Gray Areas of 'Hazing'

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by 33girl
We're not talking about who runs the country, we're talking about who runs colleges and universities which is not the same thing.

But what was being talked about, according to the post above by Spitz is "Who's running things."

That would include anti-hazing laws as well, I think, and politicians are making those -- as well as university administrations.

A few may have been hippies, but not the majority, I think.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by Little E
On the hippie thing, remember that a lot of people get much more conservative/mainstream once they begin to have families and larger responsibilities. I've seen, ok so this is my generation, a lot of hippies go very conservative as soon as they leave college. It is just an angry right position to say hippies control this country. If they did, we'd have a constitutional amendment that granted women equal rights, pot would be legalized, women's choice would not be threatend, we would not be in Iraq, religious groups would not be recieving federal money and Georgie would certainly not be our President...for the second term. This country is MUCH more conservative than most of the right will admit. You can see it in our federal spending, our foreign policy and in our domestic politics. I'm not whinning, just pointing it out.

Sorry for two posts in a row, but generally my experiences would have me tend to agree with this.

[Tom Earp]

Really, what difference does it make on what level things are being run and by whom?

Colleges are microcosism of a country are they not?

I am sure those of us must have been somewhat free spirited when we were in collge just as those today are trying to be.

So, some dont think scavenger hunts are bad, then why are they on a list of no no's for a hazing item? So if people had not screwed them up then it might have been alright. But they did didnt they!!! That unto itself lies the problem.

Remember two things:

1. Our National Organizations set the polocies.

2. We are the members of our National Orgaizations who vote on amendments that are to be followed by ALL of said Greek Organizatins members.

[AGDee]

Originally posted by 33girl

As far as Dee's comments about the scavenger hunts, they're not dangerous if they're done correctly. People are just too lazy to make rules that say scavenger hunts/interviews/whatever if conducted will be done in such and such a manner - it's easier to just ban everything. Of course, that fosters the "in for a buck, in for a quarter" mentality - if we're going to get busted for hazing for a scavenger hunt, we might as well go overboard with it.

The problem is that the people making the rules are the liability insurance carriers and they get to call the shots on this one.

[boz130]

True--back in the "purple haze" days of the '70's, we did all sorts of stuff that would now get our butts kicked off campus for 5 years.

The norm at that time: Parties where 10 kegs were lined up (and drained) by 300+ Greeks in a basement that probably would've been sanctioned to hold 100 people. Been there, did that, actually remember some of it...

The norm today: BYOB parties where sign-in sheets are turned in to Greek Affairs and attached to the event request form (w/copies going to the particular GLO's IHQ).

Is one better than the other? Not necessarily...however, it would be interesting to see research on how many alcohol-related deaths happened back in the "good old days" vs. today. I don't recall hearing about any during my UG days--could this be because of "binge-drinking"?

-BF

[33girl]

Originally posted by boz130
Is one better than the other? Not necessarily...however, it would be interesting to see research on how many alcohol-related deaths happened back in the "good old days" vs. today. I don't recall hearing about any during my UG days--could this be because of "binge-drinking"?

-BF

Yes.

You aren't allowed to drink in public so you drink a whole bottle in private.

[RUgreek]

Originally posted by AGDee
Scavenger hunts are not just a hazing issue, they are a risk managment issue. If you are racing around town trying to win a hunt, you are at high risk for injury (ex. running in front of a car because you're trying to dash to get back to the house first, driving dangerously because you're in a hurry, etc). For this reason, even alumnae chapters/clubs are forbidden from doing things like Road Rallies, which can be really fun, but carry a high risk of liability problems.

This is why I said they should educate the students on conducting "proper" hunts, and set up some reasonable boundaries. Once you keep alcohol out of it, there is hardly much of a risk management issue. If going around and collecting things is too risky for a pledge activity, what the hell are greeks doing for bonding activities today? Sitting around a camp fire and telling spooky stories? Oh wait, a camp fire, probably too risky to have one of those
Some rules are just demented in my opinion.


RUgreek

[adpiucf]

Originally posted by RUgreek
This is why I said they should educate the students on conducting "proper" hunts, and set up some reasonable boundaries. Once you keep alcohol out of it, there is hardly much of a risk management issue. If going around and collecting things is too risky for a pledge activity, what the hell are greeks doing for bonding activities today? Sitting around a camp fire and telling spooky stories? Oh wait, a camp fire, probably too risky to have one of those
Some rules are just demented in my opinion.

RUgreek

No matter how many fabulous national education programs are set in place, it only takes one stupid idiot to ruin it for the whole bunch. It happens all the time. Good national programs and something at the local level gets twisted.

So, the scavenger hunt privilege is abused one too many times, and is taken away. There are other "getting to know you" activities students may engage in.

Clarification: Risk Management isn't just about alcohol. And most traditional-age college students go with the mob mentality and are robbed of normally solid decision-making skills in their desire to fit in.

[33girl]

Originally posted by adpiucf
Clarification: Risk Management isn't just about alcohol. And most traditional-age college students go with the mob mentality and are robbed of normally solid decision-making skills in their desire to fit in.

Nice.

[honeychile]

Originally posted by adpiucf
No matter how many fabulous national education programs are set in place, it only takes one stupid idiot to ruin it for the whole bunch.

This should be engraved in 10" letters in ever chapter house, suite, or whatever!

I also liked lyrica9's quote, from wherever it came.

I've been used as an example as someone who was hazed, yet the very nastiest thing I can remember being forced to do was polishing the silver. We did horrible things like answering phones, going on scavenger hunts, and getting pledge books signed (read: "I really want to meet ___ the Delt, will you assign me to interview him?"). Most of what our pledge tasks were about was getting to know the sisters and how to become a good sister yourself.

BUT! Of course, there are the ones who think pledges should take the place of housekeepers, or worse, and those idiots are the ones who ruin it for everyone.

Each GLO HQ takes a long time to go over exactly what they consider hazing and what they don't. When you accept a bid from that GLO, you accept their policy - no options. So, as responsible Greeks, we must take a stand against hazing in ANY form, and try not to falsely glamorize to a New Member something that you wouldn't do yourself.

[33girl]

Originally posted by honeychile
When you accept a bid from that GLO, you accept their policy - no options.

I disagree.

I doubt very much that everyone who joined GLOs back when there were race/religion clauses would have done so if they had been made aware of them. There's a lot you don't know until after you're initiated.