Hazing and the Student’s Consequences

Hazing and the Student’s Consequences

I recently enlightened myself to an interesting incident in a small college in northern New York state which brought attention to a subject our country has cursed, loved and fretted about for years – that of hazing. Hazing is defined as:

To persecute or harass with meaningless, difficult, or humiliating tasks.
To initiate, as into a college fraternity, by exacting humiliating performances from or playing rough practical jokes upon. (Dictionary.com)

These “jokes” have affected the lives of a number of people in a large way. The first article of which I made reference comes from a New York Times writer Lisa W. Foderado, which focuses on recent events at Plattsburg State, a college in Northern New York. A boy entering an underground fraternity was put under “water torture,” where he was forced to drink pitcher after pitcher, and even drain funnels of water. This task made him go into a condition which is called hyponatremia, where sodium levels in the blood drop to dangerously low levels; he died later that night. This article shows the dangers of these “underground” fraternities, and their tainting of the Greek system. The second article comes from P&M’s press, and focuses on hazing that takes place in other types of societies, basing it on squirrel activities, and showing how they can harm themselves from dangerous activities. The third article comes from the University of Florida archives, and ties controlled hazing into good tradition. These freshman hazing rituals created a bond between the classes, and gave interesting activities to all of the students.

From the good to the bad, hazing is at the least “an issue.” Hazing from one side can have effects ranging from a hangover, to burst cheek pouches, to even death. On the other hand, a strong bond between the students is made, and gives good experience to younger students in their life education. Looking at Foderado, we are presented a case of extreme penalties from a harsh incident. A boy who was just trying to fit into a group was given the most extreme of penalties from an incident of pure stupidity.

Neither the group nor the boy showed any responsibility in the matter.