Freshman initiation games

So, think hard and long before you participate If you are involved in a prank that turns ugly you could find your dreams of a college athletic career come to a screeching halt.

College Sports Scholarships. College Sports Scholarships Connect with Us. Jason Murphy. Geez, and you sound like a member of a "football band". By that I mean a band whose only purpose in life is to support the jocks of the school population and make lots of noise every time they butt heads in the mud. Adam Duritza. Listen, if you had a brain, which you obviously don't, you would see that I was quoting what other people had said before when I talked about hazing and suing.

What the hell is wrong with your mind that you can not see the huge difference!!!! I'm sorry, but you must belong to some sick, twisted band who rapes freshman for initiation.

That's a very serious offense, and the last time I heard, it wasn't meant all in good fun without intention of hurting, and don't give me crap about how it isn't cause I'll fight even harder. Andrew B. In response to the original topic of this thread, my band used to force all the freshmen to wear outrageously ugly neon hats during band camp, any time they were out of the dorms. The signing created a sort of bond between rookies and seniors, and helped us learn who was who. Unfortunately, my class was the last to endure this unique initiation, as we made a few changes the next year.

As for the hazing thing, this wasn't "mentally devestating", it was kinda fun I still have my hat, as a sort of memoir. It creates a bond,knowing that everyone has been through the same things. Anyway, hope this helps.

Listen, this is just getting way out of hand. A lot of people are assuming a lot of things. I just want to say one thing and that's probably all I'm going to post on this topic. Jennifer, that's a great idea and my high school has been doing that since I've been here can't wait to be a senior this year.

And it has worked most of the time, though our drumline which I admit to being a member of has been rowdy at times and treated each other like pledges. No more though Shannon Stegall. Isn't the whole part of initiation just teaching the freshmen discipline? Why don't the upper classmen just set an example. Show them how to be good members instead of scaring them into it.

Make a spirit day where everyone's attitude is positive and the freshmen can show you how positive they can be. Lead by example. If you treat them like crap, then they'll probably treat you like crap.

Give them the respect they deserve. They're people just like you and me. Just make them stand at attention, with the rest of the members, and have them do stuff that might actually help with their marching or playing abilities. Instead of having them like peanut butter off seniors toes, have them march a perfect 8 to 5 to get your signature. It will make you lives easier when it gets to the middle of the marching season.

Homie D. We lock them all in the band room with the seniors of which I am one and turn out the lights and make them run through stuff that feels like things it isn't and other harmless things like that. Then they are all given a card that has every seniors name on it and a picture of a worm coming out of an apple in the middle. They are to wear the card at ALL Times unless they are in bed sleeping.

If they get caught not wearing it, they get pushups and stuff like that. To get a seniors signature, they are to do something a senior requires them to do. Be their slave and get their food at breakfast, get them water at breaktime on the field, eat baby food, lick peanut butter of peoples toes thats a nasty one and other things like that. And this year, we have more seniors then freshman woohaa, fun for us! The worms also need to memorize a worm poenm and recite it to our band director.

If they dont fullfill their worm requirements, they usually have to ride bus 1 with the band director all year but this usually never comes true It's a nice little event because it gets the freshman well aquanted with the seniors which helps them out later in the yuear and it looses the atmosphere of an intense band camp up A LOT when you come inside off the field. Jennifer Dunham. Here's an idea The Nugents. Very good point Shannon Personally I think that it could work with my band if the band director would lighten up a bit.

During band camp, it's all work, no fun except during lunch, but during that time we're all licking our wounds from being outside since 8 in the morning and awaiting the fact that we have 45 minutes till we go out again. Nathan Thompson. I pitty you sorry people who live in fear of a right of passage. Talk about the fear of responcibility.

Get over it and enjoy it. Tradition can be one of the most powerful forces in band. I don't see anyone talking about threatening the life of a little freshman, so stop worring.

