To the Editor,
First off, I’d simply like to say that I was deeply disturbed by the Bowdoin administration’s reaction to the men’s tennis team’s so-called “hazing” incident. However, before I start, there are a few things that bear mention.
- No one was hurt, and at no point was there any risk of anyone being hurt.
- No one was at all forced or coerced into doing anything they didn’t want to do.
In fact, it is my impression that a good time was had by all. Yes, all. With these points in mind, it seems to me that there is no conceivable reason why the administration (let alone another student, unprovoked) should feel compelled to interfere at all in this matter, let alone strip these athletes of what amounts to more or less their entire season, practically one-fourth of their college careers. These athletes have worked for years for this opportunity, and to see it taken away by administrators tipped off by a third party is, frankly, heartbreaking. Let me tell you a dirty little secret: almost every team on campus has such “rituals,” and such events serve to strengthen our ties as teammates and friends, not to ostracize or belittle certain members.
Sincerely,
James Denison ’14