Posted on 02/02/2003 7:38:31 PM PST by steplock
Century-old Hutchinson High School chant abolished
Topeka Capital Journal
Principal: Ronn Roehm
HUTCHINSON -- A 102-year-old Hutchinson High School chant made up of apparent nonsense words was yanked after the school board deemed it potentially offensive.
The school board voted unanimously Monday night to do away with the chant after Superintendent Wynona Winn said that at least one phrase
-- "hoe potatoer" -- could be considered offensive.
The 28-line chant of apparent nonsense words was created by two students in 1901.
It became an issue at the Dec. 9 school board meeting, when parent Lorie Norris noted that at one time it contained a racial slur that was replaced more than 60 years ago by the words "Higger, Bigger."
The district immediately suspended the chant, which usually is led by cheerleaders at football and basketball games.
Winn then searched the Internet and books, and talked to those who might have knowledge of the chant's origins.
In a book about slave songs, she found terms from the chant: "chicka," "rat trap," "bulligator" and a reference to slaves hoeing potatoes.
She also determined that the words "Higger, Bigger," could be viewed as a mask for the original terms.
No students spoke at Monday's meeting, but some adults suggested the chant should be changed instead of tossed.
"I'm a big believer in tradition," said Cindy Knox, who graduated from Hutchinson High in 1980. "Tradition is very difficult to get, very difficult to keep, very easy to let go."
Gary Carson, the district's associate superintendent of operations, however, suggested the district build a tradition of "integrity and respect and tolerance."
"Tradition is bigger than a chant or a cheer or a song," he said. "Tradition has to be something from within that people embrace and believe in as a whole, as a group."
Hutchinson High School
1401 N. Severance • Hutchinson, KS 67501 •
620-665-4500
Principal: Ronn Roehm mailto:roehmr@usd308.com
This article comes from Focus on Freedom
http://www.gohotsprings.com/focus/
The URL for this story is:
http://www.gohotsprings.com/focus/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=225
Sounds more like a slur on the Irish.
They found that in a book? Burn it!!! Destroy anything with words we don't like. get rid of the chant, and then destroy all printed materials people could see those words in... < /sarcasm here, but reality on liberal boards >
Oh well, if they could be viewed as a "mask" then we should ban them, of course.
Anything that rhymes with "digger" should be banned from the English language.
Abortion is an offensive word to me, I will freep them later on tonight after i get some coffe and some of them thar french fried hoe taters.
Bigger, Cigger, Digger, Figger, Gigger, Higger, Jigger, Kigger, Ligger, Migger, Pigger, Quigger, Rigger, Sigger, Tigger, Vigger, Wigger, Xigger, Yigger, Zigger.
Because they are just wayyy too close to sounding like "Nigger."
| Allagaroo, garoo, garoo; Wah, hoo, bazoo; Hicer, Picer, Dominicer, Sis! Boom! Bah! Hutchinson High School Rah! Rah! Rah! La shoo, La shoo La Shoo, Li Roo, La shoo, Li Ishabacka, Ishabacka Boo, Hutchinson High School Hey Roo. Boom skit a rat trap See si Boom! |
Higger, Bigger Hoe potatoer Half past Alligator, Rom, Bom, Bulligator, Chika! Saw! Dah! Hutchinson High School Rah! Rah! Rah!Ala Bago, Ala Bago, Ala Bago, Baga Bum, Boom skit a rat trap, Bigger'n a cat trap, Boom skit a rat trap, Bigger'n a cat trap. Chicawaw, Chicawaw, Hutchinson High School Rah! Rah! Rah! |
Welcome to tolerance camp.
Well I'M offended!
How dare you post that to a forum that celebrates uh, "Freedom", er,...
<sarcasm>
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