I am a member of Sigma Nu, and I have been hazed.
Like Founders Hopkins and Quarles, I pursued a “military first” option before college. The life of an infantryman in the post-9/11 world was fast-paced and unforgiving. There, I was exposed to world-class leadership in an environment where hazing was commonplace, but my heart could never excuse it.
When I left the service, I felt as if I had mostly left the men I had served with. Even with its faults, the Army was the greatest fraternity I had ever known. It taught me that grit overcomes, that conviction is one’s greatest strength, and that everyone is better with support. This longing for camaraderie is what led me to participate in fraternity recruitment.
When I met the brothers of my chapter at Eastern Kentucky University, I realized something I had long dreamed of already existed—a group of like-minded men, bound together by shared core values, working to build each other up and never to tear each other down, each committed to becoming the best version of himself.
To enable another person to achieve their goals is to enable humanity to move forward. Hazing stands in opposition to this; therefore, we must stand in opposition to it. Hazing is not fun, and it is not a tradition. It is abuse of another human being. It has no place in organizations truly seeking to empower their members.
When it comes to hazing, Sigma Nu maintains its core principles—nothing less. Hazing is less. It is a lesser idea than Love, Honor, and Truth. Hazing is none of those things, and pretending that it is deceives oneself. It does not breed loyalty or pride; rather, it sows distrust and enmity that take generations to overcome.
Humanity’s great leaders share a common trait: they model the behaviors they wish to see perpetuated in the world. Unfortunately, our worst leaders do the same. Character differentiates between the two, and our society has been bleeding character for generations.
Why? Because lesser ideas persist when we continue to give them credence. Hazing, belittlement, dehumanization—none of these things has a place in modern society, nor should they be entertained as though they do. They’ve eroded public trust in our institutions and our ways of life.
You can help. Treat other people like human beings. Give more than you take. Seek to understand, to support, and, above all, to love. Call on others to do the same, and challenge instances and notions of hazing wherever you encounter them.
I realize this stance may leave some readers conflicted. If you were hazed or mistreated by someone you look up to, do not take that as validation to continue their behavior. The hardest part of self-improvement is sometimes admitting that people we respect can still be wrong. You can keep from passing that experience on to someone else.
Stop hazing.