Wardiman defends 'initiation week'

Wardiman defends 'initiation week'

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman
Djojonegoro refused yesterday to abolish the "initiation week" at
state universities, after one student died while undergoing one
of the introductions to campus life this month.

Wardiman described the death as an "accident" and said it
should not be used to abolish a system which, he said, was still
the best way of introducing first year students to the realities
of college life.

"The system is already regulated but the implementation may
not be adequate. This means we should improve the implementation
but not abolish the system," he was quoted by Antara as telling
reporters in his office.

Zaki Tiffany Lazuardian, 18 years old, a first year physics
student at the prestigious Bandung Institute of Technology, died
on Jan. 8 after taking part in a rigorous 12-day initiation
period organized by the college's Department of Physics. He was
hospitalized on his return on Jan. 7 and died in the hospital's
intensive care unit.

At least two other students also had to be hospitalized and
ITB's polyclinic reported that 176 first year students sought
medical treatment during the week after taking part in the
initiation week.

Wardiman said those who felt they have been victimized in
orientation week or felt that the organizers had overstepped
their bounds, could start legal action against the organizers.

He cited one rule of the "initiation week" which states that
all activities must end at 22.00. "If something happens to the
students after that, the organizers are responsible," he said.

He said the university administrators could also punish the
organizers for violating the rules.

Several parents of the students who were hurt have called on
the Ministry of Education and Culture to review the policy
regarding initiation weeks at state colleges, with some saying
that the program was used by senior students to avenge the
similar treatment they had to suffer when they were "freshers".

ITB administrators have launched an internal investigation
into the death, and the report that more than 100 first year
students sought medical treatment. (emb)