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Show Tbt DsOy Utah Cbreeidt, fssaary Pct Screw 153$ EDITORI 2055 For many new members of the University of Utah's Greek system, the New Year isn't something to look forward to. January is traditionally the month most men's and women's fraternities initiate their new members. While every fraternity and sorority ( uXste Site seeRS tobe a Write Fl "T observes its own rituals during initiation ceremonieswhich are kept secret there is one common ground: hazing. Hazing is roughly defined as unfair physical, mental or emotional treatment of a new fraternity member. The scope of hazing is so broad that it escapes precise definition. Hazing may take the form of sleep or food deprivation, forced exercise, particularly to the point of physical exhaustion, or making an individual drink or eat anything he does not wish to. Hazing is designed to be a humbling experience before a member is accepted completely into the organization. It is almost as old as the fraternal system itself. "Initiation" is often only a euphemism for hazing. To fraternity members, Hell Week or Goat Week will sound more familiar. Hazing is a traditional rite of passage into fraternity life. It is not always a negative process. Too much of the time, however, hazing can be detrimental to the individual, the fraternity, and, ultimately, to the Greek system itself. is officially forbidden by most Hazing national fraternities. Chapters across the country, however, have failed to realize the damage that hazing can cause and continue the practice. There are incidents, too numerous to cite, of fraternity initiates who have been forced to drink excessive quantities of alcohol and have died. Accidents are not unusual, especially when individuals deprived of food and sleep are asked to perform dangerous stunts. Many fraternity members who have been hazed suffer from emotional stress; hazing is designed to lower self-estee- m. A fraternity on the Utah campus was placed on probation recently when their national leadership discovered they were hazing their new members. They have since altered their methods of initiation. Too often, however, hazing practices are shrouded in secrecy and members are threatened if they reveal any fraternity practices. The secret, ritualistic nature of fraternity life is not something that needs to be compromised, and the Greek system is a valuable institution on any campus. It is necessary, nonetheless, to continue to draw attention to hazing and attempt to replace it with more constructive practices. The Chronicle wishes success to all members of the University Greek system, particularly those who will be initiated this month. It is our hope that the dangerous practice of hazing will not spoil what is traditionally a positive experience for many students. Chronicle The Daily Utah Chronicle is an independent student newspaper published during fall, winter and spring quarters, excluding test weeks and quarter breaks, by the University Publications Council. Editorials reflect the opinion of the editorial board, and not necessarily the opinions of the student body or the administration. Subscriptions are $25 a year, S10 an academic quarter. All subscriptions must be prepaid. Forward all subscription corresBuspondence, including change of address, to the iness Manager, Daily Utah Chronicle, 240 Union, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112. ( LJ1 A MANAGER TT IVJaybs COMTAItSfWTSlTC U It& jg it's Hlhe year for a mollooo Normally, I'm not one to get worked up about such things, but when I saw the big, brown envelope in the mailbox a couple of weeks ago from my hero, Ed McMahon, I really got excited. I mean Ed McMahon is so busy and leads such a full, active life, you've got to give the guy some attention when he takes time out of his hectic schedule to drop a line to someone he cares about. Between the Tonight Show and Star Search and being the commercial spokesman for Alpo and Mountainwest Savings, 'and announcing for Johnny Carson and Jerry Lewis on the annual Labor Day Telethon, you've got to be impressed when you get a letter from Ed. OPINION BY John Young ren Cause if you can't trust old Ed, who can you trust? So Ed was dropping me a personal note to read, and he wasted no time in grabbing my attention with his enticements on the outside of the envelope: "Will you win ten million dollars," it said, "or lose five million dollars?" Goodness. I ripped the stuffing out of the package so quickly the air crackled around my hands. That's right, another American Family Publishers Sweepstakes Giveaway. This is one of those Ed McMahon jobs that really gives the guy a good image: Being the spokesman for a publishing firm that goes around promising the world to people all for the price of a postage stamp. His letter is one of those custom-mad- e, personalized, and redundant with form filled letters, generally computer could do ambiguous language like "...the worst thing you is nothing. If you do nothing, you will receive nothing..." Even so, how could I resist? I had to do something. It was a couple of years ago that I first got involved with one of these things. I made the mistake of having a couple of subscriptions to different magazines sent to my real address and somehow the American Family Publishing people grabbed my name off Sporting News subscription labels and began sending me personal letters from Ed two or three times a year. At first, I paid no heed. Who wants to get involved with these stupid things anyway? But then some of the Editorial Board: Laura Adams, Richard Adams, Jeff Arlington, Peter Behle. Jeff Arrington Peter Behle Editor Managing Richard R. Adams Associate Editor Debbie Eldredge Milne News Editor Laura Adams Editorial Editor Mark Saal Sports Editor Arts Editor Kathryn Samuel Abildskov Editor Marilyn City Woodruff Scott . . . . Editor Night Alan Overmoe Photography Editor John Youngren Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Copy Editor Dory Donner . . Fara Warner Asst. Arts Editor Matt Lalli Asst. Editorial Editor NUCLEAR VMSTE Reporters Editor-in-Chi- ef Photographers Business Manager Ad Representatives propaganda so artfully displayed inside the envelope got to me You could lose the entire million or double it depending on what you do next. Staring at those nine prize claim numbers and wondering if, gosh, maybe one of them was a winner, I finally broke down. What could it hurt to at least try? So I renewed my Rolling Stone subscription with my entry and sent it back to Ed, along with my hopes, dreams and aspirations for a lifetime, and my extra, special bonus double or nothing gold seal. The rest was up to them. Let's see, a Porsche 944 would have been nice. I could have bought a condominium and lived like a Yuppie about 10 years before I was supposed to. All I had to do was watch Ed's announcement on the Tonight Show and hope my winning number was the one. It wasn't, and it was embarrassing. Ed announced someone else; a lady who lived in North Dakota or somewhere. I didn't win a dime. My friends, who had gathered around to watch the exciting announcement with me, were hardly impressed. I couldn't understand hadn't any of them ever received such promises from Ed. Hadn't they ever been let down by that fat, loud alcoholic? My motives might have to be a little different this time, if I enter. I don't think the gods smile broadly on those of us who only want to win such big money for such selfish reasons. So if I win this time, it'll be good for the world donations to charity and new wings on downtown hospitals, courtesy of John Youngren. So I opened Ed's current letter with some fear. And sure enough, their promises were there. There was one that was particularly striking, in all capital black letters, and headlining the whole notice: JOHN YOUNGREN MAY HAVE JUST WON FIVE OR TEN MILLION DOLLARS. can't say it's one I'll ever just let go by. I've read the articles; I've seen the commercials the people who used to be disbelievers now living in their Beverly Hills homes, all courtesy of Ed and American Family Publishers. This just might be the big A tempting promise, to be sure. And I one, the time it all comes together and my name is the one with that magic winning number. THE BIGGEST WINNER EVER! That got me; it's as good as in the mailbox. Besides, a subscription to a magazine I really might need, like Needle & Thread, might come in handy. Marva Bickle Shauna Bona Lisa Carricaburu Mike Prater Darren Hawkins Earl Cline Steve Griffin . . Jay Krajic Rob Forsgren Robert McOmber Julia Jenkins Steve Hausknecht Lori Baucum Classifieds Production Manager Asst. Prod. Manager Production Assistants ... Typesetters Jerry Stanger Jill Aggeler Kay Andersen Ron Jackson Mary Safi Accountant Accountant Assts Cartoonist Holly Miller Robb Welch ....... Heather Allen Todd Crosland Julie Lund Janice Austin Rodney Dallin Marianne Macfarlane Mark McCune ....... |
