MSU hasn't had a problem with hazing this year. The University of Michigan, on the other hand, has.
At U-M, a number of greek chapters went under investigation last month. National hazing incidents - allegedly including fraternity pledges forced into car trunks and sorority pledges touched by fraternity members in Ann Arbor - have MSU greek officials talking today about putting the clamps on hazing.
Hazing, no matter where it comes from, is wrong. Reasons to haze defy all common sense. First, let's take a step back and realize that hazing isn't solely perpetrated by greek societies. Hazing happens in sports and other clubs at all levels, and no one can overlook it.
For the past two years, there hasn't been much news at MSU about greek hazing, which is commendable in its own right. Unfortunately, the latest news with hazing has been coming from a different arena - sports teams. While greek societies at campuses nationwide have been cracked down upon, and rightfully so, more attention needs to be paid to the issue of hazing and sports, particularly at the high school and collegiate level.
Innocent pranks are a different matter. There's a fine line between good-natured pranks and hazing, and danger of physical injury draws that line. In an instant, though, pranks can overstep their bounds and become hazing. People, at the very worst, can die. Falling short of that, people sustain injury, or humiliate others.
Hazing can be found offensive when done publicly. In 2002, MSU's Pi Kappa Phi chapter pledges ambled through the Mason and Abbot hall cafeterias wearing pink T-shirts with derogatory remarks about homosexuals written on the back. National organizers evicted every member of the house, and it was the right thing to do.
Stunts like the pink-shirt incident aren't funny. They're not clever. They don't add to the value of any organization. If anything, hazing encourages an atmosphere of fear, from which some might never recover. Hazing won't bring your sorority or fraternity closer together. In sports, hazing won't help win that next big game.
Athletes, fraternity men and sorority women, you know better than anyone when your organization has crossed the line. See something wrong? Put a stop to it. Step up, put any personal hazing experience behind and break the cycle.
We at The State News are glad MSU's Panhellenic Council is debating how best to set stronger anti-hazing rules in place. By policing itself and standardizing its collective definition of hazing, the council would elect to help keep the real police uninvolved.
MSU sports teams already have anti-hazing practices. Teams should cling to those goals. It will make MSU sports a stronger, better organization.
People doing the hazing, how old are you? If you're anywhere near graduation, think strongly about what future bosses might say after figuring out how many people you've hazed.
More importantly, develop a functional set of ethics. You'll need it later to treat people around you with the dignity and respect they deserve.
