Hazing prevention task force is in full force

SRU’s hazing prevention task force partnered with live-tech to create a hazing prevention 101 module for students to take online. The training is free and only takes about 45 minutes, according to Dr. Brian Crow, who sits on the task force and is the chairperson for the department of sport management.

The hazing prevention task force started in the fall of 2017, and Crow said even though hazing isn’t as big of an issue at SRU as it is at some places, the death of Timothy Piazza really encouraged SRU to take the precautionary steps to prevent hazing.

“We do not want anything as dangerous or damaging to happen on our campus,” Crow said.

Crow said SRU had a lot of good policies in place to begin with when it comes to hazing.

“We wanted to make sure that awareness and education was consistent across all groups,” Crow said. “We got people from athletics, the marching band, Greek life, and other organizations on campus in order to create awareness in education training.”

Several student organizations on campus were required to take the online training module. Jared Armstrong, a senior basketball player, said the training made their team aware of what to do if they witness hazing.

“It gave us precautions on how we should take it if we see it on campus or what we should do if we know someone that did it,” Armstrong said.

He also mentioned that as a leader on the team, he would tell his coach if he witnessed any hazing. Bryce Gabler, a junior member of the Psi Kappa Phi fraternity, said that if he saw hazing on campus that he would report it to the Interfraternity Council office in the student center suite.

“There is absolutely no hazing in our fraternity,” Gabler said. “We have a six week program of training for all of our new members so that they know everything they need to know about hazing and how to prevent it.”

Gabler also said that many of his fraternity brothers have taken the online module in addition to the training within the fraternity. Lacey Grassmyer, a senior member of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority, said she has not seen any hazing in sororities but is aware of it happening in other organizations on campus.

“I think that this new program will help,” she said. “For us, we have an outlet source so that if our girls aren’t comfortable talking to us, they have higher up sources that are completely anonymous so that nobody has to feel uncomfortable.”

Crow said that the biggest misconception is that hazing only happens in Greek life.

“We have had several organizations and club sports that have been banned for up to five years because of hazing, and this is not just an issue for Greek life students,” Crow said.

Samantha Kochis, a junior music education major who is also in SGA and was previously in the marching band, said that the band has had a history of hazing issues.

“It is important to not mix up tradition with hazing,” Kochis said. “People need to look past tradition and see that a change needs to happen rather than saying that this is the way we have always done it.”

Kochis has not yet taken the online hazing prevention module but said that she thinks all members of SGA should be required to do so.

Students can take the module by following the link here, in D2L and in President Behre’s email.