Argumentative Essay

Hazing in American Fraternities should be illegal and should incur strict penalties. Society is ignorant to the severity of hazing within American fraternities. "Many of the rites of passage, those rituals of growing up... are in the form of such comic, practical joke affairs[,] which we ignore [believing that] they possess no deeper significance... For in them we ritualize and dramatize attitudes which contradict and often embarrass the sacred values which we proclaim through our solemn ceremonies". (On Initiations Rites and Power) Admittedly, hazing teaches new recruits their place in the fraternity. However, hazing also suppresses freedoms and participation of a new member within the fraternity. In addition, hazing and victimizing members can lead to mistrust and apathy, which often ignites conflicting views, arguments, and violent altercations. On the other hand, other activities, for instance sporting events and on-campus activities, are suitable alternatives to hazing that are more effective in earning trust and respect between fraternity members. (UMich) Some believe that hazing filters out members who are not willing to make serious commitments to fraternities, However; it also intimidates potential recruits. Since the peak of fraternity membership, about 400 000 undergraduates in 1990, fraternity membership is declining by as much as 30 percent in the past two decades. (Psiu) Furthermore, a non-hazing fraternity finds that American students are reluctant to join a fraternity as "fewer students now [are willing] to [spend] hundreds of dollars... to be part of a system that has a reputation for physically abusing its pledges" (Psiu). In the end, hazing is abusive, hazing is humiliating, hazing is intimidating. (Anaphora) As a result, hazing, abusive and intimidating, is discouraging underclassmen from joining fraternities. (Interrupted movement) One could argue that hazing is acceptable because it is a time-honoured tradition in American

Cited: * "Alternative to Hazing." University of Michigan. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. <http://www.umich.edu/~nohazing/alternatives.html>. * Ellison, Ralph. "On Initiations Rites and Power." Contemporary Literature. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1968. 165-186. Print. * Novak, John J. Jr. "Roundup: Mostly fun, not danger, in hazing 's history." USA TODAY: Latest World and US News. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. <http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/letters/story/2012-05-30/Florida-AampM-hazing-religion-politics-Romney/55272368/1>. * Reisberg, Leo. "Fraternities in Declin: Sagging membership, hazing incidents, alcohol abuse, and changing values challenge the Greek sytem." Psi Upsilon. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. <http://www.psiu.org/ug/handbooks/Frater>.