Feature
no
initiatio uired
q
Picture Credit: sxc.hu
re
06
A group of staggering men, heads covered by plastic bags dripping with vomit are marched through the streets in broad daylight by an officer dressed in a Nazi
on
style uniform. Not footage of war torture but an initiation into a sports society. The NUS and many universities
sports initiations in the UK. All
across the country have called for
alcohol related. Alex Doji choked
bans on sports initiations. NUS
to death on his own vomit after
President Wes Streeting told BBC
a rugby initiation where he was
News: “We are totally opposed
required to pick deflated balloons
to student initiations. They put
out of dog food chili and offal.
students at serious risk and exclude
Gavin Britton died from alcohol
students who don’t want to take
poisoning after a golf club initiation.
part in that binge-drinking culture.” Following these tragic incidents Initiations are traditionally secret
universities across the nation have
affairs
following
slowly but surely either altogether
strict and sometimes humiliating
banning or enforcing strict regulations
orders over an evening and in
to control the ridiculous behaviour.
that
involve
some cases whole days. Initiates are expected to take part in
A student who joined a university
tasks without complaint, often
rugby team was disappointed by
dress up, eat a variety of horrific
the lack of initiations,
substances and almost always consume horrendous amounts of
‘Hippies run the union and they
alcohol in short periods of time.
hate sport. I was a bit put out
The USA has previously led the
when they didn’t have anything
way in outrageous initiations and
except a normal night out, I just
their ceremonies, which often go
don’t think it would be as bad as
to unbelievable extremes, have
they say, people have just taken
caused a reported 89 deaths so far.
it to extremes. I really don’t see
Georgia Weaving
anything wrong with it if the club
07
So far, there have been at least
keeps it to themselves and doesn’t
three reported deaths linked to
offend people. Or kill anyone! ’