Hazing Rituals And Fraternities example essay topic

Hazing: Is it really necessary Having never been or wanting to be in a fraternity. I havent figured out why they choose such ridiculous hazing rituals who would want to be ridiculed, humiliated, and / or physically abused by someone who will later be your brother. Lives have been taken many times by these hazing rituals and fraternities still continue to hurt people. If these people are supposed to be your friends, who needs enemies Hazing has been around for many years and without knowing it, a lot more people than one would think have died from hazing and initiations.

The first reported was in 1905 in Lima, Ohio school It was found that William Taylor a 13 year old boy died of pneumonia caused by when classmates put snow down his back. (Watts / Grolier) As the years have gone by the hazing still continue and were on a rise but slowly becoming useless because so many are putting it down. Hazing is one of the main issues that surround fraternities. Hazing is the initiating of pledges to drink excessive quantities of alcohol, consume large quantities of food, or submit to beatings with a paddle.

Since deaths and serious injuries have come about from hazing most states enact laws prohibiting it. The acts of hazing in all its manifestations are unnecessary and have proved to cause harm to individuals, families and the careers of promising men and women (Butler, 88) Hazing is not just known in fraternities and sororities. Hazing has been found in the military, sports, gangs and now in high schools. Almost half the high school students who answered a nationwide survey said they were made to eat disgusting things, abuse alcohol or drugs or perform humiliating or illegal acts to join athletic teams, the band, even church groups. (Hazings not A 3) Younger peopl have always been taught to look up to their peers. What college students do high school and even middle school students are going to want to imitate what the older students do.

They feel that some young teens participate in these hazing rituals to have a since of belonging, it is to bad that young children need to participate in these types of activities just to make them feel like they fit in. The military has the most unheard of hazing rituals. The Marines are given basic training week and if you complete the paratroopers training they are given their golden wings. The wings are a pin with two half-inch protruding points on the back. Sometimes, with that military love of macho ritual, the pin is even proudly thumped into a marines chest to draw a little celebratory blood.

(Gleick 30) Some marines feel that since pinning has a long history in the corps, and a few young jarhead's jokingly call is a Marine sewing circle, insisting that the ritual is an integral part of Marine bonding. Someone with something wrong with them would do such a thing to themselves. Military authorities insist that they will do all they can to prevent such hazing in the future. If they think that the leadership of the Marine Corps believes that bating on their fellow Marine makes for a better warrior, theyd better find themselves a new occupation. Stated an angry general.

Another group that has hard to believe hazing are gangs, for girl gangs They have to subject themselves to being 'jumped in or beaten up by all the girls in the gang (Vida 80) After the girls are jumped in they are not done with what they have to do to stay in the gang. Gang girls may be asked to do an armed robbery or kill enemy gang members. (80) Fraternities feel that there is nothing wrong with the hazings or should I say, initiation traditions are fund and bring a team together. (Should sports, 26) The bonding of the brothers is not something that should hurt anyone, and should in the end bring them closer tighter so that they will have a friend for life.

Not knowing that your friend is actually you enemy and that so many have been injured or have died in the imitation. I would think when the first person that died from hazing it would make the fraternities think about lessening the rituals so that no one would die anymore. Hasnt anyone heard of the saying learn from your mistakes. One example of hazing turning into death is the killing of Benjamin Folsom Grantham he was killed in an automobile accident while on a fraternity road trip which involves dropping a blindfolded member at an off-campus site (Fraternity system A 14) The police reported when Benjamin was found he was blindfolded and handcuffed. (A 14) Some colleges are trying to crack down on the fraternities to make them stop the hazings or at least make them not so harmful. Florida State is one of those colleges they are trying to get rid of hazing completely, but they have to start small.

If the administration hears of any group on campus that does something that can hurt members of the group, the group will be punished. Thats why I have enacted a zero tolerance policy for hazing, fighting or physical abuse, and safety violations, including alcohol. We are tough and getting tougher. Some fraternities are pulling away from this type of behavior and even going so far as to have substance-free houses. (Scott E 3) In south east Missouri at all campuses resent death of a 25 year old Michael Davis journalism major died after two weeks of hazing at the hands of his Kappa Alpha Psi brothers (Chenoweth 20-1) new polices have been made about changing the rules regarding hazing. For example making Hazing activities no longer misdemeanors but felonies, all new pledges have to sign a hazing card saying they will report any hazing activities.

(20-21) Hazing is becoming a thing of the past. (Scott E 3) If fraternities feel that they need to have some sort of initiation to bond the brothers then they should come up with some things that are more on the sillier side than the harmful side. I believe when everyone is laughing about something and not people laughing at someone it is a whole lot better. Maybe wearing a toilet seat cover around your neck for a day or something of that sort because its not hurting anyone. It is just funny. Life is so precious and yet we continue to hurt each other just to make one fit in a group.

Why would one want to even be in that group if you have to be beaten, bruised, and ridiculed that is not something that someone should be putting their selves through just be a part of something. Fraternities arent for everyone but if you choose to belong to one check it out before hand to make sure that lifes have not been hurt or taken, and you never know you could leave with many friends that you will have for life, a new brother or sister. Butler, O. Darryl. Reframing the socialization of Greek Life. Black Issues in Higher Education 2 Sept. 1999 p. 88 Chenoweth, Karin.

When Hazing Leads to Death Black Issues in Higher Education 25, June. 1998 Gleick, Elizabeth. Marine Blood Sports Time 10, Feb. 1997 Fraternity system will hasten its end if it doesnt abandon hazing tradition The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 6 April 2000 p A 14 Hazings not just a college tradition High Schoolers engage in it too. The Florida Times Union 29 Aug. 2000 p.

A-3 Scott, Winston. FSU is working to eliminate hazing, substance abuse. Tallahassee Democrat 5 Nov. 2000 p. E 3 Should sports teams haze New York Times up Front 24 Apr. 2000 p. 26 Vida, Vend ela. Girls on the Verge: Debutante dips, Drive-bys, and other initiations New York: St Martins Press. 1999.