Lijst Calimero pleads for safe introduction periods

In the University Council meeting on Thursday, 29th of September, the incidents that happened during the hazing of the Groninger student association Vindicat Atque Polit, were discussed. The board of directors announced, that the University of Groningen, the Hanzehogeschool Groningen, and the municipality Groningen want to abolish the hazing within student associations and plead for a cultural change from hazing towards introduction periods.

Lijst Calimero regrets last week’s incidents disapproves of such events. The usage of physical and mental violence is unacceptable and has to be prevented in the future. Therefore, we refer to the responsibilities of the Advice Committee Introduction Times (ACI). We strongly advice all student associations to critically evaluate their own introduction times in cooperation with the ACI. In this process, contracts that enforce participants to remain silent over potential incidents cannot remain unchanged.

Furthermore, we disagree with how the board of directors reacts to the incidents. Dictating a cultural change from above conflicts with the general student mentality in Groningen: associations are created from students for students and should therefore remain independent and keep their own identities. The measures taken by the board of directors also fail to reach their purpose, namely the prevention of violent acts in the future.

The incidents of last week are not only terrible for the victims, but considering the national outcry they can be seen as a loss for the academic community in Groningen. Therefore, Lijst Calimero calls upon the board of directors and the affected student associations to work together in order to create a safe and sound student culture in which physical and mental violence do no longer occur.