In observance of National Hazing Prevention Week, Eastern’s Greek organizations spent Sunday through Thursday educating members about the dangers of hazing, which has long been prevalent on many college campuses.

“Hazing is a challenge that every campus deals with on some level,” said Robyn Carr, interim director of fraternity and sorority programs.

“Whether through vigilant prevention efforts or follow-up on accusations of hazing, no college campus is immune to this issue.”

According to hazingprevention.org, 55 percent of college students involved in clubs, teams and organizations experience hazing in some form, and as of Nov. 2007, the number of recorded hazing-related deaths in fraternities and sororities stood at 89.

“The fraternities and sororities are especially committed to the support of this week of awareness since hazing is often associated with fraternities and sororities,” Carr said.

“It is important to note, however, that hazing is certainly not an activity that is exclusive to the fraternity and sorority community.”

The week’s events started with a presentation by Rick Barnes of Campus Speak on Sunday evening. Barnes discussed different hazing policies campuses and states have adopted, and also the different ways in which hazing can be defined.

Led by Haley Gilbert, vice president of membership development for the Pan-Hellenic council, the Greek governing councils passed out fliers, which included Eastern’s hazing policy, statistics and ways to prevent hazing, on Monday.

“We really wanted to draw attention to any person in any organization about the risk and effects of hazing,” Gilbert said.

“Not only new members can be hazed, and it’s not always a physical thing, which is something a lot of people aren’t necessarily aware of.”

Eastern defines hazing as “any act or action taken, however communicated, involving or resulting in abusive physical contact or mental harassment of a member or prospective member, whether on or off the organization premises, campus or place where chapters or prospective chapters meet, designed to, or the result of which is to produce excessive mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment or harassment.”

Activities continued on Tuesday. Houses made banners in support of National Hazing Prevention Week. On Thursday evening, sororities capped off the week’s activities by attending a presentation by Brad Tribble from the Health Education Resource Center on the dangers of alcohol and hazing.

Jason Hardimon can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected]