http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/former-uva-swim-team-member-files-hazing-lawsuit/
And drink prune juice and be forced to answer sexually explicit questions! The horror!
Obviously, this went way over the line, because the five men involved were suspended immediately when it came to light. But the simple description of it doesn’t sound so horrible, at least to me, and I am no apologist for fraternities or jocks.
This is ridiculously poor behavior. There are real crimes committed here.
and this:
According to the plaintiff’s statements, this abuse continued in the ensuing week after August 27/28 in the form of e-mails from a joint account (“Mr. Mean”) that was created by the five defendants. E-mails from this account “compelled the first-year swimmers to complete a ‘scavenger hunt’ that required them to steal items from a retail store, the university and another teammate.”
I will never understand the mentality of making someone do something uncomfortable to prove themselves. Seems like it would be conducted by people with incredibly low self-esteem.
I’ve never understood the purpose of these mean/bullying behaviors, particularly to people that you supposedly like and want as “brothers”.
This isn’t a fraternity…
But to answer your question, generally it bonds a group together and teaches them to work as a team. It’s the same reason the military hazes.
The part I’ve never understood is why some grown adults voluntarily allow themselves to be bullied by others if they don’t want to. I mean, unless you are being held against your will - false imprisonment okay - there is nothing forcing these young men to do anything anyone else tells them to do. Forced to steal on a scavenger hunt? Come on. I don’t think the excuse of “peer pressure” should be valid after age 18.
Nobody is ever forced to do anything, but when did scavenger hunts become bad? They do them at orientation at a lot of schools. I understand stealing stuff isn’t awesome, but it’s not hazing and most scavenger hunts don’t include stealing anymore.
From what I’ve seen, many scavenger hunts include items much worse than stealing.
Obviously I don’t condone stealing from a retail store, but it’s kind of harmless to have someone go on a scavenger hunt in general or even to steal something of no consequence from a fraternity brother.
I don’t understand college students sometimes.
This mindset is beyond my comprehension. Some may say it is ok but I am very much against this type of behavior. Everyone has different values. Would not want my own kids in this environment. I’m glad this student was able to transfer to a more suitable school. I hope there are consequences for this type of behavior.
“I’'m glad this student was able to transfer to a more suitable school.”
What is being described at UVa swimming is awful and unacceptable but don’t kid yourself that these types of things aren’t happening at many schools (unfortunately), including Northwestern. It took 2 seconds to google Northwestern hazing and find things about soccer, fraternity, and school newspaper hazing. These kinds of things have to stop.
If someone told me to do things like that I’d tell them to shove it and leave. Why would anyone put up with it? What are they going to do if someone doesn’t, kill them?
i think the swimmer is taking care of it. He is at Northwestern. The 5 guys are being sued personally. One of the 5 guys was suspended the year before too.
I never said or suggested otherwise, sevmom. sure some things my S has done are things I’d just as soon not know. I’ve never portrayed it as hazing free. A guy died from a frat drinking incident when sally305 and I were there. I don’t know if it was hazing per se.
Pizzagirl, Thanks for the response, but I was not responding to anything you said. I quoted someone else.
And yes, I’ m sure my sons both were exposed to things over the years in high school and college (with sports, fraternity for one, dorm stuff and weird stuff with even friends that can go on). Heck, I wasn’t even in a sorority in college, but there were some things that went on with dorm mates that were a bit much. I’m glad these kinds of things are coming to light .
This could have happened at any other university. What makes this more upsetting is that it is at UVA which has been in the limelight several times this past year already.
Yes, it has been the worst year in UVa’s history for trauma. There have been good things too (they just won an award for the best men’s sports college this year overall ( Capital cup I think), plus all the general academic stuff and awards that go on in general, but those kinds of things can be overshadowed by some of these other things.