Brotherhood shouldnt hurt
 

Our greek advisor sent this to us this week. FYI

Presidents, IFC/PHC Exec, Chapter Advisors, Faculty/Staff Advisors, Order of
Omega, and Rho Lambda:

I thought this was a great article to send out to all y'all. Please read and forward to your members.

Misty

**************************
The Daily Illini
Tuesday, November 6, 2001

EDITORIAL

Brotherhood shouldn't hurt

Some fraternities just don't get it. Hazing doesn't build strong
relationships; it tears people down. It messes with people's minds. It doesn't get you friends; it makes people afraid of you.

If you think that's what friendship and "brotherhood" is all about,
you are sorely mistaken. The greek community is supposed to be like a family, right? But, families don't treat each other like that.

When a lot of people think of hazing, they think of the noticeable
physical effects on pledges. They see things like the bruises and
markings on the body of one student who was found locked in a
bathroom Monday at Hopkins Hall.

But the idea behind hazing is psychological. You break people down, physically and mentally, until they are vulnerable. Sleep deprivation is one of the most common forms of hazing. Fraternities don't do it because it's uncomfortable or hard to get through - they do it to mess with your mind. When fraternity pledges are vulnerable together, they learn to cling to each other.

This is just plain disturbing. If you need to psychologically
rearrange people's minds in order to force friendships on one
another, you should re-evaluate the definition of friendship.

Not all fraternities, by any means, haze their pledges. The few that do give the rest of the greek community a bad name.

There are some rituals pledges must go through year after year that aren't necessarily hazing; they're just a way to earn respect. It's similar to the way the newest member of a sports team has to carry the bag of a veteran player. Making pledges clean the house is one thing; manipulating their minds and physically beating them is another.

There is a level of secrecy in greek organizations that most who
aren't greek don't understand. But there is a big difference between keeping harmless rituals secret to form bonds and keeping things secret because you're afraid that telling someone about the abuses you've incurred could get you in trouble.

The University should be inviting fraternity members who want to
report incidents of hazing. There should be an office that handles
anonymous complaints. Hazing on this campus is sort of like sexual assault - it happens, but the victims are either too scared to say something or don't know that they were victimized.

The student who came forward and informed the University about hazing violations realized the seriousness of the issue. He was much braver and more mature than any of the fraternity members who feel like they have to beat people up and tear them down in order to make friends.

It good that the University is taking the allegations seriously. The
Phi Delta Theta charter has been temporarily revoked because of
hazing violations. It's also nice to know the University is being
open and public about their actions. We should all be aware of hazing incidents on this campus, especially those who look forward to rushing a fraternity; they should know what to avoid. They should know that hazing doesn't always happen and there are houses out there that don't have to beat up their pledges to form lasting brotherhood.

© 2001 Illini Media Company, all rights reserved.

This was the the most respectable article about Greeks I have ever seen in the Daily Illini. It is very true, and I was pleased that they acknowledged that these are isolated incidents.

Wow. I am very impressed. I know that not all school/national news media give the Greek system a fair and un-baised view, but it's nice to know the ones that do. I hope somone sent a letter to the editor thanking them for being impartial and sensible.

No, not if you saw what they publish about Greeks every other day of the week.

You know (and I'm not knocking all you Journalism majors out there) I wish that just once there would be a paper that *only* put up all the good things Greeks do... and I'm very confident that an article could be written everyday!

Excellent article.

But that wouldn't be good Journalism would it? Unless, of course, Greeks never did bad things.

Nothing is generally all good or all bad.

As I heard a Native American (although he, as I do, called himself an Indian) on NPR this morning, point out that if there is a stereotype, it's generally bacause some amount of behavior or history helped form it. He was talking about stereotypical Indian drunken street people.

Again, we can't keep simply blaming the media for our bad press. We have to clean up our act so they have nothing to report.

DeltaAlum that is to True! The article is what it is really like.

We make our bed so we as a Group must lay in it!:(

LXA is not pure as we have seen and is no other Greek Org.

We are our own worst enamies so to speak.:eek:

Now from one Tom To another, if you are Indian, if we some day meet, can you have Booze? If you do, you wont go crazy on me and try to give me a hair cut!:)

I love good jounrnalism, ha if it aint bad, it anint good!

Try finding good news in your local Media well until you get to the Funny Papers!:(

Greeks can be the epitome of stupidity at many times!:o

Your hair is safe with me, and I have been known to take a few nips on occassion. But not since last night.

Next time I'm driving thru KC, we can have a shooter or two at the Golden Ox (or is it Golden Lamb?) down by Kemper. It's owned by a Delt.

I hate to admit this, but it would be a failed paper - remember, it's the "juicy" news that sells - our culture feeds on the misfortune of others, not in celebrating when we do right...

I remember a couple of TV news stations in the mid to late 90's that actually tried to open the first 10 minutes or so of their broadcast with nothing but the "good" news items of the day. Their ratings plummetted, and they were forced to revert to the old tried and true ways of reporting - blood and gore gets the public's attention.

I think this has to do with society's mindset that things we "expect" to happen (i.e. greeks doing what we say we are supposed to do - philanthropy, positive social events, etc...) aren't "newsworthy", but when we fail to live up to expectations, that is front page news - and it unfortunately happens all to often. The eventual outcome of this is that our expectations are being lowered in society's eyes - and I can't think of what can be done to correct this.

I've had a chapter I advised constantly submit "positive" stories on our philanthropies, etc...to the campus paper, but they weren't printed because they weren't "news." But my-oh-my, when they were (falsely, later proven) accused of doing something very wrong, it was the front page story for days - and that very publicity did the chapter in - the damage was undoable.

LXAAlum, that is so true!

The Sigma Nu Chapter at U Ks (Whether it was Hazing or not) was on ALL TV Stations in KC area and in the KC Star Today! A Pledge was injured in a Pledging Ceremony! Investigation to fallow by the Um. The City Cops, Sheriff Dept. and Prosocuters Office! Let alone by S N National. Damn, talk about over kill!

Honeykiss said the same went for Witchata also, which means it was at the very least State Wide!:(

They are just across the Street from the LXA house and near where the New AGD house is to be built!

DeltaAlum, now that I feel my Hair is safe, Dude Ya got to Call and We go to the OX (Lamb) :cool:

Got a couch you can flop on! It aint bad, I did it enuff before I got divorced!:D

good article

Garth, for your info. 6 Fraternitys on Campus, 3 Soros.

We partnered up with The ST for Home coming!!!!!

Guys from both actually had a good time getting to meet each other! DA!:)

The STG House is right on Campus being the Old Pres of School House. Damn does the U want that Land!:( Of course wont want to give anything for it!:( :mad:

Always like the Badge and the fact was started in Mo.:cool:

question...
 

I have a question: how could anyone who has never experienced a "pledging" or "hazing" process be qualified to judge its value?

Q!
 

enlight, a point so well taken!:)

But that is the problem. Those who maybe have not are the ones who sit in judgement.

They sit and hear from both jusdicial sides and make a judgement! They make it from what is read in the media! Greeks are Stupid, Greeks do stupid things!:( Ergo, anything that Greeks do is Wrong!:rolleyes:

At one time All of the Supreme Court Justices of Nevada were LXA!:cool:

Whether Right or Wrong, everytime something happens, it affects us all!:confused: