Question: Hazing in Canadian dorms???

hoosier · #1 06-24-2005, 08:13 PM

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/233640

I wish our Canadian GCers would look at this site.

It appears to be a night of hazing at a U of British Columbia dorm. Guys wearing diapers off-campus in public, eating hot peppers and hot sauce, shaving, forced beer drinking, etc.

Is this common in Canadian Universities?

RACooper · #2 06-24-2005, 08:47 PM

Not really... and I've never heard of anyone forced to participate in the fun and games - but yeah Frosh Week and finals can get kinda interesting... I think McDonalds had a commercial featuring 6 guys handcuffed together running around UofT and Toronto.

The thing is that as far as I know none of them are doing it under duress - or even as part of any organized group... it's students being crazy/silly for the hell of it.

mmcat · #3 06-25-2005, 08:44 AM

silliness is one thing...mandatory is something else again.
hope that's not the case.

MooseGirl · #4 06-25-2005, 08:59 AM

there was much similar hazing, if that's what it was, in my residence of the first uni I went to. For the most part it's not forced, but of course the pressure is there. a lot of it was fun, well, funny stuff, but there was this thing called the "10 and 11" and it was true bad hazing! (school started act on it by not allowing it on campus, so they started holding the events where this took place off campus)

I know even 2nd year there was defintite hazing on my floor because the dorm had changed from single-sex floors to co-ed and the guys who traditionally lived on 5th floor "initiated" the women and the new guys. Fortunately my brother was visiting me that weekend so I missed out. i don't know what happened other than a jump in the lake was required.

But i know as an under-ager first semester I was never forced to drink - I think the "10 and 11" were the only time ppl were actually forced to do anything - and it was secret so it's not like any of us really know what happens since only 2 gals and 2 guys are "chosen" each year....I wonder if they still do it or not? i hope it died out.

RACooper · #5 06-25-2005, 10:13 AM

The residence/college "initiations" used to be pretty elaborate here at UofT... but they have been fading away for years now - so for example I don't think the Victoria College folks have had a "formal" sheep and scotch/ram and rum night in years (kinda of a shame to see a 100+ year-old tradition vanish though)... they started fading away when the age demographic changed (and when the residences stopped throughing pre-pub keg parties for the students - was part of your residence fees).

All in all the only "stupidity or silliness" that goes on is almost always a product of booze, boredom, and bonding... and of course the extrovert personalities trying to impress others in a bizare way of trying to get laid

Taualumna · #6 06-25-2005, 11:13 AM

I didn't recall dorm hazing at Queen's (I lived in a girls-only building. I'm SURE hazing existed in the co-ed and guys' buildings though), but we certainly had it with our frosh groups, if you call doing the school cheer in Lake Ontario, hazing! It was lots of fun! I'm not sure if it's done anymore. The Engineering students have their annual Grease Pole climb (competition between the four years..whichever year climbs the pole the quickest to obtain the Engineering tam wins...or something like that). The pole was stolen after a football game with U of T back in the 50s.

Darlinglilred · #7 06-25-2005, 12:50 PM

No dorm hazing, or any other kinds of hazing at Carleton, I lived in rez and the worst thing that happened was that we played practical jokes on each other.
Everyone does crazy/silly things during frosh week but none of it is hazing it's usually a bunch if people get drunk and say hey let's go do this...

RACooper · #8 06-25-2005, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Darlinglilred
No dorm hazing, or any other kinds of hazing at Carleton, I lived in rez and the worst thing that happened was that we played practical jokes on each other.
Everyone does crazy/silly things during frosh week but none of it is hazing it's usually a bunch if people get drunk and say hey let's go do this...

Like sailing down the canal on furniture....

Darlinglilred · #9 06-25-2005, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RACooper
Like sailing down the canal on furniture....

you too?!

RACooper · #10 06-25-2005, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Darlinglilred
you too?!

Seemed like a good idea when stubbling home from Oliver's - and besides it wasn't like Grenville was using that desk in the lobby

canadajen · #11 06-26-2005, 02:40 AM

I graduated from UBC in 2002, and while I did not live in this particular residence on campus I did do the rez thing for 3.5 years.

Both of our junior residences (at the time, maybe more now) were definitely known to have a lot of 'interesting goings on', including optional activities such as those depicted & described on the link hoosier provided. Aside from the quiet floors, these two residences, Totem Park and Vanier, were often thee place to party your first year or two on campus (aside from the fraternity houses and the Pit Pub).

Like a lot of my fellow Canadian GCers have already mentioned, these activities were definitely not mandatory, with many people opting to participate for sheer fun. It was generally regarded as a way of letting off steam and bonding together

When I asked one of my friends (who lived in this dorm) about whether or not she had done any of this and about her overall experiences in this rez, she instantly smiled and said that she had such a blast and that she was still incredibly close to her floor mates (and is currently living with one now, 6 years later!)

All in all, I would guess that things like this are somewhat common in Canadian university residences based on what I heard from friends, etc.

(Edited because I am not making much sense at 245 AM ... need sleep!)

Lady Pi Phi · #12 06-26-2005, 02:13 PM

I heard rumours of hazing at the University of Guelph. However, it was only among the sports teams, and I never witnessed anything first hand. Except maybe Rookie Day.

On Rookie Day, they get the Varsity rookies to dress up and they have to walk around campus all day. Most costumes consist of wearing their sports equipment, you might find a couple of guys in dresses. But I have never heard this being a problem and that all are participants of their own free will.

I lived in the biggest residence hall on Campus for 2 years. I never witnessed any hazing of any kind.

RACooper · #13 06-26-2005, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lady Pi Phi
On Rookie Day, they get the Varsity rookies to dress up and they have to walk around campus all day. Most costumes consist of wearing their sports equipment, you might find a couple of guys in dresses. But I have never heard this being a problem and that all are participants of their own free will.

For a while (don't know if they still do) the Varsity Men's Hockey here at UofT used to have the graduating seniors dress-up and be dragged around to all the bars at the whim of the juniors - with the rookies buying the drinks.... I believe the team jokingly refered to it as "reverse-hazing".

Tom Earp · #14 06-26-2005, 03:12 PM

Do Canadians always do things differently North of The Border?

Taualumna · #15 06-26-2005, 03:49 PM

I don't know if this is considered hazing, but at Queen's frosh are not allowed to wear their faculty jackets (At Queen's students from different areas of study have jackets, such as Arts and Science, Music, Education, Engineering, Commerce, etc) until after they've finished their December exams. Towards the end of the exam period, you'll see frosh carry their leather jackets to their exam, so they can put it on after they're done and head home.

Your grad year is on the jacket, so people know who the frosh are.