Marching Band Hazing at FAMU

[MikeD]

This.....so much this.

I was never hazed in BD....I got three snuggies, but that was because I earned them, not because it was some rite of passage.

You acted like pros, you got TREATED like pros....simple.

We had rookie initiation in Garfield my first year, 1970. We had to memorize the corps history and songs, and we had a veteran assigned to us...we had to polish his white bucks and clean his equipment before champs. At VFW Nats the main group of vets, led by the DM's, brought each rookie into a hotel room and quizzed us on the corps history. There was no physical or emotional mistreatment of anyone, ever! We had a very classy group of vets, really.

In 71 we eliminated all of that small amount of "rookie-stuff". Kids still learned the songs and history, but there was no rookie-stuff at all. I understand it was later put back, but that is after my time.

[MikeN]

A little OT, but when I was going through Plebe Summer at the Naval Academy, my best friend was going through frat initiation at a heavily religious college. We compared notes at the time, and his hazing was sooooooo much worse than mine. (Mine didn't even really qualify as hazing, I'd say.)

Mike

[traveller30]

We enjoyed our "rituals" back in the day. Is there something wrong with a rookie talent show?

How about our "rookie swim"? Once a year after a good rain, we would make the rookies lay down and splash in puddles while singing the corps song.

Is that "hazing"?

Where do you draw the line?

Making a 16 year old to do "Puppetry of the #####" helps the drum corps how exactly?

[traveller30]

This.....so much this.

I was never hazed in BD....I got three snuggies, but that was because I earned them, not because it was some rite of passage.

You acted like pros, you got TREATED like pros....simple.

You were hazed... Dave stopped snuggies for a reason.

[SFZFAN]

The snare drumer next to me was once hit square in the head with a megaphone by the director. We didn't think of that as hazing - he was just trying to get his attention.

[burgerbob]

so... if someone is struggling with one of their drill moves, then it is ok to haze them? am I misunderstanding posts 11 and 19?

If you want to be completely literal in your understanding, sure.

But no, of course not. If you're not up to snuff with everyone else, I would say that knowledge is enough to get you to be better. It was for me. And good vets know that not being a giant ###hole to rookies is a lot better than the other way around.

[Geoff]

We weren't abused. (Unless you consider countless hours of tracking--or having to listen to Bob Smith-- as abuse, LOL) Geoff's "shh" was more of a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that a within-the-corps tradition (or rite of passage, you could say) was being discussed on the board. (Hence the "smiley" emoticon of my post as well.) Nothing sinister.

Exactly.

I would also count having to spend an entire year under a certain director as abuse, as well.

[GeneralTsoChicken]

Exactly.

I would also count having to spend an entire year under a certain director as abuse, as well.

Ha, does said name combine the cities St. Louis and Los Angeles in their english versions?

[GeneralTsoChicken]

Shhhhhh...

:)

LOL, hey now! Nikk had pictures of it, publicly all over the internet for years.

[year1buick]

LOL, hey now! Nikk had pictures of it, publicly all over the internet for years.

I might know someone who has pictures as well.