Every year during the last week of September, fraternities and sororities nationwide participate in National Hazing Prevention Week. The initiative raises awareness and encourages Greek life to stop hazing.
The Hazing Prevention Network defines hazing as “any action taken or situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule and risks emotional and/or physical harm to members or a group or team, whether new or not, regardless of a person’s willingness to participate.”
The Greek community at OSU hangs banners, sets up tables, brings in speakers, and shares the positive experiences of Greek life through social media campaigns.
“We’re trying to raise awareness about what hazing is and if people are experiencing it,” Director of Recruitment for the Interfraternity Council Parker Huizinga said. “(We are) trying to let them know that there are ways they can get help… and talking through their options.”
Members of the Greek community acknowledge that hazing is an ongoing issue among individuals, but on an organizational level, “no hazing” policies are heavily enforced.
“We are ‘no hazing,’ absolutely not happening,” Vice President of Public Relations for the Panhellenic Council Ali Williams said.
Outside of National Hazing Prevention Week Fraternity and Sorirties Affairs hosts speakers and require educational sessions such as Greek 100 to deter hazing. Their efforts focus on making sure students feel safe and confident enough to report a hazing incident.
“We have a lot of educational programs such as Greek 100 and then a lot of check and balances in place to make sure that nothing out of the ordinary is happening in our chapters,” Howell said.
Another goal for the week is to promote positive and healthy experiences among Greek life members, students and potential new members.
“We want to focus on those positive relationships that we have in our chapters and kind of move away from those negative connotations of hazing that are portrayed in the media, because we don’t support that here at Oklahoma State,” Howell said.
