Sexual desire. It is an inherent aspect of human nature, an accepted norm within our culture. Yet if both sexes were to succumb to this carnal instinct, what sort of society would we exist in? A society without the laws of consent? Mutual respect? Equality? Within this university lies an entrenched sexual disrespect for all genders, spurred on by the contentious nature of tradition and peer pressure.

There is little point disputing the notoriety of the drinking culture and associated sexual nature of certain societies within the University of Cambridge. It is a theme which has been touched upon both on a national and college level, an infamous undertone within the student culture.

I had the good fortune of knowing people studying at Cambridge before I began my studies. With them, I had many discussions in which I picked their brains over what the ‘real’ Cambridge was like. I had illusions of grandeur. Atmospheric, gothic ‘sets’, a stage on which we could run about wearing flowing gowns, discussing our true interests with a zeal previously denied to us by the social constraints of being a teenager. What I did not envisage was the predatory nature of ‘swaps’. The intimidating culture of drinking societies. The blurred ambiguity of the definition of consent. As my friends recounted their humiliating memories of swaps and initiations, what became increasingly and worryingly apparent was the fact that these events were an accepted norm within student life at Cambridge. As I watched them recount their tales, their eyes gleamed with a ghoulish pleasure, basking in my shocked and inaudible response. It was almost as if they had become immune to it. They no longer could see it for what it truly was.

As a student, I now see how vividly this culture captures students’ imagination. There is an element of excitement, a fear of the unknown. One by one, my peers are taken over by this desire. There is no harm in the concept; indeed, meeting new people is a key element in anyone’s university experience. Yet it is the associated attitudes of these ‘traditions’ that foster a dangerous environment for all genders.

The femininity and masculinity of students is being commodified by the nature of these societies and swaps. There is an insinuation attached to the ‘invitations’, that if you want to attend, you are basically forfeiting any control. The sexual implications are inherent within the history of swap culture. In many respects, when one overhears discussions about such occasions, you could be forgiven for thinking they were talking about animals. There is a demeaning of dignity, a dismantling of identity. Suddenly, students are no longer people but instead, sexual objects.

I’ve tried to be open-minded, avoiding the ever-increasing cynicism encroaching upon me. Yet it is difficult to remain emotionally detached when you read that students, younger or older than me, are suddenly dehumanising what it means to be an independent being.

Now at this point, I’m sure many will dismiss this as a mere rant, a feminist, man-hating tirade against people who just want to have a little bit of ‘fun’ and enjoy being ‘young’. Yet, I am not just saying that swaps and drinking societies damage female morale, they are equally as detrimental to males, in a number of respects. A terrible culture exists in which male students feel the compulsion to act within the confines of the increasingly popular ‘lad’ culture, trying to prove their worth. What better way to demonstrate your masculinity than to drink yourself into a stupor? To go on a swap and find as many girls as possible? It is perceived as a definition of your masculinity. Because this is what it essentially comes down to. Students feeling the compulsion to conform to the traditional attitudes towards gender and sex.

Swaps, in their current form, are a conformist and anachronistic concept. There is potential to have a positive experience from such an event, yet there is a constant obstacle stopping us from achieving this, and that is presupposition. The assumption that we all secretly know what a swap stands for.

And it’s dangerous. Giving into a more animalistic side of ourselves and intoxicating our bodies to the point of no return has both immediate and long-term effects. Can anyone honestly say that they would feel safe in such an environment, where the increasing flow of alcohol slowly destroys any control one may retain? The backward nature of drinking societies encourages a disrespect for both our own bodies and those of our fellow students. There is a fine line between having a good time and potentially wreaking havoc on chaotic levels.

Yet we have the power to fix this. It is about breaking away from the shackles of tradition. You are not inferior for being reluctant to partake in drinking initiations, to feel uncomfortable with the archaic nature of swaps. It is exactly this hesitation that we all secretly harbour, that needs to be brought out into the open. Swaps can be updated. Drinking societies can be taken out of the dark ages. Fun can still be had, if we are just willing to acknowledge the mistaken attitudes of this culture and bring a more progressive mindset to pre-conceived ideas of gender and sexuality.

Misogynist messages leak from Selwyn