The recent death of Florida A&M band-member, Robert Champion, has once again put the spotlight on the issue of hazing on college campuses.
College students seeking membership into fraternities, sororities — or in Champion’s case, competitive bands — many times endure physical and mental hazing rituals that are extremely dangerous to their health. The physical attacks, rigorous workouts, and dangerous tests often hospitalize students, or worse– kill them.
Here is a list of the most gruesome and dangerous hazing rituals that have been reported:
1. Paddling
Paddling is one of the oldest traditions in Greek organizations, and was adopted by many Black Greek organizations. Although receiving a swift whack to the backside with a wooden paddle may seem harmless, it is possibly the most dangerous ritual. Paddling can cause blood-clots, kidney damage, blood in urine, Rhabdomyolysis, and death in many cases when symptoms go unnoticed.
2. Pouring Boiling Hot Water On Pledges
Frat brothers at Tulane University got into hot water after they poured boiling hot liquids on their pledges. The young men boiled water containing pepper spray and a “crab boil” seasoning mixture containing cayenne pepper to pour over their victim’s backs. One of the pledges suffered second- and third-degree burns to his back, chest, buttocks and genitals.
3. Sodomy By Sharpie, Random Objects
Seven Methodist College football players were arrested in 2002 on hazing charges for restraining a freshman player, and physically assaulting him. Players stripped Antonio Wilkerson down to his underwear, smacked him numerous times, then sodomized him with a Sharpie marker.
4. Use Drugs, Or Masturbate Publicly
In many cases pledges either are put in physical harm, or are put in extremely humiliating situations. In this case, a girl had to chose between the two. One female pledge said that she was forced to choose between taking cocaine, or using a dildo in front of the other pledges.
5. The Elephant Walk
The elephant walk is a ritual that requires the pledges to mimic the procession of elephants, commonly seen at circuses. As the elephants do, the pledges hold each others tails and trunks– metaphorically speaking that is. The male pledges line-up in a straight line and walk as they hold each others anuses and genitals.
6. Water Overdoses
A student in California died from an overdose on water. He was forced to drink numerous pitchers of water, often to the point of vomiting. He ended up drinking so much that his brain swelled and he died from water intoxication.
7. Threats With Objects
Sorority members have reportedly been forced to play a drinking game that involves the threat of being violated with dangerous objects. If a member loses a game, they are threatened that they will be penetrated with a knife, a hammer or a dildo.
8. Binge Drinking
The dangerous practice of binge drinking is commonplace on college campuses, but it’s even more so risky when forced. Numerous pledges have died in recent decades from alcohol poisoning.
9. Exercises in Feces and Urine
An incident took place at Hartwick College where pledges of Alpha Chi Ro were forced to carry feces-covered rocks through a forest and do push-ups and up downs in urine-soaked garbage
10. Eating Dog Food, Drinking “Death”
Pledges have reported that they were forced to eat dog food, and many times drink a mixture called “death.” Pledges typically vomit and get sick from drinking or eating these things, and in some cases, hospitalized.
RELATED:
