A Brief History of Hazing (Part One) | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

[@FlaviusTheGrumpyCat]

Madness that students poisoned a catering worker with chlorine gas and got away with it. That's so messed up.

[@reachandler3655]

I have no doubt that daddy's money helped convince the university it was just a joke gone wrong, after all, it was only domestic help that was hurt...

[@stimulus3177]

Frats and sororities are often comprised of rich white kids. Not a lot of interest prosecuting the wealthy society's children.

[@thundercron77]

Children of the elite committing atrocities with impunity in college in preparation for committing atrocities with impunity when they become adults.

[@MusicoftheDamned]

It's unsurprising given the case right before had assholes who seemed to get away with accidentally killing the (white) son of a wealthy timber merchant and given fraternities' (and sorotories') tendency to cover up their crimes even now. If even Pierson's probable manslaughterers weren't even brought to trial despite his wealth and the medical evidence, then there's sadly no way anyone gives a shit about trying to get "justice" for the help regardless of color, especially given the wealthy brats that frats tend to attract. (Though if she was black, then there was doubly no way anyone in power would care, much less newer students who have to rely on those authorities.)

[@deathbycheese850]

Where I live, a well known business man accidentally created chlorine gas from mixing cleaning products. He was dead within minutes, and it wasn't pretty when he was found. His lungs had basically dissolved, and he had haemorrhage. All he was trying to do was clean the floor of his business.

[@RightsForZombies]

Hazing is so stupid and so dangerous. The lengths people are willing to go through to belong is honestly quite heartbreaking.

[@YouTubeIsCriminal]

I wouldn't want people to think I needed that approval.

[@llogan21]

i had never heard of these specififc incidents. thanks for posting!!

[@evanthomas1989]

Sounds like someone couldn't complete their pledge and didn't make it in

[@slamshift6927]

Hazing is also an important part of developing fraternal bonds. Military induction training itself is a months long hazing ritual in itself. You wouldn't understand if you've never been a part of it.

[@kateapple1]

Definitely not as bad as social media… It’s daily hazing there

[@Shadowsoul2701]

Someone in my high school class was killed during a hazing incident. They told him to go up this insanely steep hill on an ATV and then come back down as quickly as possible, he made it up fine but the ATV lost control coming back down and crashed. They didn't even call an ambulance or anything, they just left him there. *None of them faced ANY charges, despite them trespassing on the property.*

[@Trevor_NewJerusalem]

My condolences. That is truly horrible.

[@Gr95dc]

what a sad way to die and so young! :(

[@aliensoup2420]

Half the fault lies with the individual submitting to the ritual. Anyone with intelligence would understand that is insane, but most young people don't develop a true functioning brain until after college. Most kids at that age believe they are invincible.

[@zeropoint216]

What charges should they have been charged with?

[@themischief420]

@@zeropoint216 trespassing at the very least. the parents could possibly file a wrongful death suit

[@ZombieSazza]

The students refusing to speak up when Henrietta was killed is pretty disgusting

[@atomixfang]

By the name alone you can say that racism had a lot to do with the members getting away with it.

[@friendlyghosthost1830]

@@hideousruin you do realize that just because segregation is over doesn’t mean racism is over too, right?

[@iwillkilluaftermynap]

@@hideousruin it's both

[@userequaltoNull]

@@atomixfang "henrietta jackson" is the whitest name I can think of.

[@strayiggytv]

@@userequaltoNull historically it's not though. You do realize slaves were often given "white" names right? Henrietta and Jackson were both common first and last names for black people at the time.

[@Haysey_Draws]

As someone that spent most of my school life being bullied both physically and mentally under the guise of "we're friends, so it's OK" Hazing has always sounded like organized approved bullying, and in some cases far more vindictive!

[@charleneelyce]

Same! I never understood why someone would want to willingly be bullied like that. I had enough of that in my life before college, no thanks!!

[@virtueofabsolution7641]

Because when you are LETTING someone “bully” you it’s a big difference. Because it shows desire and commitment to brotherhood and because when you are done with it there is a level of understanding and mutual respect that nobody else on earth understands except those in your group. Basically the difference between fraternal hazing and Chad pantsing you in from my of your crush and laughing at your little Willy is that at the end of fraternal hazing everybody is equal. Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t make it inherently bad. I believe that is called bigotry.

[@sarafontanini7051]

@@virtueofabsolution7641 still you can accomplish that without being a jackass or getitng someone into a situation where they could die.

[@planescaped]

@@virtueofabsolution7641 I mean, regardless of intent, they're both realm of fuckwits and shitheads. >__>

[@friendlyghosthost1830]

@@virtueofabsolution7641 define bigotry for me

[@wrendavey]

By the time I joined Greek life, hazing had been banned. My group, thankfully, never tried anything and instead had the pledges complete a group project of making a gift for the chapter. Super wholesome and way better than the usual scene. No we were not popular

[@dfuher968]

See, thats the kind of group, thats worth joining.

[@acetixi3770]

If only most sororities and fraternities were like that

[@germyw]

Same😊

[@wisedevolver2741]

You don't have to be popular to be cool.... All 5 of my kids and their friends (Ages 13 to 28) think I'm the coolest Daddy (Yes, they still call me that.) there ever was, and I wasn't cool in H.S. or college.

[@Stevel_]

Yep, joined a fraternity my freshman year in 2005. Not a single bit of hazing. It's come a long way but sadly I'm sure it still happens, sports teams do it also sometimes.

[@melvinshine9841]

Even if you "know" a train isn't supposed to be coming, why in the hell would you tie someone to train tracks for a fraternity initiation?! That poor kid must've been absolutely terrified. The fact he dislocated his own shoulders trying get away tells me he had several minutes to listen to death coming his way.

[@tjp2109]

I'm only 5 min into the video and if the train story is next, I'm turning it off. That's the mist horrific story I've ever read.

[@alexb7092]

I bet they used the chloroform too :( poor kid, this video didn't mention the other dark side of it..

[@cadillacdeville5828]

Those individuals not being punished is simply because of who their parents are and money and influence, in addition to tarnishing the school's reputation and all the other things that should definitely happened.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

This happens now with universities where students cause harm or steal, are caught and the police deal with them but the university wont denounce the because of ideology or who their parents are.

[@crystalgemgirl731]

It's just sick. Where's the justice?

[@TheGodParticle]

Exactly what I was thinking, there money definitely got them off.

[@ooupskitty7006]

I'm so angry. Money & status is power. If one of them killed one student & got away easily then who was next? It's so sickening.

[@paulfloyd9258]

@@crystalgemgirl731 Never confuse justice with the law. Not my words, but justice is when you get what you deserve and the law is when you get what you pay for.

[@ingridfong-daley5899]

If you have to abuse people because you "need help to bond with others" you might just be a group of sociopaths.

[@JimAllen-Persona]

What an accurate description of a lot of politicians and other 1%'ers. I have a sneaking suspicion that part of it is that the other members have "something" on someone else so they don't rat out their brothers/sisters.

[@ingridfong-daley5899]

@@JimAllen-Persona Maybe it's the only way they can 'make' "friends"?

[@JimAllen-Persona]

@@ingridfong-daley5899 Well, you know what they say on Wall Street: “If you want a friend, buy a politician”. It used to be “buy a dog” but even dogs have standards 😂

[@WindTurbineSyndrome]

A form of machismo

[@ingridfong-daley5899]

@@WindTurbineSyndrome which i usually associate with sociopathy so that checks out :)

[@missellaneous5142]

That this video is titled "Part 1" is truely the most terrifying part. Hazing is a terrible tradition!

[@orangeapples]

But boys will be boys.

