OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life has teamed with a student committee representing various Greek organizations to host a pledge drive aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of hazing.
The drive is set for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 19-20) in front of the Ole Miss Student Union as part of National Hazing Prevention Week.
Committee members will distribute buttons and have a photo booth set up so that students can proudly pose after they sign an anti-hazing pledge. The committee hopes to start a conversation about, and ultimately prevent, hazing at Ole Miss.
“I have a responsibility to help ensure students are provided the positive new member experience they deserve,” said Donald Abels, coordinator of fraternity and sorority life. “But the true change agents are the fraternity and sorority students who strive to be the person they promised to be.”
The pledge is a personal commitment and a social contract amongst peers to establish a culture of dignity and respect. Students promise to work toward being part of a solution instead of ignoring the problem.
“Whether people want to admit it or not, hazing does occur on our campus,” said Meghan Grenda, president of Kappa Alpha Theta. “However, we hope that through our social media campaign, hazing prevention pledge drive and guest speaker, we can begin a productive discussion regarding the prevention of hazing within our Ole Miss community.
“We aim to create an environment where students feel comfortable speaking out against hazing and standing up for what is right.”
The committee also is bringing professional speaker Steve Whitby to campus Tuesday for keynote speech. Whitby’s talk, “Gravity is Broken,” is set for 6 p.m. at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. It is free and open to the public.
Whitby will discuss the challenges of hazing and how to help members of organizations understand how to make real changes within the community.