The Ritual of "Crossing Over"
May 24, 2012 by Julie Montanaro
A painful picture of hazing within FAMU's Marching 100 is emerging from hundreds of documents and interviews released this week.
Robert Champion died after going through a ritual called "crossing over," but he wasn't the only one to "cross over" the weekend of the Florida Classic.
Interviews indicate as many as five more band members may have done it that trip, and two did it the very same night.
Band members say it's a tradition on board bus C. Many of them have been forced to describe "crossing over " in painful detail now that it cost drum major Robert Champion his life.
"You take your shirt off and you basically have to make it from the front of the bus to the back of the bus," fellow band member Keon Hollis told police.
Hollis took his turn "crossing over" right before Champion did. He described being hit. punched, kicked and struck with drum sticks, all while pushing his way through a tangle of people to touch the back wall.
"I had just finished. I was in the back trying to regain myself, my composure because I was out of it myself. I was really weak, kind of like out of breath," Hollis said.
"Did you get any injuries?"
"No. I didn't get any injuries, just a couple of back problems, like just pains, but not like severe.
"Do you know who threw up in the parking lot?"
"I threw up in the parking lot," Hollis said.
Lisette Sanchez was the first to cross over that night in November.
"How long were you going through?
"Long time, I don't even know," Sanchez told police.
"Two grown men, like six feet tall, threw up. How did you feel after you were done?"
"I was like unconscious basically."
"The only reason I think he (Champion) died is because he didn't have enough time to breathe. When I finished, I almost had a panic attack ... because it gets really hot and you start not being able to breath towards the back," Sanchez said.
Among the items on the Orange County Sheriff's evidence list were hazing and harrassment agreements signed by members of the band.
Of the six who reportedly "crossed over" during the Florida Classic weekend, five appear to have signed agreements acknowledging the university's anti-hazing policy, including Robert Champion
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