West Virgina U’s student newspaper staff: It’s time to talk about hazing
Recently, hazing rituals have been described as torture, resulted in serious injury, and led to death.
The staff of West Virginia University’s student newspaper formally expressed concern about the practice in a recent editorial.
It’s 2014, and hazing is still an issue. With all the awareness campaigns and stories in the news, it would make sense student organizations and groups would be more wary, but clearly, this is not the case.
In November, an incident was reported and investigated within the West Virginia chapter of the PhiKappa Psi fraternity, resulting in arrests and legal charges.
It was reported that a member of Phi Kappa Psi suffered a concussion and required stitches as a direct result of a hazing incident from other members.
The student’s parent notified the University and the national chapter of Phi Psi, and both conducted their own investigations. As a result, the WVU chapter of Phi Kappa Psi has been suspended indefinitely and will not be recognized by the national chapter.
The local governing body of the fraternity, including a group of Phi Psi alumni, made the decision to close down the fraternity house, causing the members to find other living arrangements. However, it is important to realize this decision came from the chapter alumni, and not the University.
Fraternities are not the only organizations in which reports of hazing occur. There have been reports from various organizations on the WVU campus, from the marching band to club sports.
There’s no reason hazing should still exist as a part of joining an organization. What may seem a harmless rite of passage has long-lasting effects, not the least of which include legal action. According to the West Virginia Antihazing Law, any person or persons found guilty of hazing can be charged with a misdemeanor, accompanied by a fine or imprisonment. Hazing is also against the WVU Student Code of Conduct.
Charges related to hazing can most certainly follow those found guilty around for the rest of their life, affecting their ability to pursue higher education or apply for jobs and internships.
…Hazing is truly a serious issue and shouldn’t be tolerated, either by the University, the leaders of the organization or the members themselves. If you or a friend have been a victim of hazing, you should always report it to the authorities and make sure they follow through.
Participating in student organizations should be a fun, memorable experience, not one that causes fear and regret.
Comments
Been known for a long time, validated by studies, that a barrier to entry to a group raises the value of the group in the individual’s perception compared to an entry to the same group with no barrier.
It would be a shame to make being yelled at, forced to memorize the Greek alphabet, do pushups, steal a dean’s mortarboard, or some other task is made illegal along with excessive alcohol consumption, jumping off balconies, etc.