Blow will talk about his hazing, thoughts on the practice and what may be done to curb it when he appears as the guest speaker at the Wittenberg Series’ Allen J. Koppenhaver Literary Lecture at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27 at Wittenberg’s Weaver Chapel.
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Blow will lead a colloquium at 4:30 p.m. that day in Bailey Auditorium on the campus. Both events are free.
Stories of hazings gone wrong have popped up over the years, resulting in trauma and even death. In response, some insurance companies and some state legislatures have cracked, according to Blow, but hazing still exists and can leave more than physical reminders.
“I do not believe it goes away,” said Blow. “People look at it as a positive thing to break you down in a way the group thinks is the only way to build cohesion. Trauma of any sort builds cohesion.”
At some point, hazing became very normal, a tradition and those who survive it become the next wave of those picking up the ritual. Blow calls it “manufactured trauma.”
He finds the experience can cause physical exertion and pushes people to the limits, which is the most dangerous aspect.
While most is associated with fraternities, there are also forms of hazing in the military and even on professional sports teams where rookies get hazed by veterans. Blow said men in particular see it as a kind of trial and machismo, but there can be a price.
“This is a male thing since we were crawling out of caves and we have to become more creative in dealing with this,” Blow said.
The Wittenberg Series sometimes brings in speakers whose topics relate to campus issues and that’s the case here. Elizabeth Artz, Wittenberg’s director of student involvement, has taught first-year faculty, staff and peer mentors on hazing and prevention and this is another step.
“It’s a hot-button topic and we want to be proactive. There’s been at least a death a year from hazing for the past 50 years and we’re just trying to be on top of it,” Artz said.
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She’s worked with fraternities and sororities at other schools. Artz and some of her students will attend the lecture to better educate themselves and create a safe environment at Wittenberg.
“We should be building each other up,” she said. “We don’t want to be the campus that says ‘I wish we had done something about it’ after it’s too late.”
Working for some of the most powerful news organizations in the country, Blow dismisses accusations they produce “fake news.” Having thick skin helps.
Blow said the business has changed a lot in the nearly 30 years since he became a professional journalist and he isn’t prepared to advise anyone on how to approach it, but some things stay consistent.
“The general idea of inquisitiveness never changes. We always look for people who see the world slightly askew and ask the right questions,” he said.
Blow added that he enjoys speaking at colleges where the people are more broad thinking, which can make the experience more fun.
For more information about the program, go to www.wittenberg.edu/about-wittenberg/art/wittenberg-series.
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