When you hear the word "hazing," what comes to mind? Is it the stories you've heard about the boy who was forced to drink himself to death or the blindfolded girl who was thrown out of a moving car by her sisters? Because to me, that is what comes to mind. This past week, fellow Odyssey writer, Frank Hunter, wrote an article in support of the word hazing and after reading it, I was both appalled and bothered. I recognize on a forum such as this that we are all immensely entitled to our own opinion; however, to say you support something that has cost hundreds of young adults their lives is something I couldn't look away from.
Hunter claims that the definition he goes by in his article is "the subjection to harassment and ridicule" that is performed by fraternities, sororities, sports teams and military groups. Through this type of ridicule and harassment, the people who are being "subjected" to the ridicule are supposed to take it and love it because, hey, we are the ones who want to be in a group. Hunter claims without hazing our "membership is the equivalent to a participation trophy." Hunter also discusses the type of camaraderie these kinds of experiences build: brotherhood/sisterhood as well as a sense of "respect" for our "temporary overlords."
Well, let me start by saying, I don't know anything about the way fraternities orchestrate their recruitment process, but I know for a fact that recruitment for a sorority is anything but a participation trophy. We line ourselves up day in and out in hopes of finding a place to call home for the next four years. We are all carefully selected by the entire chapter to be offered membership, and when we do, we are greeted with love and excitement. We earned our spot by having good grades, great resumes, sparkling personalities, and were hand-picked to enrich the chapter. In the same way, becoming members of athletic teams and military groups are no walk in the park. Athletic teams require years of training, giving their all to a sport, making it their livelihood. Teams require trying-out and if they don't make it, that's just the run of their lot. However, by making the team, they now can have the pride in knowing they have worked so hard already for a position they have now earned. Men and women who put themselves in military service exhibit true bravery, and the sacrifice they make for their country should never be equivocated to a participation award.
Hunter wants to talk about our generation having no respect? How about having the respect for your own body and your own self to not let anyone treat you like garbage just so you can get in a club? I'll admit, our generation does have a problem with entitlement and grasping the concept of respect, however, to say hazing is a way to teach it will never be all right. Are these rituals required to build the camaraderie we are all striving for when joining a group? Absolutely not; you build it by going to events, practicing hard, talking with one another and actually building real friendships. There are certain things new members have to do, but this is not hazing; it's called paying your dues. Making me work a shift at our philanthropy event is not hazing. My elders earned my respect based on their character: their kindness, outreach, attempts to include new members, that is what warrants respect. If those same girls were to demand respect from me based on cruel actions, they would never get it.
I think the part that gets to me the most is when he begins to say "hazing is perfectly OK within certain boundaries," and that initiates should "sign a contract that gives the members of that organization the ability to commit specific actions upon them." There are already guidelines in the way you are meant to treat people, (aka morals, the Constitution and the law) and guess what people overstep them time and time again resulting in people's deaths. This is the problem: people are losing their lives because others in their "power" can't control themselves—initiation into anything isn't worth their life. He goes against his argument countless times saying he is not "in support of putting them in danger," however by the definition he chose to use, this is what he is advocating. Maybe next time, he should define it by his own terms because with a word like this you can't just use Wikipedia, my friend.
Hazing is a problem in this country, and again I will give Hunter the benefit of the doubt that the hazing he refers to is more along the lines of discipline; however, this is a horrible word to hide behind. Hazing is a dark, disturbing, hateful word that plagues Greek life, sports teams and military groups in the form of a stereotype that Hunter is putting on all of us. Hazing is not and will never be OK. Have some respect for yourselves and don't let anyone ever tell you this sort of behavior is all right.
