Hazing: University of Colorado: Alpha Phi
 

Through the magic of cable television, the NBC affiliate in Denver is reporting that the University Of Colorado chapter of Alpha Phi is facing hazing and underage drinking allegations involving freshman new members and being forced to drink. I was unable to find a link on this to on the 9news.com.

Apparently, this is not the first time the chapter has had issues with hazing. The reporter mentioned that someone had fallen from the house a while back and received injuries.

From what I know, Alpha Phi's house at the University of Colorado is the old
Alpha Omicron Pi's house. Alpha Phi put a lot of money into refurbishing the house. What ashame to have this happen.

I believe that there are other greekchat members from the University of Colorado on here. Perhaps they can elaborate and/or clarify.

***Moderators, I apologize if this sounds like hearsay. However, I did hear this on the news. I am unable to find a link to post. I understand if you feel the need to remove this or edit.

These two are related how??

"Last Feburary, a student fell off the roof of the same sorority after being intoxicated as part of a hazing incident"

That's about as ambiguous as it can be. An initiated sister could have fallen off the roof when she was just sitting there drinking and doing nothing.

My point is don't post this stuff unless you've got links that explain it.

Working on the assumption that the reporter fact-checked, two hazing events serious enough to warrant media attention indicates a problem.

I was up this past weekend for Homecoming and heard a very different account of this incident than what is written in any of the articles I have read or found (the same applies to February's incident, when I was still living next door). However, since I can't back any of this up with an article, and do not want to promote hearsay, I will refer you all to the following:

Recent incident: http://www.coloradodaily.com/cu-boul...#axzz13IjpwSXv

Incident last February: http://www.coloradodaily.com/ci_14448705#axzz13IlJMbtd

I would like to clarify, though, that February's incident was not caused by hazing, as far as I remember, and the member involved was an initiated, albeit underage, sister.

From the Boulder daily Camera Oct. 25 online issue:

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_16428939

Excerpts:

An internal investigation of a hazing incident at the Alpha Phi sorority found that sorority sisters pressured a new member to drink several shots of alcohol.

Leaders with Alpha Phi International say they will continue to investigate the alleged hazing incident at its University of Colorado chapter.

"Thus far, we believe the incident was isolated to one new member of Alpha Phi who was pressured by other members to drink several shots of alcohol," said Linda Kahangi, executive director of Alpha Phi . . . . "Each member involved has a judiciary board hearing scheduled and will be dealt with individually.

Kahangi told the Camera that the sorority is not aware of any physical abuse.

"What we understand so far is that she was verball encouraged to drink," she said. . . .

I hope the individual girls do actually get punished for this. Many freshmen don't have the balls or know-how to face a situation like that and just say no, especially if they're afraid of being shunned, kicked out, etc. The urge to fit in is very strong. I have no sympathy for "verbally encouraging" someone to do something that is potentially dangerous.

This happens in fraternities as well, and I've seen it on my campus where a bid is given and then new members are taken to a party to drink (I've even heard people say to learn how to drink in a safe place). I'm really not okay with it for various reasons, but how many new members will be able to say NO if they don't know anyone outside this new group they joined, and also people could come from a background with alcohol abuse in their family, or even of their own. There are so many opportunities to party in college that I wish we (meaning Greeks) could give people a little space and not do this to people right off the bat. Even though women's groups are having alcohol and man free bid day events, that doesn't mean there isn't booze the next day.

Granted this can be completely different for other schools, but in the case of here students receive bids and move into chapter facilities before they have even attended one class. Even if rush is second semester people want to fit in, be accepted, and be liked, and saying no to an uncomfortable situation is difficult for a lot of people.

I hear of it all the time in fraternities, though less so in sororities, which I think is mostly because of the more strict rules. Back on my Bid Day a bunch of us went to various houses and then the bar in town. The difference was that hours before at the sorority's Bid Day party girls who were going out announced that they were and that anyone was welcome...and the girls in the chapter that didn't drink or just didn't feel like it made it known that they were going too (or had other plans), and that it was just fine to drink nothing, or skip parties and the bar all together. Many in my pledge class drank underage as you'd expect, but many didn't and they were always made to feel included in whatever going out adventure was available on any given night. I drank, but I honestly never felt pressured to drink the entire time I was an active. We didn't do everything right, but I was always glad we had a nice even mix of partiers and non-partiers so that no one got left out or felt the need to change their habits in order to fit in when it came to the choice to drink or not.

I think that our schools are different, and that's the issue here. I know there are parties where women are taken off campus as a group after sorority bid day but before fraternity bid day, and the point is to have alcohol, and it always happens off campus. Women go, even if they don't drink, because they want to be part of the group and everyone else is going. Trying to get home is difficult because you are new on campus, even if you're a sober driver, and so there's a pressure to be with the group even if one isn't drinking. There are very few 17 & 18 year old women who can say they don't want to drink or go, and I find it ridiculous that we have to do this right off the bat. (As a complete aside I don't think we should be "teach people to drink" because there are a lot of opportunities for experimentation and we should work on helping people adjust and feel comfortable, and I'm a huge fan of delayed recruitment and not living in the chapter facility right off the bat.)

