Hazing’s Culture
by Ben Faulstick • November 2006 • 12 Comments •
Unfortunately, everyone has read an article or seen a news story about a tragedy involving hazing.
Stiff Penalties
Many laws have become stricter as the problems and outcomes of hazing have become clearer. Nearly all states have laws now prohibiting hazing and many have extra penalties for violence and injury caused by hazing.
Many hazing laws such as the Chad Meredith Act in Florida have been implemented as a result of deaths caused by hazing.
This law states, “A person commits hazing, a third-degree felony, ‘when he or she intentionally or recklessly commits any act’ upon another person who is a member of or an applicant to any type of student organization, and the hazing results in bodily injury or death of such other person.”
All nationally recognized fraternities now have strict policies against hazing. Lambda Chi Alpha’s policy was adopted in 1988 at the General Assembly in Scottsdale, Arizona, and defines hazing as “any action taken or situation created intentionally to produce physical discomfort or mental discomfort by embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule.”
Along with the definition of hazing, the General Assembly offered a complete resolution on hazing which can be found in the Constitution and Statutory Code of Lambda Chi Alpha.
Despite numerous bans and seminars to try to eradicate hazing from all national fraternities, no fraternity can completely escape the reality that hazing still exists.
In many cases, hazing still appears to be engrained in our culture. Undergraduates who participate in hazing still try to rationalize their actions as being for the good of the brotherhood and will never admit that what they are doing is actually hazing.
Sobering Statistics
A multi-year national study on student hazing is being conducted at the University of Maine by professors Elizabeth J. Allan, Ph.D. and Mary M. Madden, Ph.D. A pilot study was first published June 30, 2006.
This study offered a comprehensive look at hazing in four northeastern universities. Only the start of more to come, the pilot study was able to gather information that will allow a more comprehensive look into the problems with hazing and how it might eventually be eradicated from colleges and universities.
The study included student organizations such as varsity sports teams, fraternities and sororities, and band/performing arts organizations.
Overwhelmingly, the most common types of hazing were related to participation in drinking games, which constituted 21 percent of all people surveyed.
Among fraternities and sororities, about 40 percent reported hazing related to participation in drinking games. Among varsity sports teams, however, that number climbs to 60 percent.
The second highest types of hazing — at around 25 percent for fraternities and sororities — were songs and chants.
Other categories that were high for fraternities and sororities were sleep deprivation, drinking to the point of sickness, and night awakening.
History of Hazing
Fraternity hazing parallels numerous traditions of yesteryear. Many ancient traditions required certain “rites of passage” in order to achieve manhood.
For most fraternities, the “rite of passage” lies in the initiation ritual ceremony and the events leading up to the initiation ritual. Although not always bad, these “rites of passage” can sometimes be very degrading activities.
History teaches that hazing problems do not just clear themselves up over time. Ancient tribal traditions lasted centuries without any solid logic as to why they continued.
“Rites of passage” for these ancient tribes included painful modification to one’s appearance that included tattooing and branding, deliberate wounds from the elders in society, and cutting and letting oneself bleed to the brink of death.
If one completed these tasks successfully, he was thought of as fully tested and deserving the respect of the other people in the tribe.
Many fraternities adopted this philosophy that new members somehow had to earn their brotherhood. Before new members gained the respect of the older members, they had to complete a series of tasks to show their dedication.
War’s Influence
Hazing in fraternities dates back to almost the start of Greek-letter organizations, but several events contributed to the severity and frequency.
One of the biggest events that led to the rise in fraternity hazing was from the affects of war. Many believe the beginning of hazing started after soldiers came back from World War II, but there is evidence that earlier wars also had an influence.
One of the first well-known charges against hazing in fraternal organizations occurred just after the Civil War. In 1868, James Frank Hopkins, Greenfield Quarles, and James McIlvaine Riley formed the Legion of Honor after witnessing the hazing acts of a fraternity at the Virginia Military Institute.
This secret society opposed any acts of hazing within their institution and emphasized that the Principle of Honor as most important in forming strong relationships. This Legion of Honor soon became known as the Sigma Nu Fraternity.
The way fraternities were set up, members could easily implement hazing. Because most fraternities revolved around secrecy and self-governance, it was easy to hide the hazing from the rest of the world.
Individual classes would try to one up the previous class because of experience. This segregation between classes and ideas of rank within the fraternity gave rise to class distinction and in turn to hazing.
Lambda Chi’s Leadership
In 1972, as most of our brothers know, Lambda Chi Alpha made a bold and radical change aimed at ending class distinction and eradicating hazing from its chapters. Lambda Chi Alpha became the first fraternity to completely eliminate pledging. No longer would the word pledge be spoken by Lambda Chis.
