HS Cheerleader suspended and Fraternity rucus leads to brain damage.

justamom · #1 11-18-2001, 06:49 PM

Just caught these two headlines on Fox's rolling tape.
The cheerleaders made a sign telling their players to "rape" their opponents. They are suspended.

Two fraternities had a fight. One guy put a billiard ball in a sock and hit another in the head resulting in brain damage. I think they are in jail.

Anyone know the full story or where to find it?

mmcat · #2 11-18-2001, 07:31 PM

If that's true, that's terrible...
I hope not...
mmcat

DeltAlum · #3 11-18-2001, 11:27 PM

The Cheerleader incident was against our son's high school. It was a state quarterfinal football game and the sign the opposing cheers held up at the beginning for the team to break through while running onto the field said "Rape The Raptors."

The Activities director of the opposing school saw the sign too late and marched the three cheerleaders who made the sign over to the opposite side of the field and made them appologize to "our" cheerleaders -- most of whom didn't see the offending sign. The three cheers have been suspended from cheering.

I think this was just an unfortunate situation where the three girls who made the sign didn't really think about how offensive the word is. They know now.

I hope this doesn't turn into a huge deal. Sometimes even well intentioned people do and say dumb things.

justamom · #4 11-18-2001, 11:56 PM

I hear you on that...I've had more than my share of foot-in-mouth.

James · #5 11-19-2001, 03:33 AM

Well I think we, collectively as people, need to get a grip . . .

I mean lets think, signs saying "kill the raptors", "destroy the raptors", humilate the . . . etc would probably have passed with little comment . . .

But "rape the Raptors" . . .

So the brilliant teachers march them across the field and basically make a big deal of it by publicly humilaiting them and to the opposing cheerleaders, when the sign was 99 percent likely to be geared towards the football team, cause that is what cheerleaders do, bash the opposing team while praising their own . . .

And if that is not enough they decided to suspend them . . . if I were one of their parents I would be talking to my attourney about getting the suspension removed from my daughters record and an apology about frog marching them across the field to apologize in public like that.

I mean wouldn't a simple: hey girls please don't use that word again have been enough? Unless they think the girls were being cold, calculating, and acting with malice to try and inflame onlookers and make some kind of point . . . if that were true the girls could get the ACLU to defend their Freedom of Speech.

Ahh but I forgot that teachers and administrators don't much believe in the Bill of Rights . . . And they teach our Young . . .

You know just when I start to think highly of Teachers and get caught up in the idea of a Noble Calling . . . but then something like this happens and I remember that old adage:

Those that can: do.
Those that can't: Teach.
Those that Can't teach: Administer . . .

Sigh . . . poor girls.

shadokat · #6 11-19-2001, 10:20 AM

The cue ball in the sock incident did occur this weekend. The story was on fraternalnewsgroups this morning, but they didn't say where it happened. It just said there was a brawl between Zeta Psi brothers and Alpha Chi Rho brothers, and that one of the Zetes brothers was in serious condition after a severe blow to the head from one of the AXP brothers. Scary....

DeltAlum · #7 11-19-2001, 01:45 PM

James,

I think there are a couple of considerations regarding the cheerleader incident.

1) There were pictures taken of the "sign." One of them appeared in the Rocky Mountain News. If the teacher/administrator hadn't done something then the lack of action would be all over the news. This is a "lose-lose" situation for the offending school.

2) While on the surface I agree with your comment about the use of other words, (kill, destroy, etc.), I think that this particular word cuts much deeper in today's PC climate. Is that right or wrong? Different debate.

3) People do stupid things without thinking -- like using the word "rape" or appearing in blackface. First Amendment or not, (and frankly, I think it's grasping a little to consider this cheerleader suspension unconstitutional) these kids did something to offend a huge portion of the population (African Americans in one case, women in another).

In the Cheerleader incident at least, I think that these three kids made a mistake and learned from it. It's not a bad lesson to learn.

PKTSU01 · #8 11-19-2001, 01:48 PM

The cue ball thing was at Syracuse, and I know everyone thats supposedly involved, this is f#*$(d up!

