Newsgroups: soc.college
Subject: fraternity hazing poll results -- part ii
From: farenebt@craft.camp.clarkson.edu (Droopy)
Date: 25 Sep 92 02:00:20 +1000

Organization: Clarkson University
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1992 19:18:07 GMT

"	Okay, then let's see what I can tell you about the mysterious
	dark side to fraternities....
							
	When I pledged the [frat name] fraternity, the one thing
	that they stressed the most was the fact that they did NOT 
	haze. Our quazi-motto was "How could we inflict harm or humiliate
	you then expect you to be our brother".  This is what lead me
	to the house. That and its composition. Most fraternities have
	some sort of theme - jocks, preps, rich kids, beautiful people,
	[we] didn't -  we had people who were scholars
	(these are the folks that went on to Harvard Law School, etc)
	we had people who were into drugs, we had thin guys, beautiful guys,
	fat guys, and party-animals (aka John Belushi from Animal House)
	This is what appealed to me most, the lack of clique mentality that
	I stereo-typed with fraternities.

	Needless to say, I do not believe I was ever hazed: I was never
	physically punished, nor humiliated, nor were there any of these
	"line up" inquisitions that I have heard about. We had responsibilities
	that some may deem hazing- we were responsible for cleaning the 
	house, for doing the menial tasks at social events (but for
	short periods of time- I bartended at ever party for at least an
	hour), and for learning information about the brothers; their
	names, hometowns, majors, etc.  However, erefleccting upon it,
	each of these tasks had some other purpose- cleaning the house
	was needed, and it was our way of 'paying' for the free stuff we got-
	pledges can eat at the house whenever we want, and we paid nothing
	in dues until we were a brother. The social events forced us to s
	socialize with others and learning the brother's info guaranteed
	that we knew them. Once I was a brother, I would only give my info
	to pledges under 2 ccircumstances- they either drank with me at
	a party and asked me the questions in a casual conversation,
	or if they weren't into that they had to got out and grab a pizza
	with me (my treat) and have the same casual conversation.
	Some folks call that hazing- I think they do worse to a person
	who enlists...

	Okay, now to the event. It was during my Junior year; I was elected
	as Alumni Secretary, an official position that placed me on both
	the Alumni and Undergraduate boards. As a side hobby, I had taken
	up bartending. 
	On the night that the rushees are pinned, we have an informal
	celebration, basically beers and shots and billards, darts,
	ping-pong, etc.. just the brothers and the pledges. This cerenmony
	is no dark mystery with candles and robes and all the junk
	that tv presents it as, it is open; in fact we could invite the
	school administrators, and would have except [school name] is a 'dry'
	campus and we would get in trouble for the alcohol.
	On the night of the Pinning, I was asked by another of the officiers
	if I oculd make some shots. To be precise, Kamikazees (in case you
	are unfamiliar with them- they are vodka, triple sec, and lime juice)
	for the brothers and the pledges; traditionally there are four
	toasts which everyone participates in- however, if for some reason
	a pledge of brother doesn't want to, they don't have to. In my class
	on of my pledge brothers had a 8 am lab the next day and wanted to 
	stay sober... and he did.

	I made the drinks, estimated 240 shots..

	I stayed for the pinning ceremony, but had made plans with friends
	for the evening whicch I decided I would rather not break. After
	the ceremony, I was there for the 4 toasts. Then I left.

	When I came home, everyone was in a drunken stupor. I checked with 
	the president, who was staying awake as a sober monitor to make
	sure no drunken folks wanderd off on foot or in a car, about the
	party, as usual it was a blast. I went upstairs to bed.

	I was awoken the enxt day at 6:00 am by a policeman breaking in the
	door to my bedroom, apparently one of the pledges had become 
	ill during the morning hours and was rushed to the hospital.
	We were all forced down into the dining room where the administration
	was waiting for us.

	We were herded over to an admin building where we found out an hour
	later that the pledge had died of an alcohol overdose. The police
	proceeded to question us for 6 hours, during which time we were
	held against our will, without access to food, water, bathrooms, 
	etc. Basically, our Constitutional Rights were pitched out the
	window.
	
	what happened? i really don't know first hand. Yes, there is
	encouragement from the brothers to drink, but no more than
	a bunch of friends out at a bar. From what I heard, the pledge
	and his friend were competing with each other. I will never
	know for sure.

	For my part in it, I was paraded before the press for vindication
	of the school. The prosecutor threaten with manslaughter, but the
	judge sentenced us to a PTI program, (Pre-Trial Intervention-
	established for 1st time offenders), which basically meant that
	if we got in no more trouble, the charges, which were now formally
	hazing and providing alcohol to minors, would be dropped. They 
	were dropped, but it costs me over $5k in legal bills.

	The school suspended me for 1 year, and forced me to perform 200
	hours of community service in an emergency room. The suspension
	was because through it all, I refused to accept responsibility
	for this kids death. I returned to [school name], received my degree,
	was denied entrance to the Grad prgram BECAUSE of the event. I
	moved to [new place] (another long story) and eventually applied to 
	their grad program. I intend to get my law degree, and if I have
	my way, work for the ACLU back in [original state].

	 
	The media swarmed us- I had offers from geraldo, 20/20, 60 minutes
	you name it. My father was harassed with phone calls from
	ABC, NBC, etc..

	The law suit was settled, the school and the insurance company for
	the national fraternity ended up paying over a million to his
	family.

	The national fraternity close the chapter down immediately upon
	request of [school name] so that they may re-open it in 5 years when
	all the offenders have left. The national promsied to back us
	should the case be dropped or we were found to be innocent,
	they didn't. A national representative basically told us we
	weren't out of the frat (this way they can harass me annually
	for contributions), but that we were all shifted to alumni
	status and could not me offical as a chapter again. I tore up
	my membership card and jammed it in his suit pocket telling
	him to shove it... so much for sticking together eh?

	As for others, yes they do has, there is a MInority ((black)
	fraternity that still brands, I have seen members here. I
	know of brothers of Alpha Epsilon Pi who bragged to me about
	the hazing they would do once they had pledges again.
									
	Another fraternity at [school name] makes the pledges swim the []
	river, no matter if they are fall pledges, who do it in
	October, or spring pledges, who do it in February.

	Mind you these last two are hear-say, I have never formally
	witnessed either, though brothers have admitted it to me.
	Take it as you want to.

	I think I have covered it all, and tried not to preach too
	badly, (not sure, but I usually do).

	Someday, I think I'll write a book about it, but for now,
	I keep it a secret- it has ruined my chances at certain
	career opportunities, I won't let it ruin others.

	Recently, I have been asked to rejoin the local chapter of
	the frat. They think it might help them, and other fraternities
	here if they knew. I doubt it....
---
Bri Farenell				"It is better to have clean hearts and
Clarkson '95				 dirty hands than dirty hearts and
farenebt@craft.camp.clarkson.edu	 clean hands."  ---Rev Jesse Jackson

CLINTON/GORE AND BOB ABRAMS (US SENATE) IN '92
A PC-HATING, PRO-LIFE LIBERAL CARD-CARRYING MEMBER OF THE ACLU