Greek Life at Boston University met with Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore to discuss hazing prevention techniques such as implementing a zero-tolerance policy and updating the judicial process, in light of the alleged hazing incidents in the spring 2012 semester.
“You’ve got to acknowledge that we had several students who were disciplined for hazing and also an organization that was suspended for hazing, so that will be an important conversation to have,” Elmore said in an interview with The Daily Free Press before the meeting with Greek Life.
Six BU students from the now closed, unaffiliated fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi faced criminal hazing charges over the summer as a result of alleged hazing. The sorority Sigma Delta Tau was suspended in May after a hazing incident led to two members being hospitalized.
Interfraternity Council President Patrick Moriarty said the Greek Life judicial process at BU is currently being reevaluated, but nothing has been finalized yet.
“We want to make sure that we have a more streamline process so that, if this happens in the future, the appropriate actions will be taken,” Moriarty said.
Linda Swift, Panhellenic Council president, said that anti-hazing training would have a larger focus this year after the incidents of the 2011–12 academic year.
“We will be working more with chapter New Member Educators to ensure that anti-hazing education is incorporated into their New Member programs for the spring,” Swift, a senior in the School of Management, said. “We will also have a new member retreat in the spring semester after formal recruitment that covers topics including anti-hazing.”
The meeting on Oct. 3 was a part of National Hazing Prevention Week. All Greek Life executive boards met to hear Elmore speak and pledge to not tolerate hazing within their communities.
“Each one of the executive boards from all the different chapters, both fraternities and sororities, kind of reaffirmed our values and made a pledge that hazing is not okay at BU,” Moriarty, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said. “We have a zero-tolerance policy, and it was reaffirming that and taking a look at our values and saying this is why we don’t do this.”
Swift said each chapter president wrote and presented their own anti-hazing pledge that incorporated their organizations’ values and ideals.
“We held the meeting for the executive boards because as leaders in their organization, it is their responsibility to be sure that they are not fostering an environment that tolerates or allows hazing to occur,” Swift said.
Elmore said while the meeting with Greek Life was private, broader public conversations can be expected throughout the semester.
Moving forward, Moriarty said the Greek Life community aims to reach out to other organizations on campus. Specifically, he said they have increased their ties to Student Government.
“Because we are at such a big school, it’s easy to get caught up in your own community,” he said.
Moriarty said it was unfair that Greek Life at BU is being questioned after the incidents of last semester.
“One of the organizations last year was not a recognized fraternity and, because of that, there was nothing that we could’ve done,” Moriarty said. “I think that it’s really unfair that their actions can shadow our system, when we’re the ones that have put in the work in this campus. It makes me sad to think that an organization like that really call into question Greek Life here.“
People are not going to be able to forget the incidents easily and they will continue to cast a shadow on Greek Life, he said.
“I think the fact is, we are moving forward,” Moriarty said. “I think, the stigma if it’s there, I don’t think going to be there for long.”
Emily Overholt contributed to the reporting of this article.
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