Patcharin Jongjai 2019/07/07 , ( 477 views)
Hazing rituals in educational institutions have been claimed to be a popular tradition in almost every university and are even present in colleges and schools. However, there are some negative connotations towards the rituals as many tragic news have come from them. It has been found that many students have been injured while some also died from participating in these type of activities. For a long time, the hazing rituals are commonly associated with the acronym “SOTUS.” SOTUS stands for Seniority, Order, Tradition, Unity, and Spirit. It is a common value among many students where junior students are expected to respect and obey older students. SOTUS is usually used in negative ways which can lead to both physical and mental harassment by the seniors.
The Faculty of Engineering has a strong will to promote anti-harassment and anti-violence policies during any hazing ritual activities. Therefore, the Faculty’s Student Union organized a creative hazing ritual for the first year students during 6-7 July 2019 at the Faculty of Engineering. The activities at the event consisted of making merit, a blessing ceremony or Bai Sri Su Kwan, and voluntary activities such as making grease traps, cleaning, and repainting the faculty’s activity building. The faculty’s lecturers and staff participated in the event along with 300 freshmen.
The event was led by Ms. Charuayporn Santhaweesuk, Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations, and Assistant Professor Dr. Mongkol Pusayatanont, Dean of Faculty of Engineering.
Mr. Ekanan Duangphut, President of the Faculty of Engineering’s Student Union, stated that the event was a creative hazing ritual where participation and cooperation among junior and senior students were promoted. It aimed to create good relationships and strengthened unity among the students. It simultaneously promoted teamwork, mutualism, and voluntary spirits. With this, the students will be able to focus on their studies which is one of their main responsibilities. Additionally, due to the welcoming culture and spirit that is promoted through the faculty, the students will be able to participate in any outside classroom activities or voluntary activities organized by the faculty and the university without facing any threats or discomfort. As a result, they will have ample amount of opportunities to engage with others, contribute to the university, and become valuable assets who will serve the local communities and beyond the same way their alumni colleagues have managed to do so.