Robert Champion
Robert Champion, a 26-year-old native of Decatur, Ga., died Nov. 19 following the Florida Classic football game in Orlando. He was part of Florida's A&M famed Marching 100, which is the school's marching band. Many are saying it’s due to hazing and now his family wants to sue and raise awareness of the issue of hazing in college bands.
Although the death is unfortunate, it's good that the spotlight is being put on hazing, which is considered a right of passage many endure to become part of many “desirable” groups. Hazing should not exist, is illegal and should not happen, but it does and the practice thrives.
Being a person who doesn’t like kissing up to others, I never understood why people would go above and beyond themselves and endure tremendous painful and humiliating physical, mental and emotional torture to become part of a “desirable” group.
I believe most such people look like they love being in the group, but deep down inside they know the price they paid to gain membership is one they aren’t proud of. Fraternities and sororities are notorious for hazing. Many mercilessly taunt new prospects and take advantage of the situation to exploit others.
However, maybe I’ve always been an old soul, but when parents send their children to school to get an education so they can have access to better future job prospects I don’t believe they include that in what they believe they are signing their children up for.
However, I don’t feel bad for people who make a choice to go through the crap any fraternity is dishing out for them to become a “member” of a “brotherhood” or “sisterhood” gained from one’s humiliation, especially not a 26 year old man who is mature enough to know better.
I see them at Home Coming activities donning identical jackets, performing step dances, singing and greeting each other in their group’s unique way and acting like there’s nothing better in the world than being part of the group but I don't think it is really worth it.
However, to be fair, when many of them sign up when they are young and don’t know better, however, I ultimately believe it’s for people who don’t believe in themselves and have enough confidence and self-esteem to stand alone and must be in a group to have confidence derived as being part of the group. For example, male fraternities are known for how bad they sometimes treat girls when they get them in their frat houses at one of their popular frat parties. Guys who couldn’t hurt a fly on their own, all of a sudden get bold and do unspeakable things to girl in the emboldening company of their frat brothers. Girl's are not left out of this type of negative dynamics, girls who would be nice and easy going on their own, become mean girls who are mean to other girls in the emboldening company of their sorority sisters.
Personally, I just believe fraternities are a way for people to have power over other group of people who want to become part of something they perceive is so good and beneficial for them, and bigger than them and they use the power injudiciously. It is just a disguise for exploiting others.
Being part of a frat and the initiation process is similar to being initiated into a gang, but it is white washed, spruced up and disguised as a fraternity because it exists on college campuses. Even God who gives us everything doesn’t subject us to humiliating things before blessing us, so how dare common human beings who are nothing but dressed up dust do that to each other? It’s preposterous.
Joining fraternities and sororities are prime examples of youth being wasted on the young. With age comes wisdom. Many of us adults already go through mild continous hazing in the work environment as slaves to ill-mannered bosses because of the pay checks we need to receive to pay our bills, but being a slave to membership in a fraternity or sorority is ridiculous especially since once you you leave the school, you all go your own way.
Here’s the golden rule, if you have to be humiliated before being allowed to join any group, it is not a group worth joining. Although you may not see, understand, believe or acknowledge it initially, but in the long run you’ll see that it really isn’t worth it.
Although the death is unfortunate, it's good that the spotlight is being put on hazing, which is considered a right of passage many endure to become part of many “desirable” groups. Hazing should not exist, is illegal and should not happen, but it does and the practice thrives.
Being a person who doesn’t like kissing up to others, I never understood why people would go above and beyond themselves and endure tremendous painful and humiliating physical, mental and emotional torture to become part of a “desirable” group.
I believe most such people look like they love being in the group, but deep down inside they know the price they paid to gain membership is one they aren’t proud of. Fraternities and sororities are notorious for hazing. Many mercilessly taunt new prospects and take advantage of the situation to exploit others.
However, maybe I’ve always been an old soul, but when parents send their children to school to get an education so they can have access to better future job prospects I don’t believe they include that in what they believe they are signing their children up for.
However, I don’t feel bad for people who make a choice to go through the crap any fraternity is dishing out for them to become a “member” of a “brotherhood” or “sisterhood” gained from one’s humiliation, especially not a 26 year old man who is mature enough to know better.
I see them at Home Coming activities donning identical jackets, performing step dances, singing and greeting each other in their group’s unique way and acting like there’s nothing better in the world than being part of the group but I don't think it is really worth it.
However, to be fair, when many of them sign up when they are young and don’t know better, however, I ultimately believe it’s for people who don’t believe in themselves and have enough confidence and self-esteem to stand alone and must be in a group to have confidence derived as being part of the group. For example, male fraternities are known for how bad they sometimes treat girls when they get them in their frat houses at one of their popular frat parties. Guys who couldn’t hurt a fly on their own, all of a sudden get bold and do unspeakable things to girl in the emboldening company of their frat brothers. Girl's are not left out of this type of negative dynamics, girls who would be nice and easy going on their own, become mean girls who are mean to other girls in the emboldening company of their sorority sisters.
Personally, I just believe fraternities are a way for people to have power over other group of people who want to become part of something they perceive is so good and beneficial for them, and bigger than them and they use the power injudiciously. It is just a disguise for exploiting others.
Being part of a frat and the initiation process is similar to being initiated into a gang, but it is white washed, spruced up and disguised as a fraternity because it exists on college campuses. Even God who gives us everything doesn’t subject us to humiliating things before blessing us, so how dare common human beings who are nothing but dressed up dust do that to each other? It’s preposterous.
Joining fraternities and sororities are prime examples of youth being wasted on the young. With age comes wisdom. Many of us adults already go through mild continous hazing in the work environment as slaves to ill-mannered bosses because of the pay checks we need to receive to pay our bills, but being a slave to membership in a fraternity or sorority is ridiculous especially since once you you leave the school, you all go your own way.
Here’s the golden rule, if you have to be humiliated before being allowed to join any group, it is not a group worth joining. Although you may not see, understand, believe or acknowledge it initially, but in the long run you’ll see that it really isn’t worth it.
A word is enough for the wise.
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