Hazing: for better or for worse?

By: Megan Zingarelli

Posted: 1/26/05

It is one of Washington and Lee's less publicized traditions. Starting every January, most freshmen men faithfully begin to look haggard. Few are found in the dorms, and many have black circles under their eyes.

Pledgeship is to blame. The eight week rite of passage varies across the university's 13 fraternities. Most will force hours of study hall and cleaning. Some will arrange hours of vomiting.

Because of national concern over hazing, house leaders, university administration, and the IFC have been trying more to regulate pledgeship. W&L investigated 5 fraternities for hazing last year, and Beta Theta Pi had to leave campus for hazing violations.

A recent New York Times Magazine cover story noted that fraternities around the country are concerned about drinking and hazing.

After an initiation drinking ritual this fall a Chi Psi pledge at the University of Colorado died. Brothers testify to a range of hazing experiences, but they agree that pledgeship's character certainly has changed in the past few years and continues to do so. In past years, some students say, they have been forced to drink and eat vile concoctions and have been urinated on. Brothers are unsure whether this secretive ritual will lessen or intensify this year.

Each fraternity uses new member education to teach fraternity values such as philanthropy and scholarship. The process is a rite of passage, it edifies brotherhood, and it forges friendships. Much hazing is good natured, but some is cruel. By March, some men are changed for worse and hate their lives, while others will always be loyal and thankful to their house.

New Member Education will compel freshmen to learn their founders' ideals and to spend hours in study hall. Pledge class bonding is the goal, and freshmen often enjoy it. Inter Fraternity Council President Tom Pickering, a senior, said a favorite freshman pledgeship memory was dressing up as a wizard and playing Magic the Gathering on the Hill.

Tasks such as cleaning and sober driving are rites of passage, according to outgoing KA President Mark Franceski. And all brothers like making pledges do sillier things, like wearing absurd costumes.

"Everybody likes to have fun with it," he said. "I don't think it's meant to be degrading."

Another fraternity president, who wished to remain anonymous, said his house's hazing has a purpose. Every task must teach about the fraternity. He agreed that most brothers enjoy annoying freshmen, but hazing rarely goes beyond that.

However, other hazing brews bonds from misery. Seniors Ryan Valeri and Chris Weingartner pledged together as freshmen. Their fraternity, Beta Theta Pi, left campus last year for violating university hazing rules, but they said even that was toned down from years before.

"It's the greatest eight weeks of your life you only want to do once," said Weingartner.

They said their fraternity's brothers always forced drinking though brothers usually knew when enough was enough. But some nights were markedly different from others. Valeri said at those times being on either side of hazing was bad. Few brothers severely hazed pledges, and others ensured pledges would not get seriously hurt. They said brothers would usually stop hazing if pledges said no, though eventually the pledge may have been asked to leave the fraternity.

Weingartner said those nights were terrible, but when they were over he and his brothers would say, "That was the craziest thing I've ever done in my life, but I'm glad I got to do it once."

The two said pledgeship was much worse than they thought it would be, but they bonded through the misery and now laugh about it. They said pledges earn brothers' respect through hazing. They knew they were not doing anything that had not been done before.

They said having respect for underclassmen that did not have an equal ordeal is difficult. Since hazing has toned down brothers make freshmen feel guilty for having lesser experiences.

Valeri said if hazing continues to weaken he is glad because it has been a nuisance for brothers and pledges. However, he said he sometimes resents freshmen who look well rested and happy because he looked and felt terrible throughout pledgship.

One source, who wished to remain anonymous, said he remembers being angry throughout pledgeship and was bitter afterward. He had participated in pledgeship both as a pledge and as a brother.

"At any given moment you could be hazed and not just a little bit," he said.

He said brothers tended to restrain themselves at first, but by the end of the eight weeks some completely disrespected the pledges. He said he could not believe some things brothers would do and said it was group behavior at its worse.

"So many of them could never have done it by themselves," he said.

The source said that after he was peed on, he would have liked to harm a brother seriously. However, he said pledges usually would not hesitate to do any menial tasks brothers required.

"They turn themselves off," he said.

He said he believes hazing will not be severe this year unless houses feel comfortable that their pledges will not talk. However, some brothers would rather leave campus than stop hazing, he said.

Other fraternity members have had similar experiences. Some have had to drink and eat concoctions that usually contain disgusting food, chewing tobacco and urine.

"It always includes dip, because that's guaranteed to make you vomit," said one.

Others had been urinated on in the freezing cold weather. And sometimes entire pledge classes wearing warm clothing, had been stuffed into a small room while brothers turn the heat up. Other times, a small group of pledges would have to drink almost its number in beer cases within a very short time. Brothers bring more cases about halfway through the ordeal.

Brothers say most do not want to haze pledges, but they do because it is tradition.

And some who take hazing very seriously are looking for a power trip. Brothers often have assistance from alcohol and drugs to haze, though some are sober.

"It probably always will be, 'It happened to me, so I'm gonna make sure it happens to somebody else,'" said Franceski.

He said this year fraternities are being very cautious about hazing because so many fraternities were investigated last year. He said hazing's intensity has decreased every year since he was a freshman.

Franceski began his time as president last year as pledgeship began and said he strictly prohibited such tough hazing because he did not want to endanger pledges.

"I knew everybody was in danger," he said.

Franceski said harsher hazing probably happened behind his back and said zero tolerance for hazing is unfair and could cause brothers to rebel and haze harder. However, allowing some could lead to unfortunate situations. He said he thinks hazing will continue.

Michael Lee, Chi Psi's pledge educator, said he thinks as regulations increase, pledgeship moves to more dangerous and less controllable environments.

"It's lessening in the public eye, but I think it's going underground," he said.

David Leonard, dean of freshmen, said the administration is concerned that pledges will be sleep deprived and exhausted. He distinguishes between hazing that is in good fun and hazing that is cruel. He said the line is mental, physical and emotional bruising.

"Oftentimes, they're against the law and they're certainly against the moral values that most people hold," he said.

Leonard said house leaders can change the system based on personal experience. Those who had positive experiences can amplify those, and brothers who had negative experiences can lead change.

"Let's eradicate this stuff where young people can get hurt or killed," he said.

Grades do not necessarily suffer, he said. Freshmen fall and winter term GPAs stay almost equal. This year, academic performance might improve. The IFC will be awarding three academic distinctions to achieving pledge classes this term, and more study hall is required.

Dr. Jane Horton of the student health center said each year students are treated with problems likely related to pledgeship. She would not give specific examples because of confidentiality.

"We treat those as we would any other health problem, and encourage the student to pursue concerns about possible hazing with others at the university if we/they believe that is occurring," she wrote in an email.

An IFC committee has been meeting this year to address hazing concerns. Pickering said he is hopeful that the committee will be able to change hazing. Already the group has changed policy by formally declaring many night hours off-limits for new member activities. IFC-wide and individual house meetings have been held to educate members about hazing.

The university also has posted an electronic form at hazing.wlu.edu that allows pledges to report anonymously violations from intimidation to physical abuse. Already, students have filed six reports, according to Dean Dawn Watkins. While two were legitimate reports, four were false. She said three of those were amusing.

"I would consider that creative writing," she said.

The other false report seemed credible until investigation. Of the two credible reports, one is related to threats and intimidation, and that house has been given an IFC warning. The other credible matter is under investigation.

Pickering said he believes that hazing has generally lessened and that pledgeship has been conforming to university policy. He said brothers remember last year's many investigations. He attributes this change to national pressure to curb alcohol use and hazing. He also said fraternities and universities also want to suppress liability.

The IFC will halt a new member program if allegations are serious, and an investigation will continue. Programs will not be halted unless there is serious concern, said Pickering. But if hazing has been serious, that fraternity's pledgship will be stopped.

No forms of hazing are allowed on campus. Otherwise, fraternities must consider laws from several sources. Virginia Commonwealth law, the IFC constitution, and each fraternity's national organization have hazing laws. Lee said he would welcome clearer hazing guidelines from the university.

"If something new member related were to happen on the Hill or elsewhere it would have to be hazing as defined by Virginia Commonwealth Law and University and IFC policy for a fraternity to get in trouble for hazing," wrote Pickering in an email.

One new member's reports can cause a fraternity's program to shut down. Consequently, the entire fraternity may be banned from campus and its brothers and employees bereft of a home and a job. What could cause a pledge to do that?

The anonymous source said everyone has a different limit. Enough sleep deprived nights and degrading situations can cause it, but he thinks the limit is being embarrassed in front of someone who is not in the fraternity.

Valeri agreed, saying an outside influence such as a parent or other confidant would push someone to tell.

"I imagine it will need to be a similar case for a pledge to rat out his frat this year," he said.