One of the most exciting aspects of a student’s college experience is being able to join as many clubs and organizations as possible. Here at SJU, we take extreme pride in every single one of the amazing organizations on campus, whether it be Greek Life, Weekly Service, or athletics. For the most part, any given student on Hawk Hill can tell you they are involved with at least one group or organization, which is something to be extremely proud of. Being part of a group gives you a sense of belonging, something that many college students, especially underclassman adjusting to life away from home, love to feel.
But something that many people don’t realize is that joining activities sometimes have challenges that come from the students themselves. A fact that most would find startling is that “more than half of college students involved in clubs and organizations experience hazing (stophazing.org)”. Take a second to stop and think just how many students that is. Hazing is defined as: “any action or situation created intentionally, whether on or off campus premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule.” If you take this definition apart, one can see that hazing does not have to just be physical. Verbal hazing is just as prominent and has the potential to be just as detrimental as physical hazing can be. Sometimes, people do not realize what they may see as a joke, can leave an everlasting scar on someone’s life. We live in a society where self-image and self-esteem are a major issue for teenagers and college students, and any form of hazing without a doubt contributes to these issues. Many students never forget negative comments that are made about them, and may even struggle to put into words how much of an affect it has on their life. Simply put, hazing is a serious issue that needs more attention.
Here at SJU, there is a strict no hazing policy. Many people may think that this policy only applies to the Greek community. There is unfortunately a reputation surrounding Greek Life nationwide that all new members are hazed before they are allowed to officially join. This is definitely not the case. A wide variety of organizations nationwide have been involved with hazing activities, both physical and verbal. Many of these cases have even resulted in deaths of students.
In order to bring light to this issue, HazingPrevention.Org was founded in 2007 to help educate our society on how to prevent hazing from ever happening in the first place. They started National Hazing Prevention Week to encourage college campuses all around the country to start a conversation about steps that they can take to make sure all organizations on their campus are safe for all members. National Hazing Prevention Week is usually the last week September, but due to the craziness surrounding the Pope’s visit to Philadelphia, SJU will be celebrating it this week, beginning Monday, September 28th. Keep your eyes pealed to our social media for different events and happenings around campus this week!
For more information about SJU’s hazing policy, visit https://www.sju.edu/int/studentlife/studentleadership/greeklife/Hazing.html
For more information about hazing prevention and how to get involved, visit http://hazingprevention.org