Thursday, February 27, 2025
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Ohio State’s independent student voice since 1881 A LANTERN SPECIAL PROJECT
Brotherhood, parties, violations and sanctions Inside the hazing culture of Ohio State’s fraternities By Nora Igelnik | Campus Editor and Brooke Tacsar | Senior Lantern Reporter violation?” the report language asks. “It happened to me,” the anonymous reporter wrote. Of the 31 Greek life organizations hio State’s chapter of FarmHouse that have committed violations from International Fraternity, Alpha 2017-24, roughly four in 10 have faced Tau Zeta, is a fraternity committed to revocation — or long-term suspension shaping men into intellectual, moral, — according to a Lantern data analysis of violations committed by Greek spiritual and physical leaders. A community of young individuals life organizations and the disciplinary with philanthropic interests, Farm- sanctions Ohio State handed out. In House actively supports organizations other words, these organizations lost like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Soci- their statuses as registered student organizations due to violations of the ety, according to its website. And just like 30 other Greek life or- Code of Student Conduct, according to ganizations, it is also a fraternity that Student Conduct’s website. For the other 17 Greek life organihas faced hazing violations. In September 2022, the Student zations that committed violations but &RQGXFW ṘFH ZLWKLQ 2KLR 6WDWH¶V 2I- were not revoked, the most common ¿FH RI 6WXGHQW /LIH UHFHLYHG DQ DQRQ- sanction given — applied in 75% of casymous report alleging hazing — in- es — was titled “additional sanctions,” cluding activities such as a blood oath, followed by “disciplinary probation,” verbal abuse, pornography and forced which accounted for 50% of the violamemorization of songs about rape tions. Followed by hazing, alcohol viola— had taken place on ATZ’s properW\ VSHFL¿FDOO\ LQVLGH WKH IUDWHUQLW\¶V tions were committed by 61% of Greek life organizations, while endangering house at 154 E. 14th Ave. “How did you become aware of this behavior occurred in 42%. Between 2017 and 2024, 77.5% This story has been shortened for this print edition. See the full version at thelantern.com/special-projects/
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Ohio State’s chapter of FarmHouse, Alpha Tau Zeta, located at 154 E. 14th Ave.
of all hazing violations have been by Greek life organizations, 70% of which were fraternities. Not all Greek life organizations at the university fall under Sorority and Fraternity Life’s jurisdiction, but all student organizations are subject to WKH &RGH DQG 2̇FH RI 6WXGHQW &RQduct, said Hunter Hartwig, associate director of council leadership in Sorority and Fraternity Life, who also advises Ohio State’s Interfraternity Council. 7KH ZD\ WKH 2̇FH RI 6WXGHQW &RQduct presents sanctions — a form of penalty or reprimand — for conduct violations operates on a “case-by-case”
basis, said Kelly Smith, director of Student Conduct. “The facts are always unique, and the students are always unique, and we just have to make sure that we’re doing right on a holistic measure,” Smith said. +DUWZLJ VDLG WKH ṘFH KDV HVWDElished numerous educational initiatives to raise awareness among students about hazing. “We have implemented mandatory [anti-hazing] training for all students who are joining student organizations,”
HAZING continues on Pages 2-3
A CAPPELLA Ohio State a cappella groups and OUAB to FROODERUDWH IRU UL̆ R̆ and movie screening
BIOPICS 2KLR 6WDWH ¿OP community discusses recent popularity of biopics
RIVALRY ON ICE Ohio State men’s hockey to face Michigan in two-game home series Thursday and Friday
ARTS & LIFE p. 4
ARTS & LIFE p. 5
SPORTS p. 8
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