Who would think the too much water is a bad thing? It soundslike a harmless but stupid thing to do. College students excel atstupidity in many areas of life, but hazing or ritualisticfraternal practices brought on by the overbearing desire to fit inon a college campus might be the college student’s mostinfamous downfall.
Ed Board doubts — even if hazing was involved, andwe’d guess there was — that there was any intent toharm Braylan Curry. But how often does the intent to harm whilehazing exist? Of course, there are some cold-hearted, insecure,sadistic individuals who provoke fear in pledges or first-yearteammates, and enjoy the sight of pain and fear. However,we’re betting that the good majority of hazers are onlytrying to have a good time and facilitate some sort of groupbonding.
Fraternity and sororities get a bad rap, but they are not theonly organizations that commit hazing crimes on a regular basis.For military personnel, high school students and sports teams,hazing is not a recent fad. But many recent deaths have spurneddebates and laws against hazing.
The truth is hazing can be enjoyable, sometimes for both theperpetrators and the victims. A hazer can give someone a hard time,and it can all be in good fun. The hazee can respond by being agood sport.
Members and new pledges can emerge from a hazing incidentfeeling as if they have earned their entrance into a group. It alsohelps foster the false closeness that comes with exclusivity, orbeing part of a group not just anyone can belong to.
But hazing isn’t the only way to achieve camaraderieamongst a group; it’s just the quickest and easiest route forlazy leaders. The negative repercussions of the unruly andirresponsible acts of hazing far outweigh the good. Did hazingfacilitate Braylan Curry’s unfortunate predicament in someforced fraternal ritual? This whole idea of water chugging, on thesurface, seems no more dangerous than trying to drink a gallon ofmilk in an hour.
The idea of enduring trials and tribulations to gain entranceinto an exclusive group is not a new idea. Sometimes it even works.But the problem arises when people underestimate the variablerepercussions that come with taking the chance with someone’spride, self-worth and, maybe, that person’s life.
No rule can be applied to hazing that would prevent injury ordeath and protect all individuals from harm. The easiest way tostop hazing would be to have everyone muster enough self-confidenceto not subject themselves to such idiocy and irresponsibility onthe part of others. Neither Braylan nor his cohorts considered theoutcome of an absurd set of decisions. But then again, we can neveranticipate or consider every consequence, which is why hazing cannever be an entirely safe endeavor.