Initiation program should continue, say academics

JAKARTA (JP): Despite mounting protests against the university initiation ceremonies that often end in tragedy, academics in Jakarta said on Thursday the ceremonies were necessary for incoming freshmen.

Initiation ceremonies are good for freshmen to get some knowledge about many things concerning university life, such as the school system and curriculum, a lecturer at the University of Indonesia, Tri Budi, said

"As long as the goals of the events are clear and they are conducted without any physical abuse, then the initiation ceremonies should be held," she told The Jakarta Post, adding that the ceremonies allowed freshmen to get to know older students.

Another lecturer from the University of Indonesia, Soenawan, said the ceremonies were important in unifying the visions of the students and their lecturers, as well in building their friendships.

"When an initiation ends tragically, it is because of a lack of control from the university concerned," he said, adding that university officials should be stricter in controlling their students during the ceremonies.

Students from a number of universities in Jakarta voiced similar views.

"To gain respect from the younger students, the older students should never impose the so-called 'revenge' on freshmen during the initiation ceremony," said Miko, a third year student at Atma Jaya University.

Revenge refers to the practice of older students venting their anger on freshmen for the mistreatment they received during their initiation ceremonies.

Miko, an initiation organizer at Atma Jaya, said it was important for the organizing committee and university officials to control the ceremony to ensure it did not violate regulations.

He also said the presence of alumni at an initiation ceremony could result in physical abuse, because organizers were often unable to control some alumni.

"Controlled initiations should continued to be held, since they are a forum for encouraging freshmen to be more aware of their community," a student at private Tujuh Belas Agustus University, Sarbini, said.

He said that to prevent fatalities, the agenda of the initiation ceremonies should be geared more toward educating freshmen.

He also said past fatalities were purely accidents.

"Clear rules that are understood by both younger and older students are obviously needed to avoid possible fatalities during the hazing," said Ari Wibowo, who is a member of the University of Indonesia initiation steering committee.

"The hazing is exhausting," Trian Octaviana, a student at LPI Academy of Foreign Languages in Central Jakarta, told the Post. However, she is in favor of initiation ceremonies because she believes they can teach freshmen to be disciplined.

A student at Tarumanegara University, Andri, said his university was cautious in holding initiation ceremonies because of an incident in 1997 when a freshmen died during the hazing.

"We tightened the rules and the control from the university to avoid a repeat of the incident," he told the Post on Thursday. An initiation ceremony at the university was held earlier this month without incident.

A lecturer at Atma Jaya University, Agung Nugroho, said universities should think of better way to conduct the ceremonies. "Psychological approaches involving group interaction could be introduced to replace the initiations."

The death of Suryowati, a freshmen at a private university in South Jakarta, during an initiation ceremony on Tuesday has triggered mounting public pressure to ban the events.

South Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Satrya Harry Prasetya told the Post on Thursday the police would investigate the incident. "We are coordinating with the university to unravel the case." (04/asa)