Masters and Deans: Why bladderball was (and still is) banned
Masters and Deans: Why bladderball was (and still is) banned
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
There was a lot of joyous excitement on Old Campus Saturday afternoon as a group of students instigated a reprise of bladderball. Even some of us were caught up in the early elation that comes with such a spontaneous, exuberant and seemingly innocent event. Those of us who did not directly witness the event were quickly sobered once we viewed the footage captured on video.
The chaotic behavior we witnessed reminds us why we shouldn’t let the thrill of last Saturday fool us into thinking that bladderball is harmless. The event disrupted lives; interfered with ambulance, fire and other emergency response efforts; damaged the relationship that all of us in the University and New Haven have worked to develop; and incurred costs to the University that are only now being tallied. As some of you observed, motorists with young children were terrified by being caught in the midst of what to them seemed a dangerous riot; elderly people were shoved up against cars; students were knocked to the ground and fortunate not to be trampled. Yale and New Haven police were tied up for several hours trying to maintain safety and order. We are grateful that they responded so professionally and were able to prevent more serious problems.
Because it has been more than a quarter of a century since bladderball was banned, the game’s dangers and problems have receded from individual and institutional memory. It is easy to focus on the exciting, carnival-like aspects of the event; but these aspects can turn dark. As President Giamatti wrote in 1982 when he banned bladderball after a game in which three students were hospitalized: “I don’t think it’s an event whose historical roots justify the risk of life and limb … This is not an issue of anger, guilt or blame, but of the safety and well-being of human beings.”
Bladderball was banned because it could not be organized in a way that prevented the very serious problems that came hand-in-hand with it. Of course, the essence of bladderball is its lack of organization, the absence of rules and structure, and both the freedom and risk of being taken up with the crowd in pursuit of the ball. When one is “in the moment” of bladderball the true dangers of the game are not evident. This is exactly why Yale banned the game in 1982 and why that ban needs to be upheld.
It is not surprising that, after a lapse of 27 years, memories of the problems caused by bladderball have faded while glorious tales of the virtues of this tradition have become more powerful. We study history so that we can learn from our past; we forget history at our peril. We call on our students, whom we trust and care about, to help us preserve the spirit of our community while ensuring safety and respect for the rights of all.
Marvin Chun, Master
Kevin Hicks, Dean
Berkeley College
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Steven Smith, Master
Daniel Tauss, Dean
Branford College
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Jonathan Holloway, Master
Leslie Woodard, Dean
Calhoun College
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Richard Schottenfeld, Master
Craig Harwood, Dean
Davenport College
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Stephen Pitti, Master
Jennifer Wood-Nangombe, Dean
Ezra Stiles College
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Penelope Laurans, Master
Kyle Farley, Dean
Jonathan Edwards College
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Frank Keil, Master
Joel Silverman, Dean
Morse College
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Harvey Goldblatt, Master
Amerigo Fabbri, Dean
Pierson College
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Paul Hudak, Master
Paul McKinley,Dean
Saybrook College
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Judith Krauss, Master
Hugh Flick, Dean
Silliman College
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Robert Thompson, Master
John Loge, Dean
Timothy Dwight College
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Janet Henrich, Master
Jasmina Besirevic Regan, Dean
Trumbull College
Comments
None 2 years, 7 months ago
Yale masters/deans,
You are the SOFTEST, WEAKEST people in New Haven.
Take your timid fear of physical activity and leave us alone.
None 2 years, 7 months ago
If that had been my wife and daughter stuck in the car by your illegal activity, you can bet I would be suing Yale and the undergrads involved in advertising the event for inciting a riot. If you can keep it off the roads, then sure, be stupid by yourself. But NOT on public property.
None 2 years, 7 months ago
Andrew, GRD 11,
You cannot sue if you did not suffer damages/harm. Real harm. Not emotional harm or annoyance.
(thanks for the lesson Bob Dunne, RIP)
None 2 years, 7 months ago
"We call on our students, whom we trust and care about, to help us preserve the spirit of our community while ensuring safety and respect for the rights of all."
Boy wouldn't it have been great to see an op-ed like this when hateful graffiti was found on campus or disparaging emails about freshmen girls found their way into student inboxes. Nonetheless, the deans and masters have a point - taking this out of Old Campus and into the street was dangerous both to students and passerbys who were caught up in it all
None 2 years, 7 months ago
I completely agree with commenter #5. I agree that the bladderball game was inconsiderate and dangerous. I just wish the masters and deans had this much concern over all of the hateful incidents that have occurred on campus over the past few years.
None 2 years, 7 months ago
Nice to know that bladderball merits a public condemnation by every Master and Dean at Yale, but sexual harassment is tossed under the rug with some vague mutterings about free speech.
None 2 years, 7 months ago
Penelope Laurans does NOT speak for the Jonathan Edwards community.
None 2 years, 7 months ago
What part of the distinction between speech and action is lost on you?
None 2 years, 7 months ago
Totally agree with 5, 6, 7. I understand that Bladderball is inconsiderate to the New Haven public, but it seems that "intimidating activity" only merits condemnation when it affects the Yale Brand's external image, rather than the welfare of it's students.
None 2 years, 7 months ago
Do you fail to recognize that speech is an action as well?
None 2 years, 7 months ago
Bob Dunne RIP
Seems to me that when the rumors began, YPD should have made preparations to close Elm street. Noone HAD to be on old campus, so its your own fault if you get trampled when you chose to be there. If the street was closed, it also would be your own fault.
Yale: wimps. Instead of producing future leaders with the balls to fight, protecting itself from lawsuits from wimps.
None 2 years, 7 months ago
Oh man, who wrote this? It gets absurd at the end with all the pompous stuff about being condemned to repeat history, etc.
None 2 years, 7 months ago
I know that part of bladder ball is the spontaneity and lack of rules, but is there really no middle ground to be reached? It seems the main issue is that it obstructs traffic and the lives of people who don't choose to be a part of it; is there really no way that the administration can back down a little bit, and allow a more regulated form of bladder ball?
Street fairs are not uncommon across the US, if we worked with New Haven PD and closed off the streets that would be affected (which is only a few block radius, easily gone around), it wouldn't put the same hamper on ambulances etc. as cited in this article, and no one who didn't choose to be part of the risks associated with bladderball would have to be a part of it.
That said, even with that switch, bladderball would still be a lot of fun, and a great yale tradition to continue, albeit slightly amended.
None 2 years, 7 months ago
baldderball is the danger... but masters and deans are doing nothing about the rampant speeding and reckless driving all around the campus, killing and injuring yale students, staff and faculty EVERY SINGLE YEAR???
how about cutting a few masters teas and using the money to install some traffic calming. every other civilized campus and city does it. amherst college has light-up crosswalks. why can't yale? it is not very expensive.
give me a break!!!!!!!!!!
None 2 years, 7 months ago
Lucky for you, sexual harassment covers both speech and action!
None 2 years, 7 months ago
"You cannot sue if you did not suffer damages/harm. Real harm. Not emotional harm or annoyance."
Quite true, but there were people (non-Yalies) who were thrust by the crowd into cars and walls. They suffered damages.
However, I do like the suggestions to either get permission to shut down the street (quite possible), or keep it in Old Campus (but this one is improbable). You just have to work with the city, not do it first and ask forgiveness later.
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