BATTLE’S FIELD: The “H” Word

Last November, NBC broadcasted the annual clash of the SWAC football titans better known as The Bayou Classic. It is one of the few times that the pageantry and showmanship of HBCU marching bands are highlighted during halftime on national television.  Two of the most famous and successful band programs in the country, Grambling State University’s Tiger Marching Band and Southern University’s Human Jukebox  strutted their stuff to the delight of the stadium and t.v. viewing audiences.  Unfortunately, two members of Southern’s band were not in attendance – they were in the hospital as a result of hazing.

According to published reports seven people have been arrested in the incident which occurred off campus.  It seems the mellophone section of the Jukebox has a ritual in which members are struck by a wooden board.  No one has said how long this peculiar “ritual” has been in existence.  Those who have intimate knowledge of the practice appear to have adopted the “code of silence” that so often accompanies these types of occurrences.

I was a member of an HBCU marching band and for those who think marching bands are made up of nerdy, weak little band geeks, complete with taped eye-glasses and pocket protectors, let me assure you that getting into an HBCU marching band takes a lot of hard work, both mentally and physically.  If you are an incoming freshman (or “crab” in marching band parlance) unfamiliar with the rigorous show style of HBCU bands, camp will be a huge culture shock.   HBCU band camps are more like Army boot camps.  Band hopefuls can expect to spend 10 to 14 hours a day during camp learning the band’s marching and playing style.  Crabs are expected to know (by memory) at least 6 songs in time for the season’s first game.

All that hard work is enough to bring a group together.  Band members feel a connection to each other, almost like an extended family.  No one else but a fellow member of the band can appreciate the sacrifice and the feeling of accomplishment you feel when you FINALLY don that uniform and face the stadium crowd, which has stayed in their seats to watch your band do its thing.

Hey, I get it.  I understand that feeling.  I am (and will always be) proud to have been a member of the Marching Spartan Legion.  I understand the pride of being part of such an organization – one that tests the mettle of its members.  But I didn’t suffer bodily harm (except for some aching muscles and blistered feet) in order to earn the privilege of wearing the Green & Gold.

Hazing is not exclusive to marching bands, of course, and it is certainly not just a problem on HBCU campuses.   Unfortunately, these days it’s not even just a college problem, as high school hazing incidents are being reported as well.   But it is still a problem. And one would think with the serious consequences that could result in its practice, not to mention the shameful stigma it can bring to an organization, hazing would fade away like a bad memory.  Yet it seems every year some organization somewhere winds up making headlines.

I will never understand what makes an organization so appealing to people that they would put themselves through physical pain in order to be a part of it.  Equally puzzling to me is why any organization would require its members to be beaten up in order to join.  Isn’t that the same as being “jumped” into a gang?  For Greeks, isn’t suffering through pledge week enough of a test to weed out the undesirables and test the dedication of new pledges?  For marching bands, isn’t surviving band camp and passing an audition enough proof that the crab has earned the right to march?  Even for those orgs that continue the practice, there are always those members who join simply to enjoy reaping the benefits (wearing the fraternity colors or always showing up for parties) without doing any of the work necessary to keep the org successful (PAYING ANNUAL DUES).  So what is really accomplished, other than risking the group’s reputation?

After the report of the two injured Southern students there were discussions about hazing on various Internet forums for a few days.  Then the issue was forgotten.  And it will probably remain forgotten…until the next case makes the news.  My hope is that college organizations everywhere will discuss this incident with their members openly and honestly.  We should be teaching our young people to stand up for themselves, not encouraging them to “go along to get along.”  And organizations need to re-evaluate whether these so-called traditions are really worth the possible damage that can be done to prospective or current members, as well as to their group’s reputation.

I believe we are better than this.  The code of silence needs to be broken.

Related Posts:

• 2010 SWAC Football Preseason Picks and Predictions
• JSU’s Mason heads to Southern U.
• The Votes Are In: 2009 Honda Battle of the Bands Final 10 Announced
• SC State receives ‘life savings’ donation from 13 year old
• 2010 CIAA Football Preseason Picks and Predictions

Tags: band, Grambling, hazing, HBCU, marching, Southern