Ruta, Mayra Joei M.

Argument

Issue: Whether or not the Debate Club has violated the University Handbook’s rule on hazing.

Argument:
The Debate Club has violated the University Handbook’s rule on hazing. The University
Handbook provided the policy and the definition of Hazing that includes any action created
intentionally that results to mental discomfort to any person on or off the university campus as
part of an initiation rite or practice made as a prerequisite for admission. In the case between
Victor and The Debate Club, Victor who wanted to become a new member of the club happened
to experience mental discomfort as they were required to memorize 100 names of every person
who has ever participated in the debate competition nationwide and to recite it from memory at
an induction ceremony in front of the entire club, in which in his situation as a student is very
uneasy, given the fact that he will be having examinations. The practice of requiring every new
member memorize all the 100 names is in fact unreasonable, given that their target members
are the students of the university who are having educational requirements and examinations
that will surely cause stress and mental harm to them. In addition, it is part of the rule that an
organization is also guilty of hazing, if they do have any activity intentionally made or otherwise,
by one person alone or acting with others that tends to degrade by requiring the applicant or
member to do menial tasks, meaning treating them as a servant. The Debate club practice of
requiring new members to carry the lunch trays of existing members during lunch in the
cafeteria and to carry senior members' trays from the food line to the tables and carefully clean
the tables before and after the senior members eat is purely an activity that requires menial task
that makes the applicant seems to become their servant who serves them their food and clean
their tables every lunch which is very irrational and has a tendency to degrade a student who is
enrolled and pays the same tuition as they are and just wanted to enhance his skill or rather
share his skill on debate. Therefore the Debate Club is guilty of hazing and should change their
initiation rite or practice made as a prerequisite for admission of their new members.