The new term, Associate Membership, offered several advantages over Pledge Membership. It incorporated fraternity education over pledge education. The thought behind this was that all members, new and initiated, should continue to learn even after they are initiated.
An Associate Member was simply one who had not been initiated yet, but still was very much a part of the brotherhood. In turn, this broke down the barrier between the new and initiated members.
If they were learning together there was no room for hazing because all members would be treated the same. Distinction among class became less important and new members were to be respected by all brothers of the fraternity and considered their equal.
The only difference between the two was the new members were not educated in the ways of Lambda Chi Alpha. Thus, the focus of their membership would be education and they would work with the older members.
Soon after Lambda Chi Alpha set the precedent, other fraternities started to follow suit. Several incorporated a similar associate member program, and others went one step further going to what they call a New Member Program, which calls for prompt initiation.
Making a Difference
There will be no change or progress to eliminate hazing on its own. Members at the chapter level are ultimately the ones who are responsible for what occurs.
Just because the elimination of hazing relies on undergraduate membership does not mean alumni members, parents, and friends of fraternities across the nation cannot help.
The biggest and most important thing that these people can do is offer the resources for the undergraduate membership to make a smart and informed choice about changing the attitudes of hazing and distinction between new members and older ones.
When this is done, members will not only realize their faults of a hazing culture, but hopefully be able to make the decision to stop hazing altogether.
Many seminars are dedicated to eliminating hazing across the nation’s fraternities. One such seminar is Theta Chi’s Executive Director Dave Westol’s program called “Theta Chi Hazing on Trial.” This program connects with college students and offers great insight into the issue of hazing.
A good test to see if an event is hazing is to ask yourself if you would feel comfortable with a parent watching the event. If the answer is “no,” then it is probably hazing.
Robert Fidler Says:
November 2nd, 2006 at 5:23 pmThe unique ‘no hazing’ policy of Lambda Chi Alpha was what first attracted me to the fraternity at Pitt in 1981. As an Associate, I never really found myself asked to do anything demeaning or unusual … nothing that any Brothers were not also expected to do.
While I would not say the Associate system was fully perfect (some guys could be jerks no matter what), it held pretty much true to the mandates of National.
However, sadly, people are people - and sometimes young men will do emotional, impulsive, and stupid things despite hearing repeated warnings. Simply look at driving accident statistics for proof of that.
I don’t know what the solution is besides education, education, education. Hopefully, the message gets through to the majority and the majority can keep any wise guys in line.
When I was in school, the term “designated driver” wasn’t even in our vocabulary … now the concept is fully understood, if not always practiced. So this proves that education (ok, maybe coupled with stiff penalties) can work.
Good luck and best wishes.
Bob Fidler
Pitt - 1985
GE 722
chris Says:
November 2nd, 2006 at 5:34 pmIt is our philosophy at florida international that a man worthy of being in our fraternity wouldn’t let himself be subjected to nonsense…he would stand up and speak against such things.
Our members are always shocked that there is no hazing…that you’re accepted openly and equally from day one.
I don’t understand how memorizing things can be considered hazing? Maybe i’m misunderstanding the article. Personally, I don’t know any songs or chants…but when the sororities get around and sing on campus, it is impactful and fun.
J. Stephen Foral Says:
November 2nd, 2006 at 6:59 pmI believe that welcoming a new member to Lambda Chi Alpha as an Associate Member is the strongest way to give witness to the statement that Every Man is a Man!
In the “dark ages” (when I was young - pledge class of 1964 )a young man joined a fraternity as a pledge and was tested to see if he was” man enough and good enough” to become a Brother. It seems to me, that if we do a good job during rush, there should be no doubt as to the qualilfications of a man. Therefore, hazing ought to be unnecessary It also seems strange to me to believe that anyone would seriously believe that the quality of one’s manhood is prooven by the number of push-ups one can do or the the amount of alcohol one can consume. Therefore, hazing is an inappropriate test. I believe that the bonds of Brotherhood can not be based on the ability of one group to demean another. Therefore, hazing is counterproductive. I do not believe that any fraternity that offers the motto Vir Quisque Vir as a public statement of its beliefes could ever haze. Therefore hazing is philosophically inconsistent.
Lambda Chi Alpha led the way in rejecting hazing.
The battle was difficult(and in some chapters may still be being waged),but the point is strong: Lambda Chi Alpha places a high value on Brotherhood - and we begin building that bond as soon as a young man puts on his Associate Pin. Happily, for those of us who have aged a bit, we find that the deeping of that bond never ends. Our Brotherhood keeps on growing.
