Student initiation

**helen**

Hi guys,

Normally this kind of thing would go into "We need you" but we're actually just as interested to hear your views on this as the journalist who has contacted us! So let's hear your thoughts :thumb:

Have you ever encountered any student initiation rituals? Whether it's drinking games with a sports team, having to sit in a bath of baked beans, or something more traumatic that ended up with you suffering physical or emotional pain, a journalist for Scarlet magazine would like to know your stories.

What's the worst initiation ceremony you've heard of? And if you work at a student union or university, do you have a Union policy about initiation? All replies will be treated confidentially unless you want to be named. So post here or reply to emilyd@scarletmagazine.co.uk

Former Member

Our hockey initiations involve nakedness and/or embarassing fancy dress (such as dressing as a baby, or in drag), and the consumption of enormous amounts of alcohol.

We usually have a particularly nasty drink or foodstuff to be eaten by each fresher too, such as dog food, chilli powder, milk, or just a mixture of these kind of things with vodka or snakebite etc. We also have the 'milk challenge', which involves drinking copious amounts of milk and then doing laps around the local curry house - tougher than you may think!

Former Member

I think the whole concept is fucking pathetic.

I'm not remotely co-ordinated enough to be in a decent sports team but I know several people who quit university sport to play in the inter-departmental and university equivelent of the Sunday league because of the stupid initiation rituals. They, like me, think that you shouldn't be required to drink yourself stupid just to play in a sports team.

Former Member

My first rugby match in College - I had to dress up as a woman with make up an' all for one while the rest of them were in suits. After the game, and after the boat race and the traditional "stealing", we were back in our local and i had to first down a pint of lager, then a pint of bitter, then a pint of cider and then a pint of lemonade. Suffice to say (I hate bitter and dislike cider), by the time i was downing lemonade, well I was on the limit but I did it. (the thing with it is that once you get to the lemonade you've downed so much gas that you wouldn't be able to drink a soft drink such as lemonade). And then I had to go out on the town wearing the female clothes. It was a great night.

Initiations are cool, but not for the faint hearted.

Former Member

There was a lot of dressing up as women went on at my Uni, too. Interesting, that! I remember my ex had to (make a valiant attempt to) snort a shot of tequila, shot of Captain Morgan and two absinthes as part of the rugby team inititation. They all thought it was hilarious at the time - and I warned them - 'cause what came back out on the pavement later that evening was beyond disgusting.

I've nothing to add other than that, except that I LOVE Scarlet