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By Sade Hurst / Staff Writer
(Photo Illustration by Corinne Love)
By Sade Hurst / Staff Writer
Imagine if “Mean Girls” had a new sequel.
Unfortunately, there is no sequel, but it has become a reality in Milburn, New Jersey, where top ranked high school, Milburn High School is facing a hazing crisis.
A “slut” list was passed around the campus as one of the acts in a series of incidents.
The list contained sexually explicit details. Just like in “Mean Girls,” it was essentially a “burn book.”
This list contained the names of freshmen girls who were already popular. The list is a tradition that the seniors have not failed once to continue.
The list creates a status that Milburn High School freshmen will do just about anything to get.
Even if that means students keeping their mouths shut when the school’s administration asks who is responsible for the list.
The list caused uproar with parents, but there isn’t much the administration can do because no one has given up any names.
If a student does they will risk being shunned for the rest of their lives and ruin a tradition that has been maintained for years.
The patterns of hazing in high school are never ending and Milburn has followed them exactly.
It seems like the girls of this high school are like most students who participate in hazing.
They have no respect for themselves.
“Slut” is a degrading term to call anyone and for this to be turned into a tradition, one would think no one would want to participate, yet the freshmen girls want to be on the list.
However, they don’t like the package of harassment and bullying that comes with it.
Hazing incidents are not usually recognized until some savvy adult catches on.
The Los Angles School District recently caught on to most of the football teams hazing of incoming freshmen at their high schools.Most involved in these hazing incidents claim that what they do is just tradition.
They do not realize that it can result in serious consequences.
These “traditions” seemed like they were created for TV.
For example, a college student initiating the incoming freshman by embarrassing them or bringing down their self esteem, sounds good only for TV.
Yet, students never realize that getting caught has so many other risks. The risks could include getting the organization they’re a part of shut down, a police investigation and possible jail time.
Another example, the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity of Cal Poly Pomona sent a member of their fraternity to the hospital because they had new members stand too close to a fire. The other members had splashed too much gas into the fire while they were blindfolded.
One fraternity member ended up with second degree burns.
As for the students on the high school campuses involved in the “slut list,” it is appalling that some of them are not taking this seriously.
Most of the students see it as just a tradition. A student of Milburn High School was quoted saying that it’s not anything personal, it’s just tradition. This student must not know what the definition of hazing is.
If the administration took the time to teach students the difference between hazing and tradition there wouldn’t be a situation like this.
Instead of just suspending a group like the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity for a couple of semesters, the fraternity members should talk to high school kids in their local communities about the consequences of hazing.
It might be a good learning experience for both groups. It will teach the high school students that apprehended or not, if these actions continue, someone will get seriously hurt.
It may also teach college students that there are other options of welcoming new members, rather than what they see in movies like “Revenge of the Nerds” or “Animal House.”
The idea will benefit both groups.
High schools will benefit the most because there will be more community involvement from faculty, parents and college students.
At times, it may be hard for parents to teach their children about hazing because what they say may contradict what their children are watching on TV.
If students heard that hazing is not as cool as it looks from college students who’ve been involved in hazing incidents, it may change their minds.
Another way this benefits college students is that they may realize that they are constantly being watched by everyone.
As college students, we should set better examples for students in high school, they are the future.
It may sound a little cliché, but its true. Setting the example for younger generations may cause more kids to stand up against hazing or what they may think of as just a “tradition.”
Tradition, hazing or whatever the students in Milburn are calling it, they may want to consider a new one.
Traditions are supposed to bond groups of people together.
Speaking up about the dangers of hazing can be a great start to a new tradition. A tradition that will spark change for the better and not for the worst.