#9 11-19-2001, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum
In the Cheerleader incident at least, I think that these three kids made a mistake and learned from it. It's not a bad lesson to learn. [/B]

I don't think suspention is a good lesson. I think it will only enrage students. If students, both the cheerleaders and others, are to understand why this was offensive, another angle should have and still can be taken. The girls should have either been required to attend a sexual assult/rape awarness seminar or speak with some rape survivors OR be required to coordinate, with assistance a panel discussion or seminar for the school. This would turn an unforuniate incident into something positive that not only could enlighten students, but also educate them.

And you may call me insensitive, but the word rape has multiple defintions. (See below) And in the case of a football game rape^1 defintion 2, is somewhat applicable. Even though it may not be the current in-your-mind definition when you first hear the word.

~Artimis

From Webster's New World Dictionary

rape^1: n. [prob. <L. rapere, seize] 1. the crime of having sexual intercourse with a woman forcibly and without her consent. 2. the plundering (of a city, etc.), as in warfare -- vt. raped, raping 1. to commite rape on; ravish 2. to plunder or destroy - vt to commit rape -- rapist n.

rape^2: n. [< L. rapa, turnip] a plant of the mustard family, whose leaves are used for fodder.

DeltAlum · #10 11-20-2001, 01:47 AM

I just wrote a long reply, but it really was a waste of time and verbage.

Bottom line is I disagree.

Remember that the cheerleaders are suspended -- not expelled -- from the team. That would indicate to me that they probably will have a chance to cheer again. This isn't the Universal Cheerleaders Association version of the death penalty. (Yes, before you ask how I know, I have a daughter who was a cheer at a school that has placed nationally in cheerleading for years)

I'm not real interested in the semantics of the word rape, either. It was a real bad choice. I really doubt that the three young women consulted Webster when making their sign. They went for the aliteration and didn't think through how offensive the word can be to a lot of people.

And they brought their handywork to a big public stadium for everyone to see -- with TV and Newspaper cameras all over the place.

They put themselves, their school, their community and their families in a very embarassing situation.

When I was sixteen, I lost my drivers license for two weeks for driving 41 in a 25 zone. It was "suspended." I had to go to juvenile traffic court. It taught me a lesson, but it didn't ruin my life.

They made a mistake. They'll learn from it and life will go on.

justamom · #11 11-20-2001, 07:36 AM

I have to agree with DeltAlum on this one. It was a really bad case of poor judgement. Once again, we are getting into that "gray" area and every opinion will be a slightly different "shade". Why is something MORE WRONG-just because everyone sees it? Is it because we are told me must react with disgust? Compare the two recent incidents the H-Party and this "rape" poster. Now I would guarantee you these incidents have been mirrored at HS and Universities around the country. It's the fact the audience was so huge that the reaction by administrators must be in line with the degree of national attention it received. If you do something insensitive in view of a crowd of 5 or 500, you could argue that it isn't the "act" that changed, it the exposure. So are you punishing for the act or because of the humiliation it brought to administration?

No arguement here...just something to ponder.

KarenC725 · #12 11-20-2001, 10:31 AM

I think (remember, just my opinion) that it says a lot about our teachings as a society that these girls wouldn't comprehend BEFOREHAND that using the word rape might offend someone. For all the preaching we do about the subject, it obviously didn't get through to them. I also agree that in addition to the suspension, some sort of "activity" be it attending a seminar or whatever would have been a good idea. Keep in mind that the word has made its way into popular music and can be heard all the time in a way that makes it sound "normal and acceptable".

justamom · #13 11-20-2001, 01:54 PM

Karen wrote-I think (remember, just my opinion) that it says a lot about our teachings as a society that these girls wouldn't comprehend BEFOREHAND that using the word rape might offend someone. For all the preaching we do about the subject, it obviously didn't get through to them.

Excellent point.

lenoxxx · #14 11-30-2001, 12:40 AM

The Four Ball in the sock thing can be read about online at

www.Onlinehermes.com

This is an online Greek Newspaper for Greeks At Syracuse University.

It is an excellent publication!

Yours,

Jason Lenox

James · #15 11-30-2001, 02:19 AM

That ia an excellent publication . . . do you have a paper version also?