Sororities, fraternities partake in National Hazing Prevention Week
Macomb senior Alicia Kellogg said Central Michigan University students need to take a stand against hazing.
"We as a community are able to make a choice about (it)," the vice president of risk management and member of the National Panhellenic Council said.
The National Hazing Prevention Week started Monday and concludes Friday. This week is a chance for schools, organizations, communities and individuals to promote the prevention of hazing, which can be defined as any action taken that causes humiliation, harassment, physical or psychological harm. According to hazingprevention.org, hazing is done to a person or an assemblage of people in order to gain approved entrance into a club, team, workplace, or other type of organization.
“The ultimate goal is to prevent hazing from happening,” Kellogg said. “This week allows us to educate parents, faculty and staff, community members, local and campus police, and others so that they can more easily recognize hazing.”
Kellogg said there are plenty of dangers with hazing methods.
“One of the most common hazing tactics used involves alcohol use,” she said. “An example of this is new members of an organization being forced to drink excessive amounts of alcohol. Other common tactics involve sleep and eating deprivation, and other ridicule or humiliation tactics.”
Throughout NHPW, there are various activities for sororities and fraternities on campus to partake in. On Monday, fraternities and sororities placed a purple ribbon on their houses to display their support for this program. On Tuesday, Greek Life created a pledge banner that will appear in front of the Bovee University Center on Friday afternoon.
Today is campus support day. The fraternities and sororities will travel around campus and gain support from other students at CMU. Thursday, Greek life will convey information about the hazards of hazing via chalk messages on the sidewalk. On Friday, fraternities and sororities will sign and hang the “CMU Hazing Prevention Week” pledge banner.
Any CMU student can take action against hazing, Kellogg said.
“Students need to understand what hazing is and be able to recognize it,” she said. “Any CMU student can take responsibility when they see it occurring and report it immediately. CMU students need to not be a bystander. The only ways to prevent hazing are for students to know the harm of hazing, and to report it if they know it is occurring.”