[@b-dub6865]

Right. But where is part 2? I hope he doesn’t make us wait long. I know the hazing rituals grew more dangerous & inhumane in the 1900s, so I’m looking forward to seeing the follow-up.

[@ExtremeSpeedMewtwo]

@@b-dub6865 Probably going to get this coming Tuesday. That's his normal upload schedule

[@sybrenkruijf8570]

@@ExtremeSpeedMewtwo next week I guess

[@rridderbusch518]

@@b-dub6865Perhaps *Fascinating Horror* doesn't want to give idiots more ideas.

[@Cyphyxia]

Whats most scary is these deadly hazes still happen today

[@pickledragonrebel]

With this type of history, there's no excuse for this to continue. (Not there was any reason to have hazing in the first place)

[@lonewolf7683]

@@pickledragonrebel it should have never existed it’s barbaric not school culture barbaric there’s a major difference

[@e28forever30]

Yes, here in Belgium a young man died in such a ritual. The offenders were all spoiled rich kids, you can guess the outcome…

[@clray123]

The problem is that the "victims" agree to participate and uphold the "custom". Insofar they are just as guilty as their hazers (and indeed with time offset the same people). It is shameful but gives you an understanding of humanity.

[@opwave79]

Yes. There’s no excuse for it but it still happens because of the social dynamic of young adults. This is an age group where wanting to belong and establishing a name for oneself in society is a primary goal. That desire often overrides common sense.

[@snippyJ]

Hazing is only embraced by bullies. I'm not a fan of calling everybody a bully, but in the case of hazing, yes they are bullies. They enjoy hurting other people and that is why hazing gets worse and worse.

[@reneedennis2011]

I agree!

[@dfuher968]

Exactly! Any group required to subject urself to that isnt worth joining. That colleges make it "acceptable" by calling it fraternities/sororities is disgusting, when such behavior in any other setting would be at best expelling material, at worst prosecutable.

[@als3022]

Well, there goes any military force around the world then.

[@CHLOCHLOLP]

@@dfuher968 thats kind of why i feel like you get what you get for deciding to participate in this shit. IF they really cared about their lives and education they wouldnt bother joining a frat that does this. its a social choice people make and if you play stupid games youre gonna win stupid prizes.

[@noobsmasher123]

@@als3022 they are people who willingly sign up to fight for a corrupt government, or just don't care. Let them get killed by their fellow soldiers in a humiliating and demeaning way. Don't steal gold.

[@Obsessed_With_Corgis]

So utterly horrid and heartbreaking. My sorority’s “hazing” consisted of asking me to close my eyes before carrying me off to a gorgeous stargazing “secret location”. I was never blindfolded, and could open my eyes if I ever felt uncomfortable. Their surprise left me awestruck and elated- nothing negative at all. We talked till the sun came up, and the girls told me they’d support me and my dreams forever. *THAT’S* the most of what “hazing” should entail. A sweet surprise that brings you together. I feel so sorry for those boys. They went in looking for kinship, and died of betrayal.

[@Heinz-bx8sd]

Cringe

[@faithwilson2112]

If you don’t mind me asking what sorority was it? I myself have biases about them and frats so it’s nice to know not all are bad

[@Obsessed_With_Corgis]

@@faithwilson2112 it was Alpha Delta Pi at Ole Miss (almost 10 years ago though). Sororities and Fraternities differ to extreme degrees based on the school and year. Honestly I don’t think I’d recommend srat or frat life to anyone just based on the wild inconsistencies. My comment was just my experience and an example of what I’d like *all* “hazing” experiences to be like.

[@Obsessed_With_Corgis]

@@Heinz-bx8sd what you think of as cringe, I thought of as a wonderful bonding experience. All of us have different preferences/likes/dislikes in what we enjoy and what we consider fond memories. So I can totally see how you may have hated doing that, haha. My point was that my “hazing” experience had zero risk to my personal safety- as it should be for everyone!

[@jheanelltabana8713]

​@@Heinz-bx8sdrandom word

[@ayindestevens6152]

One of the reasons why I never joined a fraternity was that I busted my butt to get into college. I wasn’t going to let some half-wit with a half-baked idea cause me to lose out on my college experience or worse send me to an early grave. Speaking of which the victims of hazing deserve to have their stories told.

[@youtubegarbage7876]

I guess you weren't into rape so much either?

[@acetixi3770]

I always avoid joining sororities after hearing multiple horror stories involving injuries or death. Been avoiding them like the plague since I first went to university since I just want to finish my degree not be on the news found dead or injured caused by the people I thought I can trust.

[@canamrider07]

I had a great time in my Frat, SAE. Lifelong friends and memories. The Greek system is not all hazing, drinking and parties. Just most of it....

[@Mrsjam96]

Smart!

[@KittensShotJFK]

Yeah I wasn't able to get into one, either. Stay strong 💪

[@d.g.charles106]

I remember stumbling upon the detailed list of hazing deaths on wikipedia years ago. It is one of the most disturbing things I've read and it really stuck in my mind. Far more than things that are theoretically more horrible. Something about a group putting someone in a situation that has 100% probability of death but not caring, realizing, or being too caught up in a group psychosis, is really messed up. Also, as opposed to a kidnapping or intentional murder, the victims are going along willingly and expect a relative level of safety and consideration, which makes it all the more disturbing somehow

[@thomasgiles2876]

My fraternity's Knoxville chapter killed a pledge by "encouraging" him to "buttchug" wine. They spent the entire press conference claiming they weren't gay.

[@johnynoway9127]

how do you "stumble' on something like that?

[@d.g.charles106]

@@johnynoway9127 Pretty sure I watched something about a specific hazing incident, decided to look into it further on its wikipedia page, then clicked on the "list of hazing deaths" at the bottom of the page. The ol' wikipedia link rabbit hole

[@rjmartinsgutinstinctspodcast]

It really is a sick and twisted way of thinking. Never trust anyone with your life like that.

[@michaelpipkin9942]

@@thomasgiles2876 Yea, right? "Jason sticks his dick in your mouth if you pass out, but it's not gay. He gets chicks!!!!!" Uuhhhhhhhhhhh. It's still gay.....

[@kesvir6476]

The first act of “hazing” sounded more like an exercise of trust since the blindfolded pledge was with a full-fledged member. Keep in mind, a second member assisted the pledge too, both helping said pledge instead of hindering them as well as resting together when the journey became too grueling. It’s just unfortunate that they chose the wrong tree to rest upon. All three (the two members and pledge) were harmed (or killed, in the pledge’s case) and once the rest of the group heard, they got help. In this one case: misfortune and dulling of the senses caused an unfortunate accident; but as far as hazing rituals go: this particular one leaned more heavily on trust and camaraderie. The others, however, seemed to be simply dangerous and/or outright criminal acts. Lady justice may be blind, but the judges that represent her can certainly see how beneficial mahogany, silk and silver can be when determining the fates of those responsible.

[@als3022]

That's what I thought. The last one wasn't even hazing. It was more along the lines of a cruel prank against those outside of the group. (Hazing is normally within a group) The 1st one does seem like it was more of a tragic accident. The purpose didn't kill him and with the other two with him getting caught it wasn't directly caused by the perimeters of the hazing itself. THe mystery of the 2nd one leaves questions of whether this was a part of hazing at all either. Sometimes people will use a hazing ritual to get revenge or hurt someone too.

[@JoeBob79569]

You also have to remember that the "official story" is not necessarily the real story, especially when the hazing story that they give is so tame, a blindfolded walk, with 2 guys assisting you, sounds a bit too innocent to me. I also find it hard to believe that 3 guys sat against a tree without knowing it was so close to a ravine, and that they all just happened to fall. It's more likely that the ravine was part of the hazing, either the person being suspended over it somehow, or having the blindfold removed when they were standing on the edge, or something to that effect.

