Do Sororities Haze?

One of the first questions that comes up during rush week is, "Do you girls haze?" So throughout this blog post, I will explain the new member process, and how we feel about hazing.

During the new member process, girls will learn all about what is defined as hazing and the university's strict no hazing policy. What a lot of people don't know is, hazing is illegal & is not tolerated at any university, specifically SUU. Hazing defined to all of the members of Alpha Phi at Southern Utah University is, being told to do something you don't necessarily want to do. Any action or situation that endangers the mental or physical health of safety of an individual, regardless of if you have consent of the participant or not, is what defines hazing. When people picture hazing, they see an older member of an organization (Greek, sports, etc.) making an newbie drink as much as possible until they blackout, sometimes ending in death. Hazing is not always to this extent, it can even be a simple activity such as a scavenger hunt. So again, hazing is illegal and is not tolerate at any university.

Rather than endangering our new members, we believe in loving them unconditionally. Quite frankly, we spoil them way beyond belief. All new members will go through a new member process in which they learn all about Alpha Phi, including our values, founders, traditions, founding, symbols, mottos, etc. They will also participate in ritual ceremonies. Leading up to initiation there are two full weeks filled with fun activities and rituals. The first is big sister/little sister week. The new members will receive a gift/surprise every day of the week, this could include but not limited to, their favorite candy, drink, flower, having their room/car decorated, silly gift, hand written notes, crafts, etc. all given anonymously from their big. At the end of this week, their big sisters will be revealed. The second week is inspiration days, this is the week directly before the girls get initiated. During this week, there is an activity or a ritual each night for the entire chapter to attend. To us, this week is a memorable time for all of us to bond with our sisters on a deeper level. My I-week is still one of the most memorable times I have had thus far in the last two years. It was more than I could ever expect, but better than I could have ever imagined. So to answer the question, hazing is illegal and we believe in unifying our organization through rituals, sisterhood and leadership. Hazing is not part of our initiation & is not part of our sisterhood in any way.