Jake Barber/Argonaut

Hazing Prevention Week, mostly centered around the Greek system, is happening this week and though most see the importance behind the week-long event, some feel the University of Idaho has less of a problem compared to other campuses and have different own ideas as to what hazing can actually be.
Delta Chi President Joe Church and Pi Beta Phi President Samantha Hauger said they understand the value of the event and they both feel strongly about cutting hazing out of Greek life.

“The event is great,” Church said. “It brings attention to the problem, makes people aware and protects incoming freshmen.”
Hauger agreed.
“It gets the word out,” Hauger said. “It reminds us to stick together and protect people from hazing.”Even though the value of the event is still recognized, some students said hazing is not as big as of a problem as it used to be at UI.

“I don’t feel it’s a huge problem,” said Jill Smith, Panhellenic vice president of programming.” I think it’s a lot less of a problem here than other campuses.”
What qualifies as hazing differs depending on who is speaking.
“Hazing is a broad term,” Hauger said. “Almost anything can be used as hazing, even something as simple as being required to go to a meeting.”
The UI student code of conduct does not directly define what hazing is. Article three – “Physical Abuse, Hazing, or Harassment”— states living together in a university community requires respect for the rights of fellow members of that community to pursue their academic goals and to participate in lawful campus or UI activities and lists.

It also lists harassment, hazing, detention, threats, intimidation, coercion, physical abuse and similar actions, undertaken knowingly are violations of the code.  
All of these things are commonly associated with abuse but still leaves a broad idea of hazing.
Scott Smith, Interfraternity Council president, is currently working on a new hazing policy specifically, in reference to the student code of conduct and Idaho laws.

“Hazing can be anything from paddling to sleep deprivation, excessive drinking, scavenger hunts, random pointless tasks, yelling or even chores,” Scott Smith said.
“I see hazing as more of anything such as embarrassment, or mental and physical abuse,” Hauger said.

J. D. Schmidt, a junior and Delta Chi member said he thinks anything a student feels pressured into doing is a form of hazing.
“We have a thing called date dash where you go out and grab a date,” he said. “This can make people uncomfortable, but you won’t be pressured into doing it.”  
The stereotype linking Greek life with hazing is why Church said this event is so important.
“I’ve heard terrible stories of hazing,” Hauger said. “Sororities stripping girls down and marking with marker where they should lose weight, but these things really don’t happen here anymore.”

According to Schmidt, Delta Chi and other fraternities have a strict no hazing policy.
“Anyone here can talk to another member or the president if they feel uncomfortable,” he said.
Hazing Prevention Week will continue through Friday. There will be a booth set up Monday through Tuesday in the Student Union Building.  Information such as Idaho hazing laws, hazing hotlines and ribbons will be given out.  
Wednesday will feature speaker David Stollman with “Buy In or Get Out” who will go over the values and ideals of Greek Life.

	1. 24-09-2008 15:02
	Reheated Leftovers Puh-leeze - why must the Argonaut portray anti-hazing week as a response to a crisis, sensationalized by a fabricated picture of someone's hands duct-taped to a liquor bottle? It's the same negative, anti-greek undercurrent the Argonaut tried to pass as news when I attended UI fifteen years ago. It is particularly disingenuous where there haven't been any significant events, or reports of events, since then.    Also, I am disappointed in the definitions of "hazing" offered by the students quoted. This is an institution of higher learning, people, and it should be painfully obvious that comments resulting in hurt feelings or embarrassment, unless they are about someone's immutable characteristics like gender, race, handicap, or other protected area (and therefore in violation of the UI's anti-discrimination policy) are constitutionally protected free speech, period, and cannot be used as a basis for accusations of "hazing."    Arguably, better minds (a great many of whom are UI grads and former Greeks) have already decided this issue, having voted and enacted state laws defining hazing. Therefore, anything else the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Council (or whatever it's called now) and/or the University administration has dreamed up and either imposed on the Greek system, or induced it to impose upon itself, or is considering, is superfluous garbage that should be stricken or rejected, as the case may be.    Cheers for keeping the anti-hazing message going, but Jeers for the way it has been presented and to the students who bleated "feel good" idealistic nonsense. Registered

Observant Alumnus

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