On Sep 22, 2011, at 1:07 PM, JoLaine Jones-Pokorney wrote: I think this is a really bad idea, should be discouraged, and am disappointed that others haven't commented on it before me. Here you have worked to have a safe community in which people feel OK to flirt, dance with each other as partners, and some men feel comfortable dancing in skirts. See Contra and Contradiction: Gender and Agency Within a Social Dance Community by Shaina Kapeluck (http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~socanth/students/studentresearch06.html) for more info. Now you add new attendees who are being forced to wear skits. What messages does this send to people? Why would you want a fraternity to use your dance for this purpose? In Massachusetts out anti-hazing law says: The term ‘hazing’ shall mean any conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person. Such conduct shall include whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the weather, forced consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug or other substance, or any other brutal treatment or forced physical activity which is likely to adversely affect the physical health or safety of any such student or other person, or which subjects such student or other person to extreme mental stress, including extended deprivation of sleep or rest or extended isolation. At MIT we square dance for PE and have to follow this: Each group, team or organization shall distribute a copy of the law to each of its members, plebes, pledges or applicants for membership. It shall be the duty of each such group, team or organization, acting through its designated officers, to deliver annually, to the Division of Student Life [with exception of varsity teams and club sports who may deliver acknowledgements to the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation] an acknowledgement stating that such group, team, or organization has received a copy of the law, that each of its members, plebes, pledges or applicants understands and agrees to comply with the provisions of the law. Copies of the law are available at the Office of The Dean for Student Life and the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation. I am disappointed that making guys dress up in skirts and attend a contra dance probably doesn't count as hazing -- I think it should. At my daughter's school (http://sudval.org/) no one can infringe on your right to peaceably exist and receive an education. More than a few students were brought up for violating this rule as it takes a while for kids to get their head around it. However, it seems we would all be better off if everyone followed that rule. -- Clark Baker, Belmont, MA cmbaker(a)tiac.net

Just a note, nobody is actually being 'forced' to wear a skirt. The frat pledges are CHOOSING to undergo that ritual to get something they want (membership in the fraternity). They can bow out at any time. A little harmless and humorous gender reversal (something we normally encourage on the contra dance floor) is leagues different from the kind of physical bodily harm described in the Massachusetts law. Whipping, beating, branding, and ... skirts? I assume we can all agree that no man is actually harmed or scarred by wearing a skirt, since many choose to do so on their own? And we can also agree that the proposed fraternity ritual doesn't actually pose a threat to any regular dancer's enjoyment of the dance, since we dance with men in skirts all the time? We can get upset about the pledges in skirts and try to exclude these kids (and I am not sure how that could be done, in practice), or we can recognize that when we welcome young people to the dance they bring with them a few things we older folk might not -- such as techno contra and a sense of humor that includes frat pledges dancing in skirts. I think it would be better to lighten up and welcome the youngsters. Jon Southard Santa Barbara, California www.jonsouthard.com -----Original Message----- From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Clark Baker Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 2:40 PM To: Caller's discussion list Subject: [Callers] require their new pledges to come to a contra dance in a skirt [bcc][faked-from] On Sep 22, 2011, at 1:07 PM, JoLaine Jones-Pokorney wrote: I think this is a really bad idea, should be discouraged, and am disappointed that others haven't commented on it before me. Here you have worked to have a safe community in which people feel OK to flirt, dance with each other as partners, and some men feel comfortable dancing in skirts. See Contra and Contradiction: Gender and Agency Within a Social Dance Community by Shaina Kapeluck (http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~socanth/students/studentresearch06.html) for more info. Now you add new attendees who are being forced to wear skits. What messages does this send to people? Why would you want a fraternity to use your dance for this purpose? In Massachusetts out anti-hazing law says: The term 'hazing' shall mean any conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person. Such conduct shall include whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the weather, forced consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug or other substance, or any other brutal treatment or forced physical activity which is likely to adversely affect the physical health or safety of any such student or other person, or which subjects such student or other person to extreme mental stress, including extended deprivation of sleep or rest or extended isolation. At MIT we square dance for PE and have to follow this: Each group, team or organization shall distribute a copy of the law to each of its members, plebes, pledges or applicants for membership. It shall be the duty of each such group, team or organization, acting through its designated officers, to deliver annually, to the Division of Student Life [with exception of varsity teams and club sports who may deliver acknowledgements to the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation] an acknowledgement stating that such group, team, or organization has received a copy of the law, that each of its members, plebes, pledges or applicants understands and agrees to comply with the provisions of the law. Copies of the law are available at the Office of The Dean for Student Life and the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation. I am disappointed that making guys dress up in skirts and attend a contra dance probably doesn't count as hazing -- I think it should. At my daughter's school (http://sudval.org/) no one can infringe on your right to peaceably exist and receive an education. More than a few students were brought up for violating this rule as it takes a while for kids to get their head around it. However, it seems we would all be better off if everyone followed that rule. -- Clark Baker, Belmont, MA cmbaker(a)tiac.net _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers