Haze me not

To belong with fellow men for life is a great reward, but aspirants pay too high a price. Blood forges the bonds, and blood is drawn before a friend becomes family. We question the paradox: it is an act of love to own a friend like a brother, and some grant love when they inflict pain.

Let us draw the line at physical violence, and not defile the name of our university. Brothers are not merely men branded by the same pain. They are men united for a purpose. Let them be remembered for this, and not for the bloody histories of some groups. The university is a place to nurture hope. Let us not present it to the world as a place to breed terror.

The anti-hazing law was approved in 1995, but it was unable to prevent the deaths that occurred after its inception. It cannot tell us what should be enough. It cannot tell neophytes when it will be too much. We ask that it be reviewed, and that it be implemented with greater vigilance. We further ask the UP administration to introduce stricter measures to pinpoint and stamp out brutality, because the anti-hazing law cannot survey all the groups that fall under it.

We all demand respect for the constitutions of our groups, and it is not anyone’s place to dictate how to treat those hoping to be one of us. This must be why the anti-hazing law merely regulates initiation rites. To forewarn neophytes of the possibility of death is not enough. As such, we appeal to all fraternities, sororities and organizations to know their limits. We also appeal to the alumni of these groups, to use the authority in their hands. We ask that they be the ones to restrain violence in their groups.

We condemn the violence that has seized the life of UP student Cris Mendez and the lives of the long line of others before him. However, condemnation only takes us so far. Many a time has a man died undeservedly, and many a time have we condemned brutality. We air outrage when brotherhood kills, but let violence fester unnoticed when nobody dies.

Condemnation is not all that we have the power to do. The government, the UP admin, the student body, and the organizations themselves can all work together, instead of just finding people to punish, so that justice can supposedly be served. We cannot simply avenge deaths. We must take steps so that no death will happen again.

We are UP Economics Towards Consciousness, and we ask you to be one with us in our desire to eradicate a culture of violence.