I object strongly to the term Pledge when used in the negative sense — but there are ways to use this term that I find important to a fraternity.
When “pledge” is used as a verb to mean making a serious promise — such as “I pledge to keep my promises” it speaks to me of one’s willingness to make a strong, and often public, committment.
When “PLedge” is used as a noun to mean solemn promise, I value it as well. The strongest of my Brothers PLEDGED years ago to keep the values of Lambda Chi Alpha visible in their lives; I respect their willingness to keep this PLEDGE.
I am not sure how many push-ups my pledge brothers (class of 1964) can do today ,and most of them have really slowed down in the consumption of alcohol —- but their PLEDGE to remain my Brother has not failed - and in that I take great joy.
Chris Hall Says:
November 2nd, 2006 at 10:00 pmAs an ELC, one of the coolest things I saw was a deal that the brothers at Drury University (Theta-Sigma Zeta) had with potential members.
During a presentation to recruits, the recruitment chairman perked my ears by advertising the chapter’s “Money-Back Guarentee.” He told interested men that if they join, and ever feel like they’re being hazed, or want to walk away because the chapter intentionally created a discomforting situation…all they have to do is tell their big brother or an officer, and they get their full dues payment back. I think this is great.
Not only does this offer the potential new member a sense of security and comfort about his new friends (increasing the number of quality A.M.’s), but it also keeps the chapter in check.
After hearing this “Money-Back Guarentee” idea, I shared it with many other chapters during my travels, and support it greatly. The only condition is that the chapter has to live up to its promise and truly live “Vir Quisque Vir”…every Zeta needs to improve itself by making sure all elements of hazing, newspaper-worthy or “just the little stuff”, are eliminated from member programming. Great Article , Brother Faulstick!
Jayme Little Says:
November 3rd, 2006 at 3:45 amI commend Lambda Chi Alpha for authoring this article on hazing. It’s important for our brothers to understand how this culture came to being and what it looks like. As a former ELC, I observed plenty of associate members who were treated as pledges. Brother Faulstick refers to the point of associate membership as “aimed at ending class distinction and eradicating hazing from its chapters,” but how many of chapters have an AM program that is no more than a pledge program with a different name? It’s time to reexamine our program and hold chapters accountable for their behaviors that mock the true intentions of associate membership.
Oh, and a pet peeve: associate members can wear letters in any form. I would argue that our associate members understand what it means to be a brother of Lambda Chi Alpha more so than some of the actives and alumni in our bond. Let’s take the letters away from those who abuse their privledge to wear letters and give it to only those men who truly value their association with our great Fraternity…and I’m talking about something bigger than a drinking club here!
I would encourage the Fraternity to consider participating in some way in National Hazing Prevention Week hosted each October. Groups such as Sigma Nu have taken a very proactive and aggressive approach to supporting the CampuSpeak initiative. It would be nice to see Lambda Chi Alpha support the initiative.
BRUCE J. BURDETTE JR. Says:
November 3rd, 2006 at 11:21 amI BECAME AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER IN THE SPRING OF 1972, AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY. I WAS THE FIRST CLASS THAT WAS NOT A PLEDGE, BUT AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER. IT WAS A BIG CHANGE IN THE FRATERNITY, AND THE OLDER MEMBERS STILL GOT OUT OF HAND ON OCCASION. BUT AS THE YEARS HAVE GONE BY, EDUCATION HAS WON OUT, AND OUR SYSTEM WORKS. I HAVE A NEPHEW WHO HAS BECOME AN ASSOCIATED MEMBER THIS SEMESTER AT ARKANSAS, AND IN TALKING TO HIM, THE IDEAS OF ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP THROUGH EDUCATION, IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
BRUCE BURDETTE, JR.
LAMBDA PHI #248
Framcis X. Nutto Says:
November 3rd, 2006 at 1:08 pmIf memory served me correctly, my Sigma brother George Spasky was a leader in the movement to eliminate hazing. One more example of a greater leader! fxn Sigma 486
Ann.Coulter2 Says:
November 3rd, 2006 at 4:18 pmYou’re confusing me. To quote:
“Overwhelmingly, the most common types of hazing were related to participation in drinking games, which constituted 21 percent of all people surveyed.
“Among fraternities and sororities, about 40 percent reported hazing related to participation in drinking games. Among varsity sports teams, however, that number climbs to 60 percent.
“The second highest types of hazing — at around 25 percent for fraternities and sororities — were songs and chants.”
Drinking games, songs, chants??? What are you talking about? How are these hazing?
