Speaker brings background in hazing prevention

Factoid:David Westol will speak Monday at 7 p.m. in Student Center Ballroom D

Twenty-two points, plus triple-word-score, plus fifty points for using all my letters. Game’s over. I’m outta here.

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Hazing is not a new issue for fraternities and sororities at SIUC.

After last year’s permanent ban on the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, a 1999 suspension of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, a 1998 suspension of Delta Chi fraternity and several investigations of suspected hazing, Alpha Tau Omega President Adam Acree decided to sponsor a seminar on the dangerous initiation practice.

The fraternity hired public speaker David Westol of the Theta Chi fraternity to give a seminar open to the public about the dangers of hazing. Westol a nationally known speaker, who gives lectures on many topics, specializes in hazing awareness.

Will Hayes, a junior in University Studies from Peoria, is the public relations chair for ATO and said the speaker is part of the fraternity’s mission to change public perception of Greeks.

“In years past, our house has gotten a bad rep, and we’re trying to turn that around right now and change the way the public views us as a fraternity and as a Greek system,” Hayes said.

He said the speaker was ATO President Adam Acree’s idea and is the first speaker the fraternity has had this year. Hayes said Acree invited Westol after deciding a seminar was timely after the Pikes were banned from campus last spring after hazing led to the death of 19-year-old freshman Brent Johnson.

Acree, a sophomore in architecture from Mount Carmel, said the idea came from Student Development, which encouraged him to pursue organizing a speaker and suggested Westol.

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“Our fraternity is trying to change its image of being the bad guys on campus,” Acree said. “With our name, it’s always been a negative thing. I don’t know if I’d call it [hazing] a problem, but I know it’s there.”

Hayes said the other members of the fraternity voted to sponsor the seminar, and it was approved by ATO alumni and paid for through Undergraduate Student Government funding.

The ATO’s lost their house on Greek Row last year, and the fraternity’s alums decided intervention was necessary. ATO members at the time were asked whether or not they wanted to remain in the fraternity, and 12 members remained through this year in addition to 12 pledges.

“We had the Alumni Association that were ATO’s come in and keep the guys that were really gung ho,” Hayes said. “They had a choice whether or not they wanted to stay, and guys that didn’t really want to do it anymore weren’t pressured either way.”

As the fraternity attempts to rework their reputation, they also are looking for a new house, which Hayes said is difficult.

“People can come out and get their own idea of us,” he said. “People have a negative image of Greeks, and we want to change that.”

Though the event is required for all fraternities and sororities in the InterGreek Council – 75 percent active member attendance and 100 percent pledge attendance – the event is open and free to the public.