La Maison hall chant: banned by University?

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La Maison hall chant: banned by University?

Posted on 28 January 2010
Tags: Administration building, Broomball, IRHC, Michigan Tech, staff member, Travis Pierce

Last semester, the members of one living community in Wadsworth Hall began to have their right to free speech taken away. In an attempt to censor the residents of the La Maison de Gaiete hall, a member of Housing decided to ban a chant that has been recited by members of the hall for many years. The chant was deemed by this individual to be inappropriate and if anyone was heard saying the chant by any member of Housing (Resident Assistants (RAs), Program Coordinators, Community Coordinators or any of the “higher-ups”), they were to receive an automatic incident report.
When I first heard about Housing’s ban, I attempted to begin collecting information from the top. I first went to speak to Joe Cooper, assistant director of residence life. When asked about the chant, he said that there was never a ban put into place and that he was unaware of any such chant. When asked about Housing’s policies regarding free speech, he directed me to Housing’s Web site where I could view a copy of the contract signed by all residents and to the Administration building to pick up a copy of the Student Code of Conduct. Travis Pierce, director of Housing, appeared out of his office with brochures in hand that outlined University policy but did not contribute much to the conversation.
Following my conversation with the higher-ups of Housing, I spoke to multiple student members of Housing who were able to confirm that there had, in fact, been a ban of a chant in the La Maison hall. Last fall, the RA of La Maison, Ryan Harris, passed along information from his superior to the residents of his hall. In an e-mail, Harris informed residents that “[a]s of now if you are caught saying the hall chant by a Michigan Tech staff member…you will get an automatic incident report.”
Next, Pierce was informed that members of his staff had told me information that contradicted what his office has previously stated. Housing “never had a ban of the chant. A staff member did write an e-mail at the very beginning of the academic year that was incorrect,” Pierce stated. “…[P]olicy is set by me or the University and such a policy is not and was not in place. We do not restrict speech and there is nothing in our contracts that restrict speech. We follow the governing laws of the United States regarding free speech.”
Since a ban was never “officially” put into effect by Pierce, Housing states that such a ban never existed. However, for a short amount of time, residents of La Maison believed that if they were caught saying their hall chant, they would be punished by Housing staff. The student member of Housing who mistakenly created an unauthorized ban said, “I am not and was not trained in the legality of the situation.”
Although there was never an “official” ban of the chant by Housing, Cooper stated that the Inter-Residence Hall Council (IRHC) Broomball organization had banned the chant at their games. Cooper explained that since IRHC Broomball is a student-run organization, it has the ability to create its own rules and regulations restricting free speech.
Luke Johnson, the captain of La Maison III, received a two-minute penalty for his team saying the chant after one of their games. Members of the La Maison hall say that they still recite the chant despite the potential for punishment, however they now recite it from the southern side of US-41 where Broomball rules are not in effect. A representative of IRHC could not be reached before printing for comment on the ban.
One of the most concerning aspects of this ban was Housing’s unwillingness to share information. A mistake was clearly made by a misinformed member of Housing – a mistake that was initially swept under the rug. The way in which Housing handled my questions was almost laughable. Despite overhearing (and even interjecting in) the conversation in which Cooper gave me incorrect information, Pierce did not attempt to give me the correct information. I would expect Housing – and all branches of the University – to operate in a way in which when queried about a mistake, the mistake is acknowledged and explained instead of an attempt being made to bury the mistake. Unfortunately, when confronted with a controversial subject, University officials seem to immediately seal their lips while simultaneously obstructing information. No less concerning is the apparent free-reign that IRHC Broomball is given when creating rules to regulate their games. According to members of La Maison, all student organizations have been told by University administration that a policy banning chants cannot single out particular chants but should, instead, either ban all chants or none at all. Why IRHC Broomball is free to ignore this rule remains unanswered.

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Danny Messinger - who has written 23 posts on The Lode at Michigan Tech.

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14 Responses to “La Maison hall chant: banned by University?”

Steve Purol says:

January 29, 2010 at 5:01 pm

A slight correction to the time line of events here: the first mention of a ban occurred during the 2007/2008 academic year. According to my recollection of the event, our entire hall was informed by the current RA, Charles Thomas, that we were not allowed to recite the chant _anywhere_ on University property. If we were caught, it was an immediate incident report.
Fellow Maggot says:

January 29, 2010 at 5:17 pm

As a fellow Maggot, I can fully attest to the chant’s vulgar nature. As noted on Broomball’s website under their news section (http://www.broomball.mtu.edu/news), they are not censoring the chant completely. They do, however, give out penalties/fines if it is said near the rinks, and it is enforced more at times around Carnival than others due to families and children being present.

You never know who is going to be at a broomball game. There are families there all the time. While I have participated in the chant several times over the years, it really doesn’t belong there.
Ryan says:

January 29, 2010 at 6:04 pm

I am a Michigan Tech alumni who was lucky enough to be a member of La Maison during my time at Tech. Sure, the chant can be considered vulgar by some people. Much of it comes from a comedy sketch from George Carlin who was a firm believer that words aren’t inherently bad or vulgar, it’s the thoughts behind the words that should be scrutinized. The chant wasn’t disparaging anyone, it wasn’t advocating hate or violence, I don’t see the problem with it. I was absolutely appalled when I heard about the ban on the La Maison mailing list, so much so that I put my anger into a lengthily post on my website: http://stealinurmegahurtz.com/2009/09/michigan-tech-university-infringes-on-civil-rights/

I recommend people give that a gander as it does have the actual email sent out by Michigan Tech residential life “higher ups” that instituted this ban in the first place.
Maggot Hall Man says:

January 29, 2010 at 9:19 pm

It’s about time this surfaced. I can maybe understand Winter Carnival but regular season ban is just stupid. They can hear us saying the chant when we go across the road so what’s the point? As far as sportsmanship goes, I haven’t met a maggot that plays dirty in any of the IRHC sporting events. It’s just a bunch of people flexing their muscles because they let the power they have get to their heads.
Aaron says:

January 29, 2010 at 9:46 pm

I currently reside in the La Maison hall, and was one of those who recited the chant. I never wished ill will on anyone or tried to demean those around me, this chant is about camaraderie. As Ryan said, our chant is just like George Carlin’s skit, in that it’s amusing that certain words are deemed obscene and must be censored, which was attempted upon us.

