<p><a href=“Opinion | The Brutal Side of Hazing - The New York Times”>Opinion | The Brutal Side of Hazing - The New York Times;
<p>"I moved to the center of the room and assumed the position. I stared straight ahead. I tried to brace myself for the blow, but nothing could have prepared me.</p>
<p>Swat!</p>
<p>The force of the impact nearly knocked me over. "</p>
<p>This is an edited version to not violate copyright rules. It is worth reading the full column.</p>
<p>Worth reading - thank you for posting. But the question remains - how do we end this practice if no one speaks up?</p>
<p>Following the article by Charles Blow, there are a lot of comments - some that address “how do we end this practice?”</p>
<p>Blow attended Grambling State University in Louisiana, according to this, [Charles</a> Blow](<a href=“http://www.businessinsider.com/author/charles-blow]Charles”>Charles Blow - Insider)</p>
<p>I think MOST schools are trying harder to really keep their ears and eyes open to see when and where hazing could occur. I know at my S’s school, there was some hint at some sort of hazing recently and they put the whole club/fraternity on an investigative hold while they sorted it out. It was pretty nerve racking because over the past two or three years, any violations have been met with swift and severe punishment and the school absolutely followed through on suspensions, coach firings for athletic teams and disbanding of student groups following proven incidents. What was nice in this case is that the leadership felt they had not violated any hazing policy, but had to sweat it out with the review board.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think the only way you change the culture is to have these examples of accountability. If there is a no tolerance policy and it’s clear the school follows through on their investigations and punishments, I think a lot of the truly dangerous stuff would stop or at least become seriously reduced. But if schools take the attitude of “we know it happens, so you better not get caught,” you’re just going to get more secretive and probably more dangerous risks happening. So in this most recent case? I honestly think you’re going to have to kick the leadership out of whatever group whether it be a fraternity or a nationally respected band. And the band director? Yep. Gone. Ultimately, just like any coach, he sets the acceptable tone for his performers. A kid died. It’s not just tragic. It’s criminal, and should be treated as such.</p>
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<p>According to the articles that I read on the other thread dealing with this topic, the band director knew about the physical hazing problems but couldn’t control the student section leaders. The inmates were in charge of the asylum. He should have gotten rid of the student section leaders who he couldn’t control. Instead, he blamed the university who didn’t punish those who hazed.</p>
<p>The case in the NY Times is not a recent case. He’s several years out of college. Maybe in his 40’s? All of the national leaderships of all frats and sororities prohibit hazing, but somehow it still happens.</p>
<p>How did the young man die? What from? </p>
<p>Hazing has got to stop. The alums need to step in and stop this nonsense.</p>
<p>Found this:</p>
<p>*Witnesses said he vomited before becoming unresponsive. Champion was a drum major, a position awarded to band members who prove themselves as leaders.</p>
<p>News reports allege that Champion had been punched repeatedly on the bus as part of a hazing ritual. Band members called for an ambulance after he collapsed*</p>
<p><a href=“http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2011/12/08/hazing-a-life-stolen-in-a-dangerous-tradition-that-will-not-go-away/[/url]”>http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2011/12/08/hazing-a-life-stolen-in-a-dangerous-tradition-that-will-not-go-away/</a></p>
<p>WTH?</p>
<p>These brutes need to be charged with murder. That should stop some of this nonsense.</p>
<p>Prefect, The writer of the NYT article was just a pledge in a fraternity a long time ago BUT he was relating the stupidity of his behavior then with the death of the young drum major that died just last week. </p>
<p>And unless the Band Director tried to somehow demote or otherwise punish section leaders and was thwarted in these efforts by the university, he has absolutely no excuse here and is probably just trying to cover his butt. </p>
<p>EDIT: Having read that just a few weeks ago he suspended 26 students for hazing, it would seems he was trying, but if the school didn’t follow up on the punishment, I agree the school is culpable. </p>
<p>While most schools have policies against Hazing, Florida is one where it is actually a criminal offense. Follow through folks!</p>
<p>Will have to read up on this situation further, because it seems to me that someone ought be charged with accessory.</p>
<p>There is already a thread about this tragedy <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/1251568-hazing-more-common-than-we-think.html?[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/1251568-hazing-more-common-than-we-think.html?</a></p>
<p>I believe the University president, who has been reprimanded, may be stepping down.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1246164-another-death-possibly-due-hazing.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1246164-another-death-possibly-due-hazing.html</a></p>
<p>^Here’s the original thread on this topic</p>
<p>Are the places where this severe hazing occurs in locations where child rearing practices are more severe? Are students raised being spanked so that submitting to this practice doesn’t seem unusual to them?</p>
<p><a href=“Deaths Put Focus on Pastor’s Advocacy of Spanking - The New York Times”>Deaths Put Focus on Pastor’s Advocacy of Spanking - The New York Times;
<p>James Dobson Focus On The Family</p>
<p>It will not stop until schools discover a spine and the courage to impose the death penalty on programs where hazing takes place. For programs that hide beyond the easy reach of the schools, the only solution involves expelling everyone associated with such program. </p>
<p>Everyone! </p>
<p>This cancer is so deeply ingrained that zero tolerance is the only solution. However, it will never happen as long as misguided adults refuse to comprehend the atrocities perpretrated by clueless teenagers.</p>
