Hazing doesn’t have to be a scary conversation
Lorin Phillips, speaker at CAMPUSPEAK and Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority’s Assistant Executive Director, has been having hazing, risk management and Fraternity and Sorority Life conversations her whole professional career. She’s dedicated to not only bettering these organizations but also getting students on-board with improving their own organization from within.
“I simply believe in the vision of a hazing-free college experience,” says Lorin. “I too often hear individuals downplaying the impacts of hazing. So there is work to do, but I know it’s possible and that there are many who also believe in this vision.”
In Lorin’s hazing specific keynote, How Women Haze, she tackles the idea that men and women haze differently.
“I believe men and women do a lot of things differently…don’t you? I believe as we grow up, we hear some common themes and can be shaped by some common gender roles. For example, men are tough and women are obedient “good girls”. I find that these roles carry over into hazing practices. While the goals may be the same of power, control and proving yourself for membership—the means by which this is achieved may look different for women,” says Lorin.
By opening up these conversations on campus, Lorin wants students to identify ways to change the harm that may be occurring in their organizations. Lorin simply gets students talking about what might be more commonly happening with their chapters, evaluate their actions and understand that there is no room to justify any form of hazing.
After seeing How Women Haze, Lorin feels there is a take away for every student at every stage.
• For those who had a gut feeling that some things were wrong in their organization, they’ll leave feeling justified and validated.
• For those leaders who have been trying to tell their chapter they need to change, they’ll leave feeling like their message was reinforced.
• For those who have been going back and forth about bringing something up, they’ll feel empowered to do so.
• For those who completely disagree with the message or don’t see how hazing can be more than just the extremes, Lorin will encourage them to ask more questions and challenge the process so they can continue to evolve their view and definition of hazing.
When it comes down to it, not every student needs to agree, but they do need to understand what actions are acceptable, and those that are not. Lorin is inviting students to a new perspective that will hopefully get them asking a lot of questions as they reflect on their interactions with new members or younger members in the chapter.
Hazing can be a scary topic, but it doesn’t always have to be. Open up the conversation, share ideas and start moving your organization forward.
Visit campuspeak.com/lorrin-phillips to learn more about Lorin and her available keynotes.