I found on the website of The Guardian an article (actually, it's more like a piece of news) called "University to investigate drinking initiation ceremonies" about initiation ceremonies in Gloucestershire University. This article was written by Anthea Lipsett, and she explains that a secretly-filmed video was sent to the BBC showing some students with plastic bags over their heads vomiting because of drinking alcohol. Moreover, the guy leading the action was dressed like a Nazi. According to the author, these ceremonies are held by students from sports clubs, and they make the new students drink, obey orders and go through different initiation tests. University authorities declared themselves against those kinds of activities saying they are dangerous and violent. They claimed that the university "takes bullying and intimidation very seriously". Student spokesmen also said they were against it, and that those practices didn't tarnish the image of the university; those who intimidate and do weird rites are a minority. The majority take their studies very seriously and that's the external image of Gloucestershire University.
I think this article is interesting because there are initiation rites, on the first year of university for example, in many countries. It's a way of getting yourself in and being accepted. To me this article is worth reading because I think those kind of activities are unnecessary, cruel, humiliating and should not be done. I think it's good that not only the University's authorities declare themselves against it but also the students themselves. You may have an initiation ceremony where you can have fun and meet new people, but not drinking until you faint or doing nasty things.
The whole initation matter is very interesting because you always want to be accepted and sometimes you go too far.
If you want to check it out go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/oct/02/students.highereducation
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2 comments:
Hi!
Well, I believe that the article you read was very interesting. Actually, a few months ago I watched a report about sororities initiation rituals, and how some students were actually killed by this kind of ceremonies. And your article also remind me of the "mechoneo", that I've heard it also sometimes goes to far, and people gets injured. I believe that there are ways to make an initiation without violence, humilliation, and cruelty, and that students should never let themselves be intimidated or pushed into this kind of rituals. And if you are trying to make new friends, you should always think that if these people want to hurt you, they are probably not good, trustworthy friend material.
I agree. There is nothing wrong with a bit of initiation, but it shouldn´t require people to debase themselves.
Here are some corrections:
"*University* authorities declared themselves against those *kinds* of activities*,* saying they are dangerous and violent and that the university "takes bullying and intimidation very seriously". *Student* *spokesmen* also said they were against it..."
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