As a part of National hazing Prevention Week, Fraternity and Sorority Life planned an immersive tunnel to discuss the harms of hazing. Stockton’s Greek life used this week of prevention to bring insight to the effects of hazing, which Stockton defines as, “any action taken, created, or situated which intentionally, negligently, or recklessly subjects any person to the risk of bodily harm or mental or physical harassment, intimidation, or bullying.” Students were given the opportunity to educate themselves on the painful and lethal impact of hazing.

Each panel focused on different effects of hazing- one emphasized the statistics regarding the topic. According to the Hazing Prevention Network, “1.5 million high school students experience hazing each year. 47% of students come to college having experienced hazing.” As students moved to the next panel, they saw that these are no longer just numbers, but human lives. Eight stories were depicted, but this is only a fraction of the percentage who die from these actions, and even less of a percentage of those affected by its consequences.

The room was silent — the only sound heard was a video playing the voices of mourning parents who have lost their children because of the irresponsibility of individuals. The intention of Stockton’s Greek life sharing these gruesome, devastating, and preventable stories was to let students know that this does not have to be them. The parents of the victims believe that their children’s lives could have been saved if someone had called 911. If a student sees something, they must say something: it’s the difference between life or death.

More information about contacting campus police and staying safe can be found on Stockton’s website.