They tend to form social groups based on interest rather than where they live. This is what Nathan learnt as he enters the dorm where students made friendships based on common interest. The importance of relationships is to generate civic work. She notes that many efforts by dorm advisors to get residential together for various activities often ended in low participation. A freshman should measure what constitutes a meaningful friendship. Freshman should take time in choosing a relationship because there is no given

Desiring to have a better life in future inclines people to focus on their academic career. Schools, exams, busy schedules and a pile of work are quintessential this goal. Therefore, students who want to achieve a better future prefer undergoing hard work instead of engaging in social activities. However, social sides of college do not only occupy a big role, but also has plenty of benefits. Social life in college becoming increasingly essential in today’s world triggered an acceptable consideration: Social parts of college should be considered as equal as the academic parts because of psychological, social reasons and its benefits in terms of future.

Hazing in universities across the nation has become an increasingly dangerous ritual that is seemingly becoming more difficult to put an end to due to its development into an “underground” activity. Though a regular activity in the seventies, hazing, a possible dangerous act of initiation to a group, has now become an activity that is banned in thirty-nine states (Wagner 16). However, this ritual has not been stopped or become less severe. In fact it is becoming more dangerous. Since it has been banned, with many colleges imposing their own penalties against those participating in it, many fraternities and sororities have pursued this activity in an underground fashion. Since these groups have gone underground, some victims of these

Brent had just begun college in a completely new state. He was unfamiliar with his new town and was not well acquainted with the alumni of his new school. He hadn't always been very social or “easy going” so he felt that college was his time to expand his horizons. During rush week he took the opportunity to pledge to a fraternity. Delta Zeta Pi promised brotherhood, a nice place to live, and many social opportunities. At first, everything seemed fine, then, when he least expected it the fraternity took a turn for the worst. All of a sudden he wasn't amongst “brothers” he was amongst people who wanted him to show his “devotion” to his fraternity through pain and embarrassment. When he signed up for Delta Zeta Pi he had no idea that he was signing away his pride, his ability to think for himself and his life. He did what he was told and took the punishment when he didn't. Whether it was drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or having boiling water poured onto his skin, he did it. Brent did what he was told and told no one about it, fearing he might be shunned by his “brothers” or that he might receive something even worse as a punishment. If he had decided to report the violence he could have potentially saved his life, instead he chose to protect his “brothers” who did not share his protective instincts when they left him for dead in an alley after he blacked out from alcohol poisoning due to forced excessive drinking never to wake up again. Brent, like many other people,

Furthermore, fraternities are infamous for their requirement to pledge in order to join the brotherhood. Although the specific acts inflicted on pledges is known only by members of fraternity, it is commonly known that hazing is part of the initiation. The pledges have to complete a series of humiliating and sometime dangerous rituals in order to join. They could be forced to consume excessive amount of alcohols and drugs, or be physically beaten or be publicly humiliated. Little known fact, white fraternities generally use alcohol for hazing while black fraternities result to physical violence. In a survey conducted by Dr. Susan Lipkins “31% of Fraternity and sorority members agree that a significant element in an initiation rite is humiliation.” “Also, many of the Greek Leaders agree that

Hazing is defined as any action taken or any situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule and risks emotional and/or physical harm to members of a group or team. Many people have become a victim of this horrific act. While it may start as a fun tradition that is performed in different groups, it can become very tragic. Hazing takes place in high schools, sports, and fraternities which has led to an increase in media attention due to victims revealing personal accounts of hazing incidents.

Hazing has often been thought to exist primarily in fraternities and sororities; many people are starting to realize the pervasiveness of these harmful rituals. In fact, a recent study by Alfred University and the NCAA found that approximately 80% of college athletes had been subjected to some form of hazing. This total comes to more than 250,000 athletes during the 1998-99 school year alone. Half were required to participate in drinking contests or alcohol related initiations while two thirds were subjected to humiliating hazing. The majority of hazing occurs during the initiations to club sports and fraternities/sororities.