HAZE is a documentary about Gordie Bailey, who died of alcohol poisoning while pledging Chi Psi at University of Colorado. As he was a graduate of my boarding school, every year the seniors are required to attend this movie screening and a discussion before they go off to college. HAZE is a poignant film that doesn't involve much narration. Instead, it features interviews with Gordie's family and friends. Travis Apgar, our Associate Dean of Students and a outspoken anti-hazing activist, makes an appearance. Hazing, according to Wikipedia, is “a term used to describe various ritual and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group”. A subject of great controversy on the Cornell campus and universities everywhere, hazing is a very specific form of ritualistic violence. Hazing often involves barbaric, creatively cruel acts carried out in secret, behind closed doors so the world never finds out about what new members are forced to go through in order to join the elite ranks of a fraternity. During pledging season, students arrive at class hungover and battered, bearing scars that tell a story of the price they are paying for brotherhood. In a tidal surge that hits just before initiation, hazing becomes an obsession for the brothers and pledges, and leads them to believe that the violence they perpetrate against one another are justified by the letters, symbols, rituals, and the mystic bonds of the fraternity. In reality, there is no true justification. These illusions break down rapidly in the face of tragedy. When a student dies, such as the case of Gordie Bailey, people tend to snap out of their trances, and the reasons behind hazing immediately come into question.
I think it's really interesting you bring up this topic/documentary because of the recent death of George Desdundes at Cornell who was a brother at SAE. Although there is not too much officially stated so far as to what exactly happened, the rumor seems to be that this is an incident of hazing that went to far. SAE has an event once a year where they choose a brother and make him drink as much as they want. George was reluctant as he was sick and was on antibiotics, but succumbed to peer pressure and hazing. Despite this not being a direct act of violent hazing such as beating up a pledge, paddling, or other hazing rituals, it's brought on disastrous effects. Cornell has already been attempting to tone down the Greek scene on campus by enforcing no alcohol during rush week and Freshman parties, now it has a legitimate case in which alcohol poisoning and alleged hazing has left someone dead. SAE has been suspended and some of the brothers may even be prosecuted with manslaughter charges.
ReplyDeleteI'd be careful what you write Kevin. While the story you've posted may be true, it is based entirely on speculation and hearsay.
ReplyDeleteThat being said (Curb Your Enthusiam reference,) it is important to think about the culture of hazing within a university's greek system, and what psychological mechanisms allow college students to accept (and deliver) violence within their organizations. It is part of the culture of our greek system here at Cornell to accept hazing as a fact of life. I've heard "If you want to be in a 'top' house, you are going to be hazed" thousands of times. People within the greek system embrace it, and have embraced it for over 140 years here at Cornell. Though I don't know how to change a culture, I think we need to think about violence's place within MALE culture. I don't believe that we will be able to split violence from the concept of masculinity, as it has existed throughout recorded history. The biggest, baddest, and most violent warriors have always been honored. Greek organizations and ancient greek warriors share many goals: brotherhood, service, and a little bit of sadism.
I don't think my story is based completely on speculation or hearsay. There are definitely some ground facts that everyone knows, that a brother in SAE, George Desdundes, died from alcohol overdose while taking antibiotics. SAE has been suspended and some of the brothers are facing possible manslaughter charges.
ReplyDeleteWhat I was trying to fill you in on is the details of what happened, which I wouldn't say are rumors completely because I've heard from people in the Greek system who are much more acquainted with what is actually going on. Furthermore, the "make a brother drink as much as you want" night was indeed the night George passed away.
You're right to a certain extent that these facts haven't been confirmed by the police. However, it doesn't take away from the fact that this incident REEKS of some form of hazing (why else the suspension and criminal charges?) and that hazing can have disastrous effects.
Despite tragic events, hazing will continue to exist, whether or not the greek system is involved. Sports teams actually are known to haze harder than most fraternities. It is such an interesting topic because most people who have been hazed are not at all willing to talk about it, let alone go to someone for help. The drinking thing actually does pertain to violence, as forcing one to drink more than he or she can actually can be considered a violent act, as one person is doing physical harm to another. However, overdrinking will happen whether or not there is a greek system or hazing. People essentially "kill themselves" by drinking all the time. Instead of concerning ourselves only on the alleged hazing aspects of it all, we should actually be looking at our own drinking habits in and out of the fraternities
ReplyDeleteLike it or not, I don't think hazing will ever be completely removed from the fraternity experience. Proving one's masculinity, which is inextricably linked to violence like Zahaithca said, will always be a dynamic present groups of men, especially one as hierarchal as a fraternity. The ability to hold one's liquor, for one reason or another, is also a measure of masculinity. I remember reading somewhere that even Spartan babies thousands of years ago were judged if they were worthy of survival based on their ability to withstand being bathed in wine. I can only hope that documentaries like this and plain common sense would keep people from drinking to the point of killing themselves, but long-standing traditions at fraternities combined with peer pressure to prove oneself and their masculinity is a difficult combination for some to resist.
ReplyDeleteKevin,
ReplyDeleteThough what you said might be true, unless you were there that morning, everything you 'know' about what happened comes from second-hand sources. True, SAE has been suspended, but do you personally know anyone facing manslaughter charges? Did you prescribe his antibiotics (which may or may not interact with alcohol?) Just because "everyone" knows something doesn't make it true.
Though my sarcastic tone might indicate otherwise, I'm not trying to start a fight with you. I just think its important to be critical of second-hand sources.
Zahcaythica,
ReplyDeleteI get your skepticism about secondhand sources and completely understand. I'm also not looking to pick a fight, but I guess it's just that this is a blog and it's supposed to be more informal. I think the focus of my story wasn't on SAE itself, but rather on the potential that this tragedy could have been avoided without hazing (which has been recently confirmed with the continuing investigation of George's death).