The College Experience
Starting college is supposed to be a fun and interesting part of a person’s life. New friends, living on campus and a more relaxed class schedule are some of the perks of the college life, unless pledging for a fraternity or sorority is squeezing its way into that schedule. Hazing is a huge part of pledging. It is scary how harsh the brothers and sisters in fraternities and sororities can be. I have finished a book on hazing and, not exactly sure of some of the details involving this, I decided to check out what others have experienced. When the word ‘hazing’ crosses my mind, so do a few questions: When did hazing first begin? What happened to people that has been hazed? Have people died or been injured due to hazing? And if so what happened to the college/fraternity/sorority? So I took the time to find out just a little more.
My first question on when hazing began was easily found. Research shows that it started in the 1800’s. In an informative article that I read, it stated that “hazing…became prominent only after 1850” (“History of Greek Hazing” 1). It then started developing in Eastern colleges. However, the laws against hazing were not fully in effect until around the 1900’s due to irresponsible and fatal use of the term. The Kappa Sigma website explains further, saying “the universities did not really take steps against it until the 1940’s and 1950’s” (1). Finally, hazing itself had become illegal where before it was only illegal if it involved deaths or injury (2). Although hazing was now banned, that did not mean it had been completely abolished. People needed to fill the void of the fun they had created. This is when hazing started going on unnoticed. Unfortunately it is something no one can do anything about.
This brings me to my next question. What has happened to people that have been hazed? Now that the legislation has gotten rid of hazing altogether, the part that goes unseen is for the most part the most dangerous....