Initiation program should continue, say academics<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Despite mounting protests against the university
\ninitiation ceremonies that often end in tragedy, academics in
\nJakarta said on Thursday the ceremonies were necessary for
\nincoming freshmen.<\/p>\n
Initiation ceremonies are good for freshmen to get some
\nknowledge about many things concerning university life, such as
\nthe school system and curriculum, a lecturer at the University of
\nIndonesia, Tri Budi, said<\/p>\n
\"As long as the goals of the events are clear and they are
\nconducted without any physical abuse, then the initiation
\nceremonies should be held,\" she told The Jakarta Post, adding
\nthat the ceremonies allowed freshmen to get to know older
\nstudents.<\/p>\n
Another lecturer from the University of Indonesia, Soenawan,
\nsaid the ceremonies were important in unifying the visions of the
\nstudents and their lecturers, as well in building their
\nfriendships.<\/p>\n
\"When an initiation ends tragically, it is because of
\na lack of control from the university concerned,\" he said, adding
\nthat university officials should be stricter in controlling their
\nstudents during the ceremonies.<\/p>\n
Students from a number of universities in Jakarta voiced
\nsimilar views.<\/p>\n
\"To gain respect from the younger students, the older students
\nshould never impose the so-called 'revenge' on freshmen during
\nthe initiation ceremony,\" said Miko, a third year student at Atma
\nJaya University.<\/p>\n
Revenge refers to the practice of older students venting their
\nanger on freshmen for the mistreatment they received during their
\ninitiation ceremonies.<\/p>\n
Miko, an initiation organizer at Atma Jaya, said it was
\nimportant for the organizing committee and university officials
\nto control the ceremony to ensure it did not violate regulations.<\/p>\n
He also said the presence of alumni at an initiation ceremony
\ncould result in physical abuse, because organizers were often
\nunable to control some alumni.<\/p>\n
\"Controlled initiations should continued to be held, since
\nthey are a forum for encouraging freshmen to be more aware of
\ntheir community,\" a student at private Tujuh Belas Agustus
\nUniversity, Sarbini, said.<\/p>\n
He said that to prevent fatalities, the agenda of the
\ninitiation ceremonies should be geared more toward educating
\nfreshmen.<\/p>\n
He also said past fatalities were purely accidents.<\/p>\n
\"Clear rules that are understood by both younger and older
\nstudents are obviously needed to avoid possible fatalities during
\nthe hazing,\" said Ari Wibowo, who is a member of the University
\nof Indonesia initiation steering committee.<\/p>\n
\"The hazing is exhausting,\" Trian Octaviana, a student
\nat LPI Academy of Foreign Languages in Central Jakarta, told the
\nPost. However, she is in favor of initiation ceremonies because
\nshe believes they can teach freshmen to be disciplined.<\/p>\n
A student at Tarumanegara University, Andri, said his
\nuniversity was cautious in holding initiation ceremonies because
\nof an incident in 1997 when a freshmen died during the hazing.<\/p>\n
\"We tightened the rules and the control from the university to
\navoid a repeat of the incident,\" he told the Post on Thursday. An
\ninitiation ceremony at the university was held earlier this month
\nwithout incident.<\/p>\n
A lecturer at Atma Jaya University, Agung Nugroho, said
\nuniversities should think of better way to conduct the
\nceremonies. \"Psychological approaches involving group interaction
\ncould be introduced to replace the initiations.\"<\/p>\n
The death of Suryowati, a freshmen at a private university in
\nSouth Jakarta, during an initiation ceremony on Tuesday has
\ntriggered mounting public pressure to ban the events.<\/p>\n
South Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Satrya Harry Prasetya told
\nthe Post on Thursday the police would investigate the incident.
\n\"We are coordinating with the university to unravel the case.\"
\n(04\/asa)<\/p>",
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