Gen Xers: Did your HS have a “freshman slave” auction?

[Anonymous]

Class of '89 in Indiana. We did not. But I doubt it was in any way due to our good taste. Either no one had thought of it or no one wanted to take the initiative to organize such a thing.

[Anonymous]

My mother was fortunate enough to have gone to college in the 1950s. Her campus had a “no makeup day” where the boys were allowed to approach any young woman suspected of wearing makeup and wipe it off her face, with permission or not! So weird and not okay!

[Anonymous]

Mine didn't.

[Anonymous]

No, but I think I've seen it in a movie or something because it sounds vaguely familiar.

[Anonymous]

No but I'm European.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I graduated in 1987 and this was not a thing at my school. It sounds like something a frat would do.

Same year ‘87. FCPS HS. Not a thing.

[Anonymous]

Class of '85. We did, large public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I once went on a sleepover, and the next day went to Quaker meeting with the family (this would have been in the '80's). Their meeting was having a fundraiser and the kids stood on a stage and an "auctioneer" described what they said they could do such as baby sit or mow your lawn and people bid on them.

It's mind boggling to me that people thought this was OK, and particularly in a denomination that had such a strong abolitionist presence and commitment to social justice. But that's what happened!

I’ve been to auctions for schools in present day where they auctioned off services including babysitting, portraits, photography, etc. is auctioning off services that have been donated wrong?

Standing children up and talking about them as if they were slaves, is wrong. There was no question that this was meant to mimic a slave auction.

An auction in which the people are not placed in that position, is fine, but services are offered? Yeah, that's fine.

[Anonymous]

No school hazing. Sports teams hazed a little, but I don't think a random senior would have dared to try an haze a random freshman

[Anonymous]

I think we did — Central Florida, class of 1993, but all I remember is one of the African American teachers spoke out against it in a class I had and said it was disgusting and it something to joke about.

She might have also been talking about it happening in the recent past or a different school, as I don’t actually remember the event. I didn’t pay much attention to the “School Spirit” stuff, but it was a thing at some point.

[Anonymous]

Class of 1989, Long Island, NY -- no way.

[Anonymous]

I graduated in 1996 in a midwest college town, and have never experienced or heard of such a thing.

[Anonymous]

Class of '90 in Northeast

Of course not. WTH?

[Anonymous]

Graduated in '92. Went to a National Honors Latin Competition (had a project in it, won 2nd place). They had a slave auction. Think the kids bid with "money" won from various competitions.

Different time, different place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I graduated in 1987 and this was not a thing at my school. It sounds like something a frat would do.

Same year ‘87. FCPS HS. Not a thing.

WSHS ‘87 - agree!