[@catatoblob8598]

@@JoeBob79569 you never know. Last summer my school club planned a group bonding event where the new club members would show up to their first regular meeting only to find that a spectre had kidnapped all the exec members and left them in various locations around campus. Solve the riddle and find your friend by X time or you'll never see them again, etc, etc. Then the evening of the event rolled around and we were hit by an hour of thunder, lightning, and torrential downpour out of a clear blue sky, blocking cell signals and bringing visibility down to near zero. We completely lost control of the club because we never left any exec with them to enforce teamwork or to call off the hunt. Instead, they split up and tried to push on through the storm to try to "rescue" us within the time limit of the game, soaking their electronics, slipping down hills, getting lost on campus because they were freshmen, etc. Anyways, what I'm getting at is, any group activity that involves blindfolds and/or the outdoors is a disaster waiting to happen.

[@JoeBob79569]

@@catatoblob8598 Yea, that is, of course, a good point. I mean if someone is walking to their "hazing" and they get hit by a bus it isn't the hazing's fault! I suppose the problem is that the students will lie about the extremeness of their hazings, and the only way you'll know for sure is if the bodies start piling up from "innocent" accidents.

[@catatoblob8598]

@@JoeBob79569 I mean, it's entirely their fault even if no lying is involved. They took blindfolded students out to an unsafe location in the middle of the night. The students who weren't blindfolded would be too preoccupied with looking after the blindfolded person and preserving the ritual to do appropriate risk assessment. The accident could have been avoided with better planning, but the scenario they had planned had too many uncontrollable variables and the students running it probably didn't have ensign time to assess all of it.

[@burkeballistics685]

Chlorine is no joke. I took a lungful of chlorine as a teen by opening a pool pump that had lost prime not realizing that the cup of granulated chlorine additive that I had dumped into the inlet of the system caused the problem. I ran into the house, lungs completely locked up from the gas. My mother started panicking as I couldn't speak but could only pound my chest and point at my mouth. Not realizing she was doing the right thing she bent me over the sink and in her attempt to clear my mouth (and almost drown me in the process) she pushed hard enough on my chest to clear most of the inhaled gas from my lungs. Once I started breathing again she continued to wash my face, mouth and nostrils until I was finally able to yell at her to stop. The ER doctor said I was very lucky and had no after effects for a long time however years later I developed asthma and constant lung issues I'm sure are the result of that incident.

[@divalea]

A childhood friend of mine joined the Navy and died during hazing. It happened decades ago and still makes me ache. His poor family.

[@spiritmatter1553]

Just wondering if he was crossing the Equator. It’s the only hazing ritual that I’m aware of anyway.

[@divalea]

@@spiritmatter1553 It wasn’t that particular foolishness.

[@crimsonclover9871]

Hazing just isn't something that takes place in colleges and universities. There was a case of childhood hazing that took place in 1903. Ralph Canning was 9 years old when he was brutally "hazed" (ie, tortured) by three boys aged 7, 10 and 11 who had read about hazing practices and wanted to try it out themselves. After being brutally tormented Ralph had to crawl home. He died two weeks later from his injuries. There are also cases of fatal hazing taking place in high schools throughout history. Hazing is *not* a "right of passage". It's an evil, humiliating and often brutal event that is sugar-coated as a proud tradition for fraternities and sororities. Thank you for casting the spotlight onto hazing.

[@joewilson3393]

Part of the problem with hazing is the people who graduate go on to become lawyers and judges. Politicians and lawmakers. And of course because of their "fraternity" they are loathe to prosecute or punish for what they potentially also did once upon a time.

[@agoo7581]

One of them is literally on the supreme court. Fucking revolting.

[@danielbradley5255]

What did you mean when you said "they are loathe"? I know it's an error/misuse of tense, so I'm not trying to insult, troll or emit toxicity. I just wanted to clarify what you meant

[@ShaudaySmith]

@@danielbradley5255 A quick google, and you are right.... i was about to say you were wrong but doing a minute extra of research saved me from that embarrassment. Simply removing that 'e' at the end of loath(e) would fix the tense.. side note - your comment made me learn a little something about the difference between loath and loathe. Thanks!

[@danielbradley5255]

@@ShaudaySmith hey like I said, although I catch alot of flak for coming off as "toxic" and sarcastic, I'm just on the "dry" side and truly would rather teach/offer constructive criticism than hurt/be negative.

[@Novastar314]

1000% my thoughts.

[@Spewb]

I've never understood the point of hazing in the first place. The vast majority of the time it's not a joke everyone including the victim laughs at later, it's just some sort of fucked up forced traumatic "bonding" that often becomes much more dangerous than anyone cares to admit.

[@iraqifoodcart8447]

If I have to be hazed to join something, that group isn't worth my time or energy.

[@johnynoway9127]

its "bonding' and a form of torture to see how good you are at pain tolerance i think and to see if youl do anything dor the group even torture yourself. a form of brainwashing

[@Snezzleify]

@@iraqifoodcart8447 and not worth losing your life over! Agreed!

[@SomeRPGFan]

It happens because people get drunk on power and their own popularity. "This is how badly people want to hang out with us!"

[@cruisepaige]

Indeed. I would never care for or trust anyone who had been so abusive to me.

[@Dovietail]

Great topic idea, btw. The students still talk about that train death incident at Kenyon College every year as cautionary tale against hazing. It haunts the place. Students take it as read that the young man was tied to the tracks to scare him, and the unscheduled train was just the grisly instrument of the horrifying outcome. The train came on too fast, and they just couldn't get him untied and had to abandon him as the engine bore down on them. That his father was just up on the hill in tiny, isolated Gambier just makes it unbearable to think about. Kenyon is a great college, but it has suffered more than its share of horrifying incidents, including a devastatingly lethal dorm fire. There's more than enough lore for Kenyon's own "cursed college" episode.

[@MrMrMrprofessor]

I didn't do greek life when I was in undergrad, but my partner did and his experience was thankfully extremely benign. The most taxing thing he had to do for initiation was he and the other pledges had to build something from a bucket FULL of legos and they had to use every single one. It took a while, but he said it was really fun. More initiations like that, please.

[@nemesis7774]

It's horrible to see that in most cases no one is punished because of their wealth, status, or the fear of bad reputation for the school. The last one sicken me. How can people think that chlorine is safe to use for pranks ?

[@simonisenberg4516]

Not to take away of how horrible and misguided that was, it was the time of people ingesting lead, lithium and cocaine willy nilly and anything that sounded new and scientific was sold and taken without much care until the corpses piled up.

[@nemesis7774]

@@simonisenberg4516 yeah, or some radioactive products, sold as health enhancers... And maybe those people hadn't heard stories from soldiers of WW1 dying due to chlorine

[@sketchyskies8531]

As a college freshman, this is one of my worst nightmares right now, along with failing my classes. It doesn't help that my college that I'm currently at had a hazing death of a kid in 2021. His name was Stone Foltz.

[@chrisyasus8912]

Make sure you have a confidant Press on...all things will pass. Don't measure yourself to something that's too high. Lots more time is available to you than you think at present moment. These are minor tests/measures. Come out on top. If any dirt is still on you... brush it off. You're on a journey so take the good. Have a confidant on hand. Could be older or younger. Just outside the box is where they should be. Best of luck to you

[@dawnstorm9768]

Joining a fraternity is a choice; I've always wondered what the point of it all is. Oh yes, you get to wear clothes with Greek letters on them. Whoopie.

[@lilmoosic]

Ah, good old BGSU. Ohio's colleges have a long, storied history of hazing deaths. Foltz should never have died because OH should have done something about fraternity hazing LONG before he was even enrolled into college. But as usual, the did very little to prevent it. I hope his death can at least bring about change in the future.

