Hazing may be dwindling out
Hazing is an initiation process for particular groups and usually involves some type of harassment.
Brian Clark, sophomore majoring in English, said he thinks hazing is anything physical or mental that demeans a person.
Although there are reports that hazing is used in sports, the military, and high school, hazing is often associated with fraternities and sororities. But Clark said the lives of fraternity and sorority members portrayed in shows like “Animal House” or “Greek” don’t always paint an accurate picture.
“They’re clichés,” he said.
Clark member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity, and said his fraternity is completely against hazing. Clark said Sigma Nu was formed by James Frank Hopkins, Greenfield Quarles and James McIlvane Riley in 1869. Since Hopkins had been a witness to hazing by upperclassmen, Clark said Hopkins decided to not put up with it. Quarles and Riley agreed with the idea and formed the fraternity, trying to abolish the hazing at VMI Clark said. Now, Clark said Sigma Nu members are taught to build relationships in positive ways.
Hazing is supposedly used to create a bond between the older brothers or sisters and those pledging the fraternity/sorority. Clark said he doesn’t agree with this. He said hazing “separates them and humiliates them” instead of forming a bond.
Fraternities have a week of initiation during which older members take on pledges and form an emotional bond.
Sam White, undeclared sophomore pledging Sigma Chi, said initiation isn’t that bad.
“(It’s) mental, mostly just random comments and no one is beaten,” White said.
Clark and White both said initiation is the closest their fraternities have come to hazing.
Clark, however, said he thinks it may still be out there. Since being hazed in high school when he joined the football team, Clark said he is against hazing completely.
White said he has heard about general hazing, but not recently at USU.
“It’s horrible and should never be done,” White said. “If my brothers hazed me, I wouldn’t want to be with them, I wouldn’t feel a bond. I think it’s stupid.”
For more information about hazing, please visit stophazing.com or insidehazing.com.
-k.bodily@aggiemail.usu.edu