Slap-happy frats

When it was first announced that Alpha Epsilon Pi, an IU fraternity, was being kicked off campus for hazing, public response seemed to be that it was both shocking and unremarkable. Yes, hazing exists and is generally agreed to be bad, but it is safe to say every fraternity has some sort of hazing. It’s like seeing someone pulled over on the side of the road for speeding — everyone breaks the limit, but you’re not accused unless you show flagrant disregard. When you’re pulled over, you immediately wonder, why am I being singled out? Aren’t others doing it, too?\nIn the case of hazing, AEPi would most likely say others are doing it, too. And even though IU’s official stance on hazing draws a sharp line, surely the administration is attuned to the fact that such things still go on. So far, they’ve seemed comfortable with that. There has been no purge of the greek system, no witch-hunt down Jordan Avenue. Now and then, certain fraternities or sororities have been accused, and the rest breathe a sigh of relief.\nLet’s be honest. People are still pledging, and people are still hazing. The fact that they continue despite the illegality of it all speaks to how roundly these people disagree with IU’s stance. And given the disparity between IU’s policies and its enforcement, one has to wonder how committed IU is to its own stance. Regardless of the difficulties of enforcement, there is also the fact that IU clearly benefits from its greek system. IU’s “party school” reputation that keeps freshmen enrolling is bolstered considerably by greek life. Why would it kill the Golden Goose? \nThe truth is, IU’s “zero tolerance” policy is a joke. Its adherence to a sharp line that it clearly cannot and will not enforce only undermines its position and conveys the impression to the greek community that the administration’s opposition to hazing is really an opposition to being blamed when hazing occurs. When IU declares itself vigorously opposed to hazing, the fraternities do the same. And no one takes it seriously. The perfunctory offering to the altar of mutual respect having been completed, fraternities will slink off to once more paddle freshmen. \nPicking out clear offenders, of which AEPi certainly was, may serve to instill fear in the rest of the greek community, but it never lasts long. Fraternities take it as a reason to increase secrecy, not decrease hazing. In a year, another incident will probably arise, and the administration will act again. Except this incident may result in a death, a casualty of a system that seems to make no pretense at being realistic. And if IU really wants to protect its students, it has to get off absolutism and opt instead for pragmatic, honest dialogue. You can’t reach solutions with people when they doubt you are serious, and for the greek system to really talk with IU, it has to know it’s talking with a reasonable entity — one with honest concerns, not one that’s merely trying to cover its back.