Recently, allegations have been made regarding Miss America 2015, Kira Kazanstev, partaking in hazing activities while in her undergraduate career at Hofstra University. I feel as a Sorority woman and titleholder in the Miss America Organization, this situation is something I have the capability to reflect on. Furthermore, with my platform being about creating safe and welcoming educational environments for all students (albeit I focus more on K-12) I feel it is my duty to discuss this situation.
Sidenote shout out to my Little, Lizzie on her anniversary of becoming the Best Little Ever. 🙂
First, I would like to state that I am against any hazing which compromises the physical, emotional, or mental well-being of an individual (of course, as I was president of a sorority). That being said, I would also like to say that I understand, as I was in Greek Life, that literally anything can be construed as hazing. My organization has been in trouble in the past because of hazing, but as the strong, independent woman I am, I would never partake in things that are detrimental to my psyche or someone else’s self-esteem. Yet, my organization has had instances in the past for allegedly hazing our New Members.
I would like to quote Miss Montana 2013:
So do I believe she was given a hearing for joking (in poor taste or not) that the night would be scary for pledges? Yep. I sure do.
A Jezebel article stated that Kira was involved with hazing, then went on to list hazing not related to her case. These examples of hazing are by and by the stereotypical urban legends that each and every single girl interested in Greek Life will be told before she joins that “another organization does” or “you shouldn’t join __ they XYZ.” I remember when I first started rushing my organization I was petrified. I thought that every organization on campus must do something terribly bad because I’ve heard stories from people who know someone who was sisters with a sorority girl. You’d hear “well, XYZ organization makes you sit on a washing machine naked, and whatever jiggles in the beginning of your pledge process you have to stop from jiggling by the end” or “they’ll make you lay down on big sheets of paper and outline you, then redraw what you need to be before you get in” or “they’ll make you strip down to your underwear, take 4 shots, then go into a room with their brother fraternity’s pledges.” It was hard to wade through the filth to find what I thought (at the time) must have been the only organization at SUNY Oneonta to not haze, degrade, or demean their new members. What I learned, however, through my years as a Pi Delta Chi sister and alumna, is that each recognized sorority at Oneonta (and I’m pretty sure this goes across the nation for most organizations) thinks the same thing about another organization at their school. It’s always someone spreading rumors and the list of hazing on the Jezebel article consists of the ridiculous rumors that are spread at almost every school about almost every organization. I find their ‘student source’ to first and foremost be uninformed. You do not know, as a member of one organization or an independent (non-Greek student) what goes on in the New Member process of another Greek organization. Of course, if you are a student at a college (Hofstra for instance) and a news reporter asks you, “Have you heard that Greek organizations at your school haze?” you would say yes, you’d list the same sorts of activities listed in the Jezebel article.
Furthermore, the connection is made for hazing to equal something that is abusive- physically, mentally, emotionally, etc, but people don’t realize that hazing, as defined in many college codes can literally be applied to almost anything done with new members for an organization if someone wishes to claim it as such.
Some examples from SUNY Oneonta’s Hazing Manual of what is considered hazing:
- Any form of obtaining signatures of members or alumni (i.e. lists, on paddles, on balloons, etc…) or obtaining
handshakes/greetings/phone calls in a manner inconsistent with the Hazing Policy. - Such activities, such as scavenger hunts, new member ditches, kidnaps, blindfolding, etc.
I agree that kidnapping, paddling, leaving new members in the woods to fend for themselves, or making them eat gross things is hazing. But I wish I could have done a scavenger hunt with my pledge sisters or my line or been asked to meet with, talk on the phone with and/or get signatures from current members/alumnae. As it stands, when I joined the organization I didn’t know many alumnae very well, or current sisters very well at all. I wish it was part of my process that I needed to learn more before becoming a member. It is not in the best interest of a person to join an organization without knowing their history, their members, traditions, etc.
Giving new members (pledges if you must) requirements on learning information about sisters, history of your org, information on other orgs, etc can all be considered hazing because it’s something specific new members must do that older members don’t. Having NMs meet with older sisters a certain time a week or month can be construed as hazing because you’re forcing them to do something in public or taking time out of their schedule. Giving them quizzes or tests on the history of the organization, current sisters, or alumnae is hazing because it can give NMs anxiety or cause them stress.
If Kira was accused of hazing, which it seems she was, I think it is vital to realize that hazing as under college policies can be pretty much anything. I think it is imperative to also understand that persons in organizations won’t see things as hazing that people outside may. For example, if your organization has consistently had 8am Saturday breakfast during the New Member Process for years and each age group of sisters has a different role (prep, cooking, cleaning, dishes, etc) that may be second nature to you, but to a Hazing Prevention council, because it was expected that the new members do the dishes, that could be considered hazing. 
While in an organization, there is, of course, a sort of rose colored glasses you wear. You might not see that what you’re doing isn’t the best option. I admit to that during my Greek process as well, and am happy to say that Greek organization change and develop over time. Phone trees used to be the norm, now it’s all about texts and group messages. Similarly, New Member processes grow and change.
I think that until the actual organization (Alpha Phi) comes out with a statement about the reasons she was removed from the organization, (as each article states something completely different than what Kira states) we need to take everything written with a grain of salt and the understanding that even people with the best intentions make mistakes.
I stand by Kira until I know the truth. Because I can’t judge a woman based on rumors, and the Kira I met during my time in Staten Island and the many times following, would have never forced anyone to do something which compromised their physical, emotional, or mental well-being.
Warmest Regards,
Crowning Adventures 