TUSCALOOSA — A campus theater honor society with a long-standing presence at the University of Alabama is facing allegations of hazing, according to an exclusive interview with a member.
Alpha Psi Omega, a theater honor society that exists nationwide, has been accused of subjecting new members to initiation practices involving blindfolding, loud music and verbal pressure while reciting lines from William Shakespeare.
One member, who spoke to 1819 News on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation, said the experience went far beyond what they expected from an organization described as an honor society.
“I don’t want to put anyone through what I went through,” the member said in the exclusive interview with 1819 News.
According to the account, new members were blindfolded and placed in a loud, disorienting environment while older members shouted instructions and criticisms. They were allegedly required to recite Shakespearean passages under pressure.
The member explained that they were under the impression that if they didn’t continue, they wouldn’t be allowed to join the group, and that despite their and others’ negative emotional responses, the activity didn’t stop.
The member described the entire experience as degrading.
“Makes me feel like a child,” the member told 1819 News.
Hazing is prohibited under University of Alabama policy and Alabama law, and is defined by the university as “any act that threatens or inflicts physical, emotional, or psychological pressure or injury on an individual… for the purpose of admitting or affiliating into or with an organization.”
University policy further includes types of hazing, some of which Alpha Psi Omega is alleged to have violated:
• “Staging any form of lineup or event where the individuals are yelled or cursed at.”
• “Testing/quizzing on meaningless information with no constructive or educational purpose.”
• “Creation of unnecessary fatigue, which includes, but is not limited to, physical activity or depravation of sleep.”
While Greek fraternities and sororities are often blamed for hazing culture on campus, the allegations against Alpha Psi Omega suggest the problem may be more widespread, reaching even into academic honor societies.
The allegations also emerge amid broader tensions involving the university’s theater community and conservative student groups on campus. Over the past several years, members of conservative organizations, including Young Americans for Freedom, have accused individuals connected to the theater department of harassment and hostility during campus events.
In one reported incident, a university staff member in the department allegedly poured water on a conservative student during a campus interaction, raising concerns among those groups about ideological bias and conduct within certain academic spaces.
While those incidents are separate from the hazing allegations, some students say they contribute to a wider culture they view as unwelcoming to dissenting viewpoints in the theater community on campus.
It remains unclear how widespread the alleged hazing practices are within Alpha Psi Omega or whether university officials have been formally notified.
1819 News reached out to both the University of Alabama and the UA Alpha Psi Omega chapter, and neither has publicly commented on the claims at this time.
Trenton Buffenbarger is a senior at the University of Alabama and is the Chairman of the UA Young Americans for Freedom.
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