Life Experiences Essay

This happened when I was in high school. For a fresh start, couple of new faces approached me, commencing to know each other, hang out and became good friends. One time, they invited me for a tea talk, I thought it was like the usual one we have had, but it wasn’t. For the first time, I’ve known my friends deeper than I thought. They were sorority members and encourage me to join them. Aside for curiosity sake, I wanted to join the sorority and I did so with the hope of making some close, lifelong friends and for fear that I will loose these friends that I have. In my first entry, I find them, the members so elegant, mark by their refined manner and style and I am bewildered by their kind of hospitality. Their mission acknowledges the part of a sound sorority system that can play in supporting the overall mission of the school; assists the students in developing skills necessary to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects values and standards of the movement and the university. Academic excellence, loyalty to alma mater, strong leadership, friendship and a high moral standards are the foundations upon which they place their efforts. But the sad thing about this experience is that it is not an isolated incident. On the contrary, all across the country, in colleges and in high schools (as well as other places such as the military, religious cults, even marching bands), thousands of young people, men and women, are subjected to a rather perverse form of initiation rites: its called hazing, and not only it is foolish and dangerous, it’s also illegal and this group where I am in is not far behind. It is one of their initiation rites, a kind of preparation in which those who aren’t of the right makeup are weeded out. There was one time wherein one ceremony of a freshman new entry was to dance on the stage right after the flag ceremony, how humiliating isn’t it? It made me question one of the missions, the high moral standard. Negative effects is that it creates an environment in which people take part in things that normally they would never do like those situation that produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment or ridicule. Such activities may include but are not limited to- use of alcohol, smoking, paddling in any form (but not as harsh as those of the fraternities), excessive fatigue and all of these I have experienced. It only proved that I once was dumb enough to allow myself to be in these kinds. But not all are negative ones of course; there are brighter sides of being part of a sorority. It includes developing my character as a person, build up my leadership abilities, it enhance my academic interest and teaches me how to be financially responsible. More importantly, in life, because of the pressure of hazing, it teaches me courage, enough inner strength and personal stamina to walk away and say NO, the next time when there is a strong need to say so. REFERENCE Scott, J. (2005). Is this the right rite of passage? Health and Home, the Nations way of better living, 6(4), 12-13, 43.