A New Policy on Hazing for ΚΚΨ and ΤΒΣ ? ΤΒΣ? by Jason Fonseca Epsilon Upsilon/Kappa Kappa Psi 1. If you have to ask if it’s hazing, it is. 2. If in doubt, call your advisor/coach/national office. If you won’t pick up the phone, you have your answer. Don’t B.S. yourself. 3. If you haze, you have low self-esteem. 4. If you allow hazing to occur, you are a ‘hazing enabler.’ 5. Failure to stop hazing will result in death... Will Keim, Ph.D., “The Power of Caring”
W
hen I came to the University of Maine, Greek life was the furthest thing from my mind. There was no way that I was going to rush some frat when I knew full well what went on to a pledge. I heard stories too, of things that go on. Wearing dresses out on campus, eating out of some bucket filled with raw eggs and vomit, and paddling… No. I was going to college to prove who I was and who I could be, and I was not going to college to be ridiculed by a bunch of “paid friends.” I joined the Marching Band up here and found that most of its members were in Kappa Kappa Psi or Tau Beta Sigma. There were some people who were gay or bisexual, some were complete nerds, and some seemed to get smashed almost every night. When I stepped onto that field that first day of band camp, I knew then that I had to accept everyone for who they were. “To each man his own,” I recalled hearing. And so it was. Some people were Greek, some were gay, and I accepted them all for whatever they wanted to do. I left my prejudices back home. Well, I got to know many of the Brothers and Sisters and began to envy the relationship they had with each other. Being the only person from my High School to go to UMaine, I didn’t know anyone, and was eager for some friends. Finally they started talking about rushes. Many other first years were going, and they said there’d be ice cream, so why not? I went to the rush with nothing to lose. I knew what hazing was, and if they tried it, I’d walk. And then I’d do my best to get them in whatever trouble I could. The first thing they did though, right after we all introduced ourselves, was to show a video on hazing. It talked about a student that died while being hazed. He was forced to drink way more than he should’ve and then do calisthenics. He threw up and choked to death on his own vomit. Everyone was so drunk that even if they knew how to save him, they couldn’t. And people who are pro-hazing actually believe that their “pledges” are never in any real harm? Well, that one died that day.1
10 – The PODIUM, Spring 2002
Another great example is that of my ex-roommate. He was a pledge of a social fraternity, and I know for a fact he got hazed. I was still an MC (Membership Candidate) at the time, and we’d compare stories of our times with the two groups. He told me the story of the day he became a pledge. Here’s what I remember of it: “So last night at about 9:00 we all went into the basement of the house blindfolded. They sat us in chairs and suddenly this loud music came on. When they took off our blindfolds there were three strippers right there in front of us! The brothers had all chipped in to get us strippers to start off our pledge period! Dude, I remember this hot one getting right in my face. It was awesome! Then later on she comes up to me, right? She tells me to pull down my pants and turn around. The chicks got a paddle but she liked me, so whatever. I did, and she nailed me! I winced, but I was, like, ‘Thank you, ma’am, may I have another?’” While being paddled, male pledges have had their testes rupture from the impact. They will never have children. What was so amazing about the example of my roommate is that he was so disillusioned by being hazed, he didn’t even realize he was being hazed! It’s like the battered wife who knows no other way but her abusive husband, so she clutches to him as all she knows or sees possible. My roommate didn’t know that you don’t have to be hazed to become a brother of a fraternity. Advocates of hazing will say, “It teaches the pledges togetherness, communication, respect, courage, and a huge sense of accomplishment.”2 It amazes me that someone could actually believe that. I mean, what if this is how they instilled values in us in elementary school? Can you imagine a teacher forcing kids to eat onions, or get paddled, while the teacher is saying all the while, “This will make you strong! Don’t you feel togetherness? Don’t you respect each other now?” That thought disgusts me. Think of all the prospective members you’re driving away by hazing. Hazing puts fear into your “pledges,” and the only
