SEMO REMAINS FIRM ON ANTI-HAZING EFFORT

Southeast Missouri State University recently upheld its decision to suspend the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity for verbally hazing pledges.

The university dealt with the fraternity firmly -- a three-year suspension. The action sends a strong message to the student body: Don't haze in any way.

Initially, the information about the suspension wasn't released by the administration -- under the shroud of student privacy. But Dr. Dale Nitzschke, the university's president, stepped in and directed that the decision be made public. His leadership in the matter is certainly commendable.

It is not as if this were the first hazing incident. In the past three years, the university has permanently banned a fraternity in connection with a hazing death and suspended a sorority in another hazing incident. In both cases, the university announced the disciplinary action.

To send a strong message to the students, the message must be heard. It is not simply an issue of the public's right to know. Releasing the information works to the university's benefit in many ways.

In addition to notifying students of the university's strict stance, releasing this kind of information also assures parents and the community. It's these same men and women who support the university financially through private giving or payment of their children's fees.

The university is not an island to itself. It is an integral part of the well-being of Cape Girardeau and the region. Concern about the hazing incidents stretches far beyond the campus borders.

President Nitzschke continues to impress the community with his sincerity and openness. It is this kind of open dialogue -- even when bad things happen -- that will keep the ties strong between the university and the community.