On 2006-04-16 22:48:00, michelle9905 wrote:
"I never attended Straight however, a good friend of mine did. She spent time in facilities and homes in Texas and Florida. When she first told me of the horrible experiences she had there as a teenager I was shocked, but I didn't take it too seriously because she can be a bit nerotic. Recently, I grew concerned and found out how serious and unjust Straight really was.
Coincidentally, I am currently preparing a speech for my Business Communications class at the University of Florida MBA program. The assignment topic is to do a 5 minute informative speech on any company. I am doing my speech on Straight. I know it will blow their mind.
Can someone please help me by telling me about the programs format (i.e. stages, privilages, punishments). I want to try to give an objective view point, but all info would be helpful.
I appreciate any help you can give.
Thanks
Michelle "
Go Gators!
Ok, I'll make this as brief and objective as possible:
Phase 1: No outside contact. No radio, TV, reading of billboards, street signs or t-shirt lettering. Anything with letters that you see you must avert your eyes. You spend 10 hours a day in "group", and at night you stay in a host home. In this host home, the person in charge of you is your "oldcomer", who is responsible for never letting you out of sight. If you move across the room, you must be held onto by the back of your pants, with the oldcomer's thumb through the back belt loop (a practice called "beltlooping".
You must ask to pick up a utensil with which to eat your food at the table. You are accompanied to the bathroom, where you are watched while you perform your elimination procedures. After you are finished, (depending on the oldcomer) you are either given your alotted amount of toilet paper, or you are watched sternly as you unroll it yourself - and you'll know when you've taken too much.
The only words you are allowed to read are your own that you write in a notebook each night, in a prescribed format: The Moral Inventory. In this "homework assignment", you must "confess" something (even something as dumb as wishing you had a second helping of mac-n-cheez for dinner... if you have nothing else to confess, anything will do), then you must describe in detail how this is detrimental to you and others, then you must in detail describe how you will work on never covet thy neighbors mac-n-cheez again.
(Yes, phase one is lengthy - it's really all I saw)
Phase two - you get to return to your home, and lord over others as an "Oldcomer" You are still forbidden to read, write, or hear about anything about "the outside". You're still not allowed to be outside for any longer than it takes to walk yourself and your newcomer charge to the front door.
Phase three - You get to return to school, and have the same oldcomer priveliges as phase two. However, now you can be in the same room with a radio or a TV, you just can't get too interested in it. At this phase you're allowed to linger in the front yard as long as adults are watching... just not
too long.
Phase four - you can go to school and hang outside freely, as long as someone is watching you from the inside. You can watch TV and listen to radio at this point. You get one day off from group.
Phase five - Same as phase four, except now you qualify to be a Staff Trainee.
Phase six - (aka "Staff Trainee") - almost all sixth phasers were Staff Trainees at my spinoff program. I believe the delineation between phase five and six were that you no longer hovered over newcomers on phase six.
And then one Friday night, you reach the pinnacle - you're told you're a "Seventh Stepper"! HUZZAH!
(
and the crowd goes wild)
Sara
UF - CLAS Class of 2002
...it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate,
tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds..
--Samuel Adams
