Organised bar crawls are rubbish

Obviously, universities are synonymous with assignment deadlines, overdrafts and more often than not – drinking to excess. That’s fine.

But from Freshers’ Week to initiation within the societies, drinking has taken new, organised and competitive form, with popular bar crawl Carnage UK marking centre place.

Drinking becomes more and more competitive.

Voted the ‘best student event since 2004,’Carnage UK took it’s turn in Sheffield last night.

The popular – and massively controversial bar crawl, offers various opportunities for students to visit multiple venues on a night out, wearing the same, over-priced, unflattering T-shirts.

Stunning

Whilst enjoying a drink or seven in an establishment of your choice seems like any student’s routine, taking part in the ‘organised fun’ events such as Carnage, seems embarrassing for anyone not in their first year.

What’s the appeal of chugging double vodkas, surrounded by a group of raucous (and often half-conscious) Freshers – all firm in their belief that they are a part of something bigger?

Is being marched around from bar to bar like a herd of disobedient cattle really still considered fun?

‘Like a herd of disobedient cattle’

Not only is the concept utterly shit, but the moral grounding is also questionable. The organisers have been criticised in the past for promoting binge-drinking and anti-social behaviour.

The theme ‘Pimps and Hoes,’ where many female students were expected to stumble around in skimpy outfits and bunny ears, is just one of the examples where Carnage participants took it too far.

“Blacked out? Must have been a good one.”

In Sheffield, the pub crawl debauchery also ended up in serious legal consequences in 2009.

An image of 19 year-old Hallam student Phillip Laing urinating on a war memorial, mid bar crawl, made it into the national press.

Despite his apologies, and blaming the incident on the combination of alcohol and an empty stomach, Laing was sentenced to 250 hours community service.

It seems like many students still do not understand the social aspect of drinking – get tipsy, get another drink and shock everyone with your moves on the dance floor.

Is passing out in your own vomit and crying on a pavement really included in the definition of a good night out?

One of Sheffield’s many great pubs.