Hazing, a fun activity. ha?

Hazing
What is hazing? Are the disadvantages of hazing exceeding the benefits it provides for school communities such as Greeks and all athletic teams in general? Should hazing be abolished, restricted to some stage or left alone as the “harmless fun” (Drawing the line :..) it is considered to be by some? The answers rely on how hazing is defined. Some define hazing as team building(Drawing the line:..), while a research by the National Study of Student Hazing define it as “any activity expected of someone joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers them regardless of a person’s willingness to participate”( Elizabeth, Mary). Bruce piston, in his online-blog defines hazing as “the time tested process of initiation that determines the value of a prospective brother” (Bruce). People can define hazing in variety of ways that reflect their beliefs, but regardless how we define hazing, there is one obvious fact people tend to ignore: including death, hazing has a high potential to cause extensive damage to individuals. As human beings we should all value the lives of others. A human life is precious; it cannot be replaced by money or any other means, which is why we should terminate any activities that risk the life of a human being in vain.
Few lives have been lost and many have suffered from a mental and/or physical scar they gained from hazing. Hazing killed one MIT student (CBS) and another one in Chico State University (Elaine). While the MIT student’s death was alcohol related, the student form Chico State University died from water intoxication he got as he tried to finish drinking water from a five-gallon jar: his brain and lung were swollen (Elaine). These cases prove how deadly hazing can be. In cases that did not cause death or any other physical harm, hazing has scarred many with memories that could never be erased off one’s mind. In Palo Alto High, a student was scarred for life as he was forced to eat a cake with a pubic hair sprinkled on it (Thuy). In another case, freshmen in the University of Vermont were required to wear women’s underwear and also to walk in line holding each other’s genitals (CBS).
Even though many are unpleased by the hazing they experienced, there were those who favored it. “I now feel closer than ever to my teammates,” (CBS) said one of the freshmen from University of Vermont, when he was asked about the hazing he went through. Another student from University of Maryland described hazing as “freshman bonding” after she experienced it (Matthew). This is what is amazing about hazing: most students including some of those who took its burden, are aware of its consequences and still think it that there is nothing wrong with it. Astonishingly one college student adores hazing and even gives it credit for his success (Bruce). These people describe hazing as an entertaining and harmless tool that brings their group or team together. What kind of brotherhood, if not hate, is gained from humiliation? How is forcing one to wear women’s underwear or making one hold another guy’s genitals supposed to make teammates feel close to each other? Humiliating others should not be the tool to bring teammates closer.
One good quality about human beings is that they have morals and the ability to learn from their mistakes. Hazing, an action that caused a mother to lose her son, to a childish game, should never be given a chance to repeat its damages. Neither should an action which humiliates and mentally scars fellow students be tolerated in schools. Schools are the arenas of knowledge. These high schools and colleges should be the last places where one experiences inhumanity.
The government, as the body who should be standing for the good of citizens, has tried to stop hazing. Except for six states, all of the others have made hazing illegal (StopHazing.org). Schools too have the obligation to work for the safety of their students. Even though they were late, all colleges have declared hazing illegal (Fox news). If most of the states and all the colleges have made hazing illegal then why is it still a problem? The answer is students. They are not cooperating with those in power to stop hazing. About 55% of students involved in any kind of organization suffer from hazing, yet 95% of these students keep quiet about it. Amazingly, about 25% of the times when hazing takes place in schools, coaches and other faculty members are aware of it (Elizabeth, Mary). The problem is that students have made hazing a culture. Since hazing does not always cause visible harm to individuals, people tend to forget about its potential.
Students need to stand up for change. Most students have the knowledge to make the changes required. Most people are aware of hazing and would like to make a change. The problem is that only few rise to the occasion and try to make a difference. Unfortunately few are not enough all the time, especially when it comes to deeply rooted and widely spread problems like hazing. Just like the Ethiopians say, “if a spider web unites, it can tie up a Lion”. If all those who agree to the problem and think that it should be put to end work together, Students can make much more difference and may even save lives. Hazing has the potential to put people’s lives in danger, students, as the educating part of our society should work hard to take it out of our community.