Hazing not as severe anymore
Editor’s note: This is the second in an occasional series depicting Greek life and the party-driven to philanthropic and academic transition made over the years.
Hazing is a term synonymous with athletics and the military — and fraternities and sororities on college campuses.
One definition defines it as the imposition of strenuous and often humiliating tasks as part of a program of rigorous physical training and initiation.
Hazing at CMU’s Greek organizations has declined in the past few years.
But that hasn’t always been the case.
“We haven’t had any complaints in about three years,” said CMU Police Chief Stan Dinius. “Most organizations don’t participate in hazing anymore. I think there was a lot of controversy about people being injured in the past, so the serious kinds of hazing have been eliminated.”
Tom Idema, assistant director of Student Life, said he has seen alcohol, branding, clothing and cleaning-related forms of hazing. He has dealt with alcohol-related hazing the most, he said.
J.J. Lewis, Howell senior and president of social fraternity Phi Kappa Tau, has heard of past hazing activities fraternities have performed.
“I’ve heard of ‘treeing,’ which is when a fraternity brother gives away his letters to his girlfriend,” Lewis said. “He then gets tied around a tree and has garbage, lettuce, pop and leftovers thrown on him until she comes and kisses him.”
Some fraternities and sororities have found themselves in hot water in past years over hazing.
In 1998, social fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon was put on probation when it was involved in a hazing incident that included a paddling party. The fraternity was put on suspension in 1999 and lost its organizational status in 2000, according to past Central Michigan Life articles.
Social sorority Delta Sigma Theta’s organizational status was re-instated in 2001 after it was lost because of hazing allegations in 1992.
CMU charged social fraternities Delta Chi, Phi Sigma Kappa and Beta Theta Pi for violating the Code of Student Rights in 2000 because of “inappropriate behavior.”
Interfraternity Council President Kevin Kacel said hazing does not help create brotherhood.
“It used to be believed that if you knocked members down and built them back up, it would create brotherhood,” the Lansing senior and social fraternity Sigma Pi member said. “Brotherhood is not built like that, and we make sure to enforce our anti-hazing policy.”
Sigma Pi was under investigation in 2003 for suspicious hazing behavior involving a kidnapping incident. An active member, whose legs and arms allegedly were taped together, was carried by pledges from the Towers. The incident was treated as a prank rather than hazing.
In May of 2004, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed an anti-hazing law, making it a crime, punishable by imprisonment. The law followed a University of Michigan hazing incident in which a Sigma Chi pledge was forced to exercise for long periods of time with no water, eventually suffering kidney failure.
Another hazing instance occurred in 2000 at Ferris State University, where Stephen Pretz died after consuming 27 shots of alcohol during fraternity hazing.
Idema said no Greek organizations have lost their letters in his six years of serving as Greek adviser.
Rochester graduate and former Sigma Chi president Tommy VanHareen said because of CMU’s size, it doesn’t have to deal with such serious cases of hazing like larger universities.
“Central is smaller than other schools, so it’s easier to manage,” VanHareen said. “It isn’t your U-of-Ms (Michigan) or MSUs (Michigan State) where there’s houses all over the place and harder to control. Almost every group at Central is right at Main Street where it can be monitored.”
Greek organizations caught in hazing activity can face the punishment of losing their recognition as organizations. Hazing activities that result in physical injury can be punished by up to five years in prison. Hazing resulting in death can be punished by up to a 15-year prison sentence.
Garden City junior and Zeta Theta Tau member Ashlee Boyer-Shaw said she doesn’t think hazing is a problem on campus anymore.
“It isn’t a problem anymore, especially around sororities because they’re more structured and monitored,” she said. “People know what’s right and wrong.”
To promote anti-hazing, new members are shown anti-hazing videos, she said.
Though Greek organizations are known for hazing, they are not the only groups in which hazing has been found.
“Hazing is not an issue solely for Greek Life,” Idema said. “The national media has reported on hazing with high school groups, athletic teams and musical groups.”
