You may have noticed some of your friends’ Facebook cover photos changing, or perhaps a newly painted rock on Monday. These activities are all due to members of Albion Greek life actively participating in National Hazing Prevention Week.
According to HazingPrevention.org, National Hazing Prevention Week is celebrated on college campuses during the last full week of September across the United States to raise awareness about the problems of hazing and educate campus organizations about hazing prevention.
Associate Director for Greek Life and Student Organizations Jonathon Collier explained why this week is so vital on Albion’s campus.
“National Hazing Prevention Week is important because it allows the topic to be spotlighted yearly and serves as a springboard for reaffirmation of organizational core values,” said Collier. “The week serves as a reminder that the purpose of new member education is to make women better women and men better men.”
Albion College recognizes a zero tolerance no hazing policy. No forced or uncomfortable action or activity inflicted on a member or a new member of an organization is tolerated at Albion.
People sometimes defend acts that are defined as hazing because these actions considered “tradition” by an organization or club. Brett Cunningham, Lake Orion junior and president of the International Fraternity Council at Albion College and member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, stressed that when it comes to doing what is right, students need to be the change.
“Just because it’s tradition doesn’t mean it’s not flat out wrong,” Cunningham said.
Jessika Anderson, Plymouth junior, member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, thinks National Hazing Prevention Week is essential to Albion College Greek life.
“I think that hazing prevention is important because we go to such a small school where over half the campus is Greek, that it is best to focus on the positives of Greek life,” Anderson said. “Albion is a hazing-free campus and it is great to remind people of that and encourage people to join Greek life.”
Ruchi Ahluwalia, Grand Blanc junior, member of the Delta Gamma sorority, agrees.
“I think education about anti-hazing is important because everyone should feel comfortable and appreciated in their house, and be able to have the full experience of going Greek rather than having to worry about being judged and hazed,” said Ahluwalia.
In context of National Hazing Prevention Week, Ahluwalia made a slideshow of Albion Greek members expressing their thoughts on how to prevent hazing here on campus. This slideshow can also be found on the Albion College Panhellenic Council Facebook page.
For more information on hazing prevention at Albion or to report a problem with hazing, contact Jonathon Collier at jcollier@albion.edu.
Photo by Jessika Anderson
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