Hank Nuwer is the Indiana-based author of Broken Pledges: The Deadly Rite of Hazing, High School Hazing, Wrongs of Passage and The Hazing Reader. 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 new book is Hazing: Destroying Young Lives from Indiana University Press.
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One reply on “Stupid tricks allowed by coaches: Rocky Mountain High (Jinks)”
Hank … as always, you continue to shine the light on this subject.
Regarding this specific instance, “Senior Hits,” having played high school football I can tell you that the way these coaches have it set up, it’s absolutely hazing, at some level. The Pachecos are right to be bothered. To ask for the removal of the entire coaching staff? Eh … mixed emotions on that, leaning toward excessive. I’d gravitate more toward placing them on some sort of probation, with a plan for improvement in such areas. Sad as it is, to many, this sort of activity is simply “boys being boys.” I imagine you hear that a lot in your travels.
Having said all that, I would have much less of a problem with the “Senior Hits” tradition if the selected varsity player were allowed to meet the senior, heads-up. In laying out such a scenario, you’d probably have some say, “Well, what’s the fun in that?” At which point, I suppose, the point would be adequately made that, as it exists, “Senior Hits” is absolutely a form of hazing.
All the best …
-SPJ