Cutting Through the Haze

It's hard to explain to those who have missed the fraternity experience how richly satisfying booting, or mooning, or eating your underwear can be," Chris Miller '63 wrote in this magazine about fraternity hazing. The current generation of pledges may never know;, last July such activities became illegal in New Hampshire. Hazing is defined as an act that "is likely or would be perceived by a reasonable person as likely to cause physical or psychological injury to any person"—or one that is required for initiation, admission, or continued membership in any student organization. Violations may carry a sentence of up to one year in jail.

Dartmouth's response to the new law: a first-ever campus-wide policy that applies to all student organizations, not just fraternities. Dean of the College Lee Pelton says the law is also a boon to the administration, because it has "more weight than a rule." As of late November, one case had already been brought to Pelton's attention.

Dartmouth's own rules now specifically ban forced drinking, verbal abuse, forced sleep deprivation, physical abuse such as paddling, kidnapping, and "required conduct that embarrasses or adversely affects the dignity of an individual—such as haircuts, tattoos, branding," and strange apparel or behavior.

Well, the law is the law, but is hazing necessarily as bad as it is cracked up to be? There are those, like Chris Miller, who believe that a little hazing done "the right way" is harmless and provides a positive bonding experience for members of a group. Pelton disagrees: "Group behavior that has no education- al value but takes place in an educational environment mitigates against the value we as educators place on independent thinking."

Certain group behavior may be educational, he concedes, but "getting silly haircuts has no educational value. You can't convince me that it does." State legislators remain unconvinced as well.

Is this pencil-carrying SAE being "psychologically injured"?