AU takes clear stance against hazing abuse

AU President Jay Gogue, center, discusses hazing with Auburn University students Thursday at the Student Activities Center on campus. Gogue, joined by Athletic Director Jay Jacobs, left, and Dean of Students Dr. Johnny Green, right, and other experts in the forum that focused on preventing hazing in all its form on the Auburn campus.

By: Donathan Prater | Opelika Auburn News
Published: September 05, 2008

To some they might seem like harmless college pranks or jokes, but in the end it’s no laughing matter.

That was the point Auburn University’s Office of the Dean of Students wanted a packed gymnasium of students to understand at an anti-hazing forum held Thursday at the AU Student Activities Center.

The forum was open to the public and was headed by a panel of Auburn University faculty, students and staff.

Some of the statistics concerning hazing are difficult to ignore.

Findings from HazingStudy.org, revealed that from a survey of more than 11,000 undergraduate students from 53 colleges, more than half the students involved in clubs, teams or organizations (53 percent) had experienced hazing in some form.

That hazing may have taken the form of alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation, humiliation, isolation or sex acts.

“It takes several years to establish a culture but only a couple of incidents of hazing to destroy that culture,’ said Jay Jacobs, AU athletic director. “This forum is designed to help us recognize what hazing is and put it to an end on our campus.”

Paul Kittle agreed with Jacobs.

“The issue of hazing is not a Greek issue and is not a campus issue but a community issue that left unchecked is like a quiet cancer in the lives of students,” said Kittle, AU director of Greek life.

The reasons why hazing persists vary, according to the panel members.

“Some who commit acts of hazing and put up with it are sometimes simply afraid of breaking what they believe is a tradition,” said AU Dean of Students Johnny Green.
But tradition or no, AU President Jay Gogue’s statement summed it up in no uncertain terms.

“Hazing has no place in any university’s culture, but especially at a place like Auburn, which prides itself on treating people well, being respectful and valuing integrity,” said Gogue.

National Hazing Prevention Week is Sept. 22-26.

To report hazing, call the AU Hazing Hotline at 334-844-4564, 334-844-1300 or report an incident online at www.auburn.edu/stophazing.