[DeeGeePee]

Originally posted by italianaxo
First of all I completely disagree with the premise that a public high school cannot require you to do anything non academic. Schools are designed to produce productive members of society, not only to impart facts. Schools do not require enough of their students, nor do they give enough support. A well designed community service programs enhances students knowledge of the world and ability to work with others.
We have so many problems in todays society that it is ridiculous to absolve schools of any responsibility and prevent them from helping students in a non academic manner.

Well, I have to agree with italianaxo. To actually think that the schools have absolutely no responsibility in preparing these kids for life is pure stupidity. I am both a parent and a future teacher, and I can tell you, its both of their responsibilties. Yes above all eles, the parent is responsible for teaching their children the ways of the world and how to be a productive citizen. But I think that its also the teachers job to reinterate what the parents teach by having them utilize their education IN the world. School is a big social arena, where most kids first get exposed to "life", so to think that its not important to TEACH what they need to do in school just doesn't make sense. I had to complete 32 hours to graduate, and it wasn't a big deal. Having kids to do that is not slave labor, it having them do something for someone other than themselves for a change. Even if they don't wanna do it, which most don't, they help people, and 9 times outa 10, they end up learning something about people and themselves.

To consider it hazing makes me wonder about the mind set of this world. If you get drunk at a social and get sick, is that hazing cuz your GLO sponsored it? Is it hazing if you stay up all night to cram for finals so you can have a 2.5 and be active next semester? No. That's ridiculous. When you pledge an organization, you find out all that will be required of you. If you have a problem with the requirements, then don't pledge. If a GLO has a service requirement (as mine does, 15 hours a semester, we ARE a service sorority) and you fell that helping the people of your community is going to cause you detremental damage, then don't pledge it. You have the choice to join or not. Each GLO can require what they want. But it is not hazing to have people help their fellow man. I mean really!