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Students 'shocked' at initiation ceremony

Kent University’s Students Union has reacted to shocking footage of an initiation ceremony involving students at Gloucester University.

The video, handed to the BBC this week, showed a group being lined up and forced to drink alcohol while wearing plastic bags on their heads and vomiting.

The leader of the group was dressed as a Nazi soldier, leading them down a residential street unsighted and hand in hand.

Kent Union has now issued guidelines to sports clubs and societies planning on organising initiations for new members at the start of the academic year.

Vice-president for sports Cai Robbins has tabled an informal policy, following the President’s Day conference held at the start of Freshers’ Week.

It states: “At least two members of a club must be sober, risk assessments must take place and non-alcoholic drinks have to offered for those who don’t want to drink.”

She said: “I was just quite speechless watching the footage from Gloucester.

“I cannot believe anyone would be that irresponsible, I was just absolutely shocked by it and cannot imagine anyone wanting to do that.”

Members of clubs found “bullying” students into drinking against their wishes will be removed and banned from joining any other clubs.

“The last thing I want to see happen is promising athletes coming to this university and feeling uncomfortable about joining clubs because they fear being alienated if they’re not seen to be playing along,” said the 21-year-old drama student.

Whole clubs failing to adhere to the regulations will be disaffiliated from the Union, cutting their funding and training facilities.

They will also be banned from entering teams in BUCS, the national universities competition.

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