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Hazing News

Ex-wrestlers head to court

Here is the link and an excerpt

CHADRON, Neb. — Four former Chadron State College wrestlers have pleaded not guilty to charges of hazing and assault.

Court records say the four entered their pleas Friday in Dawes County Court. A judge set their pretrial hearing for Dec. 12.

The four are 24-year-old Luke Zeiger, 21-year-old Chance Helmick, 22-year-old Cooper Cogdill and 21-year-old William Cogdill. School officials say the four are no longer enrolled.

Court records say the four participated last month in initiation rites for incoming members of the wrestling team. The records say the initiates were not forced to participate. Those who did snorted salt, took drinks of liquor or some other liquid and then were punched in their faces or necks.

By Hank Nuwer

Journalist Hank Nuwer is the Alaska author of Hazing: Destroying Young Lives; Broken Pledges: The Deadly Rite of Hazing, High School Hazing, Wrongs of Passage and The Hazing Reader. In April of 2024, the Alaska Press Club awarded him first place in the Best Columnist division and Best Humorist, second place.

He has written articles or columns on hazing for the Sunday Times of India, Toronto Globe & Mail, Harper's Magazine, Orlando Sentinel, The Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times Sunday Magazine. His current book is Hazing: Destroying Young Lives from Indiana University Press. He is married to Malgorzata Wroblewska Nuwer of Warsaw, Poland and Fairbanks, Alaska. Nuwer is a former columnist for the Greenville (Ohio)Early Bird and former managing editor of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in Alaska.
Nuwer was named the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists columnist of the year in 2021 for his “After Darke” column in the Early Bird. He also won third place for the column in 2022 from the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He and his wife Gosia, recently of Union City, Ind., have owned 20 acres in Alaska for many years. “The move is a sort-of coming home for us,” said Nuwer. As a journalist, he’s written about the Alaskan Iditarod sled-dog race and other Alaska topics. Read his musings in his blog at Real Alaska Daily--http://realalaskadaily.com and in his weekly column "Far from Randolph" in the Winchester Star-Gazette of Randolph County, Indiana.

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