New greeks learn dangers of hazing
Hallie Nicholson
Senior Staff Writer
New fraternity and sorority members at Oklahoma State University learned about the dangers of hazing Wednesday night in the Student Union ballroom.
Judge Mitch Crane spoke to new members of the greek system about what constitutes hazing, how to prevent it and what to do if it happens. This was his second year to speak at OSU. Crane, an alumnus of Sigma Phi Epsilon at the University of Denver, has spoken to students at more than 300 campuses nationwide.
Hazing is defined as any activity expected of someone joining a group that humiliates, degrades or risks emotional or physical harm, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate, according to
http://www.stophazing.org.
Alcohol was one of the focal points of Crane’s speech. He stressed that alcohol is illegal for students under 21 and has no place in any new-member program. Crane also mentioned that alcohol is the cause of almost every hazing-related injury or death that occurs.
“Hazing isn’t just about alcohol,” Crane said. “It’s about making people do things that are dangerous and have nothing to do with the organization.”
Crane told the audience about incidences of hazing-related injuries or deaths at universities nationwide. The stories involved violence, alcohol abuse and humiliation.
Corey Scott, Interfraternity Council treasurer and member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, thought Crane’s use of real-life examples was effective in conveying the reality of hazing.
“Hazing doesn’t need to happen,” Scott said. “And if it does happen, people need to stick together and make it stop.”
During his speech, Crane mentioned that hazing usually starts small and seems harmless, but the behavior gets more severe and more dangerous as time passes. He told the audience they need to look out for one another and band together if any hazing or destructive behavior occurs.
“You have to think about the purpose of your organization,” Crane said. “You have to realize that drinking and partying are not the most important things about being a member of a greek house.”
Crane told the new members they should be informed of their expectations before joining their organization. Many new members of fraternities and sororities have already been told what to do if hazing occurs in their house.
“We’ve already been given a national hotline number to call if hazing happens,” said Ashley Boring, a freshman physiology major and new member of Pi Beta Phi.
Crane also had advice for older members of fraternities and sororities.
“Hazing new members is not worth the consequences that the whole greek system faces,” Crane said.
He mentioned that although the greek system has been alive in the United States for more than 200 years, it gets smaller with each year that passes. He hopes that greek students will learn things like leadership and the value of philanthropy during their college experience.
“Hazing isn’t about building better members,” Crane said. “It’s about control and tearing people down.”
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