college hazing – Greek University

Jolayne Houtz: Hazing Prevention in Fraternity and Sorority Life

By admin on May 7, 2025

HazingInfo.org is a partnership between StopHazing, the University of Maine, and the University of Washington Information School, along with founders Jolayne Houtz and Hector Martinez, who lost their son, Sam, to hazing in 2019. Sam Martinez was a 19-year-old business student at Washington State University in 2019 when he was hazed to death just weeks into his freshman year. Sam was funny and spontaneous, a loyal friend, a gifted athlete, a youth coach and a loving son and brother. Jolayne and Hector launched HazingInfo.org in partnership with students from the University of Washington Information School to ensure incoming college students and their families have current, accurate information about student organizations so they can make informed decisions about whether to join. Jolayne and Hector are actively working to change policies at the state and national levels to expand education and training about hazing prevention and to increase transparency about and accountability for hazing incidents.

In episode 566 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out more about Sam Martinez, what concerns Jolayne had when Sam said he wanted to join a Fraternity, what information Jolayne was able to find about the fraternities on campus through her own research, what happened to Sam on the day he died in 2019, what Jolayne was able to determine from her investigation into hazing reporting, how she felt when the Stop Campus Hazing Act passed into federal law, what are the warning signs of hazing, how we can encourage more college campuses to be transparent about hazing on their campus, how we can get students to come forward and report hazing, how students can honor Sam’s memory, and what gives Jolayne hope for the future.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMF3yJWmS9M

Fraternity/Sorority

Jim Piazza: The Problem with an Independent IFC

By admin on March 26, 2025

The problem with an independent IFC is something that needs to be discussed. Jim Piazza is the father of Tim Piazza, who died as a result of a fraternity hazing event in February 2017. Jim and his wife, Evelyn, are natives of New Jersey and have become anti-hazing advocates since their son’s passing. In that role, they are working with universities and national fraternities to make Greek life safer.

In episode 551 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out all the details of what happened to Tim Piazza in February of 2017 at Penn State University, whether Jim feels that justice was served, whether the Timothy Piazza Anti-Hazing Law will be effective in deterring students from engaging in hazing behavior, what his reaction was when the Stop Campus Hazing Act passed into federal law, how we can get students to come forward and report hazing incidents, why Jim was so disappointed when he saw the independent IFC form at Penn State, Jim’s advice to other students considering an independent IFC on other campuses, what questions students (and parents) should be asking when they join a fraternity or sorority, and what else we can be doing to eliminate hazing.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCaXY0JHs14