Heh, stole this post from the main board....
 

Court TV, Thurs. 10 p.m.: The Horrors of Hazing
* Teens today are willing to risk serious injury and even death to be accepted by the "right" clique. Evidence: fraternity and sorority hazing incidents led to the deaths of 20 college students in the past five years.

Al Roker explores this dangerous trend in his documentary, "The Horrors of Hazing."

Airing 10 p.m. Thursday on Court TV, it examines cultural, psychological and legal aspects of hazing through interviews with investigators as well as members of groups that practice these rituals -- and family members of victims.

Amazing. People don't realize how much hazing goes on for sports teams on both the college and high school level. That is the real problem, not greek organizations. Most of the time the school sweeps it underneath the rug to save their star athelete or sports program.

Agree 100%. I heard a cute story while active at Vandy
several years ago.

One of the frats, Phi K Sigma I think, was brought before a
"tribunal" (admin) accused of hazing. The pres was on the
"hot seat" and being raked across the coals. Apparently
a transcript was being made of the event, like a court
session.

At the time Vandy was in a "major crackdown" on hazing,
and vowed to get rid of any organization that did it.

In frustration the Phi Sig pres, who was also in ROTC,
said, "Look, we don't do anything NEAR what goes on
in ROTC, give us a break!" (or something like that).

The "judge" immediately ordered that statement
"stricken from the record", because if it stayed, it would
be official evidence that ROTC hazed, and as such
would mean an official investigation which everyone knew
would lead to ROTC being banned from campus, if "the
rules" were followed. And of course Vandy would never
want to ban ROTC from campus!

did anyone watch the show tonight?

I did. It was a bit sensational. There was no 'other side' greeks who DONT haze and DONT advocate the use of hazing. There was no showing of or mention that "the vast majority of nationally affilliated fraternity and sorority members dont haze."

Hes a weatherman, not a reporter. Ugh.

Also, yeah, the ben klein deal was w/a national org, but I am FED UP with locals pulling stunts and the rest of us catching flack for it. Were apples and oranges. We have national accountability. They have NONE. So sick of it.

Also, Alexandra Robbins, the non-greek author who is a self described expert on greeks was saying that pledging shoudl be eliminated. "Anytime you have hirearchies, there going to be abuses." BS, our society is built on hirearchies. Abuseive systems need to be eliminated. If Sigma Nu wants to have pledges, great, let em. Its their right.

While Robbins may not be a 'Greek' she does however at least have some insider insight into the 'exlusive/secret society' life. I personally give her more credit than the outsiderer looking in....

Now as fo locals... I've dealt with that system.. and while it did have it benefits (sororities throwing the keggers) it was ultimately self-limiting - no really potential for growth unless they where willing to abandon the "we'll party who gives a damn" attitude and come to the understandind that what they do no matter how indirect - has an impact on GLOs and more importantly an image issue.

That being said I had a lot of respect for the attitudes and standards that some locals at Carleton University where trying to uphold.

The Sorority that was highlighted in the show was "underground"/"off-campus"/"not recognized by the University". These are the groups that scare me...

They have no oversight or control from some other body, whether it is a National HQ or the University.

In 16 years, when my daughter goes to college, that is the first question I am asking if she is interested in a sorority -- "Is it a National group? If not, you're not!"

in ZAX,
Eric

The supposed premise was that 20 college students died from hazing in the past 5 years, mostly from alcohol, according to the promos. That would average 3 from alcohol each year. The National Safely Council lists 303 accidental deaths from alcohol poisoning in 2001. Three out of 303 is less than 1% - of accidental death from alcohol. Let's do a big expose on that.

It was ridiculous. Not only was the over-the-top hazing done by a sorority that's been operating sub-rosa since 1985 ("many fraternities prefer to be unrecognized and off campus" - oh really?), but the ZBT brother we are lead to believe throughout the show was murdered turns out to have died from an overdose.

The message? Hazing starts in middle and high schools, which turn a blind eye. Alfred bans all GLOs because a kid died from an overdose. And the cop says it's had a very beneficial effect. What a load of media bullshit.

Al Roker is right up there - excuse me, right down there - with Geraldo.

Some say that if a show like that prevents even one hazing death, it's worth it. I say if it deters even one person from joining a good fraternity, it was not!

ZAX,
Jono

I would like to see the reporter go into my old high school locker room during the beginning of hockey and football season! There you will see what hazing is.

Also my old high school used to have one of the last high school sororities in the nation. Of course it was underground but it was pretty popular, only the cool girls got in. Every year as initiation they would take the new girls and absolutely humiliate them throughout the day and do degrading acts that I will not describe here.

I would love the stats on stuff like deaths in a dorm, murders from drug deals on campus, sports related deaths, etc, etc...

GammaZeta, while We as Greeks all lnow this it to true, it points out the inequtie of What Greeks Do Compared to the Rest Of The Friggen Campus Orgs. doesnt it? So, then it means We as Greeks Have to be squeaky cleaner than everyone one else.

We are the higher profile people!:o

so Eric you would not let your daughter join a local sorority.
I know alot of great girls that went thought a local and i think from what i see with them is that locals are a little bit closer then national Sorority girls. Dont get me wrong nation sorority girls are close but i just see that this sorority is closer then the other two on campuss.

in Zax

ChopperLI905,

In reading your question and my posting, I need to clarify my response. I would let my daughter join a local only if it is recognized and controlled by the university. The underground organizations, like the sorority in the special, are the ones that I have issue with, since there is no regulating entity.

The key factor is it must be recognized by the university or have an HQ.

As for my son, he is only going to join one GLO...ours!

in ZAX,
Eric

As Eric said, there can be a huge difference among Locals.

Remember, at one time LXA was a Local!

Remember also, if said Locals were following the Regulations and Rules set down by Greeks as a whole and The College then there is a big difference.

But, as We have seen, many times, there is no real control of some and when A Local causes a problem, then We as Greeks also pay.

Several Schools, (Alfred in NY is a prime example) A:: Greels were kicked off of campus and the school.:(

So being a Local is not a no no, as I started a Local and Affiliated with LXA.

While as a Local they maybe very close, but upon Graduation, then what? Do they have the contacts and closeness of all of us on GC and other areas? Can they call on their members as we can?

Oh Yes, there is a big difference, but I dont look down My nose at them. We too were once a Local!

We had a local at Umass, Alpha Tau Gamma. It originally started as a farming fraternity when Umass was Mass. Agricultural. To this day they are almost exclusively from the Stockbridge School, a part of Umass focused on farming, etc. Great bunch of guys. Their alumni own almost all of the fraternity houses on frat row and a few others across campus. Their alumni are concentrated mostly in the New England area so they are never too far from Umass. Even being a local, they probably have the strongest alumni support out of any fraternity at Umass. The alumni do everything from financial management, putting on additions to maintaining the house. We also have a local sorority, Iotta Gamma Upsilon, with amazing alumni support.

I actually think that ATG has great closeness outside of Umass and after graduation. However I think that is because it is a fraternity based on a specific major, allowing alumni to help the new graduates in the working world.