Fraternity redefines hazing on golf course

[hoosier]

Sept. 23, 2002
Fraternity redefines hazing on golf course
By Jaime Malarkey
Staff writer


While the university broadcasts its zero-tolerance policy, Alpha Tau Omega fraternity's new members experienced some hardcore "hazing" Sunday afternoon.

Except it was on a golf course cheering on mentally retarded athletes.

Several members and 15 new members donated part of their weekend to help run the Special Olympics Maryland Golf Competition Qualifier held at nearby Paint Branch Golf Course yesterday. As part of the fraternity's philanthropy program, the men spent the day beneath a hot sun, setting up, keeping score, running tee stations and cleaning up for an event for more than 20 Special Olympics athletes. But perhaps most important to the participants, the Alpha Tau Omega representatives provided encouragement to the athletes.

"It was nice to see them having a good time," said Alpha Tau Omega member Kevin Joyce, a junior finance major. "We got to know some of their personalities, which was cool."

The athletes showed their appreciation for Alpha Tau Omega's work by profusely thanking them as they worked their way around the stations.

Alpha Tau Omega Philanthropy Chair Rob Nelson said the service project was intended to promote pledge bonding and to generate an appreciation for the service portion of the Greek vision.

"Service projects are really good team builders," he said. "This brings the guys together."

The volunteers were trained and even tested in keeping score for the qualifier, a system that member Justin Fine, a junior government and politics major, said was "actually kind of complicated." According to event director Annette Lynch, the men's assignments for the day were crucial to the Special Olympics agenda.

"I hate to say 'volunteers' because they are really performing a job," Lynch said. "They are a part of our competition management team today. These athletes have been trained and now they are pitting their skills competitively, and we are going to score them. Each of these scores are leading to the state competition so that it being administered in a certain way has to be consistent."

According to Nelson, the project was also coordinated in response to negative publicity concerning the fraternity and sorority community.

"We want to show people that the Greek system is not just organized drinking," said Nelson. "With everything that happened last year and all the tailgating mess that's going on right now, you got to make sure that people realize we like to go out and have fun, but we are also here to serve."

Special Olympics of Prince George's County Motor Development Specialist Dave Gill agreed that Alpha Tau Omega is an example of positive fraternity contributions to the community despite adverse connotations.

"We can't run our program without volunteers," Gill said. "They were great, they answered our call, they were on time and happy to help us. I think it's a great partnership between the fraternity and Special Olympics. Some of the fraternities have gotten some bad press in the past couple of years, but we have never found any of that to be the case."

Alpha Tau Omega has previously volunteered with the HERO Campaign, Reading Across America, Greenbelt Cares and the Polar Bear Plunge.

[EagleChick19]

Great job, guys!