By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

 A national study on hazing conducted by University of Maine professors released last month found more than half of college students involved in campus organizations have experienced some type of humiliation, degradation, abuse or endangerment as an expected aspect of their membership. Despite claims that the three-year study is the first of its kind, most local campus administrators are saying the information on hazing is nothing new. Hazing is currently illegal in Maine and 43 other states. 

Elizabeth Allan is one of the professors who presented the study at the annual meeting of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators in Boston last month. She said she has been studying hazing for more than a decade as a health practitioner, a graduate student and a faculty member.

 “Having been aware of hazing I was not surprised to see it was more widespread than people would believe,” Allan said. 

One of the key findings in the study is the presence of hazing in all campus organizations rather than just fraternities and sororities or sports teams. The study claims to have found evidence of hazing in honor societies and other academic clubs as well as recreational athletic teams and performing arts groups.  

Jason Giacomazzo is a junior at the University of Southern Maine (USM) School of Music and a member of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity.

“We have anti-hazing policies in our [fraternity] bylaws and the pledge book,” he said. “As far as the music program, we’re required to attend ensembles but that’s not hazing; it’s just practice.”

While hazing is directly addressed in the fraternity, Giacomazzo said the music department focuses on fostering respect among student musicians, who often look down on the less talented members of a musical group.

“I hear it all the time; gossiping is what people do,” Giacomazzo said. “Sometimes [musicians] can get left out of the group, which I guess could relate to hazing.”

USM Director of Community Standards Steve Nelson said he has been keenly aware of the presence of hazing on campus ever since a Sigma Iota Sigma sorority pledge “broke the code of silence” five years ago by reporting hazing activities she had experienced as part of her initiation. 

“It took somebody inside the organization to say, ‘Enough,’” Nelson said.

Nelson said hazing incidents affected the entire sorority although only key members of the group had actually been involved in the activities.

“Our policy is that if you knew, even if you weren’t a part it, and you didn’t do anything to stop it from happening, you’re responsible too. Now [the sorority] cannot use campus facilities or share rooms, advertise or organize as a group on campus,” he said.

Nelson said he thought the results of the study were reasonable given its broad definition of hazing. 

“Some things are so small they don’t look like hazing at all,” he said. “Carrying someone’s books to class could be construed as hazing.”

President of the USM Greek Woman Council and a member of the Kappa Delta Phi sorority Dawn Dodge said some Greek organizations consider requiring pledges to wear special pledge pins as hazing.

“If one wants to belong to an organization one must do things to join, whether it is to take a test, do a physical fitness evaluation, or wear a pledge pin,” she said.

Dodge said all “new members” are required to attend anti-hazing orientations after they accept a bid from the sorority as part of USM requirements.

Nelson said he had personal experiences with hazing as a resident hall assistant at the University of Vermont during his graduate study. He said he saw a member of the freshmen class paddled to the point where he couldn’t sit down. 

“Somebody else might take that same level of paddling and walk away saying, ‘Hey, I get worse in hockey practice,’ but to [that freshman] it was devastating,” he said. “Making someone else wear embarrassing clothing to class could be just as devastating. Being psychologically or bodily injured can put students in the same place. It all depends on the student.”

Allan said she too had personal experiences with hazing.

“Not unlike many people out there, I had some experiences that would meet the definition of hazing,” she said. “What hazing looks like can change. If you’re part of the baseball team, doing calisthenics at six in the morning may not be considered hazing, as it certainly might in other situations. It all depends on the context.”

University of New England (UNE) Vice President of Student Affairs Barbara Hazard said the university has not had any reports of serious hazing incidents, but said often administrators “don’t know what’s happening in an off campus house.”

Hazard said she found the results of the study troubling.

“It underscores a lot of what we already know,” she said. “It’s really just one more thing we need to address.” 

Saint Joseph’s College Dean of Student Life Lynn Brown said she was pleased there had been no incidents of hazing reported at the college during her 10 months there, but she was not necessarily surprised by the study’s findings. She said hazing could exist beneath the radar of campus administrators.

“Are we just blissfully ignorant?” Brown asked.

Each of the universities confirmed they had anti-hazing policies already in place. The issue is addressed in various student handbooks, orientations and conduct codes at all of the schools. While some university administrators said the penalties for hazing vary depending on the severity of the incident, Nelson said USM begins by suspending the students involved.

“If it’s hazing, I don’t even have to ask questions,” he said. “We’re not locking [students] into an automatic suspension but that’s where we start. Sometimes you’re just expelled.”   

Saint Joseph’s baseball team captain David Doucette said the team discussed hazing twice a year; once at the beginning of their season, then when they pick back up again for off-season play. He said he hasn’t experienced anything he would define as hazing while being on the team. Self-imposed team standards helped prevent hazing more effectively than any other enforcement from the school, Doucette said.

“A few years ago the senior class really established the way things are done,” he said.

Doucette said he believed the findings of the study were accurate based on stories he had heard from friends at other campuses.

“It does seem like there is something going on,” he said.

Allan said she believed hazing reform “won’t happen overnight,” but said she believes some progress has been made.

“Over the years I have seen people’s awareness increase,” she said. “I have seen change, but there needs to be more.

None of the college administrators said they were planning on specifically expanding their hazing prevention policies in light of the study’s conclusions, which suggest “hazing prevention efforts [should] be more comprehensive than simply one-time presentation or distribution of anti-hazing policies.”

To contact Nate Jones, email news@intheregister.com or 282-4337 ext. 233