I wish there was this much concern about that place years ago. Now it has been some time so I'll see if I can remember the fun stuff.
There was the coincidental construction of a personal residence on hla grounds at the same time the parent funded gym was being built. Also students on work assignments were sent to clean out the leaves and other debris from the house while it was under construction.
The good old land fill where anything and everything was throw and burned including refrigerators and tires to name a few. When pictures were finally taken by a student and attempted to be mailed out they were intercepted and the student was punished for his attempt.
I also recall a counselor that lived on campus going through the personal items of students and using them in his residence. I personal saw a students Playstation, that had been confiscated upon admission, sitting in his apartment. when we questioned him he simply said " well you weren't going to be using it."
I witnessed a female counselor try to take a "peek" at a male student while he was changing behind a van. When the group raised concern about her actions they were told to drop it and threatened with punishment if they didn't.
I had a massive list of wrong doings when I had left that place but it has been a long time and I try not to think about it. That place was built for cash and nothing more. The well being of students is fairly low on the list if you judge by actions.
HLA can make any claim they like as to the effectiveness of their institution. I do not know how the academy functions now nor the staff. I do know that the people I still keep in touch with gained little to nothing from their whole stay aside from some friends and getting better at what they did before they went there. I have heard it was just what some people needed. I also know some people that came out of there far worse than when they went in. I personally am offended by HLA. I obviously don't like the place and I never will but I met some decent people there. Some were even staff but due to the way the campus functioned people that actually cared didn't stay around long, errr weren't allowed to stay.
I hadn't thought about that place in a long time until I was sent a link to this thread and I impulsively wrote this response. I apologize if this rant is off topic.
where was the landfill? forensics can be done. i know burning certain things, particularly tires, refigerators, and other plastics is illegal in many states.
yes..counselors did steal alot of shit. they "confiscated" and then "lost" my ipod, about half my books, a dozen or so items of clothing, along with a wallet full of cash, phone numbers, ID's, and business cards which they took from me at admission.
yes...most people do come out of there better trained at getting away with stuff. i posted this before, but I left with a bigger, badder, nationwide list of phone numbers than when i came in. the shit i did after HLA makes the pre-HLA me look like a choir boy. if anything, hidden lake gave me the skills to be able to deal with and control crazed lunatics, which in turn gave me the skills to delve into the drug world deeper than ever, and then survive unscathed. Everyone i hung with after HLA ended up either in a gennerally miserable existence either in prison, turning tricks, selling vials, etc.. (think "trainspotting"). while i somehow always stayed safe, kept a low profile, and kept my moral boundaries intact.....and i'm still free and healthy, recently drug-free. HLA only taught me how to be a smarter criminal and drug user.......I have a reputation of being able to smoke a blunt right in front of you without you noticing. Not literally, but you get the jist.
