A double standard at Nebraska
 

(I've sent this letter to a bunch of people at the Univ. of Nebraska, questioning their tolerance of hazing among athletes, and their quick action against the DU chapter. I wonder what response I'll get?)


TO: Harvey Perlman, University of Nebraska Chancellor
Jim Griesen, UofN Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs
Daily Nebraskan
University of Nebraska police dept.
Lincoln Journal Star

FROM: Hoosier

In this week's Husker Connection (huskerconnection.com), there is a report on several freshman football players with strange haircuts, due to hazing:

"One other thing teams do or such seems to be the case is that true freshmen often see the rather unflattering parts of being just that. Though "hazing" is openly discouraged, the belief is, is that at some level, it still happens from time to time.

"Nebraska is no different.

"With that in mind, certain freshmen were sporting new and interesting hair-cuts, Brett Byford and Ryan Schuler just to name a couple, the kind of hair-cuts no beautician would ever take credit or in this case, responsibility for. Nobody is saying anything, but you can imagine that their new "styles" weren’t exactly voluntary. "It’s a situation where I am being fed that, that’s the haircut they wanted." Solich stated. "But, I’m not so sure that, that was the case."

"We do address the team about hazing, because that’s something you never want to get started. As small as something seems, it generally starts to expand from there and then you got yourself a lot of problems, so another learning situation for us."

Boys will be boys, of course, and these boys are Nebraska football players.

In contrast, in early March Delta Upsilon fraternity was accused of hazing, based on an emailed photograph, although there were no pledges in the picture. As reported in the Lincoln Journal Star:

"Monday, Mar. 4, 2002
UNL: Delta Upsilon to be spanked for alcohol violations
BY MARTHA STODDARD Lincoln Journal Star

"The photograph e-mailed to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Office of Greek Affairs late Tuesday afternoon revealed more than the bare bottoms of two Delta Upsilon fraternity members.

"It also showed a clear violation of university alcohol policy and a possible violation of rules against hazing and physical abuse, said Jim Griesen, vice chancellor for student affairs.

"The photograph depicts nine young men in the corner of a large room, several holding beer cans. Two of the men are bent over, with their pants lowered to display dark red marks on their bare buttocks. A third man crouches between them, holding a wooden paddle with the Greek letters delta and upsilon.

"Griesen said preliminary investigations confirmed that the photo was real and was taken in the basement of the Delta Upsilon house, 1548 Vine St."

The men of Delta Upsilon were quickly on their way to a discipline hearing, and the chapter's national organization quickly suspended the chapter.

I wonder if there is a double standard on campus - hazing is allowed among football players, but hazing is not allowed in a fraternity house.

What would the University do to a fraternity which gave strange haircuts to the pledges?

Is hazing allowed on the football team at Nebraska? Does the coach really believe "that’s the haircut they wanted."

Is there a double standard?

The coaches don't haze anyone, what happens happens. That's how it is. Besides, when was the last time the DU house brought in a tenth of the revenue to the university the football team could generate?

Jim,

While I like your username (hoegaarden is yummy) I'd advise you to not waste your time bumping any threads started by hoosier.

Unless, of course, you are hoosier and the market for your "writing" has dried up.

I assure you, I'd never allow myself to go by any alias that implies I am a hoosier. Advice Noted though.