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I'm a freshman on the (former) Rice Lacrosse team. I was at the "initiation party" and I was "initiated"
Calling this hazing is a stretch. We were told several times that we didnt have to drink if we didnt want to. The event was not mandatory by any means. Several of our key starters (freshmen) didnt even go, and many upperclassmen have never attended the annual party.
We were handcuffed with toy handcuffs to freshmen on the girls lax team and given a fifth of liquor to drink, along with a wide array of chasers/mixers. From the stories I've heard of friends at other schools who pledged last semester, this is nothing at all. I had a great time, I never felt like I was in danger or I was being forced to do anything. Two girls went to the hospital because they had too much to drink, but I dont think they went directly from the party. Two guys had decided weeks in advance that they were going to bring boxing gloves and box each other, and they pretty much knocked each other out. They went to the hospital, one from the party and the other after he made it back to his dorm. Here at Rice, we have a wet campus and an alcohol policy designed with our safety in mind. Students call Rice EMS all the time to be checked out for alcohol-poisoning or drinking too much or whatever. The campus police are never notified, nor are parents. The administration wants us to be comfortable drinking on campus and calling for help if we have too much rather than drinking off campus and driving, or trying to down 15 shots in our rooms 5 minutes before we go out. So 4 people going to the hospital from one party might sound like a lot, but they weren't serious. No one's stomach was pumped, they were just given fluids and watched overnight.
Our captains hold no power other than they can sign checks for the rice lacrosse account. other than that, they organize games and run practices as we really dont have a coach (we're a club team). To single them out and suspend them, in my opinion, is ridiculous. We protested based on that logic, and their suspensions were reduced a bit.
Anyway, this is by no means an official statement or anything, so don't quote me. However, I just wanted to shed some light on this, as we've gotten a lot of bac publicity. I'll check back every so often, so reply or PM me or whatever. Take care y'all
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