Applying To Prep School, 2010!!!!

<p>This is the last thing I'm going to say about St. Paul's before I stop posting on this thread just because it ticks me off to read about people speculating on a situation that they don't know much about when I have firsthand knowledge. To all the people calling me immature and wondering why "the school hasn't done more to teach/encourage thoughtful, mature, and more sensitive attitudes" please continue because it gives me a chuckle that you would deign to make judgements based on what I said. Also, get a sense of humor, in the midst of all the turmoil at the school, it helps to have that, so I'm not going to apologize for making a joke. If you take some joke on the internet about hazing so seriously you probably shouldn't be sending your kid to boarding school in the first place, that is the type of parent who got 15 GREAT kids in trouble last year for hazing when they really didn't do anything, (contrary to what you probably read in the media, nothing very bad happened). St. Paul's has done so much for everybody in my family that it makes me sick when I hear people speculating about the "scandals." Visit the school and you will know what I'm talking about.</p>

<p>Hazing is against the law in NH......it isn't a question of how bad or how little....it is against the law. Exeter does NOT tolerate any form or amount of hazing.</p>

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that is the type of parent who got 15 GREAT kids in trouble last year for hazing when they really didn't do anything, (contrary to what you probably read in the media, nothing very bad happened)

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<p>^^St. Paul's doesn't either! I'm not saying that hazing should be CONDONED by the school, I'm saying that the incident was blown out of proportion by the media. And I know I said I wouldn't post again, but it's too tempting.</p>

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15 GREAT kids in trouble last year for hazing

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<p>Hazing is against the law and students at Exeter who would engage in hazing are prosecuted and expelled. From you description of "trouble" it sounds like your school allowed the students to remain and gradute with a diploma from St. Paul's. Is that what you are telling us?</p>

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Hazing other students. Hazing is defined as harassing, intimidating, or coercing
another student with the purpose or result of embarrassment, disturbance, or
humiliation

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<p>Now many people will probably disagree on what constitutes hazing and what is considered immature bullying.</p>

<p>What disturbs me is that schools allow older students to treat a younger student differently because of their younger age. </p>

<p>There are rights and privledges granted throughout a student's time at a school by the school and necessary priveledges/duties that are assigned to different class years by the institution. The institution knows what it is doing. The students running these off-books initiations (aka hazing in many people's books) do this out of a misguided sense of tradition without knowing a legitimate positive purpose (social development, etc) that comes from their activities.</p>

<p>An example - a school may institute a rule that freshman on a team are responsible for having all water bottles filled before all atheletic practices. This practice serves a small purpose - the bottles must be filled to have necessary hydration available plus service to the team must come upfront before leadership.</p>

<p>A bad example - The seniors arbitrarily dump water out of the bottles, forcing a last minute refill and chide the freshmen about the empty water bottles. I cannot see a positive from here - only negatives - Dumping water does not show true leadership. Chiding a person over something beyond their control does not develop character. This is a form of hazing that many would overlook as childish, but is every bit indicative of a system that does not develop true leaders.</p>

<p>While there may not be a fire at SPS with regard to hazing, too much smoke can asphyxiate an institution as much as a fire can burn it down.</p>

<p>Downplaying the event doesn't change the amount of smoke present. Someone should be stopping the smoking!</p>

<p>does anyone know a good make-up college that is in canada? or in the states? Im graduating in 2007. and i need to start looking for a college and everything..</p>

<p>Hazing can be as simple as not giving underclass students access to the TV remote in a common room.</p>

<p>Yes, even the remote control.</p>

<p>If it doesn't serve a practical purpose to the institution or doesn't teach a positive behavior, it probably is hazing.</p>

<p>I think the difference between hazing and bullying tends to be in the number and organization of participants.</p>

<p>When 1 or 2 upperclassmen taunt a couple (not all) the freshman about the remote, it is bullying.</p>

<p>When it is a significant sized group who effectively keep freshman from the remote in a dorm, that becomes hazing.</p>

<p>I don't think anyone thinks bullying is good, so why would hazing (bullying on a larger scale) be any better?</p>

<p>It is one and the same. Leadership in the living community and the classroom is what you need to look for. What good is a leader on the field or in a club who isn't a leader in the living culture? How is the living culture set up and supervised. Faculty with family living in the housing unit, advisors living in the housing unit.......proctors....it all works together. For this reason I find that living w/ new students and upperclass is a good combo. The attitude and atmosphere of the upperclass students in a housing unit makes the experience or breaks the experience for new students.</p>

<p>hazmat, are you telling us you can be expelled from Exeter for not passing the remote?</p>

<p>um... rugbygirl you should try some other thread for advice, i think.</p>

<p>I am telling you that students are held to a high standard of leadership and behavior. Students work hard to form a community and to respect each other. I cannot imagine that not passing the remote is something that would really happen. I mean if you are watching and someone wants to change the channel I feel certain that a compromise can be worked out. I am talking about a new student.....an underclassman having no standing in the living community. Each student has standing and the expectation of harmony and respect.</p>

<p>I'm sorry, just having fun and trying to lighten this up a bit.</p>

<p>No problem.......hazing isn't "lite" but you could change the topic.</p>

<p>This is laughable. I agree that hardcore hazing is terrible, but not letting some freshman control the remote is not exactly emotionally damaging. I love the holier than thou sermons on here, denouncing everything as hazing, come on, you guys need to stop being so faint-hearted and suck it up a little.</p>

<p>So tell me meateater, what good would come out of a student imposed rule not allowing a freshman to use the remote control?</p>

<p>Is any cooperative spirit or sense of comeraderie instilled by such a practice?</p>

<p>Haha I didn't say anything about a school imposed rule. Minor hazing (which I don't disagree with) is essentially harmless and DOES foster a sense of camraderie. I respected my seniors and looked up to them as sort of father figures, I would get their pizza for them, they'd call me newb, I'd give up my seat for them when there weren't any left, in turn they were nice to me and kind of took me under their wing. Unless you've been part of a dorm at boarding school with seniors it's hard to understand. However, clearly I'm not the only person who shares this opinion, only one person in a blue moon complains about this type of thing (minor and harmless hazing, although I hesitate to even call it hazing), and then it becomes a "scandal" while everybody else is happy with the situation.</p>

<p>Do current bs students think that hazing is rampart??</p>

<p>^I assume you mean rampant, and no it is not, because everybody is afraid that they'll get in trouble. This has resulted in a kind of "reverse hazing" where seniors can say nothing to underformers when they are rude for fear of getting DC'ed for hazing.</p>

<p>Actually...I attend a school where actions that many people would call "hazing" are "traditions" and completely allowed by the school. They used to be a lot fiercer than they are now, and it was basically "hazing" and allowed- I've heard of kids getting stuffed in trashcans, being stalked by upperclassmen for "disrespecting" the seniors (sitting at senior tables, walking on senior steps, etc.), and more. However, those might just be the rumors they tell to new students like myself to scare us...</p>