[@loafywolfy]

@@dawnstorm9768 some colleges haze everyone that gets in. mine did, i just skipped the first week

[@virtueofabsolution7641]

Take it like a man and be a good sport and you’ll make friends for the whole duration of college. Puss out and cry about it and snitch and you make enemies. Simple as. That said yeah hazing outside of greek life is incredibly rare in college always has been. Freshman/sophomore hazing is usually a high school thing

[@LadyViscera]

Looking online at more recent cases, I would say a lot of these could potentially count as torture murders

[@waynepolo6193]

Aggravated Manslaughter.

[@heidibock1017]

I was startled to hear my own town in your voice this early morning! I live in walking distance from the creek that flows into the gorge where Mortimer died (Fall Creek Gorge). Both this one and Cascadilla are mostly fenced off, but people die in them every year, especially Fall Creek---mostly because people try to swim above the falls. The gorge bridges were all fenced off after 6 suicides in a short period of time in the 2009-10 school year, which was just before I moved here. There is an eerie quality to both gorges. As for the third story, I worked briefly for Cornell Catering, and also know lots of people who made their careers out of Event Planning for Cornell, so I find that story particularly egregious and sad. Now I want to go find Henrietta's grave to put flowers on it. No surprise that no one was ever held responsible.

[@poeticsilence047]

Man eerie connection to both stories. Crazy.

[@bradleywilcox8873]

My wife’s cousin died last January as a victim of hazing in NY. He froze to death outside, and not one person spoke up. So sad that this is even a thing :(

[@tinkrtailr]

That first story is just... so tragic. As far as hazing goes, walking through town blindfolded with a guide is probably the most tame thing I've ever heard of...

[@cadillacdeville5828]

In regards to hazing I think it shouldn't even be a sorority nor fraternity in the first place. Everything else is just for show , hazing itself seems like a power play and to demean someone.

[@DaveSCameron]

Explains Dubya Bush then

[@Spewb]

It's always seemed like a cycle of abuse more than anything else to me. An excuse to be morally reprehensible under the pretense of bonding.

[@belindaf8821]

@@Spewb exactly. The "crabs in a bucket" mindset keeps it happening year after year. "Well I had to do it and suffered pain and/or humiliation, so you have to as well."

[@Beachgirl1]

@@DaveSCameron And Billy Clinton.

[@01SaltyWitch]

@@Spewb Yep, trauma bonding

[@lumindoesvideos]

You know it's bad when one of the long videos has Part 1 in the title. And my God this is something worth having multiple videos. Hazing is a rough practice and shouldn't be a thing for a stupid collage community.

[@growingsage]

But think of the prestige those Greek letters give you! All the opportunities! All you got to do is take a year of harmless pranks and not die and you'll be set for life. (This is sarcasm by the way)

[@_kaleido]

i don’t understand why someone would want to join a group that did such an awful thing to them… :(

[@dawnstorm9768]

Ya got me!🤷‍♀️

[@miz_logo_lee]

I come from a family where the paternal side men were all in the same fraternity. It’s often family pressure.

[@zuttoaragi8349]

It's usually networking. A lot of the people who are members of or help run the houses are part of families with a lot of connections, money, and often political influence.

[@als3022]

Networking, being part of a group, knowing that you suffered through something, friends you can have for a long time. Lots of reasons, I never joined one, but knew plenty of guys who did.

[@zuttoaragi8349]

@@als3022 Suffering isn't a virtue.

[@AlexRising_]

Edit: didn’t think I’d need to say this considering my photo is right there, but SURPRISE SHAWTY! I’m not a man. The name Alex is gender neutral. Thanks, management. I used to talk to Marines about hazing. I always presented this scenario: Let’s say you’re joining a new unit and some folks come up to you and tell you that there’s a “ritual” for you to _actually_ join the unit. You get roped in , and what started out as fun becomes more and more dangerous. Inevitably, something goes wrong. Someone isn’t breathing. Someone fell or was pushed off of something. Someone went underwater and never came up. Are you prepared to be the witness who has to give That Call? Are you ready to hear your voice played over and over in the media from the recorded emergency line as you give That Call, trying to explain yourself and your peers? Are you prepared for police, administrators, friends, and distraught parents to turn to you and ask what you did to prevent That Call, and your answer to be “nothing”? Are you prepared to be the voice that splits their loved ones lives into the time before and the time after That Call? Are you prepared for That Call to be about you? Are you prepared to inflict that on the people around you? Are you prepared to force _me_ to make That Call because you thought you were in too deep to back out or worse, didn’t think at all? If you answered no to any of these, you know better. If you fuck up, if you think you’re in too deep, call me before the hole hits six feet and there’s nothing I can do for you but hand your next of kin a folded flag.”

[@SheWearsShortSkirtsIEatPizza]

When I read that, it sounds a little like discouraging people from calling for help. It is very possible I misunderstood or missed a nuance that I dont understand though.

[@dawnstorm9768]

@@SheWearsShortSkirtsIEatPizza It's not about discouraging people calling for help, its point is to remind potential hazers that actions have consequences that cannot be undone.

[@AlexRising_]

@@SheWearsShortSkirtsIEatPizza nope. I was saying that if they felt they were in too deep, call me anyway.

[@redram5150]

Wtf are you capitalizing “That Call”? It isn’t a proper noun. You’re not speaking German, where every noun is capitalized

[@virtueofabsolution7641]

He’s referring to it as a proper noun in the sense that it is gravely important. It’s just stylistic emphasis. Also yeah I can imagine marines having some pretty fucked up rituals.

[@TheNightWatcher1385]

My frat’s “hazing” was fun and not dangerous, as it should be. One time we made a castle out of boxes and had to take shifts guarding it from the members so they wouldn’t knock it down. Another time we acted as a “secret service” for the chapter President, escorting him to class while in suits and sunglasses, and members would be hiding around campus with water and air soft guns and we’d have to keep him save from the “assassins.” Another time we dressed up as Vikings and knights and we were used as chess pieces on a huge painted game board. I had a fun time. Traditions should be wholesome and bonding experiences, not abuse.

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

Remember, these sociopaths doing the hazing are often from rich or influential families, and go on to become our politicians or corporate executives. The reason they join fraternities is to make powerful social contacts. And the ones that are hazed are usually the "less important" members.

[@germyw]

This is untrue.

[@ariahazelwood3842]

Yep, they do this at Harvard 😬

[@producerevan88]

@@germyw it's extremely, horrifyingly, true....... silly pants

[@hamsterama]

The reason a girl would join a sorority is so that she could talk with other girls about periods. And how magical periods are. So gross. Sororities are gross clubs where chicks throw used tampons on the floor and giggle and gossip about it.

[@ReyOfLight]

Hazing needs to be outlawed worldwide. We had a version of it in high school but thankfully it was heavily regulated by the school and optional to participate at all. I did not participate in my first year other than walking with stilts through some car tire obstacles (I was good at it at the time) and I also didn’t participate when it was my year welcoming the first years to the school. There’s absolutely no reason to humiliate or put people in danger just because they’re new (or anytime for that matter), bond over a cup of tea or coffee instead at a nice cafe and just have a chat and get to know each other in a civilized manner!

[@evelynwilson1566]

Some workplaces used to do hazing too, and although I think it was generally benign and harmless (the old 'sending the new boy for a tin of tartan paint or a long stand') it could go too far and turn into humiliation and dangerous stunts. It could be quite funny but 'lads being lads' is often like that - funny for everyone but the person on the receiving end.

[@igitha..._]

100%!!

[@davidtoth8975]

Heard a story about a young mechanic being hazed by an older one by a compressed air nozzle. Stuck the nozzle near his rectum and pulled the trigger. The young guy's intestines ruptured, and he died shortly after.

