From an opinion column in the Binghamton (State U. of New York - Binghamton) student paper for March 1, 2005.
Full column at
http://www.bupipedream.com/display_article.php?id=1847
Excerpt:
. . . If you talk to anyone who pledged, you will consistently hear accounts of brotherhood and bonding, along with stories of hardship. But these are usually complimented by laughter. Nevertheless, reports of brutal hazing must be treated seriously. The Inter Fraternity Council (IFC) is aware of this problem and is adapting in response to recent events. Though almost all student organizations haze, fraternities are getting the most heat because of widely publicized news reports of recent deaths associated with hazing. . . .
While the writer doesn't seem to be entirely "pro-hazing," what troubles me is the seeming acceptance of some "hardship" that, as we probably see too often, can quickly cross the line into the kind of "brutal hazing" that he rightly condems. Even more troubling is the assertion that "almost all student organizations haze." If that's true or reasonably close to the truth at Binghamton, then SUNY-Binghamton has a sweet little ticking time bomb on its hands. And so do the student organizations. Can't you just imagine, though, the fun that the insurance companies' rate-setting staffers are having right now as they look at coverage they may have for GLOs and others at Binghamton? Sure, it's work, but still it could help bost the companies' revenue streams.
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