The Riot Club (2014), depicting an Oxford drinking society, brought this debate to the nation.newbrighton.lightcinema, Blueprint Pictures

A college-wide crackdown seems to be in effect as St Catharine’s, Emmanuel and Churchill have all taken steps to clamp down on misbehaviour in recent days.

Drinking societies have taken a big hit as the Catz Kittens, of St Catharines’, and the Emmanuel Lions have been officially disbanded and suspended respectively.

The Emmanuel Lions have been suspended from holding any social events, reportedly after an embarrassing email leak was published by the Tab.

The email, which laid out the initiation lists of freshers and a schedule of swaps for Michaelmas, was sent out by the presidents of the society. It noted that the list of swaps was liable to change as “more may be added subject to demand (i.e. female demand for Emmanuel penis).”

The Lions’ presidents also declared themselves to be “very excited for the year to come” and encouraged everyone to “get involved, get keen and smash it (/the girls).”

The Catz Kittens were apparently disbanded by St Catharine’s after a disagreement with senior college figures over a Facebook event which invited the entire college to a night out at Cindie’s, despite the Kittens being held to an agreement not to hold events inviting freshers.

St Catharine’s has also cracked down on the wider student population by holding a meeting for students who performed poorly academically in the most recent Tripos examinations.

According to reports, the senior tutor and dean of the college summoned a group of approximately 40 students in order to condemn their recent academic performance.

The JCR welfare team declined to comment when contacted by Varsity.

Even graduate students have been targeted in the college crackdown after the Churchill Bulldogs’ flagship fresher event “Sinister Swap” was banned by college seniors. The Bulldogs are currently banned from holding events in college on “account of damage done to property at some of their past gatherings”.

The swap involved various alumni of the college who scheduled trips up from London in order to “shark” new freshers. 

According to the Tab, female freshers received handwritten invitations to a secret event at Pitt Club, and were then subjected to a bra-unhooking competition and consumed drinks of an increasing strength, with several women being taken home in a semi-conscious state by Bulldog members.

The senior tutor at Churchill College, Richard Partington, emphasised that there was no reason that Bulldog events should be kept secret “unless their purpose is illegitimate or unsavoury; consequently it should not ask students receiving invitations to its events to keep them secret”.