Uglo logos to humiliation rituals: These are the five biggest Warwick society red flags

Now that the manic events of Freshers’ Week and taster sessions has died down at university, people are starting to think more seriously about which societies they want to join and dedicate their free time to: A decision not to be taken lightly. With membership fees on the rise, no one wants to join a society and discover halfway through the year it’s a swing and a miss. To try and prevent this, here are five of the biggest society red flags to look out for and try and avoid.

1. The drinking-only societies

Almost every society includes drinking events, especially in the first few weeks of term. For many, the alcohol acts as a social lubricant to help form new bonds with people over drinks of purple. However, societies should also be making a conscious effort to include sober events, not only for people who choose not to drink but also for those who just fancy a sober hangout from time to time.

A reliance on alcohol to fuel a good time is not indicative of the societies overall appeal to you as a member, and only seeing people during drinking events (whether you drink or don’t) makes it harder to establish the lasting friendships that makes joining societies so attractive in the first place.

2. The ugly logo

This is rather self explanatory. Societies with unappealing logos aren’t particularly the ones you want to buy merchandise or kit from. While it may be a step too far to disregard a society based upon its logo, it is something to keep in mind. Some logos look very poor quality, and aren’t something that should ever be put on a sweatshirt.

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3. The small friend group

This red flag is honestly one of the biggest. Some societies, especially ones with a smaller number of members, and formed upon a niche interest, really do just act as one large friendship group rather than a friendly and open society. These events feel like a group of cliquey friends hanging out and rarely include the hobby advertised. I can almost guarantee everyone in the society has dated or been involved with each other in some way. Do yourself a favour and don’t get involved. Still pursue whatever interest you had, but miss out on the small, incestuous society. It is likely too much drama anyway…

4. The Humiliation rituals

This is a common society red flag, and maybe one you expected to find on this list. Humiliation rituals are commonly found in sports societies during “initiations”. Many have happened recently, and you may have heard the horror stories. But, as someone who has been through initiations both as a fresher and now as a second year helping to run it, initiations themselves should not be a reason to completely disregard a society. They can be a great way to bond over the weirdness of activities and, when they are over, feel a sense of belonging.

But for some societies, this event is something to look out for. Initiations should push you out of your comfort zone for a night for the jokey crime of being a fresher, but should not ignore your boundaries as a person or humiliate you for a year. Watch out for societies that do not respect your boundaries. As a rule of thumb, anything involving nudity or bodily fluids is a society you should definitely avoid at all costs (but I would hope you’d know that). I do recognise the absurdity of the previous sentence. They are meant to be a fun experience I promise.

5. The unadvertised society

In the age of social media, almost all the information for a society is given through Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp or Linktree. When societies don’t have an active or organised online presence, it can be so difficult to understand the inner workings of the society and sign up to events, or down the road, be involved in exec. Societies like this are often the ones found at the freshers fair with little more than a piece of paper with their society name. To be truly effective, a society needs clear organisation and marketing to attract and keep members. Trying to navigate a society, especially as a fresher, is hard enough without being unable to access information.