Jenna Kefauver/Staff Writer
If I hear “hazing is a part of the culture” one more time, I’m going to scream. It’s not; it’s really not.
Hazing should never ever just “be” a part of an organization. Organizations, Greek or otherwise, don’t value their ability to haze the new members of their organization. At least most don’t. There are outliers.
But hazing becomes a part of the culture when power hungry narcissists with an emotional Napoleon complex decide that their organization is so important and amazing that initiates have to pass some egregious “test” to gain membership.
To those who do that, here’s a reality check: you’re not awesome. Your organization might be, but then they let you in and gave you some position of power and then allowed you to run that organization into the ground.
Hazing ruins organizations.
No organization, sport, Greek, what-have-you, is worth putting your dignity and self-respect on the shelf. And it’s definitely not worth bodily harm or even death.
I can’t speak for fraternities; I’m not male nor am I in a co-ed fraternity, but I get sad and disgusted when I hear about sororities hazing their new members.
The point of joining a sorority is to find a sisterhood, a second family, your bridesmaids, to help others and to gain a new unconditional support system. Initiated women in sororities are supposed to show you that you’re special and amazing, just as you are.
The point of recruiting is to find women who share the values of your organization, to help them become an even more amazing version of themselves—but who are strong, beautiful women all on their own. So why would it be your mission to break them, to break their spirit, to hurt them physically or emotionally?
That just doesn’t make sense to me.
I can’t imagine wanting to be a part of something so much that I’d allow that to happen to me. Again, I can’t speak for others, because thankfully, I was never put in that situation. I can honestly and proudly say that I’ve never felt anything less than loved and beautiful as my time as a sorority woman, as I should, because I am beautiful, strong and independent. It should never be anyone’s goal to make anyone feel any different. Eleanor Roosevelt articulated it better than I can: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
Until we stand up against hazing, we will always have people who say, “Hazing is just a part of the culture.”
But I’m standing up against it.
Hazing has no place in a chapter room or a locker room.
And if it has a place in yours, maybe you need to rethink how you’re doing things.
jenna.kefauver@fiusm.com
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