[@Spewb]

My town's small enough that I know all the cops by first name, their "hazing" has always had the entire purpose of just making funny memories. For like the last 40 years that department has made it tradition to send every new guy on a fake call where it's made to seem like a house is truly haunted, or there's a heavy guy with a baby who absolutely insists he just gave birth to it, or someone dressed up as an alien or whatever in the woods, harmless bizarre stuff like that. Hazing is only acceptable when the victim gets a genuine laugh out of it like with what they do.

[@mrimmortal1579]

There were a couple times over the years at various jobs, when I would send a new guy looking for “I.D. Ten T” (depending on the job, the mythical “I.D. Ten T” could have been anything from forms to chemicals to packing material). They would invariably look at my with confusion, because being a new person meant that of course they hadn’t learned all of the technical designations for the various products that we used, let alone where any of it was stored. So I would write it down for them, and say “Go over to shipping, they can point you in the right direction.” Then I would send them off to hunt for imaginary stuff with a scrap of paper in their hand that said “I D 1 0 T”….

[@mfitzburger5137]

@@Spewb yeah, everyone must love knowing their wages go into "making funny memories"

[@natmorse-noland9133]

The first example of hazing you gave didn't sound bad at all - it was basically a standard trust-building exercise, they just should've done it during the day so the guides could see where they were going. The last example of hazing you gave was literally a war crime.

[@onesadtech]

I thought the same thing, I don't really agree with any type of hazing, but that first one was fairly tame, and a complete accident that someone died. Especially considering two of the people behind it got hurt as well, I'm sure they didn't plan that.

[@sarafontanini7051]

not just a war crime, a FULL ON crime.

[@laughingseagull000]

@@sarafontanini7051 Aren’t war crimes supposed to be worse than normal crimes or something?

[@userequaltoNull]

@@laughingseagull000 a lot of warcrimes are also regular crimes, but I'd say that commiting a warcrime is usually worse.

[@clray123]

Standard exercise? What sort of fucked up place is this "standard" in?

[@Roronoa79]

Hazing is a big part of why I never wanted to join a frat. The whole system always struck me as toxic. My dad talked about how they forced him to eat and drink nothing but onions and water for a week. My late grandfather, back in the 40s/50s was tied to a tree and beaten with baseball bats as part of college hazing. It's a self-sustaining cycle of stupidity and cruelty.

[@Fusilier7]

I have never experienced hazing, but I have seen it, and it's madness masquerading as fun. In witnessed it at Austin, Texas, some pledges from the University of Texas, went on beer run carrying kegs and packets of beer bottles, later that night, I saw the same pledges with one litre beer bottles duct taped to each their hands, others had whiskey bottles taped to hands, they were expected to finish those drinks before the taped drinks are removed. Hazing is much like pranks, it's all fun and games until some gets sent to hospital or morgue, my advice to any college student, think about the group you want to join, if they do not accept you for who you are, find a better one until you do, never let yourself be humiliated.

[@DaveTexas]

The year I started college, a local fraternity killed a pledge during a hazing incident. The fraternity lost its charter and the university banned all hazing, but it didn’t stop. Over the next few years, more students were either seriously injured or killed during hazings. One student became seriously ill after being pelted with eggs and not being allowed to shower or otherwise clean himself for a week. Another student nearly had his scrotum ripped off after he was hazed by being forced to disrobe, then being pulled around a room by having the claw end of a hammer hooked under his scrotum. A pledge died after falling when he was left alone in an unknown location at night when he was intoxicated to the point of nearly blacking out. After these incidents, the university seriously cracked down in hazing, but it still didn’t stop. I knew several people who still hazed pledges. When I asked them why they did it, knowing that they’d be expelled from school and charged with a felony if caught, their response was, "How else will we know if the pledges REALLY want to be a member of our fraternity?" I just shook my head. Professors were telling students not to put up with it, and quite a few fraternities got shut down when students reported hazing. Even things as harmless as wearing funny hats were considered hazing and could get an organization banned. Yet it persisted. Stupid is as stupid does.

[@esteemedmortal5917]

I went to a women’s college and we had Hell Week (though they’ve changed the name since then). A sophomore would act as your Heller but it was usually someone you were already friends with; it wasn’t assigned, just by mutual agreement. If you were in a club or on a team, they might collectively Hell the freshwomen but usually it was all pretty tame. By virtue of being friends, your Heller would be likely to know what things you were or weren’t comfortable with. We did things like singing Disney songs or interrupting lectures with various antics. Even new professors got Helled (one biology professor had to dress up like a bee and pretend to pollinate). Stupid stuff like that. And that DID help to create bonding because your tasks were based on shared interests (like when my roommate and I re-enacted the duel from The Princess Bride). This hazing stuff is mean at best and sadistic at worst.

[@theatorrisi9695]

Wait that actually sounds really fun

[@tabiibat]

This is a notification that really caught my attention. I spent some time a few weeks ago looking into hazing incidents and deaths. Great topic for real.

[@lelia660]

Well done. Hard to believe this STILL goes on. I'm looking forward to Part 2.

[@ElGato1947]

"Hazing" in the US; "Ragging" in UK & India. Same ritualized abuse under different terms. No matter where it takes place, this practice is very difficult to root out. Initiation abuse is worldwide & has been occurring for a long time.

[@kswsquared]

The list of college/uni-level hazing deaths here in the Philippines over the past 2-3 decades can make its own episode. I suspect a few more have not made it to the national news; most of the ones that did happened at the big universities in the capital...

[@opwave79]

My cousin was once a leader in his fraternal order at UP. He never spoke of his exact experiences, having sworn an oath of secrecy, but my aunt would often allude to an incident that was investigated by the police. She’d always change the subject if I asked about it.

[@dankpepe2110]

Yup, i still remember a one law student (i think he's from UP?) died from hazing. I just don't understand this bullshit initiation rites from Greek letter gangs.

[@procye]

I'm just so baffled how no one ever put together that walking around blindfolded by a cliff wasn't going to end well. Of course, I'm not saying it was anyone's fault in particular. Just, like a lot of things, it seems so obvious in hindsight.

[@tezzanoia]

I mean, to be fair, there were two people without blindfolds there too, they didn't let him stumble around on his own, and none of them saw that they were this close to it because of the darkness. I think it's a genuine accident that could've happened without the blindfolding just the same, because the issue was being there at night with only moonlight to show them where they were, not Mortimer being blindfolded. Someone else in the comments also said that they're from that area and that it's not the only time someone has died there, but that it happened several times, even despite having fencing there by now. So while this doesn't make his death any less tragic, I think it's less of a "people doing absolutely risky shit that just had to go wrong" situation and more of an accident that could've just as well happened outside of a haze

[@mfitzburger5137]

@@tezzanoia all the more reason the 2 should've faced legal consequences...they knowingly encouraged/coerced the pledges into something they knew could result in their death, and failed to prevent such things from happening when the pledges under their watch had less experience with the area and a limited ability to self-navigate

[@opwave79]

College students may be smart enough to get into college, but that doesn’t translate to common sense.

[@jaybee4118]

@@mfitzburger5137 too many young people assume they’re immortal. My generation was the same. The one before that, the one before that. Right back way before Mortimer’s they were the same. They are aware of the risks. But they’re hopeless at risk assessment.

[@hoshizoraaki6551]

@@tezzanoia Walking around with a blindfolded person in a potentially dangerous area they are clearly not all that familiar with, at night. I feel like a little bit of common sense applies here. This is an organised event, and the people running it have responsibility for the people they are accomodating, in this case, the blindfolded people. They shouldn't have been able to escape punishment for their poor planning and lack of common sense.

