Spring recruitment for IU Greek life is complete, and safety remains the top priority for IU administrators.

All members of the IU Greek life community received an email from IU’s Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life, urging students to help create a positive environment within the Greek system.

The email specifically acknowledged the problem of hazing. According to the email, the university has investigated reports “that students were required to engage in servitude, harassment, degradation, forced consumption of food and/or alcohol and physical violence in order to join or maintain membership in an organization.”

Meanwhile, bridges on campus were spray painted with phrases like “hazing kills,” “frats are a problem,” and “cost of frats: alcohol poisoning.” The tagged bridges were painted over in less than twenty-four hours. Some now even promote Greek life, with bridges reading “frats provide: service, brotherhood, philanthropy,” “don’t stereotype,” “spread love not hate,” and more.

IU sophomore Mary Conrad believes that the dialogue is an important step in improving the culture within the Greek community.

“I think one of the best ways to ensure a safer community is ultimately just awareness and prevention. Understanding that things that go on on many campuses are not okay, and should not be happening. People are talking about it, people are noticing it, people are reporting it.”

However, Mary believes her experience in the Greek community has been a positive one.

“I think there’s a lot of positives that can come out of the Greek community. In my life personally, I’ve met amazing friends, I’ve made amazing connections through the house I’m in and even through other chapters. A lot of the positives that have come through my life are the philanthropy aspects of things. Being the V.P. of Philanthropy at Alpha Chi has taught me a lot about raising awareness for our important cause which is domestic violence awareness and even other causes around campus by collaborating with different chapters and different councils. We all kind of work together to make sure that Greek life is focusing on the important things which are bringing service to people in the community.”

According to IU’s Student Affairs website, more than 8,000 students at IU are members of a fraternity or sorority.

The Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life offers these tips to help create a safer community.

1.) Helping someone who has been or is being hazed by providing them with support, removing them from the situation, or directly intervening to prevent the behaviors from occurring or reoccurring.

2.) Stopping unsafe and unhealthy practices in your chapter or the sorority and fraternity community by talking to your brothers or sisters, your organization’s leadership, chapter coach, advisors, and/or national organization.

3.) Reporting hazing to the University using the online reporting form, or by calling 812-855-5419

4.) Calling 911 in emergencies. You may be saving someone’s life. The Indiana Lifeline Law provides individuals immunity for some offenses under state law if you call on behalf of someone who needs medical assistance; if you are the victim of a reported sex offense; or if you witness and report what you reasonably believe to be a crime. Organizational amnesty may also be available for your organization.