I am from Saint Louis, Missouri. When I decided to go to The Ohio State University, I didn’t know anyone at the University, so my Dad thought it would be good idea if I pledged a Fraternity.
I am an only child, I never felt the need to be in cliques or groups of people, but I didn’t think it would be a bad idea to see what they were talking about.
I wasn’t a socially awkward kid, I made friends pretty easily, so as I spoke to these frats most of them was interested in me pledging, but the 18 year journalist in me had a question.
“Would there be any hazing?”
The concept of being beat up and humiliated to be a part of the group didn’t sit right with me, I wasn’t judging anyone, just wasn’t my thing.
To the Frats credit, most of them was honest there would be some form of hazing that would be physical, so I passed on ever joining. In the dorm I was staying in my Freshman year I saw friends come back with black eyes, bruises and stories about some very horrific things they were force to do. One of my closest friends was beat up because he refused to kiss the feet of one of the frat brothers.
That is why when I originally read this story about Robert Champion I wasn’t surprised. If anything I am surprised it doesn’t happen more often.
I have no problem with getting up at 2am and running around campus in your boxers shorts and silly stuff like that to get you into a fraternity, but stuff like this needs to be outlawed and I hope this young’s man death is not in vain.
Florida A&M marching band member Dante Martin faces felony hazing charges in connection to the death of former FAMU drum major Robert Champion.
Authorities say Champion died last November after Marching 100 members beat him during a hazing ritual aboard one of the band’s charter buses.
Martin, who also faces two counts of misdemeanor hazing, was the “bus president” on Bus C. On that bus, alleged hazing rituals took place that resulted in the death of Champion and injuries to others.