State sororities, fraternities debate hazing controversy

By Tarria Echols [Sheffield High School]

Hazing has put a different spotlight on greek life on many college campuses across the country, such as the University of Alabama and the University North Alabama.

In April 2003, the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity was suspended from the University of Alabama campus until 2005. The national organization officials, due to hazing allegations, suspended them. George James, the fraternity member who showed photographs of his chest and back to WVTM-TV NBC 13 in Birmingham, brought forth the hazing allegations.

After its appeal to the national organization’s decision was denied, Kappa Alpha Psi pleaded guilty and was then suspended by the campus officials.
Kappa member Kyle Buchanan told The Crimson White that the fraternity is not guilty and never got the chance to present its evidence to the Kappa Alpha Psi national organization.

In an interview this week, Buchanan said the fraternity members are committed to solidarity.

“The brotherhood that I’m in has been an experience that I would not give up for anything,” Buchanan said. “Nothing from an external source or an internal villain source can get the best of my chapter. As brothers we will stand together to prevail every obstacle that comes our way.”

The University of Alabama has now taken precautions by setting up a hotline to notify the appropriate authorities about hazing acts.

This past spring, the Kappa chapter at the University of North Alabama was also accused of hazing, chapter president Marland Pruitt said. An investigation was conducted, but no charges were brought forth.

The Kappa chapter at UNA has since established workshops to speak out against hazing and inform pledges to understand the concept of hazing, Pruitt said.

Marques Stroud, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha at UA, said that the membership in greek organizations is decreasing, because many prospective members fear being hazed.

“We are losing a lot of our good black potential leaders in the greek system because of hazing,” Stroud said.

Although Webster’s Dictionary defines hazing as “to harass by exacting unnecessary or disagreeable work or to harass by banter, ridicule, or criticism,” UA Dean of Students Tom Strong said his office’s definition of hazing is more open to interpretation.

“When the definition is broad it creates more to enforce,” Strong said. “It also makes it harder to enforce but at the same time it is easy to define.”
Alpha Phi Alpha member Chuck Smoot said that in practice, greek hazing usually constitutes physical abuse.

The recent incidents at UA and UNA serve as examples of how some say fraternities and sororities are no longer viewed as being a brother or sisterhood (“fraternity” means “brotherhood” in French), but instead a social club. Fraternities such as Kappa Alpha Psi and Alpha Phi Alpha – along with several others – were established to provide support to African-Americans who were excluded from other all-white greek and non-greek organizations.

“Some fraternities and sororities have strayed away from the true meaning of brother and sisterhood and lost focus of what our founders had anticipated for us to do, therefore they have become more of a social club, ” Pruitt said.

However, many greeks still believe in the original mission of their organizations. Jerrell Laster, secretary of Phi Beta Sigma, said that being a member of his fraternity has aided him in achieving in every field by human endeavor, religion, and social status, and to tap into all the qualities within himself.

Arthurene Brown, a junior at UA, originally planned to pledge a sorority but said she changed her mind due to fear of hazing. Others decide to pledge even if they know they will be hazed, she said.

“Many pledge because they have family and friends who are greek,” Brown said. “They even go so far to subject themselves to be hazed.”

Kimberly Minor, member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority expressed that pledges are hazed for various reasons. Some chapters extend the option of being “real” or “papered.” Before pledges are hazed they are educated about what takes place when someone is hazed.

Stroud said that the “real,” those who are hazed or pledged, will be respected and the “papered” – those who are not pledged – may never share that special experience with others in the organization because of how they earned their letters.

Hazing has become so horrific, it has gotten out of control to the point high school fraternities and sororities have adopted hazing as a form of commencement.

“I believe that they don’t know that hazing is illegal and understand the consequences,” said Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority member Tiffany Johnson, who is also on the National Pan Hellenic Council. “They heard about it but they are ignorant to the fact of what really goes on.”

Hazing is an issue of the greek community as a whole, not just a black or white issue. In fact Strong said that most of the incidents of hazing at UA have occurred with white greeks.

“I feel that hazing is very serious,” said Lucas Elgie, a member of all-white Theta Chi and treasurer of the Inter-Fraternity Council. “The brothers in my fraternity practice haze-free precautions. I hope that it doesn’t occur, but if it does I feel that repercussions should take place.”

Despite the recent bad publicity, Smoot said he still believes that greek organizations still have the potential to serve their members and communities in a positive way, but have need to get back to their original mission.

“We are called a fraternity for a reason,” Smoot said. “One of our beloved poems, To Be An Alpha Man, quotes ‘It’s more than just a grip of hands, it’s an idea conceived.’”

“The conception of that idea is lost. And until we get it back, our organizations, not just Alpha Phi Alpha, but all black greek organizations, will be lost and remain lost.”

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