The norm here is for a fraternity to have a camping trip for their bid day and women are going to this, off campus. New members are leaving campus, there's alcohol involved, and I wish we weren't creating/supporting risk management situations for people who haven't attended class yet and we are their whole world. Not to say things can't happen at an on campus party, but at least women could walk home and be able to get away from a situation that they don't want to be in. I know there are some men who are new members who are uncomfortable joining and right away girls and booze but they talk about it less because of their own gender/fraternity culture.

Maybe I'm an old lady and I bought into the "values based" buzz word, but I really wish we'd look at our behavior and actions and have a critical eye and own our contributions to how we're viewed and what our purpose as organizations are, and how it conflicts and mimics college and young culture as a whole.

Um, this is totally ridiculous, if you read the article. Some members encouraged the NM to drink her own alcohol? Sounds like Suzie NM got in trouble with her RA and tried to pass the buck.

^I have to agree, at least a little. The account in the Camera's article is much closer to what I heard over the weekend.

Or "take a shot, take a shot, take a shot *bleep* take a shot. If you can't take a shot like a XY can...." etc.

We don't know whether it was pressured or not without being there.

No, we don't, but if I go to the gym with a new member and she is having trouble on the treadmill, and I yell "C'mon Suzie! Don't quit now! Finish that f*cking workout!", am I hazing her? Well, I'm encouraging her to do something she doesn't want to do, aren't I?

One's illegal, one's not.

One's probably specifically prohibited by hazing regulations/laws/restrictions whatever, one's probably not.

If you told her/ gave her the impression/ pressured her with the idea that she wouldn't be accepted by the sorority if she didn't finish running. And there were 10 actives standing around her saying the same thing. Yeah at some point you're hazing. Your assumption is that she wanted to drink and then lied about it later. Big assumption.

What's illegal? Was she underage? If so, she probably shouldn't have had alcohol in her dorm in the first place.

True, because our recruitment is usually a couple of weeks after school starts, and the campus atmosphere isn't Greek/party oriented. You're far less likely to feel like you have to drink to fit in from the start due to the student population itself. And when I said I'm glad my chapter had a mix and didn't end up with a drinking-focus, I didn't mean to imply that isn't the case for the other chapters on campus, because it is. Generally speaking we all have friends across organizations and they all seem to have that same mix. We also have a chance to make friends prior to recruitment and experience a mix of social activities. I'm sure it would be very different if recruitment was held before school and freshmen hadn't yet been exposed to what other social activities the campus had to offer. It's also a small campus and the only two fraternity houses are within easy walking distance of the dorms, as are the only two bars. I do recognize that it's a more laid back atmosphere for these reasons and not just due to the Greeks themselves.

But even on campuses where recruitment is before school and the student population is party oriented if just a few sisters in the chapter that didn't drink (or just chose not to that night) were there to hang out with the new girls, they could see that they can still have fun. And everyone can get home safe.

This^. It's a very big assumption, and like many have pointed out, freshmen who are new on campus and have only this one group of friends aren't likely to extract themselves from that situation without giving in. And I don't blame them.

She didn't hop her ass onto the treadmill because she's a NM. Susie did it because Susie wants to be in shape; and you are giving positive reinforcement.

If you told her she better finish on the treadmill or her NM status will be harmed, that is hazing. If you increased the speed from 5.0 on the jog to 7.0 on the run against her consent and told her she better finish or her life as an XYZ will be shitty, that is hazing.

ETA: Ditto to what Drolefille said. :D

And I am saying, from the details presented in the article, there is no evidence that the members did anything more than say "c'mon, let's all do a shot!"

"C'mon let's all do a shot" can feel like "you better do a shot" when we're talking about teenagers (they are still teenagers, right?).

Lesson learned: Stop with the underaged (binge) drinking OR be willing to face whatever consequences you are getting yourself into.

It's unlikely that would cause such a big stink. But you are reaching to assume the girl is just a bitch who regretted drinking. There are ways to inappropriately pressure someone without going drill sergeant on them.

Well said.

Is it confirmed that the NM was underage? I didn't see that in the article I read.

"The University of Colorado at Boulder is investigating a possible hazing incident involving a sorority and a group of freshman girls."

From the first article posted. It is a 99% chance that she's under 21 considering that she's most likely a traditional first year student and this is an NPC sorority.

Nor is there evidence that the new member lied to cover her own ass.

I'm pointing out that you're making that assumption here. All we know is that hazing was reported. Anything else is all about what you're bringing to the table.