10/13/2023 0 Comments Wsu kappa sigma fraternityI studied hard, and I chose to party hard. There was no more or less alcohol use in the fraternity than I experienced in the dorm or off-campus housing. I lived first in a dormitory as a freshman and an-off campus apartment as a sophomore before joining a fraternity as a junior. It’s a sad state of affairs because I believe the Greek system can prepare young men and women to face the world more effectively, with strong social skills and values.ĭavid J. As I recall, the only major change made by the university was a requirement that all students live in dorms their first year. I tried to discuss the issue with the house leadership and the alumni board, of which I was a member, with no result. Since most upperclassmen lived off campus, the house’s leadership was predominantly underclassmen. My fraternity was no longer a prominent political and academic force. Since no drinking was allowed at sororities, it was expected that the fraternities pick up the slack, which they gladly did. Drinking was pervasive, and etiquette that had been a part of our training was no longer important. In the early 1990s, I became the fraternity’s adviser. There was drinking, but it was controlled and allowed only at sanctioned social events. The Greek system was strong, and ours was a respected house with an active alumni base. I was a member of a WSU fraternity from 1962-1966. My condolences to the Houtz-Martinez family. Leslie and Michael Lanahan, Dallas, Texas ‘Sad state of affairs’ How can we make board members liable together with college presidents? Today, there really are no consequences, and our sons are collateral damage in the business of brotherhood and education. Unfortunately, we do not have leaders willing to do the right thing. We need to make the current business model too expensive to operate. Litigation followed, as well as the Gordie Center at the University of Virginia, and a movie called “HAZE” about his experience, college drinking and hazing.Īs Houtz noted, it is all about the money. We lost our son Gordie Bailey in 2004 at the University of Colorado at Boulder and could have written the exact same words. God bless Jolayne Houtz’s son, Sam, and the Houtz-Martinez family. I hope to see positive changes in the community over the years to counteract the tarnished reputation that hazing has created.ĭeirdre Hegarty, Ferndale ‘Collateral damage’ Countless organizations benefit from sorority and fraternity fundraising events. Volunteering, philanthropy events and sisterhood are all reasons I joined Greek life. I also want to emphasize positive effects that Greek life has in the college setting. This leads me to question: What are the differences between male and female fraternities that create such a large gap in hazing occurrences? What policies can be put in place to realistically reduce hazing? However, there is a common pattern of hazing among the male population of Greek life. Personally, I have never experienced hazing, nor have I heard of another female who has been hazed at WSU. Hard alcohol was banned, weekday partying was banned, and members were strongly encouraged to report hazing whether it was inflicted upon themselves or another. This death was a rude awakening to the Pullman community as a whole.ĭue to this tragic event, major changes were made to the Greek “partying” system. My first year partaking in Greek life at WSU is the same year that Sam Martinez died due to hazing. We all miss Sam dearly and hope nothing like this ever happens to anyone else. The Interfraternity Council needs to stop ignoring this issue as they have been for so long. However, due to fear of being shunned or “dropped” from a house, nobody ever says anything. Hazing is out of control at WSU, and the only thing that will help is if more people come forward and share their experiences and are willing to stand up against those who are doing the hazing. Anyone you ask who is a member of the Greek community can name a horror story they’ve heard about Alpha Tau Omega. Those rushing fraternities are required to attend one or two classes on hazing that are a couple hours long before they join a house, but it all becomes irrelevant on bid day. I can attest to the lack of regulations that WSU has regarding hazing. I’m a member of a sorority at WSU and was a personal friend of Sam Martinez. Readers Weigh In | Letters Editor of The Seattle Times ‘Out of control’
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