Century-old Hutchinson High School chant abolished <Freep these Nuts!>

Focus on Freedom ^ | 02 feb 2003 | cjonline

[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:
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[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

In a world full of political incorrectness one would think that the students could have found a better way to espress themselves without being NIGGARDLY in their use of words.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Dare we compare it to "The Potato Eaters" by Vincent van Gogh and other paintings of French and Irish peasants?

[Marauder]

May this superintendent be plagued with chiggers.

[Marauder]

should we ban the word fornicate because of this?

No, but shouldn't we ban buck, cluck, duck, luck, muck, pluck, shuck, schmuck, tuck, and truck?

Not to mention Huck Finn, of course.

[SwinneySwitch]

"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."

Only if you are a hoe or a potatoe!!

[Charles Henrickson]

I used to sit out in the Wrigley Field left-field bleachers in the early 1970s. We used to do a chant that started like this:

Alabevo! Alabaivo! Alabevo, baivo, bum!
Bum on a rat trap!
Bigger than a cat trap!

At the time, and ever since, I thought this nonsense chant was unique to the Bleacher Bums. But now, because of this thread, I find out otherwise. I just did a Google search of some of the key terms, and I find results (with some variations, of course) all over the country.

The things you learn because of FR. . . .

[Intolerant in NJ]

- "hoe potatoer" -- could be considered offensive... I for one am offended that so many people seem to have become convinced of their own superior righteousness that they can so easily become offended and pass judgment on what others have to say...

[capitan_refugio]

I always thought an Irish seven course meal was a boiled potato and a six-pack! ;^)

[Atlas Sneezed]

"May this superintendent be plagued with chiggers."

Now, now! Don't say "chiggers", say "cheegros"!

[Savage Beast]

The Irish? Maybe that's it. I thought maybe it was a slur against Idaho people or maybe prostitutes. You can't be too careful.

[ravinson]

My favorite Kansas cheers are "Rock, Chock, Jayhawk" and:

Rah rah ree,
Kick 'em in the knee,
Rah, rah, rass,
Kick 'em in the... other knee.

[putupon]

Black college, Norfolk State University cheer (Norfolk is pronounced "Nawfuk" by native Virginians, national newscasters never get it right) circa early 1970's:

We are the girls from Norfolk, Norfolk,
We don't drink,
We don't smoke,
Norfolk, Norfolk!

[HiTech RedNeck]

I googled up "bulligator" but got virtually nothing but references to the Hutchinson story. What on earth is a "bulligator"?

[Nik Naym]

You are better informed than I.

Anywho, the whole thing IS silly.

Nik

[Rightly Biased]

My Wife a Hutch High Grad 1991 never even learned the silly chant in fact I just read it to her and she said "you wonder why I never learned it"

None the less these are our publically funded indoctrination camps in full swing.

[Spiff]

Who cares. So a welfare school tossed a bunch of nonsense words. Would that more welfare schools follow their lead.

[APBaer]

You got my ear, and I dropped my hoe.

[Doc Savage]

Why stop there? I propose all words in the Englash language be expunged. We should all become French citizens, during which time we could be become arrogant, cowardly, drunk, smelling like a French sewer, and then surrender to Botswanna!

[ladylib]

The word "niggardly" should definitely be banned.

[Marauder]

Whoops, thanks, I forgot. How uncivilized of me :)