Greek Life Community Impact and Hazing Allegations

As Greek life continues to shape campus culture here at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, students are opening up about the positive influence on the community and the concerns surrounding hazing.

Elena Amaya, a senior in Alpha Sigma, believes that Greek life has given her a support system that significantly impacts her college experience. She also claims that her sorority does so much to give back to the community throughout their philanthropy week, raising hundreds of dollars for the American Cancer Society.

When questioned about what happens behind closed doors, Amaya denied all claims of hazing. She even mentioned that the entirety of their new member process has been reviewed and approved by the campus, ensuring that nothing unprofessional is taking place.

Amaya also claims that every new Greek life member goes through a workshop called “Greeks 101” put on by the school to ensure that the new members know exactly what hazing is, and resources to contact if they are experiencing any hazing.

Nathan Pfau, President of Sigma Tau Gamma, also touches on Greek life’s impact on the community. Pfau claims that active members of Greek life statistically have a higher graduation rate, higher GPA, and overall a better college experience than students who do not participate in Greek life.

Pfau says his chapter and the school take the zero tolerance hazing policy seriously. His chapter advisor has even gone far enough to rewrite the national ritual book to remove the part of blindfolding the new members during initiation to separate the stigma attached to Greek life and hazing. He stated that even if a tradition has existed for over a century, it is never too late to remove it to improve Greek life.