Jan 18, 2019 2 min read

It’s been more than four decades since lazy frat boy character Bluto Blutarsky chugged a bottle of Tennessee whiskey in the 1978 cult classic “Animal House,” which portrayed the raucous behavior of college fraternities during their heyday.

While the movie and its outrageous antics depicting campus Greek life in the early 1960s were a riot for audiences, the real world implications of this boorish behavior are no laughing matter anymore, especially in Pennsylvania.

That all changed following the death of Timothy Piazza two years ago. The 19-year-old Penn State student was pledging to join the Beta Theta Pi fraternity when he was fatally injured after falling down a flight of steps following a night of binge drinking forced upon him and other pledges by fraternity elders. The members waited hours to call for help, at which point it was too late for Piazza.

In response, state lawmakers passed new requirements that target hazing at colleges and universities in Pennsylvania. The law, passed in October, expands the definition of hazing and increases the liability for institutions and organizations. It also requires colleges and universities to publicly issue a report of all reported hazing violations in the past five years.

The initial reports were to be posted Tuesday, and will be updated every six months.

Institutions can be fined up to $5,000 for each violation and $15,000 for hazing violations with aggravating circumstances.

Finally, there are some legal teeth to bad behavior at higher education institutions in Pennsylvania. While it may be too late for the Piazza family, which has been very public in its push to eradicate hazing at colleges across the country, it could prevent needless injuries or even deaths of countless students who would otherwise be subjected to such horrendous behavior.

While student mixers and parties undoubtedly will continue to be a part of college life, it shouldn’t be a focal point. Students should go to college to learn, not die.