[@veryberry39]

When I got into college, I wanted to experience as many aspects of it as I could. My mother was super overprotective, so this was my first chance to really branch out and explore EVERYTHING without her coming down on me. So I pledged to a sorority. I don't remember how many weeks I made it in, if it was even that long, but during one of our meetings they called down some of the other girls to chastise us about random shit. I was yelled at for not returning hello's on campus in the morning (sorry, I tunnel vision when I'm going somewhere!)...and that was it for me. Given that I had also started college when I was 21, I was older than all those girls and was certainly not gonna sit there and let them yell at me, lol. The following year, I joined an honors fraternity (Phi Sigma Pi). You had to have good grades, 4 nights a week had 2 study hours, and then after that we did various activities that I suppose could be considered "mild hazing" as other people are putting it: a Halloween walk where people would jump out and scare us, or scavenger hunts in the dark. Thing is, all of it was harmless, it wasn't allowed to go past midnight, and every last one of us had a blast doing it. Not ONCE were any of us degraded or made to feel ashamed. I'm still friends with a few of them, 20 years later, and I don't regret that time at all. The sorority, on the other hand, is something I bring up to laugh at.

[@nicholaslewis862]

Happy Halloween, FH. Thanks for keeping us spooked all year around. Stay safe!

[@alyssad990]

0:36 Honestly I knew this would be a rough one because of that creepy portrait in the upper left hand corner

[@krapincorporated]

What I love about hearing these stories is that these events happened back in the day when people "knew better." Younger generations are always accused of being immature and reckless compared to whoever has come before, but this reveals that none of us apples really fell far from our trees.

[@williebeamish5879]

Rites of passage.

[@dr.archaeopteryx5512]

@@williebeamish5879 Passage is right, pass right on into the afterlife

[@Engine33Truck]

You are the only one that could pull off a documentary on hazing and make it interesting and informative

[@Starphot]

Thanks for showing the early reports of hazing. Hazing starts as a simple ritual then gets more sadistic over time and change in class years. This still goes on, even though some the schools banned these things. As for the fellow students clamming up, still goes on. A friend of my niece's was killed during high school. It is suspected by her classmate{s} off campus, but nobody is talking. It has been more than 21 years, but this case is still unsolved.

[@AerynKDesigns]

Hazing and peer pressure are so stupid. I never want to have to drink/eat/do horrible things just to "fit in" with anyone. Take what you get, or I'd rather be alone. Especially if it might cost my life!

[@oliviatoth27]

as someone in a co-ed fraternity, we may frequently joke about hazing new members but we take it extremely seriously. other chapters of our fraternity have been suspended for awful activity. it's genuinely horrifying to see an 18 year die as a result of hazing (one incident at penn state sticks in my mind, and has for years).

[@nerdoftheatre]

I'm an alumnus of a service sorority.* I remember when I was still a prospective candidate, we had an entire class day of just talking about hazing. And there was probably 4-6 pages of that booklet talking about every single type of hazing - like swallowing a live goldfish, to being tied up, to requiring 6 uninterrupted hours of sleep during the night. There was some that I'd never heard of and some were downright disgusting or inhumane. Does hazing still happen? Yes. Are there other non-letter RSOs that haze? Yes. Does hazing still happen outside of university? Also, yes. I think both the university and the Greek organization's national council need to crack down on it. In the case of non-letter RSOs, the university or overarching organization (campus's athletics, academic dept, or national council) need to take more responsibility for the goings on of the chapter or campus organization. I think more on the hands of the university, as the chapter is also representing the university itself as well as the organization itself. The national council still absolutely needs to be in charge of the chapter, if such organizations have a chapter, but there's a lot of cases where it feels like universities do not do enough to ensure the safety of Greek life or other RSOs. (Especially in cases where Greek life housing is off university property, but the chapter is still a part of that university's student life and is a RSO. ) Do I think Greek life altogether needs to be banned? No. I think there can be good from these organizations. There are many many Greek organizations, not all of them being social sororities/fraternities with houses. There are academic and service organizations that use Greek letters. These fall under the category of sororities and fraternities. While sharing likeness, they are not the same. And there are social sororities and fraternities that do good. I just think that the university themselves needs to have more responsibility in ensuring these chapters are safely conducting their Greek life chapters. And nationals need to make sure that their chapters are doing their candidate process in a safe manner. *Social sororities have houses and such, no chapter in my sorority does. Not all sororities and fraternities are social. We still have rushes and prospective candidates (no longer use the term pledge). But in my sorority, there is a heavy emphasis on understanding what hazing is, what constitutes as hazing, and preventing it from happening. 100% of active chapters in my sorority completed their hazing awareness curriculum. I am glad that my organization is taking steps to make every sister aware of hazing and how dangerous it can be. I am really glad content creators like FH are talking about hazing and talking about how it happens on all aspects of college life. When I hear about hazing, it's almost always about Greek life. Yes, it has historically happened in those organizations, but it also happens in numerous other places on campus that aren't talked about either. I have heard horror stories from college athletics. And those nearly don't get talked about as much as Greek life does. Greek life hazing does need to be talked about, but hazing needs to be talked about as a campus-wide issue.

[@dawnstorm9768]

Kudos to your sorority!

[@tjrune3432]

When I first entered University as an older student, I was worried I wouldn't be as educated as my fellow classmates. After all, they came right out of the education system, learning a lot more about new technologies and breakthroughs in science, and so on. Much to my surprise, I got to teach a number how to cook for themselves and operate laundry machines. Personally, I wouldn't have trusted that most of my peers were experienced enough to handle a real emergency if they couldn't do basic chores and tasks. Thankfully, the only hazing in our school seemed to come from the swan pond. Drunk students wanting to chase swans quickly learned how badly a swan can mess you up. So occasionally I would sit and watch the newbies get a finger, arm, or leg broken by a swan as their buddies tried to get them up the hill to the hospital and away from the swans - who were quite done with this behavior and made it well known. Cheers to the swan pond, always a fun show when drunks didn't have the wits to anticipate the force of a wing strike from a bird that size. It's like all these young adults really didn't understand the natural processes that brought us birds. Feathery raptors, the lot of them, I'd say. Exceptional entertainment on a Friday night though. It's like watching instant karma, particularly when signs all over the place warned people not to get near the wildlife, often specifically picturing a swan for good measure.

[@LeCharles07]

Frat boy: [drunkenly approaching Goose] Goose: "So you have chosen death!"

[@tjrune3432]

@@LeCharles07 The geese will mess you up too, but I am actually talking about swans. Much bigger, much less interested in their antics.

[@aliensoup2420]

Most college students are idiots...I was one of them.

[@tjrune3432]

@@aliensoup2420 I mean, I did my own share of dumb things, but 95% of the time, I was the first aider.

[@kdfulton3152]

What an interesting topic! Especially learning about the earlier deaths by hazing. Fantastic Job FASCINATING HORROR. BRAVO 👏👏. ☮️💟🌻

[@Realdaele]

You might want to look into the hazing death of Sanda Dia for the part 2 of this video, he was a Belgian student. Absolutely horrid what they did to him. I believe an English language article about it was published by the New York Times at some point if you wish to look into it.

[@Vesch]

Never joined a sorority or anything similar, but the oldest established student group at the uni I studied at had been there since 1814. Their 'hazing ritual' consists of what is basically a history exam about the group and its long existence. You get ample time to study and you're discouraged from pulling allnighters or doing other crazy things. If you pass the exam, you're considered a member. I definitely respected that mindset.