I’m glad the MTU Lode, which uses its 1st amendment right daily is able to put this situation into the spotlight.

Maybe next year IRHC will setup “free speech zones” to protect its participants from naughty words.
Luke Johnston says:

January 29, 2010 at 10:59 pm

at least we have free speech on the internet still

Rat Shit, Bat Shit, Nasty Old Twat
Sixty-Nine Assholes Tied In A Knot
Eat, Suck, Fuck
Gobble, Nibble, Chew
We’re From La Maison
So hey, FUCK YOU!
Fellow Maggot 2 says:

January 30, 2010 at 1:59 am

IRHC is just trying to put Maggot Hall in their place since they couldn’t follow through on their threats against Team Canada last season. Nobody can expect not to experience anything remotely vulgar while walking on a college campus. I mean, honestly, has nobody experienced a college Hockey game? I can name several chants performed by both Mich’s Misfits and the Huskies Pep Band that aren’t exactly kosher, but are still tolerated. Anybody hear of the 4-Q chant? See the “Bull Sheet”? Know what A-N-A-L means? It’s just a bunch of students trying to exert the little power they’ve been given as much as they possibly can.
phst says:

January 30, 2010 at 3:07 pm

Aaron: IRHC does not make these decisions. It’s the Broomball Committee, which is pretty much a separate entity. IRHC is only allowed to review Broomball decisions if it’s brought up to them by a student… and the years I’ve been involved with IRHC, it hasn’t been.

This isn’t Housing or MTU that is doing this. This is a student org that has a voluntary activity that you can participate in. And the rule is “no swearing”–they don’t ban certain chants. This article is stupidly irresponsible. Free speech doesn’t mean you can be an asshole at an event that is voluntary that is actually not affiliated with the University (as is the official stance of Student Activities) if the rules prohibit it.
Ryan says:

February 1, 2010 at 2:54 pm

Actually, phst, you’re quite wrong. This article wasn’t about the original broomball ban (which was in place before I had even become a member of La Maison back in ’02). This article was about Res Life threatening anyone reciting the chant anywhere on campus with disciplinary action. If you had read the entire article, as well as the post I made about it on my site (including the email from the RA in which he passed along the decision made by his superiors) you would know that. No one is disputing the no swearing ban in broomball, that’s part of the rules of the game. The dispute was over whether Res Life could take disciplinary actions against students for reciting a hall chant.
Bob says:

February 3, 2010 at 10:18 am

Rock on La Maison! Fellow ol’ Maggot here – resided in LaMaison back in 1987-1988. Back when it was up on the 5th floor (566 W. Wads was my home then…) Had my picture in the trophy case for years. (Food fights, Viking dinners, smoke-outs…) The chant is a classic. Don’t let it go!! I’ll be up there for Carnival with my kids tomorrow – hoping to see an interesting 1 nighter statue from the Maggots. (Just look around for the 40 year old guy with the Maggot jersey and hat!)
William says:

February 5, 2010 at 7:52 pm

Heh. I know the band has quite a few that are banned. a-n-a-l, comes from behind. Tech Once, The words to sit on my face.
Joe says:

March 1, 2010 at 8:28 am

Glad to hear there still is still a lot of spirit in Maggot Hall.

Joe Willcoxson
Michigan Tech ’86
LaMaison 82-84
551 W. Wads says:

March 22, 2010 at 8:36 pm

“Man, it’s the same bulls**t they tried to pull in my day. If it ain’t that piece of paper, there’s some other choice they’re gonna try and make for you. You gotta do what Randall Pink Floyd wants to do man. Let me tell you this, the older you do get the more rules they’re gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin’ man, L-I-V-I-N.”

Same ol’ same ol…. first they kick people out of the hall for mooing at the RA’s girlfriend. Then they outlaw fruit bowling and chair rodeo. They plow over the statue. Then it’s the chant at broomball. Nothing new. Just a bunch of self-inflated, PC-obsessed, do-gooders out to make the world safe for baby seals and freshman with delicate sensitivities everywhere.

Maggot Hall has been doing their thing for 30+ years. It’s never hurt anyone (except maybe a few Citadel guys), and it’s never ruined anyone’s life. Maybe, just MAYBE you could let someone have a little harmless fun. It’s not like they’re doing this in an elementary school, it’s a college campus for f**k’s sake. Nobody there doesn’t hear those words in some form or another every freaking day anyway.

More rules… that’s what we need. More rules.

Keep truckin’ Maggots. Go Team Canada!
- 551 W. Wads, ’96-98
John says:

April 4, 2010 at 4:21 pm

I lived in LaMaison from 79-81 and people were upset by the Maggot cheer even way back then. It is unfortunate that some things at Tech never change. It’s too bad the Housing Office can’t focus on what’s really important – providing decent, safe housing and meals for its residents.

I yelled the Maggot cheer many times during my time at Tech, and as 551 W. Wads said, “It’s never hurt anyone (except maybe a few Citadel guys), and it’s never ruined anyone’s life.” – and it didn’t hurt me either. In fact I have been quite sucessful after graduating from Tech.

John R. Keller, Ph.D
562 W. Wads
Maggot Hall 1979-1981

P.S. I still have my Maggot shirts.