Photo Credit: Rachel Fox

Jed Springer, M-A water polo player

The term “hazing” usually brings to mind images of humiliation and pain, in which participants need to prove their dedication to become part of a program. What happened on Aug. 21 was in no way humiliating, and certainly not painful. It was, however, a tradition and a rite of passage for the MA boys water polo program.

One would be hard-pressed to find a way to put “serious harm” and “foam pool noodles” in the same sentence. The real injustice that occurred in this situation is not the freshman initiation, but the way it was handled. A senior who was not even on the run reported to his mother an event that he had not even seen first hand. Then, instead of taking a reasonable route of complaint, such as sending Coach Bega an e-mail, his mother proceeded to directly e-mail Ms. Wimberly. This e-mail expressed her personal opinion without consulting anyone who was there, let alone the freshmen that were involved.

Since I was there, I can corroborate the freshmen’s reports that they were not hurt or humiliated in any way. In fact, throughout most of the practice they were smiling and laughing. If any of them were to have voiced resentment at being part of the initiation, it would have been stopped immediately. This initiation is a harmless tradition that has been passed down since before we were even at M-A, and there is no reason an unfounded complaint should be the end of it.

To hear the other side, read “It’s Humiliating, It’s Hazing” by Rachel Fox