The last big study of hazing, at that “we dream we’re in the Ivy League” Alfred Univ. (?) found huge amounts of hazing in sports teams - and then we learn that if a freshman had to report for football, soccer, cheerleading, band, and other fall sport practices before other freshmen reported to campus, they were victims of hazing. It kinda ruined any value of the survey by defining hazing so illogically.
Another hazing campaigner, Eileen Stevens, also distorted hazing to make her cause look more just. At South Carolina, two non-members were turned away from a fraternity party. They got mad, left, and came back and shot/killed two fraternity pledges. And Eileen added two more “hazing” deaths to her total. Not at all accurate.
We’re all against hazing, and all for the “One strike and you’re out” policy of Sigma Chi and others if some common sense is included.
We’re also against the campus hazing double standard. If a sports team get caught hazing, the administrators deny, ignore, or lightly punish the jocks. At Maryland, where freshmen players were dressed up as bloody kotex and worse, the players were suspended, the coach/AD boasted. But the suspension was for months when there were no team practices or games. On the other side of the double standard, Maryland’s Greek Row has revolving occupants as chapters are suspended. The website http://www.badjocks.com and the other NCAAhazing site have probably documented (many with YouTube and Webshots) 50 college sports hazing incidents this year - and serious consequences in only five or less.
Let’s continue to wipe out hazing, but let’s tell the truth. I hope some exagerated survey of “hazing by song, chant, and drinking games” isn’t given much publicity.
Interfraternally yours,
AC2
Tom Earp, LX Z 1 Says:
November 3rd, 2006 at 6:17 pmI first heard of Associate Memeber from George Spaysk in 1965 which was later implemented by LXA.
He and I dis’cussed’ it for several hours until 4:30 AM. He of course won the debate, LOL!
As can be seen many times over Hazing and Risk Management are still problems not only in other Fraternity/Sororitys but by even LXA which banned it many years ago.
I am not the oldest Alum, but I am not the youngest and after 41 years I have seen a lot of mistakes all around by one and all.
Take heed to the many problems at different campi because of it. Learn or burn. Who does it hurt when a chapter is removed, it hurts all of us in may ways:
1. Gives all Greeks a bad name.
2. Removes a LXA Zeta from a school.
3. Does not let new possible young men an opportunity to become a LXA.
So, what more is there to say?
Kerry S. McGill Says:
November 6th, 2006 at 3:03 pmAs a member of LXA in the second half of the 60s. I was a lucky man because our chapter was in trouble with National and were sent an advisor who did not permit hazing. Thus, we were probably one of the only fraternities in the US not to haze, and it made a huge difference in our attitude and in our respect for pledges. Thank you, LXA, for being on the forefront of stopping this stupid and demeaning practice.
LambdaChiAlumni Says:
November 6th, 2006 at 4:02 pmI also disagree with the double standard of “hazing” and the unclear meaning of the word. I know of many different organizations such as law enforcement, fire departments, sports teams, and get this… even the military, that would fall under your “hazing” definition. I stand against hazing for no apparent reason but I believe that some things that you would consider “hazing” are in fact harmless. Some things bring people closer together (regardless of “going Greek” by joining a fraternity). For instance having new members introduce themselves to older members brings about mutual respect. It shows that they are interested in getting to know older members and those older members get to know the newer members and thank them for their effort. In my belief, this is NOT hazing. It brings the members, new and old closer because they will know each other better by full names instead of being in the same organization and not knowing their “brothers” or fellow members names (this is the least that one should know about fellow members is their names). In a large organization this helps a lot. You say songs are a form of hazing? Are you kidding me? Singing a song and having to do calisthenics are two completely different things and don’t fall in the same category, in my opinion. I think that making up a song for a chapter brings members of that organization closer together because they feel pride in their organization. You don’t have to sing a song to have pride but doing it together is the idea, to bring members closer together as one cohesive unit. We are all members of ONE organization and must work together to improve and keep Lambda Chi Alpha as a top fraternity among college campuses.
Also here’s a question about what is stated in our creed…
“…defining SERVICE, SACRIFICE, and even SUFFERING AND HUMILIATION before the world, bravely endured, if need be, in following THAT IDEAL.”
Now I understand how service and sacrifice can be defined by servicing your fraternity and sacrificing time to dedicate for your organization, but what about the “suffering and humiliation before the world.?!” I’m sorry but that line is not clear to me in the fraternity ideals.
To recap… I stand against hazing for no reason or anything that is dangerous to someone’s health. I stand for small harmless things that bring a group’s bond closer together. I believe if you are thinking about rushing a fraternity just to wear letters and not learn anything about its members or become a closer brother want to be just another face then join a sorority where they give fancy pillows among other gifts. Vir Quisque Vir
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