Hell Week Is Pure Heaven for Northridge Little League Field

Everybody remembers those crazy hazing days of yore in college fraternities. Poor pledges were forced to swallow goldfish, chug large quantities of beer and perform other acts of insanity that wound up getting a few of them killed.

In the spirit of today’s more civilized college youth, the Sigma Chis at Cal State Northridge have come up with an alternative to Hell Week. Call it Heck Week.

“We’re trying to show the community that we do more than just drink and party and cause problems,” said Sigma Chi active Mike Hoffman, a senior from Canoga Park. “So we look for ways to do something useful.”

During Heck Week for the last two years, the Sigs have been donating blood, not spilling it, and they also have been volunteering to repair the baseball diamond for the Northridge Little League.

A few days ago, 15 Sigma Chi pledges and three actives worked for 6 1/2 hours leveling the field with sand and raking up leaves. Last year the fraternity painted the bleachers and dugouts. “They do a super job,” said John Harbridge, league president.

Harbridge thinks the pledges actually enjoy getting away from the fraternity house.

“During the week they have to sleep in the fraternity garage, and when they have to go to the bathroom, they have to dig holes in the backyard,” Harbridge said. “We let them use our bathroom here--we don’t want them digging holes.”