The news about Kira Kazantsev, Miss America 2015, being a part of a hazing scandal when she was at Hofstra University, raises questions about what type of women young girls have to look up to today.
Greek Life has always been a confusing concept to grasp. If it is just about philanthropies and bettering the community, then why do fraternities and sororities feel the need to bully their own members?
On any campus, there are students who would never consider joining an organization that would make them grovel and degrade themselves to be accepted. That is just not friendship or “sister/brotherhood” as these organizations call it.
Seton Hall has instituted strong policies against hazing that ought to be enforced rigorously. With that in mind, those individuals who decide that Greek Life is for them, should never willingly allow themselves to be bullied.
What kind of an example does it set for the next generation if today’s Linked In, Facebooked, Twitter-active and tech savvy college students are willing to take abuse from people just to fit into a crowd? People who are on social media should be aware of the anti-bullying campaigns that have been trending, which should deter them from bullying themselves. It is hard to imagine any parent being proud to raise a child to be a bully.
Kazantsev denies any allegations of being involved in extreme hazing but she does admit to participating in some practices that she said she thought were appropriate at the time she was a student. On network television, she said she now realizes that the practices were far from appropriate.
Hazing is a complete contradiction to not only the Miss America pageant, but to Greek organizations themselves, which are supposed to be based on community service and some sort of familial bond. Hazing is bullying and that is something no formal organization should ever condone, especially on the campuses of colleges and universities where young adults are learning to better themselves and their lives.
