Penn State’s Interfraternity Council released a statement accompanying its schedule of events to kick off National Hazing Prevention Week.

“By hazing, you and you alone are making a decision,” the IFC said in the statement. “…it is you alone that has the final say.”

Penn State student Tim Piazza died in February from injuries he sustained falling down the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house steps after a night of hazing activities for the fraternity’s bid acceptance. Piazza’s parents appeared on The Today Show Monday morning as part of a special show on National Hazing Prevention Week.

The IFC will hold three events throughout the week:

Hazing Makes You A Better Greek And Other Stupid Myths
7:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 19 at 121 Sparks Building

Anti-Hazing Pledge Signing
2-5 p.m. Wednesday, September 20 at HUB Information Table #7

Screening of HAZE Documentary
6-10:30 p.m. Thursday, September 21 at 117 Osmond Lab

“Change is necessary,” the IFC statement closed. “And it starts with us, not as Greek members, not as Penn State students, but as human beings.”

See the complete statement from the IFC below:

Hazing is not a new issue within our community and certainly nothing new to our nation as a whole. We can and will continue to lead the change within our school and community to help prevent more senseless tragedies from happening in hopes that our peers across the country follow suit.

By hazing, you and you alone are making a decision. A decision that may have been a tradition or a result of peer pressure. But it is you alone that has the final say. As we as a school have seen, one decision could hurt those you care about, their friends, their families, and countless others in ways you could never foresee at the time.

As we’ve learned in life, decisions can have negative and positive consequences. Your decision to say no or your decision to help a friend may save someone’s life and protect many others in the future. These positive outcomes are why we are proud to call ourselves fraternity men.

We stand together as a community and condemn the abhorrent acts of the past. We now have the responsibility, for our families, our fellow students, and the future of our community to show that change is not impossible. Change is necessary. And it starts with us, not as Greek members, not as Penn State students, but as human beings.

For our Community, For our Students, for our Families and For our Future,
The Penn State Interfraternity Council Executive Board