http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/sunpub/naper/top/6_2...0_NCCHAZE_S10830.htm
The pictures show North Central College baseball players taking part in an impromptu baseball game in their underwear, pouring up to six different kinds of alcohol in the mouths of freshmen players and holding a fashion show where the same freshmen are dressed in women's lingerie.
Three former players insist the activities at a team party before the 2005 season were voluntary and for team bonding. NCC Dean of Students Gary Ireland said, however, the pictures "disturb" him.
The photos were forwarded to The Sun from NCAAHazing.com, a group that is attempting to alert the NCAA to the prevalence and dangers of hazing among other issues, after an anonymous source tipped off William Schut, operator of the Web site, about the photos.
The two sets of photos, consisting of 164 pictures, came from senior catcher/outfielder Matt Shuba's Webshots album labeled "Frosh Initiation '05" and "Initiation part II." While the pictures alone appear ****ing, three former Cardinals say it's not as it seems. However, the players drinking in the picture are identified as freshmen during the 2004-2005 school year, a violation of the Illinois minimum drinking age.
Attempts by The Sun to contact Shuba were unsuccessful.
"I would hate to give it a definition (as hazing or initiation) until I find out what's going on. To see pictures of students drinking, doing shots or even having people pour alcohol down other people's mouths, that's disturbing," said Ireland, who added he regularly monitors the Internet for these kinds of photos but hadn't seen these before Tuesday. "What disturbs me is that they ... describe it as an initiation."
Pat Banser, a former pitcher from Lincoln-Way East who left school after 2005 for personal reasons, was one of the freshmen at the party. Although he said he did no drinking, he was shown as one of the participants in the fashion show. He said it was "a good time had by all." He said that a handful of freshmen chose not to take part, and there were no repercussions for their actions.
"If you didn't want to do anything, you didn't have to," Banser said.
Another former player, Naperville North graduate Don Carlsen who graduated in 2005, said "it wasn't hazing or initiation at all.
"It's been going on for a long time, but it's made very clear that it's voluntary."
Yet another former player, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, "It's not hazing. It's team bonding, and it's being blown out of proportion. ... It's all voluntary. It's a team bonding thing. There is in no way, shape or form any force used to make anyone do anything."
After a similar party this year, the Cardinals' team captains were disciplined, stripped of their captaincy by the team's coaches. On Tuesday, NCC baseball coach Brian Michalak directed all questions to Ireland, who confirmed that disciplinary action was taken by the team. The players were not thrown off the squad nor punished by NCC.
The pictures come to light at a time when North Central is implementing ways to address such topics as hazing with both their athletes and the general student population. For its freshmen, the NCC athletic department is beginning a 10-week set of lectures from various speakers called the Varsity Course, including one on social responsibility for the student athlete. The college also started a program called the Huddle, where Ireland gives a speech on hazing and initiation.
Ireland said there is no official code of correct on hazing, but the college takes incidents on a "case-by-case basis." Ireland said there is normally a one-on-one meeting with him and hearings on the matter followed by disciplinary action, which can range from sitting out games to expulsion.
"We do take it seriously," Ireland said.
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