By Alexi Knock, Assistant News Editor
Alpha Phi hosted Creating Connections through New Member Education on Wednesday, Nov. 10, where J.D. Louk, Director of Collegiate Operations for Alpha Phi talked with the University's Greek organizations about how to create traditions in line with University guidelines.
"I think that hazing is a really touchy and awkward subject here," said Jenna Fishner, Alpha Phi Hofstra Chapter president. "Everyone does it whether they realize it's hazing or not. I think that people need to look at the rituals they call tradition and sometimes they need to be reevaluated. That was a really hard reality that Alpha Phi had to face."
During the Spring 2010 semester, Alpha Phi was accused of practicing new member education that violated the New Membership Packet. Most of the discussion during the event focused on the content of this packet. The New Membership Packet outlines examples of behaviors (voluntary and involuntary) that can be defined as hazing, as well as reaffirming the purpose of fraternity and sorority life at the University.
"Your new member packet is ridiculous, it's a lot of stuff," said Louk, the event's speaker. "How do you follow this? You don't." Louk engaged the audience by walking into the aisles and asking questions directly. "I know that tradition is pretty touchy here," said Louk. "Maintaining tradition can be amazing, but it can also detrimental to our organizations."
In the past, the University has had several incidences concerning these new member traditions, or ‘hazing.' In the 1940s, the Greek life held Hell Week, which was a period set for new members, or ‘pledges,' to be hazed. At the time, most hazing occurred outside where other students could watch. A 1947 Hofstra Chronicle article entitled, "Student Council asks cooperation in Frosh Hazing" covered Student Council's (now known as Student Government Association) request to Greek life to participate in hazing rituals. Today, SGA does not have a specific policy about hazing; however, it follows University guidelines which do not allow any form of hazing.
"I think Greek life isn't flourishing as much as it could be because of the negative reputation we've gotten from things in the past with new member education," said Fishner.
In 2008, New York Post said, "a Long Island college freshman says she has been hounded by vengeful sorority girls who verbally and physically attacked her and threatened to "slit her throat" when she decided she didn't want to join their group." That group, Phi Epsilon, was found not guilty for all charges regarding this 2008 incident. However, a second charge filed against the sorority in a completely separate incident later that year found them guilty. Phi Epsilon was suspended from campus in Spring 2008 and returned in Fall 2009.
"They served their time, came back, and they've been compliant with all the policies that the university and our office has," said Mario Bolanos, Assistant Director of the Office of Student Leadership and Activities. "They came back restructuring and ever since then they've been one of the strongest sororities. They realized they had to make changes and they're in the stage where they just want to redeem themselves and they should be proud."
After several attempts, members of Phi Epsilon were not available for comment as of press time.
During a Fall 2010 recruitment event called Round Robin, Bolanos read a letter to sorority hopefuls warning against Sigma Sigma Sigma, a sorority that was kicked off campus for hazing and violating the New Membership Packet. Sigma Sigma Sigma's national president asked Bolanos to read the letter in order to clarify that this sorority is not recognized at the University.
However, many Greek members have expressed that the New Membership Packet is difficult to follow. "A member of my national headquarters told me that we should take the Hofstra rulebook, burn it, and go by whatever our national organization says," said Geoff Smith of Pi Kappa Alpha. "They like force us off campus and use the packet as an excuse to get rid of us."
Vinny Napolitano of Pi Kappa Alpha agreed that the New Membership Packet is too strict "Hofstra views us [Greek life] as this negative force that's ruining their reputation. Hofstra doesn't care about us and that's a fact," said Napolitano. "If they cared about their students we would have a football team right now."
Katie Lambert, president of Sigma Delta Tau Hofstra Chapter, felt that new member education is vital to Greek life. "I don't think you can get any of the Greek members in here to agree that eliminating their hazing tradition is a good idea," said Lambert. "As someone who had to ratify their entire tradition this year, much of our tradition is based around hazing. Making the complete leap to what Hofstra wants is a big process to go through and it completely destroys the structure of your organization."
Hannah Taylor, New Member Educator of Alpha Phi, was part of her sorority's new member education reevaluation. "Changing our ways brought us together so much better and I don't think those new members are being seen in a different way than the old ones," said Taylor.
Fishner addressed the complaints regarding the gray area of hazing the New Membership Packet creates for Greek life. "I don't think anyone wants to admit that they're hazing or doing something bad. I think some of the things that are outlined in the New Membership Packet make it a little fuzzy," said Fishner. "I understand what the administration is trying to do but such strict guidelines force people to try and go outside of those boundaries."
Jennifer Truscott of Delta Phi Epsilon believes that the University should not be giving what many Greek life members feel is harsh treatment. "If we get kicked off for what we consider tradition no one would be at the events we've been at," said Truscott. "If Hofstra didn't have Greek life they would have nothing."
(Michaela Papa/The Chronicle)