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HazingPrevention.Org’s 3 New Heroes: Press Release

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2019 AWARD WINNERS

RAE ANN AND STEPHEN GRUVER

Gruver FamilyRae Ann and Stephen Gruver are committed activists focused on highlighting the dangers of hazing, and creating stronger legal and academic accountability to prevent the dangerous behavior. Following the tragic hazing death of their son Max in 2017, the Gruvers have dedicated their lives to raising awareness and accountability to fraternities, sororities, and other campus organizations. Founding the Max Gruver Foundation in honor of their son, the Gruvers have shared their story with numerous universities and organizations, and have handed out more than 100,000 wristbands to raise awareness of the dangers of hazing. The Gruvers are focused on making an impact on campuses and in the legal system, and were instrumental in supporting the Max Gruver Act. The new law in Louisiana would allow for harsher punishment in hazing cases, particularly when hazing leads to bodily harm or death. They have also partnered with the Anti-Hazing Coalition to sponsor the federal END ALL Hazing Act. #FlyHighMax


DAVID WESTOL

Davis WestolDavid Westol is an alumnus of Michigan State University and The Detroit College of Law.  He served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Kalamazoo County, Michigan for nine years; as CEO of Theta Chi Fraternity for 18 years and recently completed his 12th year as a consultant with over thirty national men’s and women’s fraternities and sororities as clients.  Dave has presented, “Hazing on Trial”—a graphic and dramatic presentation that blends hazing practices, actual court cases and courtroom practices—over 2,200 times on over 400 campuses and at over 60 national fraternity and sorority events since 1980.  He has authored over 40 articles for fraternal journals and other publications regarding hazing and makes presentations focused upon the investigation of hazing cases to a variety of audiences. Dave is proud to note that he was among the original members of the board of directors of HazingPrevention.Org.

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2020 AWARDS WILL OPEN IN JANUARY

By Hank Nuwer

Journalist Hank Nuwer is the Alaska author of Hazing: Destroying Young Lives; Broken Pledges: The Deadly Rite of Hazing, High School Hazing, Wrongs of Passage and The Hazing Reader. He has written articles or columns on hazing for the Sunday Times of India, Toronto Globe & Mail, Harper's Magazine, Orlando Sentinel, The Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times Sunday Magazine. His new book is Hazing: Destroying Young Lives from Indiana University Press. He is married to Malgorzata Wroblewska Nuwer of Warsaw, Poland and Fairbanks, Alaska. Nuwer, former columnist for the Greenville (Ohio)Early Bird, finished a stint as managing editor of the Celina Daily Standard to accept a new position as managing editor of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in Alaska.
Nuwer was named the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists columnist of the year in 2021 for his “After Darke” column in the Early Bird. He also won third place for the column in 2022 from the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He and his wife Gosia, recently of Union City, Ind., have owned 20 acres in Alaska for many years. “The move is a sort-of coming home for us,” said Nuwer. As a journalist, he’s written about the Alaskan Iditarod sled-dog race and other Alaska topics. Read his musings in his blog at Real Alaska Daily--http://realalaskadaily.com.

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