(no subject)

[cmdrchloe]

I'm not trying to question authority or anything, but I don't really understand what all the fuss is about the sledding. I mean, maybe I just don't understand something because I'm muggleborn, but quidditch seems just as dangerous? I mean, you're way up high on brooms jostling each other, and there are two iron balls enchanted to attack you and try to knock you off your broom. People get hurt plenty at that, right? And there were broken bones and concussions from hockey the other day, too.

And I get that there was underage drinking, and people were hurt and there was no healer on hand, but if people do this every year anyway, why don't they just turn it into a school sanctioned event? Staff being there would keep people from drinking, and Mufferaw could be there to fix any injuries.

Or is it just that we're only allowed to endanger ourselves for sports? You're allowed to get a concussion as long as it's something you can win at?

Comments

[ninjaleo]

There's rules to Quidditch. It's regulated. And the pitch is free of tree branches and rocks, so there's another plus.

[windless.insanejournal.com]

That would be a smart thing for the administration to consider.

[cmdrchloe]

But if this was a staff sanctioned event, there would be rules to sledding too.

And quidditch has two people with bats trying to hit iron balls at you on purpose. At least the rocks aren't magicked to intentionally come after you, and no one's going to throw anything other than a snowball at each other.

[bambae]

You're not wrong.

[ninjaleo]

If it was staff sanctioned, sure. But this time wasn't. It could be a good idea to make it official. Some people might like the unofficial way better anyway.
Quidditch is dangerous, but if you intentionally hurt someone, at least you can get fouled and punished for it. And we at least know the people we're hitting the thing at has been trained to dodge it.

[knightly]

The "fuss" is exactly that: it's not a school-sanctioned event, and staff has continued to choose not to sanction sledding down that hill, and people have continued to do it despite the serious injuries, and while drinking alcohol.

Quidditch is dangerous, and it has rules which are enforced by Mr. Thorn. Hockey can get dangerous too, and it's student-organized, and Quinn created a system so that physical contact is opt-in. People jump into the lake in December, which is unbelievably dangerous, and no one got seriously hurt because standbys were assigned and Mufferaw called out anyone who was staying in too long. In all these cases, we have staff present and we have safety measures in place.

This might be a different discussion if people had asked permission from the teachers and laid out a plan to keep things safe, but they didn't.

[firstposition.insanejournal.com]

Because it's dangerous and we are not allowed to do everything we like. Some things are off limits. What happened was undeniably dangerous, prefect supervision was insufficient, and something much worse could have happened. Compare the dozen or so injuries in that one afternoon to the perhaps one or two in a Quidditch game. That hill is impossible to sled down safely. The staff would be foolish to let us do it.

All the people who participated knew it was breaking rules. Complaining that it was unjust after the fact and criticizing the staff is ridiculous. You all should have thought about this first and proposed an alternative that worked within the rules, but instead, you willfully broke them.

[knightly]

Yes, but broken bones aren't the norm in Quidditch? Meanwhile, when it comes to sledding down a giant hill covered in rocks and trees, I can't think of many ways a teacher can watch the entire hill or prevent people from getting seriously hurt. Even if Healer Mufferaw were present, people would still be breaking their arms and legs and collarbones, because that is the norm when people go sledding on that hill.

[doobwaa.insanejournal.com]

I am gonna agree with you here. Perhaps we just don't get it. I mean isn't Quodpot or whatever it is even more dangerous than quidditch? Anyway, I dunno. I just love sledding. Petition to make school sanctioned event?

[cmdrchloe]

Okay, you don't have to be a jerk about it? I said I didn't understand and I had questions, I wasn't complaining. I specifically said I wasn't trying to question authority. Maybe save the "YOU, YOU, YOU" for the people who did anything?

But sorry to question anything that happens at this [water droplets on the page] weird dumb school where there's a quarantine every day and something weird every ten minutes.

Chloe/Pippa

[orangepip]

Are you okay?

[unregrettable]

My thoughts exactly. Plus, if we want to put ourselves in danger, isn't that our choice?

[chryseis]

Aw, Chloe, honey! English isn't Rafael's first language. He's using the 'universal you.'

[Rafael]

Sorry. I thought you were very eloquent, but... y'know, crying...

Chloe/Sun-mi

[henshinyo]

Ah, Chloe. Rafael is just very serious about the rules, [...] which are there for a reason. He is also used to dealing with much more [...] rambuctious students.

We are very happy to have you at the school this year and I am sorry it has been so chaotic so far. Would you like me to bring you some hot cocoa and maybe we can talk about it?

[browbeats]

The staff spends enough time trying to make sure we don't kill ourselves and we keep trying. We get hockey, and literally days later, while most of us are still sporting black eyes and bruises, we're topping that. They'd probably appreciate it if we kept those attempts at a minimum so they can focus on educating us instead of healing and disciplining.

[cyrano.insanejournal.com]

Sugar, they're just mad because we went out and had fun and didn't let them ruin it with their boundaries and rules. Prefects and professors have a way of sucking all the fun out of being a teenager and stupid, so don't let them trouble you none. Authority's just like that: if they can't control it, they don't like it.

[bambae]

damn raf you made a girl cry

I know it's fucking weird here. But Ramirez is used to more assholes questioning the stupid rules, so he gets defensive. Because he's been taking a lot of shit for a lot of rules. And we do this every year so he's probably tired of having to repeat himself.

[warded to Raf]

How ya feeling buddy. Little intense?

[cmdrchloe]

Right! I mean, quodpot is like quidditch, but with explosions.

And what's a broken arm, anyway, with magic? Muggles have to sit through it the old fashioned way, but with magic, it's over in a couple of days.

I thought that might be a good idea, but apparently I'm awful for thinking maybe it could be school sanctioned, because a hill is the most dangerous thing ever.

[cmdrchloe]

But we did get hockey. So apparently we only get to do dangerous things if we can win at it.

[browbeats]

Bragging rights has long been an excuse for putting people in danger, but believe it or not, Quidditch and hockey are less dangerous than sledding that hill. There's no clear path, it's way too steep, there are rocks and ditches and logs that can jump out at you, and you could break your neck in the woods and maybe no one would notice until you didn't make curfew. If Quidditch and hockey caused that many injuries (and they don't, not even in pickup games with no supervision) we'd never be allowed to play.

[cmdrchloe]

Weren't you the one w Maybe if the rules were consistent or made sense there wouldn't be questions. And it doesn't help that this prefect will get drunk with you while that one will nail you to the wall for having your shirt untucked. Someone needs to give you a guidebook when you get here so you know what the heck to do and not do.

[cmdrchloe]

Okay, even if sledding is more dangerous than flying stories high on a stick shoving each other around, so what? What's a broken limb when there's a healer who can take care of it in a couple of days?

And what's to keep someone from drunkenly wandering off in the middle of a grotto party? They could fall and break their neck or walk right into the lake or get grabbed by a disappearing person or just sit down for a nap and freeze to death, and no one would even know until morning because curfew's not even in effect. That's okay, though, apparently? How is that okay but apparently sledding is the biggest deal?

[cmdrchloe]

Well, there's always going to be people who like breaking rules, but maybe some people just wanted to get to sled the awesome hill. I don't see how it's that much worse than the polar bear dive, it's fun because it's a little dangerous.

[cmdrchloe]

They could let one sled go at a time, and what's even seriously hurt? A broken bone doesn't seem that serious. When I broke my arm as a kid, it took more than a month to heal, but with magic it's a couple of days in the infirmary. That's less inconvenient than a head cold.

[cmdrchloe]

I thought so, but I guess I'm foolish.