“These Hands Don’t Haze” Event with ADPi and Sigma Chi
Students socializing during the anti-hazing event on Stine Lake (Photo Credit Salmin Mwinjuma/The Gettysburgian)
By Chloe Dembiec, Contributing Writer
On Friday, Sept. 24, students gathered on Stine Lake to spread awareness about the dangers of hazing through an event called “These Hands Don’t Haze.” This event, hosted by the Alpha Delta Pi (ADPi) sorority and the Sigma Chi fraternity, is meant to bring attention to how dangerous hazing can be through education and awareness initiatives.
At the event, members of both ADPi and Sigma Chi talked to the people in attendance and educated them on the topic of hazing.
According to ADPi Philanthropy Chair Kaleigh Gowan ‘22 and ADPi President Caroline Soderman ‘22, this event, which occurs annually, is hosted in conjunction with the Max Gruver Foundation, which honors Gruver, who was a freshman at Louisiana State University in 2017.
“Max passed away as a direct result of hazing. His parents started the organization in order to prevent hazing and to educate people about the involvement of drugs and alcohol within these hazing events,” said Gowan. “In the fall of 2018, ADPi partnered with the foundation to spread awareness.”
Sigma Chi Philanthropy Chair David Wiener ‘22 shared that Sigma Chi joined ADPi’s partnership with the Max Gruver Foundation the following year in 2019. Now, both organizations collaborate to honor Gruver’s life by spreading awareness about hazing.
Wiener said, “planning the event is coordinated with Sigma Chi, ADPi, and Gettysburg College.”
One of the activities available to students hoping to learn more about the campaign was a table with paint and poster boards.
Soderman explained, “students can put paint on their hands and put their handprints on the poster board to pledge to avoid hazing.”
This event is one part of ADPi and Sigma Chi’s philanthropy efforts to raise more awareness about hazing. It serves as a reminder for students to stay safe and be mindful of how they treat themselves and others.
