Florida State University’s Division of Student Affairs reached more than 1,500 students with hazing prevention education and advocacy during Hazing Prevention Week last month. The university introduced “The Power of One,” a campaign aimed at empowering students to create positive change by focusing on hazing prevention and medical amnesty.
Amy Hecht, vice president for the Division of Student Affairs, said, “Hazing prevention continues to be a priority for Florida State in keeping students safe during their years on campus. I could not be prouder of the campus-wide support for this incredible initiative.”
The campaign was inspired by Sandy Coffey, whose son Andrew Coffey died in 2017 during a hazing incident at FSU. Sandy Coffey stated, “If one of the kids from the party that night — there were 90 kids there — if just one of them would have picked up the phone when they saw that Andrew needed some help, he’d still be here.”
As part of the initiative, the FSU Hazing Prevention Team organized an interactive experience over two nights where more than 700 participants made real-time decisions through various scenarios to understand the consequences of their actions. Students also received information about hazing prevention throughout the week. During Market Wednesday, campus departments and student organizations provided educational resources at information tables.
The week concluded with a keynote presentation by Dr. Louis Profeta, an emergency room physician from St. Vincent Hospital of Minnesota. Dr. Profeta spoke to over 600 students about the effects of drug and alcohol abuse and highlighted how individual actions can improve community well-being.
Freddy Juarez, director of Fraternity and Sorority Life and director of Strategic Initiatives, commented, “Florida State University continues to prioritize hazing prevention on our campus, and this week was a testament to that. Between student engagement at the events and staff support in sharing resources with our students, it is evident that FSU continues to be committed to maintaining a safe campus for our students.”
The FSU Hazing Prevention Team includes representatives from several campus offices such as Fraternity and Sorority Life, Student Conduct & Community Standards, Investigations & Assessment, University Health Services, Center for Health Advocacy and Wellness, Student Organizations and Involvement, Campus Recreation, and The Center for Leadership & Service.
More information about FSU’s hazing prevention efforts can be found at https://hazing.fsu.edu.
