When I first set out to write an article about Purdue’s policy on hazing, I was worried people would assume that I believe in hazing. I don’t haze. I think it’s pointless. By Purdue’s definition, however, almost everyone on campus takes part in hazing activities. Campus clubs, intramural teams, sports clubs and even classroom teachers all haze Purdue students.

When I first set out to write an article about Purdue’s policy on hazing, I was worried people would assume that I believe in hazing. I don’t haze. I think it’s pointless. By Purdue’s definition, however, almost everyone on campus takes part in hazing activities. Campus clubs, intramural teams, sports clubs and even classroom teachers all haze Purdue students.

Section B of Purdue’s policy against hazing specifically states, “Hazing means forcing or requiring another person, regardless of that person's consent, to perform an act…” Translation: if any member of a fraternity or sorority requires a pledge to do something that pledge doesn’t want to do, that is considered to be an act of hazing.

I want to thank whoever wrote this policy at Purdue because now my life makes sense. When my parents forced me to eat vegetables as a child, they were actually hazing me. When teachers give me homework assignments that I don’t consent to they, too, are hazing me. When Purdue forces new members of fraternities to take an online alcohol education class, they are, in fact, hazing that fraternity.

All sarcasm and jokes aside, the point I’m trying to make should seem obvious by now. Purdue’s definition of hazing is too broad. Is it really a crime to require pledges to dress up once a week for pledge education? Don't Purdue sports teams have uniforms? Don't on campus business clubs and career fairs have required dress attire? Why is it such a crime to simply have high standards? What’s wrong with wanting your pledges to dress like gentlemen or classy women? All it does is reinforce a feeling of unity between pledge brothers and sisters.

In my fraternity, brothers who have below a certain GPA are required to do weekly study hours. Why can’t we require pledges to live up to those same standards? Furthermore, several faculty members of Purdue who I’m not going to mention in this article, have even discouraged fraternities from using pledges for sober duties. Why would you not train pledges to take care of their guests? Why would you not teach them the value of creating a safe environment for everyone who enters your house? I don’t think that all of a house’s sobers should be pledges, but I do believe that with a brother’s guidance, hands-on training can be more effective than written down policies. With everything I just mentioned, I’d like to re-iterate my initial point: policies regarding hazing need to be more specific.

Requirements help create and solidify standards. How can we, as a Greek community, reach our full potential if we can’t require our new members to move outside their comfort zones? Sometimes, what you don’t want to do is what’s best for you. Just as the 60s were under-regulated, I now believe we, today, are over-regulated. To see Purdue’s full hazing policy go to http://www.purdue.edu/studentregulations/student_organizations/hazing.html

Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/PurdueUniversity.