Talking Stick - July/August 2018 - 12

JUST IN

Hazing Prevention Campaigns Go Digital
Despite the proliferation of campaigns to prevent hazing on college
and university campuses in recent
years, hazing continues to be a
problem. According
to a national report,
"Hazing in View:
College Students at
Risk" (stophazing.org),
almost 47 percent of
students coming to
college and 55 percent
of college students
in clubs, teams, and
organizations had
experienced hazing.
To combat this,
many institutions
ensure that their
staff and residential advisors undergo extensive training and launch
campaigns to raise awareness. In
recent years, a growing number
have realized they must look beyond
outdated mediums and use other

channels to reach today's students.
Schools like Clemson University in
South Carolina, Bryant University
in Smithfield, Rhode Island, and
Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, flipped
the proverbial
switch and went
digital for National
Hazing Prevention
Week.
These schools
were among 14 who
got the word out
with their Campus Life Channel
(CLC), a digital
platform that collects, curates, and broadcasts social
media posts, videos, and flyers. The
campaign featured an eye-catching
video on common hazing behaviors,
statistics, and actions to take in case of
hazing. The video played on televi-

Texas A&M Launches
Housing Program for
Autistic Students
Texas A&M University in College Station has
announced their newest housing program,
which is tailored to students with autism or
those who wish to be involved with the autism community. Spectrum Living-Learning
Community will be set up in Eppright Hall.
There are 30 rooms available, and registration closed in early April, with 22 students
signed up so far.
"I have a cousin who is on the autism
spectrum; he won't have the opportunity
to attend college, but he has opened my
heart and mind to helping students on the
spectrum," says Jen Sommers, community
director for the Walton/Legett Complex on
campus. Sommers is a big reason why the
Spectrum community has come to be. It was

TALKING STICK

sion screens in student rooms, on
digital signs across campus, and on
student devices via Internet Protocol
TV (IPTV). "The content was accurate,
bright, and professionally designed -
it was a great addition to our layered
communication efforts on this topic,"
says Katie Hughes, student affairs
specialist at Bryant. "I can see us using it for years to come."
Through their CLC, Tarleton
State spotlighted students as "campus celebrities" by displaying students' Instagram and Twitter posts
with #TexansDoNotHaze. Many
students embraced the campaign
and hashtag, tweeting out pictures
and posting videos about positive
bonding activities, and they garnered hundreds upon hundreds of
views, likes, and retweets.
If you are in need of updating
your hazing prevention playbook, go
digital with your campaigns.
-Ashley Young and Sophia White

her research on autism resources and her
commitment to build upon her relationships
with staff at the Disability Services Office
that led to its development. "This research
only added more fire to me wanting to create
a community for students on the autism
spectrum," she says, as did experiences
reported to her by autistic students she had
worked with. "The community will work
together to develop community standards
which will encourage extended quiet hours.
They will also work together to promote neuro-diversity by creating events and attending
events related to campus traditions together
as a community."
Sommers has many hopes for this
community in the future. She hopes for
"modified rooms to make them more sensory
friendly, peer mentors who are trained to aid
new and returning students, and to occupy
an entire building with students wanting to
be a part of the community."
- Johana Langova

http://www.stophazing.org

Talking Stick - July/August 2018

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