ANTI-HAZING POLICY

The following activities and conduct are prohibited by OC’s Anti-Hazing Policy:

  • Physical brutality, such as whipping, beating, branding, permanent marking, electronic shock, placing of a harmful substance on the body, or similar activity Acts of personal servitude: Requesting/suggesting/encouraging that new member perform some favor for you (e.g. cleaning, cooking, running an errand, getting a date for you, etc.).
  • Creating concern/fear/anxiety about the events of Induction Week or deceiving new members into thinking they will face some made-up event
  • Threatening new members in any fashion
  • Singling out new members, including calling them demeaning names or phrases that imply inferior status
  • Planning and making activities mandatory that take up an excessive amount of time;
  • No activities shall be required of a pledge or member during his/her class or assigned laboratory times.
  • Requiring physical exertion of new members such as calisthenics, runs, sit-ups, push-ups, or standing/sitting in any position.
  • Sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, calisthenics and no preventing/restricting new members from class attendance orchapel attendance
  • Requiring silly or embarrassing public demonstrations or the wearing of uncomfortable, conspicuous, ridiculous clothing or clothing not appropriate for the occasion
  • Enforcing periods of silence that cause mental and/or physical duress
  • Any activity that promotes unhealthy club competition or interferes negatively with the activities of another club
  • Any activity which will intentionally endanger the safety of pledges or members.
  • Prohibiting from or requiring new member to be alone
  • Requiring pledges/new members to carry items[LA1]
  • Requiring pledges/new members to memorize irrelevant information about a member or members
  • Requiring pledges or members to individually, or as a group, recite information or sign songs on request that are not a constructive part of the social service education program
  • Pressuring new member to place any foreign object, food, or drink in his or her mouth or forced consumption of food, liquid, alcoholic beverage, or other substance that subjects the student to any unreasonable risk of harm or that adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of the student.
  • Throwing, applying or pouring eggs, paint, honey, water or any other substance on the body of a pledge or member
  • Requesting/suggesting/encouraging new member to break the OC Code of Conduct, Club Handbook rules, or any Federal, State, or City law, e.g. alcohol consumption, theft (including unauthorized "borrowing"), breaking curfew, vandalism, defacing property, misuse of fire safety equipment, etc.
  • Suggesting to a pledge or member that he/she consume any amount of alcohol
  • No controlled substances (drugs, alcohol etc.) will be provided for, suggested to, or forced upon any pledge or member at any time or place.
  • Informal, impromptu, or individually conceived induction behaviors
  • Blindfolding unless they are a part of the initiation program as prescribed by the ritual of the club (and subject to approval)
  • Participation in treasure/scavenger hunts; “sneaks,” kidnaps or takeouts
  • [LA2]Facilitating the unsafe transport of members, including traveling in a motor vehicle without an available seat belt (e.g. in the bed of a pick-up)

No activities involving pledges/new members (either as a class or as individuals) may occur between the hours of 12:01 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., Monday through Friday or after curfew.

Alternatives to Hazing:

  • Working on projects that promote unity, such as service projects
  • Trying to foster leadership and other Christian qualities
  • Identifying and improving problems within the club, promoting communication and openness
  • Aiding career goals
  • Promoting personal and spiritual growth in members
  • Teambuilidng Activities with Approved Facilitators (for example, a challenging low ropes course[LA3]))
  • Socials: Theme mixers within a club or among two or more clubs
  • Athletics: Traditional sports competitions within a club or between clubs
  • Competitions: Entertaining and high-energy games within or between clubs
  • Tradition Performances: Maintaining club identity through activities and performances

STATE OF OKLAHOMA HAZING LAW

§21-1190.

A. No student organization or any person associated with any

organization sanctioned or authorized by the governing board of any

public or private school or institution of higher education in this

state shall engage or participate in hazing.

B. Any hazing activity described in subsection F of this section upon

which the initiation or admission into or affiliation with an

organization sanctioned or authorized by a public or private school or

by any institution of higher education in this state is directly or

indirectly conditioned shall be presumed to be a forced activity, even

if the student willingly participates in such activity.

C. A copy of the policy or the rules and regulations of the public or

private school or institution of higher education which prohibits

hazing shall be given to each student enrolled in the school or

institution and shall be deemed to be part of the bylaws of all

organizations operating at the public school or the institution of

higher education.

D. Any organization sanctioned or authorized by the governing board of

a public or private school or of an institution of higher education in

this state which violates subsection A of this section, upon

conviction, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and may be punishable by

a fine of not more than One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00)

and the forfeit for a period of not less than one (1) year all of the

rights and privileges of being an organization organized or operating

at the public or private school or at the institution of higher

education.

E. Any individual convicted of violating the provisions of subsection

A of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and may be

punishable by imprisonment for not to exceed ninety (90) days in the

county jail, or by the imposition of a fine not to exceed Five Hundred

Dollars ($500.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine.

F. For purposes of this section:

1. "Hazing" means an activity which recklessly or intentionally

endangers the mental health or physical health or safety of a student

for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with

any organization operating subject to the sanction of the public or

private school or of any institution of higher education in this

state;

2. "Endanger the physical health" shall include but not be limited to

any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating,

branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the elements, forced

consumption of any food, alcoholic beverage as defined in Section 506

of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes, low-point beer as defined in

Section 163.2 of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes, drug, controlled

dangerous substance, or other substance, or any other forced physical

activity which could adversely affect the physical health or safety of

the individual; and

3. "Endanger the mental health" shall include any activity, except

those activities authorized by law, which would subject the individual

to extreme mental stress, such as prolonged sleep deprivation, forced

prolonged exclusion from social contact, forced conduct which could

result in extreme embarrassment, or any other forced activity which

could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the individual.

[LA1]If pledges are prohibited from carrying anything (as a requirement), it eliminates any question of WHAT is appropriate (i.e., the question regarding swords).

[LA2]See below

[LA3]These suggestions came from the Harding University Club Handbook. During Club Week, the members and new members are required to stage activities of Service-Learning Projects, All-club Devotionals and “Roll Call”. These are during set times.