By John Borneman and Phil Caruso

The men's club lacrosse team has had its spring 2006 season canceled, its official club status denied until next fall and is being accused of engaging in hazing rituals.

The team held a party at a private residence in early October that was attended by a majority of the team and other students. Photos taken at the party were posted by a team member on WebShots.com, a public photo-sharing site. The photos show at least some team members performing keg stands and drinking from a beer bong. Some of the team members were photographed wearing nothing but thong underwear.

As a result of that party, the university became aware of the lacrosse team's actions and accused them of violating university alcohol and hazing policies, according Vice President of Student Affairs Andy Thon.

"Following procedures in the student handbook for violations of club regulations, (the university) held a student conduct hearing," Thon said.

The university's decision to suspend the lacrosse team was based on the club's violation of university alcohol and hazing policies, Thon said.

For the past few weeks, the team has been locked in an investigation that has led to the cancellation of their spring season.

As a result of the hearing, the lacrosse team will not be recognized as an official student organization until fall 2006, according to a university press release.

The team members received e-mails on Oct. 24 confirming that their season was canceled, according to Kyle Swatkowski, a lacrosse player and freshman in the College of Business Administration.

Team member Will Vial, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences who posted the pictures, said he did not think any consequences would result from his actions.

The photos are no longer posted online.

"It was just a fun team gathering," Vial said, "we were just having a great time and wanted to remember it."

Swatkowski said the party was just that — a party, not hazing.

"It wasn't hazing. In hazing you're told to do certain things," he said. "It was like 'hey, do you want to do this?' not 'you have to do this or you're off the team.'"

"It was not malicious in any way," Vial said. "There were no ringleaders and no segregation of classes."

The Marquette student organization handbook states that hazing, as defined by the university, can involve "any action or activity which does not contribute to the positive development of a person; or which inflicts or intends to cause mental or physical harm." Marquette alumnus Dale Terry e-mailed copies of the pictures to Marquette Tribune staff members and other people on campus. Terry said he has made it his mission to campaign against hazing as a result of his own experiences with hazing incidents.

"I'm just an alumnus who was hazed as a fraternity pledge, and in turn hazed the guys who followed me," Terry said. "As I grew older, I realized that the most active hazers were the immature chapter members."

Terry said he has sent pictures showing similar incidents at other universities to their officials in the last week. These universities include Principia College in St. Louis and Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va.

"I'm planning to document more sports hazing and contact more campuses," he said.

According to Terry, the only way to put an end to hazing is to avoid giving teams the typical "slap on the wrist."

He cited the examples of McGill University in Canada, which canceled its football team's season, and the University of Vermont, which eliminated its hockey season five years ago, as proper penalties for hazing.

"Marquette should terminate the lacrosse club," he said.