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thursday, march 27, 1980.
lincoln, nebraska vol. 104, no. 54
Hazing "minimized'
Some UNL fraternities revise social procedures
By Mary Fastenau
Some UNL fraternities have re-evaluated their social
education programs and developed a revised curriculum
which doesn't include hazing.
This change in attitude has resulted from increased
pressure from national fraternity headquarters, awareness
of the legal liabilities involved, and the realization that
hazing is not a positive way to achieve brotherhood and
unity, according to some fraternity members.
I lazing is defined by the Fraternity Executives Associ
ation as "any action taken or situation created, intention
ally, whether on or off fraternity premises, to produce
mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harass
ment or ridicule."
The national organization has defined such activities as
paddling in any form, excessive fatigue, dressing in a style
which is conspicuous and not in good taste, morally de
grading or humiliating games and activities, among others.
Tradition
Lee Chapin, Interfraternity Council president and
member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, said tradition is the argu
ment most often given in defense of hazing, but added the
argument is a fajlacy because the oldest tradition is the
ceremony in which a pledge becomes an active member.
Chapin said people also argue that hazing provides a
-common experience which encourages brotherhood
among pledges.
At least two fraternities on campus, Sigma Chi and
Sigma Nu, have had ultimatums delivered from their
national headquarters which have instructed them to
change their pledge program or face the possibility of los
ing affiliation with the national organization.
Chapin said hazing was not a part of the fraternity
system when it was founded, and people are beginning to
realize how "stupid" it is to subject others to mental and
physical humiliation.
Change difficult
Mike Phillips, former IFC president and a member of
Sigma Chi, one of the houses that received the ultimatum,
said change is not easy, but people are beginning to
realize the uselessness of forced brotherhood and unity.
Amid talk of change, some people still claim hazing
exists on the UNL campus. One disgruntled person, who
asked to remain anonymous, said talk and actions are not
the same thing in some houses.
He said when he pledged the fraternity he was assured
there would be a minimal amount of hazing.
"They told me they hazed more than most houses but
it was nothing that was degrading," he said.
lie said he found that to be false, and eventually he left
the house. Eight other pledges also left.
He said he left because of the attitude of the active
members toward pledges. He admitted the program had
positive points, but no one knew how to implement them,
he said.
Mental hazing
"It wasn't so much the physical hazing, but it was the
mental hazing," he said.
He decided to leave when active members of the house
got him out of bed, took him down to the basement, tied
him to a chair, poured a gallon of soap and cold water
over him and demanded that he tell them when the pledges
in the house were leaving on their traditional sneak trip.
Part of the tradition is that the trip remain a secret, he
explained. If he told them, he said the other first-year
members of the house would hate him, but the active
members told him if he didn't say anything they would
kick him out of the house .
"Either way, my life was over in that house," he said.
Phillips said people know that these things happen, but
there is a concerted effort to make changes.
"It is a well-known fact that some houses haze," he
said, "and nationals are breathing down their necks."
Change coming
Jayne Wade Anderson, coordinator for fraternities,
sororities and cooperatives, said change is on the way, but
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not everyone accepts it.
"Some people will want to make changes, but not all
people," she said, "and I think that is perfectly normal."
From a perspective of national fraternity organizations,
Anderson said they are beginning to "take the visors ofF'
and realize something needs to be done.
She said national fraternities have "moved aggressively
by statement and action."
On a campus level, she said it is usually the leaders in
the houses who see the need for change because they are
able to look beyond their individual living unit to the
total picture.
When change does come, it has to be total, she said.
"There is no such thing as. a halfway road," she said.
Benefit actives
Mike Mullally, a senior and member of Sigma Nu, a
house that was pressured by nationals, said the changes
were beneficial for active members as well as for the first
year members.
"We found a lot of guys were changing for the good of
the fraternity," he said.
One of the guidelines given to his house by national
headquarters was that they could not force pledges to do
anything actives wouldn't do.
"If we all want to swallow a piece of liver, that is fine,
but the pledges can't do it by themselves," he explained.
Changes include requiring the pledges get eight hours
of sleep instead of four. The actives also got up at the
same time the pledges did, Mullally said, acknowledging
that as a change from the past.
He admitted that there was opposition to the progres
sive program, but when all the changes were made, he
could "honestly say" his fraternity didn't haze.
"Every house says it, but few can live up to it," Mullal
ly noted.
House opposition
Phillips also said there was opposition to change in his
fraternity. Not only were the nationals fighting the atti
tudes of people in the house, they were also battling 70 to
80 years of tradition, he said.
The hardest part, according to Phillips, was finding sub
stitutes for hazing that would fulfill the goals of brother
hood and unity.
He said fraternities also must combat the "age of legal
ities." Chapin said his house has not been contacted by its
national organization. But unofficial sources alerted them
to changes in national policy, he said, and his house made
the necessary changes.
He said UNL was "pretty much ahead of fraternities
across the nation" because of the strength of the Inter
fraternity Council. Right now, he said the biggest prob
lems are with small colleges where there is no one to make
certain hazing doesn't occur.
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The hard way
Photo bv Tom Gessner
Jim Strasheim, Jr. doesn't usually make such an un
conventional entrance. Strasheim climbed through the
second floor window after locking himself out of his
room.
Regent proposal reactions differ
By Michelle Carr
A proposal before the NU Board of Regents to request
funds to hire researchers for each regent drew criticism
from two UNL political science professors and agreement
from another.
The proposal, which was tabled at the March 17
regents' meeting, requested $100,000 to create a research
staff. Regent Robert prokop of Wilber, who proposed the
motion, suggested that a research staff would supply need
ed information that the current administration is not
supplying.
Michael Steinman, a Lincoln City Council member and
associate professor of political science, disagreed with the
creation of a regental staff. Because of economic
difficuilies facing the university, he said any appropriation
should be given directly to operations, like teaching and
research.
Steinman, who teaches public administration courses,
said the university has enough administration.
"If the regents don't trust their administrators (central
administration) they should find administrators they can
trust," he said.
A regental staff would duplicate the work of the
central administration; Steinman said, and too much
duplication already exists between the central administra
tion and the campus administrations.
Another professor disagreed with the regents' proposal.
Louis Picard, assistant professor of political science, said a
research staff is not needed,
'They would basically create their own bureaucracy on
top of the systems bureaucracy" he said.
Picard said the whole purpose of the central administr
ation is to check the three-campus administration and
report to the regents.
Picard said it was 'Incredible that they (the regents)
were even contemplating more bureaucracy.
Robert Miewald, professor of political science, who
also teaches public administration courses, agreed with
the research staff proposal.
A research staff could do the 'legwork'V for the
regents, he said.
However, Miewald questioned the need for researchers
for each regent.
