The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 17, 1966 Page: 9 of 12
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A THRESHER REPORT
Fun & Games: Educate or Intimidate?
By RICHARD SAWYER
and STEPHEN C. FOX
Thresher Reporters
Although the freshman orientation
programs at Rice differ markedly in
many respects, some of them have a
common program of semi-hazing and
neo-hazing which, for want of an offi-
cial term, may be called freshman initi-
ation (FI).
Freshman initiation as defined is any
durable institution which has as its ob-
jective and main effect the physical
demarcation of freshmen.
There are two types of FI at Rice:
that by the residential colleges and
that by certain clubs and teams.
Jock Gudiance
According to a reliable member of
one of them, all athletic teams have a
rigorous program of hazing during their
seasons. The usual program consists of
requiring the freshmen in each college
to present a skit for upperclassmen, to
do miscellaneous personal errands for
them, to submit to regular brooming,
and to participate in the Olympic Games.
Eiu-ands include polishing shoes and
cars, fetching food (shack runs), and
anything else which an upperclassman
might decree.
The skit is held in the training room
and is invariably followed by a round
of brooming, the severity of which de-
pends on the quality of the perform-
ance. It is desirable for freshmen to
please their elders, for the effects of a
vigorous beating can last for several
weeks. The Olympic Games, which- are
held in the room of an upperclassman,
consist of a variety of activities, the
most notorious of which are the elephant
walk and (for lack of a better name)
the ball drop. In both games, players are
naked.
Ball Drop
Elephant walkers march around
mimicking elephants (who walk holding
each other's tail with their trunk). Ball
droppers must sit on a golf ball, pick
it up, and drop it into a cup.
Most athletic hazing is done by sopho-
mores, although juniors and seniors fre-
quently take part. It is defended on the
grounds that new players need to be
humiliated in order to co-operate as a
team. No one has complained very much
about it.
The Rally Club has variations of the
same program, although, of course, they
do not involve freshmen. The Rally Club
initiates must drag dead fish behind
them, and they are supposedly made to
consume unusual concoctions of tobacco
and various mixtures of alcohol.
Lack of Unanimity
FI occurs at Wiess, Hanszen, and
Baker Colleges. Only resident students
are subject to FI; off-campus students
are as isolated from the colleges in this
respect as in all others.
All three colleges provided freshmen
with beanies and a uniform to be worn
on Friday. However, Baker did not re-
quire or even very strongly recommend
wearing this outfit, though it was quite
popular for a time. Members of all three
colleges still wear their uniforms at
times on Fridays.
Wiess's program this year consisted
of a broom race, an ice cube race, a rope
pull, and the greased pole contest.
No Hard Feelings
In the broom race, freshmen were
spun around a broom and then made
to dodge pies and assorted goop while
running down a field with their legs
tied together. In the ice cube race they
have to push ice cubes with their noses
on a floor covered with salt and sugar.
Polar bear contestants, clad only in
underwear, race down a corridor sitting
on blocks of ice.
One Wiess sophomore section leader,
disappointed in this year's fun and
games, thinks Dr. Talmadge has emas-
culated the program by imposing numer-
ous restrictions (e.g., no polar bear race)
in his effort's to avoid "hurting any-
one's feelings." The program should
either be allowed to be of some sub-
stance, he says, or should be abolished.
He feels the vast majority of fresh-
men support fun and games, but are
unenthusiastic about it. No freshman
is under direct physical coercion to take
part, he added, but he doesn't think
very highly of anyone who refuses, and
neither do most people.
Couldn't Care Less
Curiously enough, he opposes beanies
because they physically distinguish
freshmen from other members of the
college.
Another sophomore section leader
said he couldn't care less whether or not
his charges participate. This respondent
did note a decrease in spirit among
this year's freshmen (this seems to 1)6*
true every year), and he thinks that
apathy will be the death of FI.
He suggested that the colleges could
infuse new life in the program by
abolishing those aspects which are put
on only for the amusement of sopho-
mores and by substituting for them a
series of cultural outings.
Hate Object
This person also stated that FI was
of little value in helping people to get
acquainted.
