From a young age we are taught how to pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag, is driven into our brains, as we recite it day after day at school. You pledge to follow your religion, or faith, and to follow the rules that go along with it. But how about we pledge to do something different. What if everyone decided to pledge against hazing? Would the world be a better place? Would campus life be a better place?
As an RA and being an active sister of a sorority I have seen many potential members live in fear. They haven't gone through the process yet, but because of stories from other schools they automatically associate greek life with hazing. In my own hall while I was on a round of a building wearing my sorority letters, I had a resident engage me in a conversation about greek life. They told me they were interested in joining a sorority, well I was SO EXCITED, I think my head went to Mars!!!! I was fully prepared to tell them about how amazing it was and why I loved it, until I was brought right back down to Earth, because following them saying they wanted to join a sorority was... "but I'm too scared." My mind was blown, how could they be scared?
I was told about how badly their sister was beaten during a process at her school, and how some friend of hers older brother was practically left to die when he was a pledge. I realized that with greek life came a stigma. A stigma that I was blind to even realize still existed, because my process had been so amazing and heart warming, that I would never dare to think about any of my sisters trying to break me down or dehumanize me. I looked her in the eye and calmly said we don't do that at Johnson & Wales or in my sorority.
Everyone in greek life is an equal. That's how it should be. No one should feel any less than their peers. At my University our Greek Life advisor is determined to keep it that way, and for every org on campus to continue that. No one should think they can't do something because they are too afraid of being injured, burned, or scarred in order to do something that they'll love.
Then I started thinking about non greek life clubs and orgs and how they too should strive to not haze. Because, a person wanting to join the soccer team shouldn't live in fear of how they'll be treated just because they are a freshman. No matter what you love, you should do, without fear of repercussion.
Not one person should haze. That should be viewed as morally wrong. Unfortunately, I can't speak for everyone. But I can speak for me, and i think it is morally wrong to haze, I find it disgusting and horrible, and I will stand up for those afraid to.
I am Greek and I Pledge not to haze!
