Early last month, Marquette University canceled the men's club lacrosse team's spring season as a result of a party the team held that involved incidents of hazing, as defined by Marquette's student organization handbook.

The Marquette Tribune reported in the Nov. 10 edition that at the team's party, underage drinking took place and members of the team wore thong underwear. After the team had already been reprimanded by the university, a team member posted pictures showing these events on an online photo-sharing Web site. A Marquette alumnus found these photos, sent them to local media outlets and attracted more attention to the situation.

Some team members have said they believe the incident was not a form of hazing because those who attended the party willingly participated in the events that took place. The only people who can truly know what took place are the people who were at the party. Regardless, the lacrosse team's party affected more than members of the team. The incident also left a damaging mark on the reputation of the university.

According to the Web site StopHazing.org, an educational resource on the subject, the event that took place could still be considered a form of hazing. The organization states that a common myth about hazing is that the action cannot be considered hazing if someone agrees to do it. In some cases, state laws ignore victim consent because the people participating may have succumbed to peer pressure, according to the Web site.

Aside from the most direct consequences, the party gave a negative perception of Marquette as a university. The lacrosse team was a registered student organization at Marquette. The photographs were posted online and anybody could have seen them, including prospective students. One picture shows several participants in front of a "Marquette Lacrosse" sign, according to a Nov. 15 article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The lasting impression one gets from these pictures is that of a student body that drinks too much and does silly things while drinking. That is not the image of a school with proud athletic and academic traditions, nor is it one the university can promote.

Approximately 80 percent of athletes participated in some type of hazing activity, according to a 1999 study conducted by Alfred University and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. More than 325,000 athletes at more than 1,000 NCAA schools participated in the study between 1998 and 1999.

The effects of hazing can lead to lower self-esteem and a lack of trust among team members, among other effects, according to Mothers Against School Hazing. Marquette's lacrosse team may not be as immune to these statistics as some players think. The team and the university are not the only ones who will suffer the consequences of this party, either.

Fans of club lacrosse will no longer be able to catch an official game when none are going to be played in the spring season.

The lacrosse club's party may not have ended with any injuries or deaths, but the chance for misfortune was present. When one of Marquette's student organizations engages in dangerous activities, the university has every right to curb the group. Other clubs should take this incident as an example and consider all the consequences that can occur.

Judging from the description of the pictures, it appears that the party was a fun time. But in the end, the alleged hazing incident hurt everyone involved with the team and our school.