Hazing article response
Jeremy Reis
Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: Letters to the Editor
As I was sitting and explaining stories of Iraq to my fellow brothers of my fraternity, my attention was brought to a specific article in this paper. The article in question referred to hazing at Lakeland College, in particular hazing associated with Greek Organizations. I was deeply disturbed by the way the article was written and the untruths that were portrayed on the Greek organizations.
In the article, Greek organizations were wrongly accused of "sexually assaulting". I have been in a fraternity for 3 years now and I was a pledge master, officer in the fraternity who runs pledge meetings and helps the pledges, and I have never been sexually assaulted, nor have I sexually assaulted anyone in my fraternity.
Now, in years past certain Greek Organizations have been accused of hazing and, in the past 20 years, there has not been a proven hazing offense on Lakeland college campus. This date, I believe goes further back in time but I was not able to obtain information before 1989 with regards to judicial hearings on campus.
The author of the article in question also says that the person who is getting hazed or is doing the hazing might not know that what they are doing is hazing until they feel uncomfortable or hurt. In regards to not knowing pledge masters, presidents, and pledges of the organizations have to go through a class and sign a sheet stating that they have read the hazing policies of the college and state. On the sheet that the pledges must sign, the philosophy, hazing, and the enforcement of said rules. There is also a separate section on specific prohibitions.
From the class, a pledge is told of his/her Bill of Rights. These Bill Of Rights have six bullets that ensure a pledge's knowledge on what they are guaranteed. The six bullets are: The right to be treated as an individual, the right to be fully informed about the pledging process, the right to ask questions and receive accurate answers from the actives, the right to be treated with respect, the right to be treated as a mature person without being patronized, and the right to ask how and why something is being required and receive a straight answer. All of these points are strictly adhered to by every Greek during the pledging process.
In the article, Greek organizations were wrongly accused of "sexually assaulting". I have been in a fraternity for 3 years now and I was a pledge master, officer in the fraternity who runs pledge meetings and helps the pledges, and I have never been sexually assaulted, nor have I sexually assaulted anyone in my fraternity.
Now, in years past certain Greek Organizations have been accused of hazing and, in the past 20 years, there has not been a proven hazing offense on Lakeland college campus. This date, I believe goes further back in time but I was not able to obtain information before 1989 with regards to judicial hearings on campus.
The author of the article in question also says that the person who is getting hazed or is doing the hazing might not know that what they are doing is hazing until they feel uncomfortable or hurt. In regards to not knowing pledge masters, presidents, and pledges of the organizations have to go through a class and sign a sheet stating that they have read the hazing policies of the college and state. On the sheet that the pledges must sign, the philosophy, hazing, and the enforcement of said rules. There is also a separate section on specific prohibitions.
From the class, a pledge is told of his/her Bill of Rights. These Bill Of Rights have six bullets that ensure a pledge's knowledge on what they are guaranteed. The six bullets are: The right to be treated as an individual, the right to be fully informed about the pledging process, the right to ask questions and receive accurate answers from the actives, the right to be treated with respect, the right to be treated as a mature person without being patronized, and the right to ask how and why something is being required and receive a straight answer. All of these points are strictly adhered to by every Greek during the pledging process.
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