Several freshmen seemed to be in
favor of FI, although some Hanszen men
were rather uneasy about the polar
bear race, and a few thought the wear-
ing of name-tags after the second week
ridiculous. Praising the unifying aspects
of FI, especially fun and games, one
said, "We all have a common object of
hatred—our sophomore section leader."
This illustrates well the fact that FI
concerns essentially only three groups
of people: the resident freshmen, the
sophomore section leaders, and to a
lesser extent, tlie senior advisors, who
assume the superior role of overseers.
Tension Valve
All other people seem genuinely in-
different. Typical among them is the
Wiess SE who eloquently replied to a
question about FI with "Go away! I
have to study!"
These freshmen who considered fun
and games a valuable method of re-
leasing tensions caused by studying, felt
they represented the majority. One per-
son stated that 17 of the 21 people in
his section showed up for fun and
games.
No participating freshman thought
there was an overwhelming amount of
pressure to participate in FI, and most
did not hold anyone's non-participation
against him. In general, these people
seemed eager to co-operate with the
existent authorities in expectation of
the day when "power" would be theirs.
Right to Dissent
Two Hanszen freshmen spoke out in
definite opposition to FI, especially fun
and games, because they considered it
an intolerable infringement on their
right to spend their time as they saw-
fit. They also found personally distaste-
ful such features of the program as the
shack runs and the polar bear race.
Although under little pressure now,
they were definitely uneasy about the
future. One of them fled the campus
the night of the polar bear race in order
to study. These people have also re-
fused to wear their beanies and name
tags, but have had no trouble in getting
acquainted.
"Entirely Optional"
Neither said he was bitter about FI,
although both vowed militant opposition
to the program in a spring election
which will be held to decide whether or
not to continue fun and games at Hans-
zen.
Neither could name anyone whom he
felt Avas more militant than he, although
both thought the majority agreed with
them. They stated that less than one-
half of the people in their sections
showed up for the polar bear race.
The faculty officials of the colleges
took cautiously conservative attitudes.
Views varied from favoring the activi-
ties at Hanszen to opposing them at
Will Rice.
Dr. Roy V. Talmadge, Master of
Wiess, with the most nearly middle of
the road attitude, pointed out that he
was totally against hazing, but he none-
theless favored such activities as are
currently undertaken. He added, though,
"Everything should be entirely option-
al."
"Silly and Childish"
Professor C. R. Wischmeyer, Master
of Baker, stated that there seemed to
be little success in the realm of FI. He
felt that more was gained through
intramural sports activities. When asked
about Baker's policy, Wischmeyer stated
that he felt it was maturing as it in-
cluded much less FI.
James K. Van Houten, new resident
associate at Baker, stated that he con-
sidered most of FI activities silly and
childish. However, he saw nothing wrong
with things like beanies, red shirts,
name-tags,and tugs of war and even
considered them fun. He thought such
activities were okay as long as there
was no great risk of physical injury.
Dr. John Parrish, resident associate
of Wiess, thinks that college sponsor-
ship of FI should not be interpreted as
an unqualified endorsement of it. but.
as a means of controlling it to prevent
a scandal. He refused to state that fun
and games is distasteful to him,
although he said he does not like to
admit it exists.
De-Emphasis at WRC
Insisting that all participation in fun
and games be absolutely voluntary, he
noted that this has not always been
the case. Sophomore section leaders
should be chosen on the basis of their
maturity and interest in helping people,
rather than their zeal for persecuting
freshmen, Dr. Parrish added, noting this
has not always been the case.
Rick Herr, president of Will Rice,
disapproved of the "whole mess ... It
is stupid to force these activities on the
Ireshmen." He felt FI defeats the pur-
pose of the university, which is educa-
tion, not intimidation. Herr stated that
he did not like FI called "guidance," as
"guidance is a good word."
Following this policy well, Will Rice's
only FI activities were an upperclass-
men-inspired water fight (which fell
flat) and a tug of war with Baker
(organized entirely by freshmen).
Build Class Feeling
The attitude at Wiess was somewhat
different. FI was not termed guidance,
but rather "Freshman Orientation."
(Continued on Page 12)
THE RICE THRESHER, NOVEMBER 1 7, 196 6—P AGE 9
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Coyner, Sandy. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 17, 1966, newspaper, November 17, 1966; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth244985/m1/9/?rotate=90: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.