Kappa's Unite for National Hazing Prevention Week

Hello blogosphere! I have returned from a wonderful weekend of old and new friends, incredibly inspiring experiences, and an overall re-energization (I know ya’ll, I just created a word) for my volunteerism with Kappa Kappa Gamma, the organization that I share such a deep bond and great love. With all of this being said, I will be chronicling my re-cap of Leadership Academy for ya’ll tomorrow!

Today I wanted to bring your attention to National Hazing Prevention Week (September 20-24) and the efforts that Kappa and other Universities and Greek organizations have released in fighting acts that undermine organizations and are dangerous for its members. The following article from WebGreek's blog, written by Spenser Tang-Smith highlights Kappa’s involvement against hazing.

WebGreek Salutes Kappa Kappa Gamma’s Hazing Prevention Efforts

This week (September 20-24) is National Hazing Prevention Week (NHPW). All across the country, activities are planned that bring hazing to light. Some schools will host guest speakers, others will have concerts, and many campuses will have interactive learning sessions. The goal, of course, is to get people talking about hazing, to inform people about what hazing is and how to respond to it, and ultimately, to eliminate hazing entirely.

There are myriad ways in which campuses and organizations participate. Many schools have scheduled showings of movies on the subject such as Response Ability and Haze. Discussions between professionals and leaders of student organizations, pledging campaigns, banners, and hosting guest speakers are all taking place as well. You can be sure that your campus has a host of various activities for you to learn all you need to know.

Hazing is pervasive and can happen in any group, and this is why education is the best weapon against it. Marching bands, sports teams, and student organizations have all been guilty, and that’s just in the scholastic setting. Hazing in the NFL, for example, was brought to light earlier this year due to an incident with Dallas Cowboys rookie Dez Bryant. Programs this week, then, will focus on what hazing is, why people haze, and what to do if you or someone in your organization experiences hazing.

Kappa Kappa Gamma vs. Hazing: A Full Court Press

Though hazing is not by any means restricted to the Greek community, many Greek organizations are taking the lead in tackling this tricky, ugly demon. I just spoke with Ashley Moyer from KKG’s headquarters, and came away with a lot of information about their comprehensive and very aggressive anti-hazing program.

For NHPW, Kappa is encouraging all of its over 15,000 active members to take some time to participate in three different interactive online learning modules. Personal login to Kappa’s E-learning center means that KKG can track how many girls do participate, and their numbers are impressive.

KKG Headquarters also sent out a physical kit to each of their 137 chapters, including a program guide for the week, posters with anti-hazing messages to hang around the house, and an anti-hazing button for every single active member (Ashley says they shipped 17,500 buttons!). In addition, Kappa sent an email to three officers from each chapter, encouraging them to get the word out. A social media blitz will round out the campaign, reaching alumni, active members, parents, and the university community.

Chapters are encouraged to participate as completely as possible, and to submit their stories and images. One chapter will be recognized for its efforts, and will win an award from headquarters. The overall goal is to “promote respect,” and it follows that if we all respect each other, things like hazing will disappear.

WebGreek applauds Kappa Kappa Gamma, and hopes that their full court press results in a sloppy turnover by Hazing, which KKG takes the other way for an easy lay-in. Happy Hazing Prevention Week!

For more information and resources on hazing, check out Hazingprevention.org!