Hazing panel discusses recognizing hazing, preventing
A hazing panel marked the end of "Hazing Prevention Week" on Feb. 17 in Pearce Hall. The week was put on by the Office of Student Activities and Involvement and helped educate students on the harmful effects of hazing.
The panelists included D’Wayne Jenkins, assistant director of Multicultural Academic Student Services, Danielle Rossman, assistant director of Fraternity and Sorority life, and Jennifer Nottingham, director of programs University Recreation.
With a small audience, the speakers had more of an intimate conversation talk with their listeners, discussing how to recognize hazing and the steps to prevent it.
Hazing begins in subliminal way with little tasks that many would hardly recognize as hazing.
Jennifer Nottingham, who works with Club Sports, said hazing may be present, even if it's not obvious.
“It doesn’t seem like hazing, as far as getting the bags, cleaning the jerseys, picking up this, very similar to other organizations whether it is Greek life (or not)," Nottingham said. “I think the commonality is maybe a little bit about the culture, and the younger members do that.”
Danielle Rossman said if an organization feel they are doing something wrong, they should approach office and campus leaders to get help and try to fix the issue rather than get in trouble.
Jordan Borchert, the graduate intern for Fraternity and Sorority Life who helped coordinate the week, said the students who came to the events fulfilled his pursuit of being educated on the topic of hazing.
“I think we provided opportunities for people to have this education,” Borchert said. “I think broadly they probably will understand what hazing is, the little things compared to what people view as the more serious or egregious acts and hopefully they’re educated on how to prevent that. Through the education hopefully they will understand and not be a bystander when it comes to seeing something or hearing something.”
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