University of Idaho students discussed safety and prevention techniques at an anti-hazing-event as part of National Hazing Prevention Week Tuesday evening in the International Ballroom.
Ryan Tarinelli | Argonaut
Dean of Students Blaine Eckles addresses students at an anti-hazing event Tuesday evening in the Bruce Pitman Center.
Dean of students Blaine Eckles started off the event by asking the students to give examples of hazing.
“Making a kid do pushups,” one man said.
“Scavenger hunts,” another said.
“Paddling,” another said.
“Absolutely, yes,” Eckles replied.
Hazing was defined at the event as “any action taken or any situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule and risks emotional and/or physical harm to members of a group or team, whether new or not, regardless of the person”s willingness to participate.”
UI”s own definition adds to the previous one by including activities that “cause physical or mental discomfort or distress,” activities that demean any person or activities that involve the destruction or removal of public or private property.
Assistant Greek Life Adviser Leyalle Harris said most students don”t realize that anti-hazing laws exist in the UI Student Code of Conduct.
“A lot of people think it”s a tradition,” Harris said.
College campuses nationwide commemorate hazing prevention week. It is particularly aimed at student organizations like Greek living and student athletics, where hazing is known to occur.
Turnout was expected to be between 600-700 students, Harris said. Yet the actual turnout was closer to 100 students, mostly from Greek housing.
During the event, Harris referenced a story that made headlines in 2013. The New York Times reported a student at Baruch College died after being forced to run through the snow blindfolded with a sand-filled backpack weighing 20-30 pounds as he broke through a knot of his fraternity brothers.
The New York Times reported last week that five students will be charged with third-degree murder for his death.
“We [Greek students] seem to have a big problem,” Harris said of the prevalence of hazing in Greek communities in general.
She said she does not believe UI specifically has a hazing problem, though.
It was reported in February that the UI chapter of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) received disciplinary action for hazing. The chapter was to stay on probation through the 2017-2018 year, but sanctions were lifted less than a month later. Conflict between FIJI alumni and former Dean of Students Craig Chatriand led him to resigning in March.
Alpha Kappa Lambda sophomore Akash Singh said everyone in his house attended Tuesday”s event. He said the chapter does not condone hazing and that fact was made clear to incoming freshman.
This is a characteristic not necessarily common to every house, AKL freshman Garrett Woelfl said.
“There were a few that seemed a little “hazy,”” Woelfl said of other chapters he met during recruitment.
Members of the UI chapter of Kappa Delta said they too got an impression of safety from their house.
Kappa Delta freshman Rachael Wilkinson said she felt a sense of safety and family in Kappa Delta, which has a national policy against hazing. Wilkinson said the anti-hazing policy was one of the first things members of her house discussed upon being inducted.
“I didn”t see [antihazing policies] in a lot of houses going through recruitment,” Wilkinson said. “It was something that was very emphasized at Kappa Delta.”
In place of the bonding that hazing is supposed to accomplish, Kappa Delta junior Lexi Suomi, said the women play games, have movie parties and take pictures together, among other activities.
“If you”re a human being you should not haze or be hazed,” Wilkinson said. “That”s just a thing.”
Taylor Nadauld can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @tnadauld