Picture this; you’re locked in a dog cage for long periods of time against your will. Or how about trying to drink enough milk to puke on your friends while hot sauce poured is over you? If you’re like most people, then you’ll probably cringe at these ideas. Well, suppose I told you this really happened, as part of a fraternity initiation process. Welcome to Hofstra’s Sigma Pi, a.k.a. Hazing Central according to a new report from the Hofstra Chronicle.

That leads to a little confession I have to make; Sigma Pi was kicked off on 3/1/16, three weeks after I interviewed and was blown off! Now normally, how could I handle being rejected from what is often seen as the apex for many students around the country, for two straight semesters? It's been tough but things happen for a reason & this looks like a blessing in disguise. Knowing some of the former members, I never would’ve guessed that they, of all Hofstra’s fraternities, would do anything of this sort. It seemed like just a big joke when I first heard about the expulsion and I assumed SPi was caught this semester. Now realizing that this dated back to my first semester in college (fall 2014), I can’t fathom “chickening out” of this myself, nor can I imagine the impact this had on others.

Getting rejected taught me the importance of doing my research, the easy way. It turns out this chapter had a reputation suggestive of hazing. To be fair, SPi was applauded for being resourceful, kind & helpful. However, some reviews were critical, with one referencing hazing (before the expulsion) and another afterwards saying that our Greek Life will be much better without SPi. You can read more comments like these on Greek Rank but I was nonetheless naïvely following around the connections I had already. I never asked other people’s opinions or looked for who I clicked with best. There are plenty of other fraternities known for being more diverse and tolerant, who'd seem to view these kinds of initiations as uncool. Lastly, girls, this also applies to you; it’s highly advised to get a feel for an organization before deciding it’s for you or not. And thinking the hazing nightmares won’t happen to us just because we hear about these things happening elsewhere is false; they could happen to anyone, anywhere. That’s why you should be vigilant and never be afraid to refuse something potentially dangerous.

Today, I’m unfortunately still a GDI; but that’s probably my fault for mishandling spring Rush. I’m not sure what my future holds but at least I’ve still got friends inside & outside of Greek Life. I’m glad the former members bounced back by starting the Adventure Club, which promotes healthy lifestyles. I can only hope they learned their lessons and perhaps changed their perspectives on issues like safety. Meanwhile, I’m glad to be on the safe side of this fence. I’m also thankful for learning crucial lessons that will help with future choices. Despite learning them painfully, it was certainly better than learning them the hard way.