Sigma Nu Starts Anti-Hazing Twitter Campaign
As a part of this year’s National Hazing Prevention Week taking place on September 20-24, 2010, Sigma Nu, the Interfraternity Council Member Fraternity, is spearheading a social media campaign. Over the course of 40 days, Sigma Nu will release via their Twitter channel a comprehensive list of arguments against the 40 most common heard excuses for sorority and fraternity hazing.
The project began on August 11, 2010 and since then a team of contributors have blogged, tweeted and Facebook posted a different excuse daily using the Twitter official hash tag #40Answers.
This is the first social media campaign to combat hazing in Greek Life and is slated to become a popular resource for Greeks against hazing to ensure a quality fraternity and sorority experience for organization members
Numerous organizations within Panhellenic, National-Panhellenic, Interfraternity and Diversified Greek Councils have committed to endorsing and supporting the campaign.
Here is the list of scheduled tweets:
• August 11, 2010 Pledges must pay their dues to become a member.
• August 12, 2010 Hazing teaches pledges to respect their elders.
• August 13, 2010 Pledges must learn to appreciate the fraternity.
• August 14, 2010 I don’t think _________ is hazing.
• August 15, 2010 This is just part of becoming a Brother/Sister.
• August 16, 2010 Other chapters won’t respect us if we don’t haze.
• August 17, 2010 No chapter is greater than its weakest link. Hazing shows each pledge that he or she is no better than the group.
• August 18, 2010 Hazing breaks people down so we can build them up and, in turn, create long-lasting friendships.
• August 19, 2010 Hazing builds better men by instilling toughness.
• August 20, 2010 Everyone before us had to do it.
• August 21, 2010 We’ve always done it that way.
• August 22, 2010 Hazing unites the pledge class.
• August 23, 2010 We’ll never get caught.
• August 24, 2010 Hazing made me a better person.
• August 25, 2010 Hazing brought me closer together with my pledge class.
• August 26, 2010 We can’t just initiate anyone. We have to have some standards.
• August 27, 2010 People need a rite of passage, and our pledge program provides it.
• August 28, 2010 They wanted to be hazed.
• August 29, 2010 We give our pledges the option to not participate.
• August 30, 2010 No one is going to die from_________.
• August 31, 2010 We only use hazing to discipline pledges who don’t follow the rules.
• September 01, 2010 Every other chapter on campus hazes, too.
• September 02, 2010 It’s tradition.
• September 03, 2010 Hazing helps us weed out those who don’t really want to be here.
• September 04, 2010 We take great pride in having pledges who are physically fit.
• September 05, 2010 We can’t have fun any longer; everything is hazing.
• September 06, 2010 It’s a test that helps boys become men / girls become women.
• September 07, 2010 “Nationals” only prohibits hazing because they are required to for liability reasons.
• September 08, 2010 Everyone knows fraternities and sororities haze; Greek Life professionals only condemn hazing publicly to be politically correct.
• September 09, 2010 All of the sports teams haze; the marching band hazes worse than we do!
• September 10, 2010 If we stop hazing then we’ll lose alumni support.
• September 11, 2010 Even if we do get in trouble our alumni will withhold gifts to the university if the chapter is closed.
• September 12, 2010 We want to eliminate hazing but we’re waiting for the seniors to graduate.
• September 13, 2010 We only haze a little bit.
• September 14, 2010 It’s just what college students do. It’s just boys being boys.
• September 15, 2010 I know it’s wrong but I don’t want to be responsible for my chapter closing.
• September 16, 2010 The pledges need to earn their letters.
• September 17, 2010 The hazing used to be much worse.
• September 18, 2010 The military hazes, so why can’t we?
• September 19, 2010 Most of the people telling me hazing is wrong were some of the worst hazers when they were in the chapter. Why would I listen to a hypocrite?
If you or someone you know has been the victim of hazing, please call the toll-free number (888) NOT-HAZE or (888) 668-4293.