An inside look at hazing and how it impacts Greek life for the worst
You would be surprised by what you could do when a large group of people pressures you into it.
Often people say that hazing is for people who are weak, and it could never happen to them. But hazing can happen to anyone, and is something even the strongest people can”t escape from.
Hazing also happens to be one of the biggest topics for Greek life on a national scale.
When new members get their houses on Bid Day, they think they”ve found their home for the rest of their college career. And their Greek house should feel like home, but the mere threat of hazing destroys that.
A lot of the problems in discussing the topic stem from how vague the matter is to people. The definition of hazing can be different for anyone, but it really shouldn”t be.
Anything you intentionally do to hurt another person is hazing. Hazing is doing something you wouldn”t normally do if you were asked casually.
No one should ever feel obligated to be a part of a fraternity or sorority if they feel uncomfortable.
In fact, a house is a place where you should feel the ability to be at your worst with the people who live there with you. You should always feel supported. Even as a new member, you should know that you are the new blood of the house but eventually you will run it, and you should feel nothing less than accepted from day one.
Sometimes the definition of hazing can get out of hand. Each member must personally define what hazing is by examining what makes them comfortable and uncomfortable in a house.
If your house is making you uncomfortable, always remember you have the ability to voice your opinion. You can become an involved member and change an organization from the inside. If your house turns out to not be what you are looking for, you can leave and find a place you can call home elsewhere.
People do not want to become Greek because of the negative stereotypes they hear. Greeks are against the idea of hazing.
It is by having members who don”t fit into the stereotypes, who are against hazing, who join to fight it from the inside that shape Greek houses to be so great.
When new members are hazed, they often feel as though they”ve lost their voice in the large crowd of other members around them. Starting this new chapter in their lives, they feel vulnerable. They don”t know what being in a Greek house should look and feel like.
The simple truth is that it should feel like home, and that means they need to know they have a voice.
Having a voice means having the strength to tell members when and if they are hurting your feelings, and to be comfortable when other members are speaking their minds.
Hazing can create one of the most toxic learning and social environments for students. It can create a pack-like mentality, where members team up to prey on the weak. It can change members in the worst ways. If a house is caught hazing, they could lose their charter in seconds.
This week is National Hazing Prevention Week for a reason. For both new and old Greek members, use this time to really think about what hazing is to you, and what that means for how you go about your daily lives in your house.
Alexander Milles can be reached at [email protected]