If Hazing is Wrong, what's a better alternative?

[BadCat25]

Whatever any of you think about hazing the fact remains that if you haze your university will shut you down. Many of you just can't seem to understand that.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by BadCat25

Whatever any of you think about hazing the fact remains that if you haze your university will shut you down. Many of you just can't seem to understand that.

I think everyone understands that's a possibility (in some places more than others). Many just choose to ignore the law/university policy where this is concerned.

Hazing hasn't become an issue in recent years due to the morality of it all. I wish I could say our organizations were all so self-conscious regarding such moral issues. Hazing became bad juju because of the liability issues involved with it. That's why when you look at your organization's policy as to what constitutes hazing, you have some odd things there, e.g., scavenger hunts.

Be that as it may, the law is what the law is and our organization's and school's policies are what they are. We follow those rules or we suffer the consequences. If we think attaching a moralistic argument to it helps, so be it, the moral argument does fit and it does make sense within the context of today's culture and today's 'more evolved' state of morality.

As for effective alternatives, if you're part of a national organization, I guarantee that your national organization has developed some sort of national programming which you're probably being encouraged to adopt at the chapter level.

Through (most) national programming, we can provide those same rights of passage, engender that same loyalty, basically work to the same ends without placing the futures of our respective organizations (national and local) in jeopardy.

It's hard to discuss that with any particularity though -- national programming, while similar with some organizations is very dissimilar with others (e.g., Sig Ep).

[ECUJacob]

Ok...assuming you do use the point system right? How does that show any type of brotherhood. That just means that you have time to give to the organization.

All of the point sections pertain directly to personal development and increasing maturity appropriate for one's age. Five of the nine sections involve direct interaction with brothers and their fellow pledges. While doing those five items (community service, intramurals, chapter functions, etc.), brotherly bonds are formed and strengthened.

...why should I trust or treat this person any differently then anyone I could've met in any random club?

The same question could be asked of you regarding someone you've yelled at and scared into doing any sort of physical activity. When did brotherhood change from confidence, trustworthiness, and support to physical fitness, servitude, and displays of (non-existent) superiority? From my viewpoint, someone who fulfills all of the obligations in my OP are the prime example of what it means to be a good brother.

These 2 deaths aren't b/c of pushups. One is b/c of water intoxication and one is b/c he was basically beaten to death.

You're right. However, please note that the water intoxication took place while the pledges were doing physical activities (push ups). But I wasn't addressing that issue. I was proving your statement wrong from the original post:

However, out of the hundreds of news articles I've read and anti-hazing sites I've visited, I do not recall any that had someone dying b/c he/she was doing pushups/situps/running etc. They were all either drinking or being beaten to death.

The few examples I provided easily proved otherwise. Members don't only die from over-intoxication or accidents. At times, they suffer injuries (or death) at the hands of their "brothers".