An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Stephanie Clark as the chair of the Panhellenic Hazing Prevention Task Force. She is the chair of the Hazing Task Force. The article also incorrectly stated that the four Greek councils were responsible for programming activities during Hazing Prevention Week. The Hazing Task Force was responsible. The article also incorrectly identified Travis Apgar as the associate dean of students at Ithaca College. He is the associate dean of students at Cornell University.
Fraternities and sororities on campuses across the country often get a bad reputation for hazing new members. So, in an effort to reverse that stigma and raise awareness of the issue, Greek Life groups on campus have organized a variety of events this week as part of Hazing Prevention Week.
Members of all four Greek councils on campus — the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Association, the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Multicultural Greek Council — took part in anti-hazing education events, which were planned by the Hazing Task Force. These events are specifically targeted at new Greek Life members, according to Business junior Stephanie Clark, chair of the Hazing Task Force.
Each Greek council on campus has a strict no-hazing policy. The executive boards of each council said it is important to educate Greek Life members on the dangers of hazing in order to reiterate this rule, and to make students aware of what to look for in case it is violated.
The events include a lecture by Travis Apgar, who speaks nationally about his negative experience with hazing when he was in college. Other events throughout the week include round-table discussions and booths on the Diag.
The round tables provide an opportunity for executive board members of the four councils to talk to their respective new members, answer any questions and explain what to expect during their first semester in a Greek-letter organization, Clark said. Each set of round tables is specifically tailored to address issues seen in each council, she said.
“What we try to do is make all the material specific to the members,” Clark said. “In the past we’ve had great information but it wasn’t tailored to each individual council.”
Many have told horror stories of physical and emotional abuse — many times involving alcohol consumption — and these stories have become a stigma for those considering joining the Greek community, Clark said. Being able to address and answer questions about these issues is essential for new members, she said.
For sororities, hazing tends to be more focused on emotional abuse, whereas fraternity hazing typically involves physical abuse or forced binge drinking, she added.
Business senior Blake Toll, executive vice president of the IFC, said the idea behind the week is to educate new members on what to expect after they’re extended bids to join the fraternities and what shouldn’t be tolerated.
IFC’s official recruitment ended last week, and the timing of Hazing Prevention Week is specifically designed to help new members deal with their pledge periods, which vary depending on the organization and council, Toll said.
“We give (the new members) a lay of the land, let them know what they can expect, how they can voice their opinions and concerns and let them discuss any topics they are curious about,” he said.
Toll added that the round tables are beneficial to new members since they allow them to speak with upperclassmen who are veterans of the system and get some insider knowledge on what might take place during the upcoming weeks.
The talk Apgar gave Monday night was about his experiences with hazing, including mandatory excessive drinking and other physical abuses and the effects he suffered as a result. According to CampusSpeak.com, Apgar, the associate dean of students at Cornell University, had such an upsetting experience with hazing during his first semester in college that he dropped out of school.
“We can say what we want about what happens across the country in regards to hazing, but since it hasn’t happened at U of M, it’s hard to believe its true,” Clark said. “That’s why we thought bringing someone to talk about it is so important. It’s beneficial to see a person who has gone through this to make people understand that this does happen.”
Business senior Sanjiv Rao, president of the MGC, said the main reason for the council’s involvement in the events is to bring awareness not just to students but to the Ann Arbor community as well.
“We want to show them that we are aware and the next step is to educate people, and from there we enforce it,” Rao said.
He added that this week serves as a reminder for MGC organizations that the council enforces a no-hazing policy, Rao said.
Engineering freshman Kevin Michaud, a new member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, said Apgar’s speech was motivational and changed his views on hazing. He said it showed him how various forms of hazing can have dire consequences.
“I didn’t realize that hazing was so many different things,” Michaud said. “I just kinda thought it was physical things but it’s emotional things as well.”
LSA sophomore Jenna Kaufman-Ross, who joined Pi Beta Phi last year, said this week’s events are important because they provide a lot of useful information to new members of the Greek-letter community.
“The dangers of hazing aren’t always expressed,” Kaufman-Ross said. “There are certain images and stereotypes of Greek Life that new members might have going into college. They might not know what to do if they are put into a hazing situation or what measures they should take.”
Kaufman-Ross went to the anti-hazing education events last year and said they helped her understand the consequences of hazing and the precautions that should be taken. She said the events are “completely necessary and relevant” to the students who participate in Greek Life.