Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority (LTA) will be closing out National Hazing Prevention Week on Friday at the TCU Campus Recreation sand volleyball courts with an event to raise awareness against hazing.

The event, called LTA and Lambdas Spike Down Hazing, will conclude a week of events for Greek students centered around hazing prevention.

“This event is to raise awareness on hazing and to emphasize that it is not acceptable,” said Amanda Escobedo, president of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority.

Gentry McCreary, an anti-hazing advocate brought in by the Interfraternity Fraternity Council, started the week by giving a speech to members of TCU Greek organizations on Monday night.

McCreary spoke in the Brown Lupton University Union Ballroom to sorority women and fraternity men. The goal was to get students to think about hazing and its effects.

This is why “the members of the IFC executive board and our advisor decided it would be a good idea to bring [him] to campus,” said Interfraternity Council President, Chris Cochran.

IFC invited all of TCU’s Greek chapters to the event, Cochran said. Some audience members were required to attend, and others were not.

“We get Panhellenic points for participating in Panhellenic activities, which is one of the reasons me and my friends came,” Chandler Roberts said. “We can’t go to our dance unless we have enough points.”

McCreary separated his speech into five myths about hazing: “Hazing is only a problem with rogue members;” “It’s not hazing if our new members volunteer to do it;” “Hazing teaches respect;” “Hazing builds commitment;” and “Hazing is tradition.”

McCreary fought these myths by using real life situations, people and statistical data.

“This year’s Miss America was kicked out of her sorority for hazing,” McCreary said.

But “she wasn’t acting alone,” McCreary said. It takes a group to haze, and it takes a group effort to stop it, he said.

“If left unchecked, hazing gets worse overtime,” McCreary said.

Speaking up against hazing is difficult, however.

“It’s not easy to go to the people doing this and say, ‘Hey, I am not comfortable with this,’’’ McCreary said.

However, even though hazing is a national issue, McCreary said he is optimistic that “[we] will make hazing a thing of the past.”

The state of Texas and TCU both have policies against hazing. At TCU, the punishment for hazing is a fine of no less than $5,000 and no more than $10,000 for the chapter.

Hazing can result in both physical and emotional damage. State law says that “consent is not an offense,” since hazing usually forces consent.

LTA and Lambdas Spike Down Hazing starts at 6 p.m. Friday at the University Recreation Center’s sand volleyball courts.