[@erikm8372]

Damn, 1894 hazing gettin creative, drilling holes in ceilings and floors, filling with homemade chlorine gas?! “Lets start a panic!” Smart move Einstein…

[@elmin82]

it's creepy and sad that after all those deaths , sorority or fraternity kept doing these stupid initiations

[@igitha..._]

It's an absolutely abhorrent skewing of the true meaning of an initiation... Coming of age rituals in cultures throughout history and in tradition have initiated those with certain paths with the gift of knowledge and tools to build a skill set including life skills to teach to others and gift to their communities. Calling 'hazing' any kind of initiation to me is a fallacy - more than an embellishment of the term but a complete inversion that denotes trauma and torment and low-vibrational energetic attachment and openings within the human aura as well as interpersonal social mental and spiritual confusion forcing the individual to re-examine their life and standing within the university and community\society. Years if ever to process the trauma and PTSD which can affect overall outcome of all endeavors. An unhealthy and toxic wholly narcissistic process of ostracizion denegration and dehumanization that protects those who exude little to no oxytocin in their brains because everyone knows that sociopaths make the best business leaders right..? Nah - I believe our future is about genuine authenticity and true empathy for those around us not being force fed lies by disingenuous people who likely went through the hazing ritual by their forefathers and happened not to die from it. There are plenty of other situations people need to avoid in life in order not to die without having those losers do this to you your friends your children etc...

[@atomixfang]

It is creepy how they all got away free from any responsibility, probably from the connections their family members possessed.

[@elmin82]

@@atomixfang they are all from rich and elite families, plus that poor guy, that die hit by a train, his father have to attend at his initiation , really weird ..

[@dfuher968]

Its time to come down hard on this. Mandatory expelling of any1 doing hazing and mandatory dissolvement of the fraternity/sorority. And if the university cant figure out to do it themselves, shut them down for a semester and see, how they learn. If they let it happen again and again fail to act, shut them down for good. And a mandatory report in the employment file of the leaders, who failed to act, so any university, who might consider hiring them in future, can see, what failure as leaders they are.

[@adamdiek]

Roll on 1 million subs Well deserved my friend You've helped us get through lockdown with your awesome shorts

[@lila2028]

It is nothing but amazing that hazing to this day is allowed in any way, shape or form.

[@jeffbarton4398]

You really surprised me. Thought you'd run of of ideas and then you pull this. Brilliant! Fascinating! Horrific!

[@Walamonga1313]

I wonder if he'll do something like stupid tik tok challenges that have caused injuries or deaths. Or 4chan instruction "manuals" for certain experiments that are way more dangerous than they appear

[@alaricbragg7843]

Sororities and Fraternities: Gangs with manners.

[@reneedennis2011]

Exactly!

[@dawnstorm9768]

😂

[@robynrunestone2533]

Do you think you could do a video on the history of Schoolies? It’s a thing in Australia where people who have just graduation from high school go celebrate for a week in the city. There are a lot of stories of people drinking to excess, jumping off balconies, and getting into fights. It’s gotten a pretty iffy reputation in Australia and a lot of hotel managers absolutely dread the week.

[@QT5656]

Having recently started a new job in a big organisation this episode was essential viewing.

[@Sven925]

You know it's bad when there are multiple parts

[@dandee7045]

What a great series. People still die every year from hazing and initiations. A young man died at the University of Oklahoma 15 years ago due to excessive drinking during an initiation. They made OU a "dry" campus after that although it's in name only. RIP Blake Hammontree

[@fizzao1342]

A good friend of mine works for a man who lost his handsome and intelligent son to a hazing ritual. Rest in peace, T.

[@fireseeker4him]

The book "Goat", an autobiographical book by Brad Land who went through a horrific hazing process, pretty much soured my view of Clemson University.

[@atomixfang]

Ive always thought of sororities as something for sheeple. The fact hazings are a thing just proves that point even more.

[@poeticsilence047]

Definitely. Why not try to be friends with everyone or anyone? Why try to belong with just one group. That kind of stuff ended in high school.

[@2760ade]

Just giving a foolish practice like this a name, i.e 'Hazing', endorses and therefore perpetuates it in my opinion. Utterly ridiculous!!

[@clairewilliams9416]

I can just imagine the people doing the hazing defending it saying it was just a harmless prank no one was supposed to get hurt, but as my mum was so fond of saying, ‘it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye!’

[@rich_edwards79]

I am very grateful that we don't have this 'Greek system' of fraternities and sororities here in the UK, as it just seems to encourage bullying, cliquiness and division between the 'popular' / wealthy kids and others (like me) who have a tougher time fitting in. That said, hazing still goes on at elite universities, mainly in sports and drinking clubs (perhaps the most notorious being Oxford's "Bullingdon Boys") and in other male-dominated / hierarchical organisations such as the police, armed forces and the Freemasons. In my view it has no place in a modern society, but in so many ways, and partly due to silly traditions such as this, we're still a long way from being one of those.

[@belindaf8821]

As an Australian, I've never understood the point of the whole Greek System. We do have some colleges attached to universities that are notorious for the hazing they do, but hardly anyone is even in those colleges. I really don't understand why any of these places exist at all.

[@nomadpurple6154]

The "point" of this system is that fraternities have lots of resources, such as libraries/prior year test papers, which are readily available to their members. This along with profs knowing who is in the frat and likely consciously/unconsciously upping grads of members gives them a distinct advantage over the general college population. And that's without discussing the ability to get better jobs post university due to it's kudos and the connections made which extend beyond the current generation and back to anyone in a position of power who can select candidates. It's a complete corruption of selection on merit (you know, like the House of Lords in the UK)

[@atomixfang]

@@nomadpurple6154 Nepotism doesn't sound like a big plus.

[@amber-zu2yb]

when i was in college i wasn't very interested in joining a sororiety, or any of the co-ed major-based ones that some of my friends joined. most of them just used the tutoring resources of the STEM co-ed. i thought greek life was pretty lowkey at my university even though it was a top 10, but in my sophomore year all greek life was shut down for one year because some frat took a group trip to costa rica where they gang-raped several girls. shit's insane

[@poeticsilence047]

@@nomadpurple6154 Seems like also in the end you own them favors. "I scratch your back. You scratch mine."

[@ladysilverwynde]

I both want and don't want a part two for this, as I'm absolutely livid after watching.

[@Jared_Wignall]

It’s always great to see one of your videos. Keep up the great work!

[@ZGryphon]

It's almost as if most people in their late teens and early twenties really aren't mature enough to be left unsupervised.

[@derkeheath5172]

They gotta learn SOME time.

[@csc7225]

The only hazing I went through was sophomore band hazing in high school (our HS was 10-12 grade, thus sophomores were freshmen in the pecking order). It was mild, the seniors basically pouring gross stuff on us and making us do silly things. Nothing was dangerous, but I could see how it could only take one "let's up the ante" year for it to get out of hand. Also, I remember we thought it extremely funny when one group of senior boys drove some sophomore boys to an apartment complex to wash off in the pool. Imagine how angry and frustrated you would have been as a maintenance worker at the complex. I'm sure they had to drain and clean the pool. I only hope the amount of syrup and other sticky stuff didn't damage the equipment as well. Ofc high schoolers generally don't think of how their "innocent" actions can hurt others. And that's most of the problem... young people whose ability to understand consequences aren't fully formed yet are doing 95% of the hazing. Great content as always.

[@raeofsunshine8377]

Something about that second story got to me. Maybe because he was a sweet kid, or because his dad was so proud that he wanted to come down to see his son's initiation. I can't imagine that poor boy possibly being chloroformed (despite what the others claimed), being tied to the tracks, and trying his hardest to pull himself out as he heard and saw the train coming. It's a terrible way to go, especially when you were putting your trust in senior classmates and hoping to earn their respect and friendship. Deplorable, tragic, and completely avoidable. Rest in peace, Stuart.

