The worst case of hazing at this university in decades. According to University of Maryland Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Clement, this describes the incidents that led to the expulsion of Delta Tau Delta from the university.

The details are sordid. The ordeals that pledges of the fraternity were put through were designed to cause bodily harm, discomfort and deep humiliation. A discovery of hazing of such great magnitude forces one to wonder if this really is an isolated incident.

Another question that arises in the aftermath of Delta Tau Delta’s removal from the campus is why rational adults would subject themselves to such treatment. How do people become so desperate for approval and respect that they will drink the leftovers of someone else’s chewing tobacco or spend multiple days in what fraternity members apparently called the “Cave?” While hazing was ultimately perpetrated by senior members of the fraternity, those who voluntarily allowed it to continue ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Fraternities often derive pride from a sense of tradition and continuity. Over time, hazing has come to be a part of this tradition in many such organizations. Despite valiant efforts by governing bodies and universities, it is an inextricable part of the culture. Delta Tau Delta is unlikely to be the last fraternity to be caught in the act. For every genuine and respectable tradition upheld by fraternities, there will still be vulgar and disturbing initiation rituals.

The reaction of administrators to the whole affair has been shock. They have expressed disbelief that it had become this bad and that it is more than an isolated incident. Despite the difficulties inherent in defining what constitutes hazing, it is almost certainly more common than they think.

A University of Maine survey of 11,000 students at universities across the country showed that 55 percent of members of college organizations reported having been hazed. But regardless of the administration’s position, they are ultimately powerless to stop hazing. They rely entirely on anonymous tips, such as the one that exposed Delta Tau Delta, to pursue hazing investigations. They ultimately bear no responsibility for what happens secretly in fraternity houses - they are involved only when it becomes public.