Blindfolds as Hazing?
 

I'd like information as to under what conditions blindfolding constitutes hazing as a legal matter or by various GLO, GLO Council or FIPG regulations. I believe that Alpha Phi Omega's (Service greek, member PFA) current rules are Blindfolds may be used, but should not be used if it conflicts with School rules or state law.

Randolph Finder
Alpha Phi Omega alumnus

Blindfolding. Always hazing in my group's book.

Laws vary from state to state. Here's Oklahoma's current definition of hazing:

My guess would be that blindfolds in most states are a-ok by themselves and not indicia of hazing per se. However, as I'm sure you can imagine, it wouldn't be difficult to imagine a situation where the blindfold might be used as part of an overall hazing act.

My advice is to know your own state's laws and to consult an attorney if you're still not sure. Your state's Bar Association probably sponsors a "Pro Bono Day" where you can get quick, free advice from an attorney if your group doesn't have an alum who can help you out here.

Caveat
 

The use of Blindfolds in this case is specifically as part of the Nationally designated rituals and the caveat about school rules and state laws is written in the ritual.

Whether hazing or not, they are usually considered bad risk management. The risk of injury while blindfolded is increased too much, especially when you hear about things like being triple blindfolded in a moving car on the freeway...

I would have to agree. If you look at the history of many chapter's ritual, it can be traced back to the Masons. There, blindfolds were used on the uninitiated, due to the fact that they were not yet worthy to see that of the initiated.


But truthfully, it could go either way. If acting in sound mind, I see nothing wrong with blindfolds in ritual and such. However, blindfolds used for anything outside what is prescribed by the respective IHQ would have to be defined as hazing.

Assuming you don't mean that the blindfoldee is driving, how is risk increased?

There are no cars or freeways involved in APO ritual.

Haha, I just got a hilarious mental picture.

I don't think the risk of injury is increased when you are blindfolded (ok yeah, maybe you'll trip over a rock or something but nothing out of the ordinary). I think not being able to tell what is going on around you and what is being done or could be done to you is the real risk.

My guess here is that the "risk" of injury - aside from obvious physical maladies, is mental. Depriving someone of their senses can be viewed as hazing. It may cause fear and therefore, intimidation.

Now, when I was in high school, I went on a retreat called "Emmaus". It was the thing to do for Catholic students. Anyway, we had something called the "trust walk", wherein the student who has not been on the retreat before is blindfolded, and two other students who have "made their trip to Emmaus" guided the new person.

It was scary, but fun, because it made you trust the people you were with. There were rules, however. No bumping into trees and stuff. Yeah, it was outside. The worst thing we did to the new kids was to pretend we were crawling under a bush, so all three of us had to get on the ground and crawl. But we were supervised by many chaperones and Catholic guilt, and no one could leave the designated area.

There have been auto accidents where some of the passengers in the car were blindfolded on the way to a "secret" location and weren't able to evacuate the car quickly, immediately assess the situation, get their blind folds off, etc.

Not from experience by any means, but I would probably just stay away from even driving people around that are blindfolded. Just think how awkward it would look to a policeman if you got pulled over lol.

I think the risk management issue comes into play when the people who aren't blindfolded do stupid things...like "Let's drive all swervey to scare the pledges" and end up getting into a car accident.

This line of reasoning is scary. The pledge voting process itself causes fear that they will not "make the vote," ergo intimidation, ergo hazing by your definition.

Using your logic, I can say that just about anything is hazing.

Sensory deprivation is (in my opinion) proper used correctly, for example:
1) Trust exercises -- what organization would characterize going to a ropes course as being "hazing"? If there's still sanity, not one. Ropes courses routinely employ trust exercises, such as the "trust fall."

2) Team building: Sigma Nu's LEAD program actually has a module in which communication and teamwork are examined. In doing this, all of the participants are blindfolded except for a "leader" and an "observer." The participants have no idea what they're blindfolded for. The leader is handed a bucket of legos and a plan. He then dumps the legos out and instructs the participants as to how to build the project (the leader can't touch the legos) while the observer takes notes. That is programming directly from on-high for Sigma Nu.

3) Ritual.

Thanks for the chuckle.