Fraternity Hazing Manual and How-To Guides in the Works
FORT HOOD, Texas -- On the heels of the recent scandal of prisoner abuses in Iraq's Abu Ghraib facility, three former military guards have signed book deals to recount the events and their experiences of the incident. The deal with Penn State University Press is reportedly worth $1 million for each author, while speaking engagements and lectures will command additional earnings.
The books, a textbook series on college fraternity hazing, should hit retail shelves by mid-August, just in time for the Greek system fall rush period for most semester-schedule universities. Male college students around the country have already begun to request advance copies of the text, which they say will provide them copious amounts of ideas and methods for their own organization's deployment of abuse.
"I was so impressed with Spc. Charles Graner, Jr.'s resourcefulness," said Jeffrey Lowes, a Delta Sigma Kappa pledge master at the Chico State University in northern California. "We've used alcohol traditionally, but he opened the door to us on lower budget methods."
Graner's book will focus mainly around examples of hazing and the logistics involved in carrying out each event. With chapter titles like "Elephant Walk" and "Magic Muffin", Graner's prose details tactics on using the nakedness of pledges as belittlement. Although he did not elaborate on any of his methods, he assured that the book will contain fresh and creative new principles, unlike any currently used in fraternities across America.
Jeremy Sivits, also convicted for Abu Ghraib abuses, will pen his memoirs on the use of digital photography in hazing rituals. While he maintains that cameras are generally a bad idea, he does offer helpful insights on the use of backlighting and red-eye reduction.
The final book in the installment will purportedly reveal how fraternity Little Sisters and girlfriends can contribute to pledge humiliation and demoralization. Written by Lynndie England, the book will cover abuse from a female perspective.
Zeta Zeta Epsilon Little Sister Abby Franks raved about such a book, which will help her ingratiate herself with the older and more established members of her greek house.
"I've been trying to get the fraternity social chairman to notice me," the sophomore communications major said. "I think he's really cute, and with the help of a little greek system misconduct, I think he'll start to look my way."
England's book will also espouse the virtues of the morning-after pill, which was not readily available in Iraq at the time and thus could not prevent her from pregnancy. The book investigates ideas in more of the sexual realm. One chapter will be named, "Date Rape: When and how to commit it," while another is to be named "Dishonorable Discharge: When you mate, don't pull out late."
Barnes and Noble has already begun selling the books on its website, which is offering a bundled package which college men might be interested in, such as Bartending for Dummies, raising sheep in the basement, Woodworking 101: Making a stronger paddle.