Get over it, go to camp, and learn to have a little fun. Ernie Gose. Gosh, you must either have a really bad football team, or your marching band has no spirit! I am not trying to bash anyone at saying this, but the reason most marching bands go to the football games is to help out the football team! Not "get the hell out of there. I kinda understand why you think your half-time show is just a "warm up" in some wierd way, but you have to get your priorities straight.

Think not of just football as a sport, but as a great way to show your band's spirit off!! Tonia G. If one of them let go, the whole thing breaks down. Jim Scott. One of the things we always did was had all of the freshman get up on the stage at our camp and have them lip-sync to a song that our student DJ picked.

It was fun for everyone, yes even the freshman, and it helped get rid of that fear of being in front of people that some people have. Christin Selfinger. I say initiate the freshman by making them feel welcome and like they are a part of a first class organization with a tradition of excellence. And encourage them to be excellent also. Initiations that embarrass and humiliate people just for the fun of it are stupid.

Thats not how good bands operate. When I was a freshman I didnt have to go through any "initiation". The upperclassmen were cool to me and helped me out to learn my part and perform my show better. If not I suggest you look into attending one. There are several all over the country. It will change your view on things like this and how your band operates. Megan C You guys, I think that initations should be positive, if at all.

I know that when I was a freshman, I was terrified of our first rehearsal. I was the only freshman coming from my school who wasn't in drum line, and I had no idea what to expect. I already had one enemy in my section who was a year older than me.

I didn't know anything about band traditions, so I didn't know if they had initations, but I had heard from friends who are band members at other schools that their initations were awful.

But I was one of the lucky ones. The freshmen didn't have any sort of initation. Oh sure, some of the upperclassmen treated us like dirt I would use another word for it, though , but otherwise, it wasn't that bad.

Think back to when you were a freshman? Did you enjoy your initation? Probably not. So why do it to others? Sure, it may be a tradition, but try to change that tradition to something positive, like each senior adopting a freshman, or the seniors kind of putting on a show like a goofy field show for them, something to make them welcome.

Marching band should be like a family, and each family member should be made to feel welcome. You guys are going to spend a lot of time together in the next year. It's better to have friends than enemies. And in my band, some of those upper classmen who picked on a freshman in their section were pretty speechless when that freshman became their section leader the next year her sophomore year.

So now, she can boss them around. Those upperclassmen who picked on her are beginning to regret their decisions, because those who didn't pick on her are having a much better time. Think about it. Zak Ruffert. First, I'm not really sure about the situation about which the author intended, but I'm assuming that if the people fell in the gooey stuff, they wouldn't be landing on furniture, stands, chairs, etc.

You would probably take that into consideration. Second, this is really a modification on a Halloween game. It's the one where you peel grapes and say they are eyes, say spaghetti is hair, liver is liver, you get the jist.

Is having someone touch these things with their feet absolutely a criminal act worthy of the death penalty? No, but that's what some people are making it out to be. All you flutes need to stop writing in saying we shouldnt "torture" freshmen, that instead we should help them. Initiation is a right of passage, we all went through it and afterwards the person that is initiated gets respect because they earned it.

Freshmen have to be put into their place and taught respect. I'm sick of all you wussy people out there afraid to hurt anyone. Geez, lighten up. The day there isn't a punk freshmen in band is the day I turn in my bag-of-initiation-goodies. Egos need to be delt with - plain and simple. If you don't have one, I just hope you don't run into someone who does Bill Nance iii. Our band does several initiation things with the freshmen that are amusing for the Upperclassmen, and beneficial for the freshmen.

They are required to wear them at all times during our one week of band camp. Since we go away to camp, that means that they were them alot. Another thing we do is make them wear a notebook, called a gig book. In that, they must get signitures of all the Seniors and officers. They used to have a gig book song, and have to get gig points, and such, but it was taken out for some reason or another.

