O L I V I A  B R A C L E Y

     My collage is a representation and a warning of the dangers of hazing. Hazing is a serious topic that takes traditional initiation rituals to an illegal and potentially deadly level. Hazing is most prominent in sororities and fraternities, but it is also present in joining sports teams. It is important that viewers know that hazing is dangerous and can lead to death.

     Within the collage is three symbols. The first symbol is the crime scene tape. The crime scene tape represents the illegal behaviors that occur in hazing; the illegal behavior being the abuse of an individual. The second symbol is the items labeled by the evidence numbers. The items, a red solo cup and a paddle, symbolize some of the causes of deaths by hazing. Countless individuals have died due to alcohol poisoning. People have also been killed by being beaten to death. Paddles are most common in fraternities. The third symbol in the collage is the torch on the balcony of the fraternity house. The torch symbolizes the tradition. Hazing once started out as an initiation tradition but has been corrupted into a dangerous activity. The torch represents the passing of the tradition and legacy.

     I started out with the idea of creating a scene with my collage. I wanted to depict a crime scene of what a hazing crime might look like, so I started out with a picture of a fraternity house. From there, I added the crime scene tape and police car because those are the first two aspects that come to mind when I think of a crime scene. Then I went on to add smaller details like the evidence and the specific crime, the dead body and police. I decided to include the fraternity brother getting arrested to confirm the idea that hazing is an illegal activity.