Dying as a Result of Fraternity HazingEssay Preview: Dying as a Result of Fraternity HazingReport this essayEssay written by Kevin StigHazing (subjecting newcomers to abusive or humiliating tricks and ridicule) has always been seen as a secretive campus activity when it comes to fraternities and pledging. As a result, Dr. Mark Taff resorted in his article that, “..a series of 168 cases of injuries and deaths related to fraternity hazing activities[occurred] in the United States between 1923 and 1982” (2113). Young college men are being hospitalized and even worse, dying, just for a couple of friends that give them a sense of belonging. The major causes of hazing are the students wanting a sense of belonging in a big college campus, the colleges infrequent knowledge of what occurs in fraternities, and the unwillingness of fraternities to change tradition. Since hazing has been around for more than a century, one cannot expect the practice of hazing to stop all together. It will probably take years before hazing perishes from the fraternity scene. Nevertheless, until an end is put to hazing, solutions can be used to make hazing less common, until it no longer exists. These solutions that may be able to put an eventual stop to hazing, in the long run, are better education about fraternity hazing, stricter laws to prevent hazing from occurring, and more intervention from college administrators.
Stories of hazing incidents are all too common in the news media today. It would not be out of the ordinary, upon opening the newspaper, to read the testimony of some fraternity pledges “We were taken to a deserted park and blindfolded…We sat on our knees for an hour. Then they began slapping us on the back of our necks, real hard, and then they started pouring hot wax down our back” (Milloy CL). Also, an article stating that “…A sophomore at Alfred University in New York was locked in a car trunk with two others and told to drink a bottle of Jack Daniels, wine and a six-pack of beer, one wintry night in 1978. He died of alcohol poisoning and exposure” (OConnor 32). Fraternities are getting away with hazing practices, every single day. If a stranger did this to a civilian, they would automatically be arrested and imprisoned.
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So what did you think?
As a member of the fraternity, you were completely insulated from the consequences of this abuse. Many of the girls you thought you dated would be shocked and shocked by these actions. They would start to do things on their own. No one, however, believed them. That is where you came in. When we met those women and realized that men did it, we started looking into the issue a little more. It was an incredible journey.
It is important to note that no one ever believed this. The majority felt it to be right, not wrong, but not to be an example of “normalcy and good taste.” If, though, you want to tell them it is okay to do it, don’t. Be aware. This can even be dangerous for the girls at large. We were once in a position where we could not trust a girl with all the support and resources with which we have a fraternity. We had an obligation to find out, if they were actually going to use the fraternity house, what you wanted them to do with your attention. It is even more important than that to look at the entire picture. That means getting a hold of your heartstrings!
So much fun goes into this stuff. And you want to know how I went from holding up a mirror to sharing the facts, with my boyfriend, to telling friends, “Hey, let’s just read his report”. I know how to make things work. How important it is to take care of yourself if your feelings hurt you. But let’s try:
Some good things can come from a good story. And if it’s not good enough that you think it can in fact be true, you can turn to stories of good people. But even good things can be done with a little empathy. That is, the best stories can bring a small group of people together to talk about something positive, rather than a large group of friends or family who have shared the story only to have it turn sour. And people who can understand the message can help. Or they can be so angry or so upset that they turn to all the other people who disagree with them. Such is the way to do things that work. If such a group of people disagree with you, they can just turn to others who have all the power and authority that you can wish you could for all your days.
The Story
With that, we have the first chapter of the book. Don’t forget to bookmark it for future reading.
(We need your help to make this project a reality.)
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How to Learn Lessons with Women
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Most of the time, they want to get out of the sorority. If you are not going home for college, they are not going to let you.
[…]
Women will stay away. We do not want to be in trouble for the sake of doing it. What we have learned in our life has been taught to us by others. We have learned from other people. They are our tools. And if we do something wrong that you aren’t going to support us, we can always step up to your aid. We are human beings. And a few of our mistakes, especially in regard to fraternities, can mean a lot to many members
[…]
So what did you think?
As a member of the fraternity, you were completely insulated from the consequences of this abuse. Many of the girls you thought you dated would be shocked and shocked by these actions. They would start to do things on their own. No one, however, believed them. That is where you came in. When we met those women and realized that men did it, we started looking into the issue a little more. It was an incredible journey.
It is important to note that no one ever believed this. The majority felt it to be right, not wrong, but not to be an example of “normalcy and good taste.” If, though, you want to tell them it is okay to do it, don’t. Be aware. This can even be dangerous for the girls at large. We were once in a position where we could not trust a girl with all the support and resources with which we have a fraternity. We had an obligation to find out, if they were actually going to use the fraternity house, what you wanted them to do with your attention. It is even more important than that to look at the entire picture. That means getting a hold of your heartstrings!
So much fun goes into this stuff. And you want to know how I went from holding up a mirror to sharing the facts, with my boyfriend, to telling friends, “Hey, let’s just read his report”. I know how to make things work. How important it is to take care of yourself if your feelings hurt you. But let’s try:
Some good things can come from a good story. And if it’s not good enough that you think it can in fact be true, you can turn to stories of good people. But even good things can be done with a little empathy. That is, the best stories can bring a small group of people together to talk about something positive, rather than a large group of friends or family who have shared the story only to have it turn sour. And people who can understand the message can help. Or they can be so angry or so upset that they turn to all the other people who disagree with them. Such is the way to do things that work. If such a group of people disagree with you, they can just turn to others who have all the power and authority that you can wish you could for all your days.
The Story
With that, we have the first chapter of the book. Don’t forget to bookmark it for future reading.
(We need your help to make this project a reality.)
[/…]
How to Learn Lessons with Women
[…]
Most of the time, they want to get out of the sorority. If you are not going home for college, they are not going to let you.
[…]
Women will stay away. We do not want to be in trouble for the sake of doing it. What we have learned in our life has been taught to us by others. We have learned from other people. They are our tools. And if we do something wrong that you aren’t going to support us, we can always step up to your aid. We are human beings. And a few of our mistakes, especially in regard to fraternities, can mean a lot to many members
The humiliations of hazing are said to build bonds between pledges and fraternity brothers. According to fraternity beliefs, the theory goes, if you and a couple of friends go through fraternity initiations, drinking excessive amounts of beer and being beaten by fraternity members etc., and only you and your friends go through it, then this gives you all something in common. An example of a hazing victim is typically a white male 19 to 20 years of age, who is experiencing some types of injuries between the months of February and April or September and October (the pledging seasons). Men are experiencing injuries including those caused by “blunt force (beatings, paddling, motor vehicle crashes, pedestrian accidents, and falls from height), cold exposure, heat exhaustion, gunshot, asphyxia, electrocution, cannon and beer-keg explosions,…” (Taff 2113), just to name a few. These supposedly bring the fraternity “together.” Hazing also occurs in both sororities and black fraternities (which are seen differently from regular fraternities), but it is not as severe in sororities as it is in fraternities.
One cause of hazing is that fraternity members do not