Tyler Bellick is a student as SUNY Plattsburgh and currently serves as the Fraternity and Sorority Life Leadership Development Coordinator.  Tyler approached his Greek Life advisor on some abusive hazing issues in his fraternity with the intention of changing the culture. By doing so, he helped prevent future hazing to eliminate this issue for other new members. During the time of this change, he endured physical and emotional threats from others who didn’t agree with him about changing this tradition, but that Tyler didn’t allow that to deter him. He had the support from his fellow Interfraternity Council officers and his Greek Advisor.  Because of Tyler’s example, many other organizations made the commitment to eliminate their hazing practices as well.  He spoke to others about his story during Plattsburgh’s “Friday afternoon hazing conversation.”  His stance also demonstrated that it is ok to ask for help when facing hazing issues.  Not only did he help students at his campus, he helped others through HazingPrevention.Org by developing a workshop “Become an Anti-Hazing Change Agent” presented at the Northeast Greek Leadership Association Conference in 2011.  Tyler’s nominator says, “In my 15 years of working with fraternities and sororities, I have never seen someone as courageous and committed to ending hazing as Tyler Bellick.”  

Molly Peirano a student and a member of Delta Gamma at the Ohio State University.  Molly not only stood up to hazing in her own chapter, but developed a hazing prevention workgroup for university, and helped stop hazing on a high school athletic team.  She attended Ohio State’s Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI).  From there, she took the principles she learned at UIFI and applied them to her chapter members who were not upholding the values of Delta Gamma.  She became the Vice President of Programming for DG and incorporated human dignity and bystander messages into chapter programming and meetings.  Because of her efforts, she received the Robert Bickel scholarship from HazingPrevention.Org to attend the Novak Institute for Hazing Prevention in 2010 after which she helped initiate a hazing prevention workgroup at Ohio State.  This group consisted of students, advisors, and staff, and their aim was to address the hazing culture within Ohio State’s Greek Life and larger university culture.  As chapter President of DG, she worked with her Regional Director to remove the standing hazing tradition called the Anchor Club because it did not align with the values of DG.  Her nominator says that, “Molly has not just talked the hazing prevention talk, but has walked the hazing prevention walk taking action to ensure others’ dignity is honored.”  

Michael Richards is a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity, and holds the position of Vice President of Scholarship on the IFC at West Chester University of PA.  Michael challenged hazing in his community by questioning the pledge-education process that has been a long-standing tradition on campus.  After attending UIFI in 2011, he came back to his campus with new knowledge, a change in understanding of fraternal values, and education on what acts of hazing were.  He realized that this ‘pledge-education’ process that had never been questioned was actually hazing, and felt it had no place in his chapter and the community. He stood up to the hazing issues in his own chapter, and realized that what he and his chapter did before did not line up with his values now.  He started out small by having conversations with his brothers, then included others in the community. Finally, his conversations moved to the Greek Life office and other administrators and involved owning up to what he had experienced in order to put an end to it.  He went on to speak in front of his peers, telling his own story and challenging the room to take a stance to own up to the wrong and make it right!  His nominator says that, “Michael is in the middle of a war…but wins battle after battle each day as he has the courage to say something and challenge others to stop this behavior that is wrong and not values-based.” 

Amanda Singh is a recent graduate from Florida State University.  While Amanda was attending school, she wanted to join a sorority to feel connected to her community and force herself to break out of her shell of being shy.  She became a new member of her organization and really liked that their philanthropy was battered women because she was in an abusive relationship in high school and felt strongly about supporting women who needed help.  Her new member process involved practices that were physically and emotionally demoralizing.  She knew what was happening to her  wasn’t right, but struggled about what to do because she didn’t want to lose the friends in the organization, and she had already invested so much time into the process.  Finally realizing, she couldn’t remain, she met with the Dean of Students at FSU to see what the next step in this process was.  Though afraid, she knew that she had the support from the University, family, friends and boyfriend to report what had happened to her and take a stand.  She was able to stand against an organization and show that hazing should not be tolerated by anyone.  Amanda says, “In sharing my story, I hope to give other people who are experiencing hazing the courage and support to come forward and tell their own stories.” 

Josh Strange is a current student at University of Kentucky and a member of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity.  Josh showed his commitment to his campus by stepping out and standing up to hazing. He attended the Novak Institute for Hazing Prevention as the only student representative on the Hazing Prevention Coalition at UK.  Josh challenged the work of the coalition in a productive way at a critical juncture in our in order to make the group stronger.  When Josh discovered hazing occurring within some of the fraternities on campus he made himself an outlet for other students when they needed to talk about issues that were putting students’ heath and safety at risk.  Josh provided a critical student voice challenging the University not to sweep these incidents under the rug, but to use them as case study to test the campus’ new Hazing Prevention Policy.  Further, he pushed UK to utilize the information gathered to educate all students about hazing prevention.  Josh’s nominator says, “He has truly taken ‘the road less traveled’ for many of our student leaders by working tirelessly to prevent hazing, and the movement is better for having his voice.”