Hazing

The star quarterback putting ben-gay in the star linebacker's jockstrap is a joke. The star linebacker putting ben-gay in the jockstrap of the pipsqueak ninth-grader is harassment.

 

This is an example of where the ol' days were not the good days. It's good to see hazing reigned in. Situations like forcing someone to drink excessive quantities of alcohol could be (and unfortunately have been) fatal. Other hazing pranks/rituals can also be very dangerous physically, beyond the base mental humiliation.

The problem with allowing some mischief is where to draw the line and do people understand where that line is drawn. Not to mention that people are prone to cross the line when given a little rope.

 

I agree that you have to differentiate between the embarassment/pranking hazing and the violent/abusive kind.

If it's the latter, then you proceed. If it's the former, you tell the parents to go to the school administration.

 

To me, hazing isn't bad at all. Then again, my definition of "hazing" is the old Ben-Gay on the jock or hat, hiding clothes, taping someone to the goal-post or something like that: something that is sophomorically humorous and a little bit of physical pain isn't out of line.

But when it comes to forcing down a fifth of vodka down someone's gullet, breaking off a broom-stick in someone's ass or something else that is too vile for even my demented imagination, that's not hazing. That's criminal torture and abuse.

If Lady Soccer Mom can't handle little Petey finding shaving cream filling up his cleats, she can go fuck herself in her extra-large...


mini-van. What, you thought I was going to say something else?

 

Phila,

It all depends on who you haze, though. You put shaving cream in the cleats of the popular kids, that's all cool. You do it daily to someone you don't like because they are small or different or whatever, and you are just being Lord-of-the-Flies mean.

 

Very good point and I can't believe I forgot. For most of HS, I was in the latter category.

 

We are checking out reports of hazing incident at one of our schools.
Reportedly, the team's star RB and another senior were caught hazing a freshman, supposedly choking him.
This came after the HS principal, during a school-wide assembly, stated: Hazing of any sort will not be tolerated.
We found about the situation through the rumor mill. Called the principal who confirmed a hazing incident had taken place. He would not say what sort of incident took place (Ben-gay in the jockstrap or stuffing pinecones where the sun don't shine). Nor would he confirm if the incident involved two seniors and a freshman.
Principal did confirm the incident involved members of the football team. The incident happened two weeks ago and the principal said the matter has been handled. He did not outline what punishment was taken.
Calls to football coach have not yet been returned.
Call to the county super have also not been returned. He's in a meeting.

I covered the team's football game last week and the star RB played. To my knowledge, he's also playing this week.


We'll do a story ... It would be nice it the school would outline the hazing that took place. I don't want a 12-inch story on a freshman having to fetch water for seniors during practice. But I also don't want a 10-inch story on a freshman choked into unconsciousness by a 220-pound senior star running back who suited up Friday night without missing a beat.

 

I remember a definition of hazing that made a lot of sense to me: It was called the "perfect stranger test."
If it's something you could get arrested for doing to a perfect stranger, it's hazing.
By the way, is hazing now a crime in all 50 states? I remember 15 years ago, when an incident happened with my alma mater's football team, it was in Massachusetts, but not in New Hampshire, where the camp took place.