2008 Woodie Awards
Is It Hazing if the Government Does It?
Marissa Kiple
Issue date: 10/18/06 Section: Greek Corner
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I was watching the movie Ladder 49 last night. When a new fireman, a rookie, entered the firehouse the fire company had a whole routine. They would take the rookie to the chief's office, who would be dressed in his boxers. Then they would take the catholic rookie to a fake confessional, one of the firemen would act like a priest, and they would subject the rookie to embarassment. It was a joke, everyone laughed, but isn't it hazing?
*Disclaimer: This article in no way means that I am against or in favor of hazing, I'm just simply asking questions. Any comment made about my own new member experience (and believe me, they'll be few and far between) does not implicate that hazing took place nor disprove it, however I will say that this is a very different Greek Community than the one I entered. (But I think that's a good thing.)*
When I was a "new member" and called home to tell my parents I'd be "going through new member education" my Dad, a retired Air Force major, said, "Anything they make you do will be easy compared to basic."
This is a man who went through basic training, and according to stereotype was called a maggot and anything else his superior officer wanted to call him. He went through survival training where water is rationed and men learn how to eat dirt to survive. He didn't care if a group of girls wanted to be snotty and yell at me (Hypothetically speaking).
My only question is, why is it illegal for fraternities and sororities to haze in any way, but the military, police academy, fire department, and many others openly speak about basic training and how it breaks down a man and builds a soldier or brother? If I joined the military I would be told when to eat, when to go to sleep and wake up, when to go to the bathroom even, but instead I joined a sorority.
I'm sure by now even the freshmen have heard the hazing rumors. Those "such and such an organization makes you do this to get in" sort of rumors. I heard one the other night about Alpha Sigma Tau. Apparently we need to go down on our bigs and get them off in order to get into the sorority. I must have missed that activity... sorry Big. I'm sure people have heard about girls squatting on cones or guys being paddled to the point their butts are nothing more than scabs. Who knows what's the truth and what are lies? (The going down thing, def. a LIE! I mean, eeww.) This behavior is wrong, and not something I would ever do/want to make someone do.
*Disclaimer: This article in no way means that I am against or in favor of hazing, I'm just simply asking questions. Any comment made about my own new member experience (and believe me, they'll be few and far between) does not implicate that hazing took place nor disprove it, however I will say that this is a very different Greek Community than the one I entered. (But I think that's a good thing.)*
When I was a "new member" and called home to tell my parents I'd be "going through new member education" my Dad, a retired Air Force major, said, "Anything they make you do will be easy compared to basic."
This is a man who went through basic training, and according to stereotype was called a maggot and anything else his superior officer wanted to call him. He went through survival training where water is rationed and men learn how to eat dirt to survive. He didn't care if a group of girls wanted to be snotty and yell at me (Hypothetically speaking).
My only question is, why is it illegal for fraternities and sororities to haze in any way, but the military, police academy, fire department, and many others openly speak about basic training and how it breaks down a man and builds a soldier or brother? If I joined the military I would be told when to eat, when to go to sleep and wake up, when to go to the bathroom even, but instead I joined a sorority.
I'm sure by now even the freshmen have heard the hazing rumors. Those "such and such an organization makes you do this to get in" sort of rumors. I heard one the other night about Alpha Sigma Tau. Apparently we need to go down on our bigs and get them off in order to get into the sorority. I must have missed that activity... sorry Big. I'm sure people have heard about girls squatting on cones or guys being paddled to the point their butts are nothing more than scabs. Who knows what's the truth and what are lies? (The going down thing, def. a LIE! I mean, eeww.) This behavior is wrong, and not something I would ever do/want to make someone do.
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