<p>Hi, recently I was suspended for five days under a zero-tolerance fighting rule. However, I didn't start the fight and I utilised self defense. I know it was a bad decision, but I did what I thought was reasonable at the time because I didn't want to go home with a black eye. It should be a basic right to defend yourself against someone. After a few weeks, I got a chance to talk to the vice-principal. He acknowledged it was mainly due to self defense that I would fight back. What I'm worried about is: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Will this incident show up on my applications to college? He said the records would only stay with the school, but I'm curious if any ivy league colleges would gain a copy of this record.</p></li>
<li><p>If somehow they were to know about this suspension, how would self defense look in their eyes ?</p></li>
<li><p>Is there some way to erase the suspension?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>number 1). They probably won’t even see the suspension
2). It wouldn’t even matter…everybody has their slip-ups.</p>
<p>In my eyes, honor is more important than anything else. If somebody hits you, it doesn’t matter if you get suspended, expelled, or what have you, you are obligated to hit them back in self defense. I was born in a house-hold when I was growing up, and my dad would tell me this any day. Assuming it was an act of self-defense, don’t even worry about it… you did the right thing, and I HIGHLY doubt it would be open for a college/university to see.</p>
<p>Of course, I know what I did was wrong. I’ve had multiple concussions in the past, and I was taking repeated blows to the head before I decided to defend myself. I know that hitting someone doesn’t solve anything, but I really thought it was the only possible way out. I’m never the type of the person to start anything.</p>
<p>You guys are clownin self defense is always justified.</p>
<p>To answer OP’s question, usually schools have a policy that they dont share personal info like this under any circumstances. Ask an admin.
I know its “dishonest” but I would probably not indicate that I was suspended on that part of the CommonApp, espcially if I felt the suspension was extremely unjustified.</p>
<p>So yeah this should have no effect on your application process.</p>
<p>Self defense is only smart if you know you will be legally defended by it. Losing a chance to go to a great college (which probably won’t happen to op) is not worth honor. You have to be smart about the choice you make, even if they seem counterintuitive in the heat of the moment.</p>
<p>Shut the **** up. That is ridiculously easy to say when you’ve grown up in avoidance of conflict your entire life, and its a basic denial of human instinct to pretend we shouldn’t use self-defense, just like any other damn organism on this planet would do.
Anyway, ignoring all the giant mongoloid losers posting on here, I think you’ll be fine. You talked to the VP and its not a huge problem you have, so I don’t think colleges will see.</p>
<p>The people who are saying that OP shouldn’t have fought back are just dumb. OP said that he was dragged into a fight and that he fought purely to defend himself. If someone has YOU up against a wall and is throwing fists at your face, I’m pretty sure all of you would be doing whatever it takes to protect yourself, even if it means hitting back.</p>
<p>Okay, fln1049, to be more specific I mean self-defense in the sense that you hit back instead of curling into the fetal position on the floor and hoping the big scary meany will go away.</p>
<p>^You can leave or you can, without hurting the other person, subdue them. Assuming the other guy isn’t crazy in shape or was trained how to fight, it wouldn’t be too difficult to pin him down. </p>
<p>@deziky- I think its great that you assume I’ve grown up without experiencing conflict. Not true at all, not that it’s any of your business. Next time, instead of insulting everyone who has a different opinion than you, maybe you should focus on the issue.</p>
<p>Think of this way. If you got into Harvard and somebody hit you. Would you risk being expelled from HARVARD for your honor? Probably not. Yes, honor is important. But if the consequences weigh more than that, then its never worth it. Maybe you could have pushed him off and ran away fast. Tell a teacher. It sounds like a punk move, but 5 days of school is a big impact on your academics.</p>
<p>@fln1049- Yeah okay I’ll keep that in mind next time I get in a conflict in Candyland. </p>
<p>@Lagging- I’m sowwy I huwt your feewings. Now that you have pointed out the error of my ways, I will go to my study and ponder how I may better conduct myself in the future.
Or I’ll call you a mongoloid loser again. Mongoloid loser.</p>
<p>Ok, Ok. I’m jumping in this heated debate. Zero tolerance on fighting is sort of an unfair rule. What would you do if a person start attacking you. For those that say don’t fight back, I hope you can handle going to school with a few bruises and injuries if any. Self-defense is more of a natural instinct, an impulse if you will. Although my family and friends don’t think fighting is the answer they do believe that you should administer self-defense if you’re being attack. </p>
<p>Also if you see a friend of your being attack, YOU SHOULD try to get him/her away. A lot of people simply watch and cheering on.</p>
<p>You make it seem like subduing an attacker without hurting him is an easy job that any CCer can do. Bro, I’m all for coming to resolving situations as peacefully as possible but you have to accept that THERE WILL BE SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE YOU TO HIT BACK. That’s why outside of school, you won’t get in trouble for using self-defense as long as you use a reasonable amount of force in return. Someone from the OP’s other thread brings up a good point on this issue: Schools have a zero-tolerance policy on fighting because it’s the only way to prevent people from suing and winning. </p>
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<p>It’s not about honor, at least in the OP’s situation. He said, “I did what I thought was reasonable at the time because I didn’t want to go home with a black eye.” In other words, the OP fought back to protect himself. His situation wasn’t like “he hit me, so I have to hit him back to preserve my honor.”</p>
<p>honor? What is this the middle ages? On a more serious note: the morale of this story is: you must fight in self-defense if you should ever be attack. You don’t let the enemy invade your country do you? No you act in self-defense and kick them out.</p>
<p>Getting back to answering the OP’s main question…you need to check with your school to see if school suspensions are listed on official transcripts. If they truly plan to keep it “in house” you should be fine, but if suspensions are listed on your transcript (like they are at my children’s high school) then any colleges you apply to will see the suspension and may want an explanation. Even if that is the case, I think your reaction and explanation will be reasonable to many admissions officers…but probably not all. Just look at the different opinions in the responses to this post. Good Luck!!</p>