If you've ever read the book "Pledged" from Mrs. Townsel's list of outside reading books, then you probably already have a healthy fear of sororities and fraternities. So this article really only acts as a confirmation of my fears. Nineteen year old Chun "Michael" Deng was killed during a hazing preformed by his fellow fraternity brothers. During the ritual he suffered blunt force head trauma and died. The Fraternity: Pi Delta Psi that it has "revoked and terminated all affiliation" with the college.
Honestly, I see very little advantage to sororities and fraternities. yes, they provide a ready-made group of people for you to grow along with throughout college, but this institution seems to have become more harmful to the people who are a part of it than beneficial. Especially considering how rooted in the past most of the rules and prejudices are.
Link: http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/14/justice/new-york-college-fraternity-death/?hpt=zite_zite9_featured
I wouldn't completely write off fraternities and sororities. I've read the book Pledged and while I find that a little scary, I also think that there are endless numbers of benefits from the 'frats' and 'srats'. I think that this story just makes more of a point that the hazing needs to stop or at least progress in a safer and less extreme way if they refuse to get rid of the practice. I think it's awful that it took a kid dying to show the intensity that hazing can get though.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I would like to join a fraternity, however, if I feel like something threatens my survival, I'm out. It's wrong to assume that because one book talked about terrible hazing incidents to assume that all frat and sororities end up killing their new people. If that's the case no one would make it.
DeleteBut I do agree that pledging can, and has gotten extremely dangerous.
ReplyDeleteI agree that hazing and lack of independent thought is the biggest issue here.
ReplyDelete