[@ForeverLaxx]

A part 1? Oh boy.

[@sashageorges4643]

As an American it is actually really horrifying to hear people from other countries talk about our hazing culture. It's unfortunately so common. My local high school band had a hazing routine where kids were "kidnapped." Literally, you wake up to your upperclassmen in your room while you were sleeping, and they blindfold you and throw you in a car and do donuts in a parking lot . This was sanctioned by the school, though. Parents were told to leave doors unlocked for the upperclassmen, and the legends of being kidnapped were everywhere so it was rare that it would happen without you realizing it would happen eventually. Still, I heard some messed up stories about what happened that faculty didn't know about and didn't care to know.

[@dreamsofparis5535]

I am disgusted that whoever planned that deadly chloroform incident walked away free. Any student or any person today who would plan such a thing would be sent to hard time in prison. Hazing really needs to be brought to an end!

[@dougm1343]

I was in a fraternity while in college. This was in the 80's. Even then we didn't have anything like this. The fraternity that I joined was/is very anti hazing. It is so sad to hear about hazing accidents that happen today. It really boils down to how the National chapter perceives hazing. The better Fraternities are not having issues with hazing.

[@jojoslameerrand9305]

I was one of the last group of first years from my high school who were subjected to hazings. First-year students would "camp" at the building and were basically in the custody of the prefects+friends for a full weekend. No I don't know who thought it was a good idea but it was tradition for 130ish years. What I can remember of the things we had to do were: - eat dog food - walk on four legs & bark unless spoken to when the head boy/girl were in the room - write degrading things on each other, mainly based on appearance (got nasty really quickly bc race came into play) - run laps in the building (including staircases) chanting the degrading things. - lie facedown in the Olympic pool (for a prize) - force fed gross mixtures which included allergens (which wasn't disclosed). Throwing up meant getting your picture taken for the school paper They tried to wave it away by saying that the hazing was voluntary but all the "camp" activities involved hazing in some way so even people who initially didn't want to participate felt pressured to anyways. I nearly drowned in the pool (i was a little over a meter tall at that age). A different student ended up being allergic to the dog food, another fainted on the staircase run, one of the girls developed an eating disorder in the months following etc etc. When pictures of the body writing showed up in the school paper parents were involved, and it turns out hazing had set the foundation for a lot of targeted bullying as well. All prefects of that year were stripped of titles, the friends of thier academic titles etc but nothing legal happened bc the only thing that school excels at is protecting its image. There was still a hazing ritual the next year but it was fully supervised by teachers, was deemed "not as fun" and the school stopped doing it.

[@hannahgracebroome6416]

As someone who is president of a sorority chapter, I’ve heard more hazing stories from the sports teams and music ensembles in my area at my school and the surrounding. It makes me so upset that we are basically the only ones who get major heat for hazing. If we were to attempt anything, our charter would get pulled and we would no longer exist as a club. The athletes and musicians don’t get any punishment for doing worse to their new members than we ever would. (Please understand that I know the the majority of publicized brutal hazing stories is from Greek Life but I would like to know more about non-Greek hazing.)

[@cadillacdeville5828]

I look forward to all your uploads

[@sachaput]

A university I went to for my undergrad degree had disbanded all fraternities and sororities a few years before I attended, due to hazing events on campus. I went through a lot of hazing when I was in the Navy on the first ship I was assigned to out of boot camp. Mostly minor pranks, but it could get physical and I knew of others actually injured when things went bad. These were mostly listed as 'accidents' unless the injuries were severe, in which case charges could be brought.

[@69adrummer]

NEVER was interested in that stuff in college. Probably cause I was NEVER in to the cliques and groups in high school either. I was there to get my classes done, get my homework and projects turned in, get the credit and the GPA and GTFO!! Was too busy in the library studying or in lab to give a damn! haha

[@derkeheath5172]

I'd say the social aspect of college is just as important as the education, especially in this modern age of loneliness epidemics sweeping the country/world.

[@TheEudaemonicPlague]

I am from the home town of the University of Illinois, and have had connections to the university most of my life. I've been in a lot of the frat houses--used to deliver Dominos pizza. Frats kept doing hazing, even years after they'd officially banned hazing. In the early 80s, it wasn't hazing, but somehow pops into my head when hazing is mentioned....at this one frat house on Pennsylvania Ave. has a dumbwaiter. Drunk frat stuck his head into the shaft as it was moving....he lost his head. That's the same frat house where they tried the stunt of adjusting a clock to try to get free pizza, even though Dominos had stopped doing the 30 minutes or less or free thing some time before. "Fraternity Capital of the World"...and in my experience, fraternities aren't too far from being criminal organizations--they sure have gotten away with enough crimes to count.

[@pickledragonrebel]

Cool subject matter ! Thanks, very interesting if not disturbing

[@clumsytriangle2436]

The fact that a society can look at this type of 'tradition' as acceptable says a lot about that society, and certainly shines a light on why that particular country in which this type of behaviour is socially acceptable is in the state it is. Absolutely criminal and despicable.

[@thomstant]

I went to Kenyon. Each year on the anniversary of Stuart Pierson's death, members of Delta Kappa Epsilon parade a casket across the middle of campus. Makes for a very spooky effect because it happens near Halloween. That fraternity has gotten in a lot of trouble lately. Once for branding members (the rumor is, a kid got branded on his scrotum and went infertile). Another time for leading pledges across a country road blindfolded. in 2016 a kid fell out of a fourth story window while partying in their housing. He's fine.

[@Joanla1954]

This video was interesting and equally sad. Thank you! I'll be watching for part two.

[@geminiintraining2306]

None of them in any case were ever brought to account it seems. Its little wonder the hideous legacy of hazing continues today...

[@reneedennis2011]

Yup.

[@zippersocks]

Always having “wtf‽ this really happened‽”-moments watching your videos. Thank you for sharing their stories.

[@Sideshownicful]

Sad thing is, even though many universities have made hazing illegal, it is still going on. Fraternities just call it "enhanced initiations" or some other nonsense.

[@dfuher968]

Yeah, its not going to stop, until the universities actually enforce the ban. If any hazing is discovered, any1 doing any hazing must be immidiately expelled, the fraternity dissolved. At least. They have to come down on it hard, coz its been allowed to continue for far too many decades, when such behavior would be criminal in any other setting. In fact, add it police reports as well, then the police can decide whether it merits charges on top.

[@zuttoaragi8349]

@@dfuher968 You say that, but hazing rituals that are just as appalling happen in the military, police forces, firehouses, and white collar business environments.

[@evas9735]

This just makes me so so sad. Those poor parents losing their beloved children like that. They had their whole lives ahead of them but died to belong at the hands of bullies.

[@SolaScientia]

My undergrad university is partly known for its frats and sororities (this was many years ago now, but I'm sure it hasn't changed). My dorm hall all 4 years I was there was on the corner of a street where sorority row and frat row met. I know that it's a generalization and a stereotype, but I never met a sorority girl at my university who didn't come across as empty-headed and mean. There would be a mass street party once at the end of every year and it was just close enough to finals for it to be a major pain in the ass in terms of noise. I can't recall hearing of any incidents of hazing, but it wouldn't surprise me if it took place. As someone who was teased and bullied a lot, I don't see how hazing is supposed to create a bond of mutual suffering. It's just mean and stupid and I think anyone perpetuating hazing or anything like that sort of behavior is a piece of crap not worth the time of day. I should add that I attended my undergrad in the southeast US, and the South has its own issues when it comes to sororities and frats and that kind of behavior.

[@dfuher968]

I couldnt agree more.

[@alexandersnider734]

RIP to Gordie Bailey. A dark spot on my fraternities' history, hopefully these kinds of things never happen again.