hazing - it's not just for frats any more
 

As an undergrad my only real interaction with various frat members was through intramural sports. I'll hold my tongue on my opinion of them in general, but I've always considered hazing to be pretty pathetic. And lo and behold, it's not just for breakfast any more

FAMU band director fired, 4 students suspended in wake of member's death - St. Petersburg Times

I'm amazed at things people will put up with in order to "belong" to a group.

A sad story indeed.

This guy was probably the only one old enough to buy booze, and he got hazed? He was 26! There has to be more to the story.

IMO fraternities are a lot like college in general: They are what you make of them.

I was never hazed. I simply would not put up with that. And in my 3.5 years in a fraternity, I made sure no one was ever hazed.

They can be a tremendous opportunity to learn leadership skills and the dynamics of an organization at a relatively early age. I found it fascinating, and valuable.

Of course, the access to sororities, and the opportunities springing therefrom, were a young man's dream come true. I still sometimes sit back and think of those years with amazement and gratitude.

Hazing at black universities is taken to a higher level. Beatings and branding with a hot iron are standard practices.

...this one time, at band camp...

Don't lump all fraternities, even social fraternities, into that broad paint brush. My fraternity Sigma Nu (ΣΝ) was founded at VMI in 1869 because of the hazing going on at the military institute. ΣΝ was founded on zero tolerance for hazing. In other words, the entire school was practicing hazing and ΣΝ was born out of not hazing.

Not that pledging was easy in anyway, black balling was frequent and often seemed cruel, but none of the pledge class were ever in danger for their lives.

Doesn't make sense ...as an established member of the 100 and a mjor, he should have been on the giving end of hazing. I went to FSU and shared engineering classes with FAMU. If the administration denies knowing about hazing....they are plain stupid or in denial.

Remember the Michigan State band's "a$$ing?" I bet that's still going on.

Hazing comes in many forms....