The Hazing Prevention Network (HPN) believes it is important to acknowledge and celebrate those who take a stand against hazing and actively work toward preventing it. To recognize such individuals, HPN established the Hank Nuwer Anti-Hazing Hero Award. The award is named in honor of Hank Nuwer, a long-time anti-hazing journalist and the author of four books and a blog on the subject. He is also a former member of the HPN board of directors.
This award is given to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership by standing up against hazing in their organizations and on their campuses. These heroes have played a crucial role in raising awareness about the negative consequences of hazing and have helped educate others about the dangers associated with this harmful practice. By recognizing and honoring these anti-hazing heroes, we can inspire others to follow in their footsteps and work toward creating a safer and more inclusive environment for all.
As we approach the 2024 National Hazing Prevention Week, Sept. 23-27, we recognize seven individuals with the Hank Nuwer Anti-Hazing Hero Award:
Cornelia “Hoku” Halinak
Hoku is a remarkable teacher and athletic director in the Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii. Her concern and empathy for the athletes on her teams and students in her school are legendary on the Big Island. She has been an active athletic administrator and has served on the National Federation of State High School Associations’ Student Services Committee. According to the nominator, her work in hazing prevention is historic. For the past decade, she has coordinated hazing prevention speakers to come to her state not just for her school, but for dozens of high schools on each island. She has consistently done that over the past decade. Hoku is selfless, passionate and community-oriented for the betterment of young people. Hoku stands out as an exemplary leader, consistently demonstrating a unique blend of dedication, intelligence and compassion in all endeavors, enhancing student life and fostering a more inclusive school environment.
Gina Keucher
Gina is the program director for Student Involvement and Leadership at Wright State University. Gina is a champion for Wright State students, always working to make them better humans. Gina works closely with Greek life and is the campus leader in hazing education, prevention and detection. Gina is the campaign leader for “Raiders Hands Don’t Haze,” working through the State of Ohio Code “Collin’s Law,” which requires each institution to provide students with an online or in-person educational program on hazing, as well as mandatory training on hazing to all staff and volunteers who advise or coach an organization and who have direct contact with students. Gina’s passion for ensuring that everyone is treated equally and fairly is easy to witness in every interaction. According to the nominator, her efforts have minimized incidents on their campus.
Eric Oakes and Courtney White, Ed.D.
Eric lost his son Adam to a hazing incident at Virginia Commonwealth University three years ago. Since then, he was worked tirelessly with his niece Courtney to successfully raise awareness and advocate for state legislation. Not only did they get Adam’s Law passed, they have also successfully implemented the first Virginia Anti-Hazing Summit in June 2024 and worked with a film producer to create “Death of a Pledge,” an Emmy-winning short film to raise even more awareness.
In the past year, Courtney earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Marymount University. Her dissertation was on the Efficacy of Hazing Prevention, and she dedicated her thesis in honor of Adam. Courtney has presented hazing prevention training to more than 15 Virginia high schools and 25 colleges. She worked with the Virginia Department of Education to develop the Love Like Adam eight-day high school curriculum.
According to a nominator, Eric, his wife Linda, and Courtney have suffered such a horrible tragedy, yet put the safety of others before their own feelings and continue to work tirelessly to educate others and put an end to hazing.
Mindy Sopher
Mindy has been a professional advisor and mentor to students in Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. A large portion of her work has been dedicated to hazing prevention through her speaking, facilitation and consulting efforts. Her signature program is “Getting to the Heart of Hazing.” To describe her program, it is important to understand the framework she brings to the dialogue. Mindy takes the “mandatory hazing program” to a more personal level and helps students dig deep. She helps them discover caring ways to honor people and traditions around new member education, without harmful hazing behaviors. She explores unseen damaging effects of hazing and teaches students how to confront and deal with those who would make uncaring choices. Her nominator says Mindy is an icon and a force for good in this world. She has selflessly dedicated herself to promoting the safety and well-being of countless students and has helped equip them and the professionals in their world with a mindset and lens for preventing hazing.
David Stollman
David, president of CAMPUSPEAK, is diligent, focused, passionate and committed to elevating the fraternal world. David inspires students across all fraternity councils and chapters during campus visits and speaking engagements. He often stays to work with students long after his speaking commitment. Over the past 25 years, his commitment to elevating the fraternity community hasn’t faltered. He remains as diligent and passionate as he was when starting CAMPUSPEAK. David helped to create HazingPrevention.Org, now Hazing Prevention Network, and served many years on its board of directors. He now helps failing chapters to create a strong foundation that builds adults of character through values-based leadership. According to his nominator, he practices what he preaches. He proactively reaches out to campuses to offer help, consultation and service when it comes to fighting hazing, creating policies and revamping campus and community expectations.
Sean Wagner
According to the nominator, Sean is a very strong leader who listens and takes action as CEO of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. He does not back down from the challenges of fighting, educating and creating real change in the hazing culture in his organization and all organizations. After Max Gruver’s death in 2017, Phi Delta Theta and the Max Gruver Foundation arranged to work together to make changes within Phi Delta Theta relating to hazing. However, the partnership turned into an entirely different relationship. They have not only worked together to create more awareness, prevention and change within Phi Delt, but also worked together to create a peer-to-peer educational program for high school-level students. Sean is a huge promoter and advocate for the program and strongly encourages young men to participate. Sean has been an active participant in the Anti-Hazing Coalition, working on state and federal hazing prevention legislation. Sean listens and collaborates to make things happen, and he has gone above and beyond in working with the Max Gruver Foundation to make a difference while honoring Max’s legacy.
Hazing Prevention Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people to prevent hazing by providing education and resources, advocating on hazing prevention, and building partnerships with others. Major initiatives of the organization include National Hazing Prevention Week™, the Hazing Prevention Institute™ and Prevent.Zone™ educational online courses that touch the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals, organizations, campuses and communities. Learn more at hazingpreventionnetwork.org.
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August 27, 2024