<p>I almost flunked calculus in the first semester of my freshman year because of hazing–psychological rather than physical, but brutal in its own way. Fortunately, I realized how bad the sorority was for me when they tried to have a kangaroo court for me DURING FINALS week–I quit! It was the smartest thing I ever did. The rest of the pledge class all ended up on academic probation & the sorority disbanded the following year. Only retained friendship with ONE person from the entire experience.</p>
<p>Have never understood the cruelty that is masked as “hazing” and “bonding,” and find it barbaric and destructive.</p>
<p>MODERATOR’S NOTE
I have combined the two threads in the Parents Forum about this issue into one. Please continue the conversation here. Thank you.</p>
<p>Chedva</p>
<p>I noticed one thing in the article from the Time about the guy who was brutally hazed as a freshman–it says nothing about what he did when he was an upperclassman. This is why the alumni don’t put a stop to this–they were all perpetrators of the same abuse. If hazing is going to be ended, it will probably have to come from outside–the university will have to impose tough sanctions on organizations doing this.</p>
<p>Abusive parents and spouses were often abused as children. You do what you are conditioned to do. Emotional responses are often not controlled by the rational mind. The schedule that residents adhere to is dangerous for their patients, but if the doctors training the residents had to endure such a punishing schedule, then so do they. Custom and tradition play a role in prolonging dangerous practices to promote “bonding” and “rights of passage” to whatever elite in-group calls for such hazing. I have no patience or sympathy for such practices except where necessary to change a mind-set, such as teaching teenagers to kill other human beings in the military - an extreme case. </p>
<p>On college campuses, hazing is an excuse for sadism and exploring cruelty toward peers. Kids are empowered to commit acts of abuse that they would not dream of doing to their "friends’ in any other context because a fraternity or sorority gives them license - usually against the rules of the institution. Loosening those types of inhibitions cannot be a good thing for the individuals involved.</p>
<p>The catharsis of coming to the end and achieving acceptance and the bond of adversity is a compelling justification for the process. If college students could be trusted not to go too far, then I could see allowing clearly defined hazing with full written consent as to the parameters of the practices that would be part of such hazing, but the numbers of serious out of control hazing incidents shows that students cannot be trusted not to push too far, especially because alcohol is often involved. One serious injury or death is too great a cost for the alleged benefit of these practices, so hazing involving assaults, batteries, underage drinking, exposure to the elements, and other potentially dangerous acts should be banned. Organizations involved in such practices should be expelled from campuses, and student perpetrators of such practices should be suspended, at a minimum, along with the student leaders or organizations which endorse such practices.</p>
<p>[Police</a> arrest 3 in Florida A&M University student’s beating - CNN.com](<a href=“http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/12/us/florida-hazing-charges/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn]Police”>http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/12/us/florida-hazing-charges/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn)
^Another incident of hazing by members of this band. Based on this article, the beatings seem brutal.</p>
<p>“The freshman suffered a cracked femur, deep bone bruising and blood clots after being beaten repeatedly by two of her fellow students in November, according to arrest affidavits from Tallahassee police. The three suspects – 23-year-old Sean Hobson, 19-year-old Aaron Golson and 22-year-old James Harris – were booked Monday.”</p>
<p>She took her complaints to the police. Good for her.</p>
<p>I have followed the articles regarding these frightening behaviors in the the Florida A&M Band program. I just want to point out that I do not believe it to be the norm in most college band programs. For most, marching band is a guaranteed entry point into the life of the university. It requires a major commitment of time and energy and sharing that experience provides all the bonding that is needed, at least in my personal experience and my freshman daughter concurs. Band geeks see the world their way and are good with that. Being a member of the band offers a unique set of friends and adventures to build your college life on. I am sickened by the stupidity at Florida A&M and agree that hazing/intimidation by those with any level of power over their peers can be seen in many settings but just wanted to say that such hazing is not exactly typical in most university marching band programs.</p>
<p>^^^According to articles, there is a subset in the A&M Band from Georgia, that are the only ones involved in the hazing incidents.</p>
<p>They may have been involved in these hazing incidents, but FL A&M has been plagued with hazing problems for years [Hazing</a> Eyed In Florida A&M Band Member’s Death | Fox News](<a href=“http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/23/hazing-eyed-in-florida-am-band-members-death/]Hazing”>http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/23/hazing-eyed-in-florida-am-band-members-death/) There were 4 students expelled after the November incident. Sadly, aother incident has come to light involving a female student and 3 students from a subgroup of students mostly, but not completely, from GA wee reportedly involved in this particulr incident. It is all dreadful and inexcusable, and the school should get its act together to prevent these incidents.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/south/view/20111202florida_am_expels_4_band_members_over_death_in_alleged_hazing_incident/srvc=news&position=also[/url]”>http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/south/view/20111202florida_am_expels_4_band_members_over_death_in_alleged_hazing_incident/srvc=news&position=also</a>
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