Research Paper On Hazing In College

Hazing in College College is something every high school student dreams about; freedom, new experiences, and so many new faces. As fun and exciting as it may be, there is much room for error. Students may engage in social activities, and neglect their academics. There are two distinct social groups that students participate in; sororities and fraternities. Sorority comes from the Latin word “soror”, meaning sister, and fraternity comes from the Latin word “frater”, meaning brother. Sororities and fraternities are Greek in origin, and started in the 1820’s. They originated as groups to help ease the “freshman” feeling. Socializing and interacting with students of similar interests may make your college experience better, but in recent years, this seems to have changed. To get into a sorority or fraternity, you must go through an initiation, known as pledging. Pledging can be whatever your “sisters” or “brothers” tell you to do; this can be known as hazing. Hazing in sororities and fraternities can affect a student’s safety, distract them from their academics, and produce negative consequences. The safety of students in fraternities and sororities has become an issue. The initiation the students take to get in can be harmful on them.
“We were made to lick raw food substances off the floor. We were kicked and hit and shoved. We were tied tightly together and made to run through icy, hilly streets.” (The Lowdown..) This is an excerpt on what went on when one college freshman tried to get into a sorority. They are made to “try out” and the tasks are nearly impossible. There are few students that make it into the sororities or fraternities, which is why so many strive to get into them. It is an initiation, but they take it overboard. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is a good quote to sum up the mindset of the brothers and sisters. “On college campuses, the combination of the lack of oversight, excessive drinking, and an overeager pledge-master can certainly result in tragedy.” Says Carol Burke, hazing expert. (The Lowdown..) There have been numerous deaths due to hazing; one that is well known is Chuck Stenzel. He died due to alcohol poisoning. His brothers fed him so much alcohol in such a short time, that he stopped breathing. Pledging for sororities and fraternities can affect a college freshman’s academics.
Their first semester in college is the hardest because they are trying to learn to adjust to a whole new environment. If they add pledging and other extra-curricular activities, it can affect their grades. They are paying for college, so it’s much more important that they pass their classes, than getting into a sorority or fraternity. Teachers don’t tell students when things are due, they receive a syllabus at the beginning and they are expected to keep up. There are no second chances or babying in college. If the students are being woken up at 2AM, or being fed alcohol extensively, there is no way they will be able to keep up with their
academics. Hazing is taken very seriously, and there are major consequences if a group is found guilty of hazing another person or group of people. When you are hazing someone, even if you are not physically harming them, you are emotionally and mentally harming them. You are affecting so many aspects of their lives; sleep, studies, confidence, and even relationships with others. Consequences at a Michigan college, if found hazing, are the following: legal actions (including jail and/or fines), discipline from the university staff, revoking of your pledge to that fraternity or sorority, and revoking of your pledge to that fraternity or sorority. A university may even suspend or shut down the fraternity or sorority if the situation is bad enough. The three main concerns of hazing in sororities and fraternities are safety, distractions from academics, and the personal toll it could take. Fraternities and sororities will continue to exist due to peer pressure. Teenagers are trying to identify themselves, and they want to fit in. Hazing is an unfortunate piece of the big picture in fraternities and sororities. Colleges should take some responsibility for the student’s experience in college; therefore there should be a minimum amount of hazing allowed. Fraternities and sororities will always be a part of college life, but dangerous hazing does not have to be.