The Ball State greek community councils are teaming up to participate in National Hazing Prevention Week by passing out anti-hazing pledge cards and showing a film about hazing on campus.
"The importance of that is to just bring awareness to the general Ball State public about what exactly hazing is, which is why we put the definition on the back of our pledge cards because a lot of students don't necessarily understand, not the concept of hazing, but what all that entails," Olivia Catey, a graduate assistant with student life, said. "It's to bring awareness to the problem of hazing on college campuses."
Members of the Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils will hand out anti-hazing pledge cards at the Scramble Light from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today to all Ball State students.
"You're signing it to really pledge that 'yes, I really am going to stand against it and not let it happen,'" Whitney Hamblin, Panhellenic Council president, said. "It's a way for the community to visually and physically say 'we aren't going to do this.'"
The pledge cards are not just for the greek community, but the bigger Ball State community as well.
"If we can prevent hazing and raise awareness in other student organizations of the Ball State community, that's what we want to do," Zach Hartley, Interfraternity Council president, said. "Hopefully, people will start to change the way they think about hazing, whether it be correcting a stereotype about Greek Life or recognizing some behaviors in their own organizations. We kind of want to change the perception and hopefully make people realize and recognize behaviors they need to eradicate from their own groups."
Tonight, there is a showing of 2010's "Brotherhood" movie, which about hazing on college campuses. The film, which will play at 7 p.m. in Pruis Hall, will show some of the stereotypes associated with Greek Life.
"We're just very thankful that we don't have some of those serious problems that are depicted in that movie here on campus," Hartley said.
Catey said it is important for the greek community to partake in the national week as well as the Ball State community.
"Some people have a lot of stereotypes about that, and so we want to kind of challenge some of those stereotypes and show that we're getting out there and taking a stand against actions that are harming students," she said.
Hamblin said she hopes this week's events lead to more conversation about hazing among fraternities and sororities.
"Sometimes it's hard to talk about, and sometimes chapters aren't always having conversations about it because maybe they are the ones partaking," she said. "It's a way for us to reach the community as a whole."
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