Also, during band camp, the freshmen essentially do anything the upperclassmen tell them within reason! They carry instruments, hold up walls, wake up the turtles, act out Romeo and Juliet, sing the Veggietales song, and all sorts of fun stuff. This is to squash any attitudes that they may have, and remind them that they shouldn't be worried about looking like a fool. This helps in competitions, so they aren't as scared. On Thursdays, we have "Black Thursday" This year, it was called Day of Discipline, and we were to act disciplined in front of the freshmen.

Then, that night, we led them around on a trust walk, took them through a tunnel of upper classmen, and into a discipline speech. It was a high tech and slightly scary experience for them. Friday, well, I don't want to spoil anything for any 8th graders that will be freshment next year, so I'll stop.

But remember, things change from year to year, so don't think I've spoiled anything for you. Shannon, I know you're out their somewhere. Do you have anything to add? Brian R Bernardini. Bill, thanks for the news. Sounds like fun. Hopefully things will change so that we can do that sort of stuff. It's not that our high school is bad, in fact our band usually turns out an awesome show, it's just getting the frosh to listen to us ahh!

Our football team does suck.. They should be greatful to us cause we cheer as much as the cheerleaders. Games turn out as a good practice for a comp. Hey, I thoroughly enjoyed my Freshmen initiation, and we got it tough! We were treated like dirt, scared out of our minds, and pretty humiliated.

No longer were we treated like Freshmen, but like the rest of the band. That made me feel pretty good. It also taught several lessons, like to listen to your upperclassmen, since they know what they are doing even if you don't. Also, I learned to not worry about what others think about me, because they aren't thinking as bad of thoughts as I thought. Basically, there is bad initiations, especially if its revenge, or just cruel and purposeless.

Just try to have purpose to them. Michael Barnett. Dragonmaster Lou. Gene Brothers. No one special. David Pruett. Okay, this is what we did in Drum Corps. We got the rookie and made him sing "12 Days of Christmas" and every time he messed up gave him a super wedgie. Well, I'll tell ya that he didnt have any underwear on by the end of the song!

James Lorenzen. Robert Green. This was my Junior year, third year in band, and I still received an initiation! Of course, our band is off the wall and a great group of people that enjoys having a lot of fun, save for the fact that they dressed my up in make-up, it would have been fine, had I not been a MALE! Would you like salt with that? I attended DCI a seminar on this very subject and was blown away with what some kids have sued their "initiators" over.

For example You are walking on VERY thin ice if you think that these initaiations wont someday haunt you in a big. Do whatever you like, but be warned. Our band always had intiations. Until this year. At band camp, the Juniors and Seniors would make us lowly Sophomores our HS is dump all the section's trays and trash at lunch.

And the classes before us always did. UNTIL me and my drummer friend blatantly refused, and left the caf. Now, there is still a Drumline intiation that all males have to go through which means not me : , and that's getting "ripped". That's when they hang you from the drum tree by the waistband of your undies, and you don't get down til they rip. Hence the name. Back when I was a soph and I was initiated, My high school is only grades There were only two of us being initiated for the trombone section.

The section leader held up a napkin, which was "the flag. Everyone got a kick out of it, as I sang off-key not on purpose , forgot some of the words, and basically sounded like Frank Drebin in "The Naked Gun.

The sax section tied the feet of all its new members together through lunch on initiation day, so they all had to get their lunch together, and all stay together as they served the upperclassmen their drinks. When they finally sat down with their lunches, the band director said "By the way, could you get me some lemonade?

The drum line always did its "rippings" when one's underwear was torn off while the pants were still on I wouldn't recommend doing this for obvious reasons.

When my junior year rolled around, a new band director took over, and outlawed all auditions and drink serving. I thought it kind of sucked because I had to go through initiation, and everyone else after me did not. We don't do initiations of any sort, or maybe we just don't call them that. We have a long standing tradition of placing many freshies in the large band room garbage can.

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