Guidelines for welcoming ceremonies
The purpose of the House Welcoming ceremony should be to end orientation week and officially welcome the First Year students into the house. It is imperative that we take a critical look at traditional ceremonies and ensure we are not overlooking aspects that could involve elements of humiliation, hazing, initiation, unpleasant actions, or embarrassment. The following guidelines have been in place in the past but it is helpful for all of us to have them clarified again and to ensure consistency throughout houses.
Requirements
- There should be no aspect of secrecy. This includes covering or darkening any window in the building, or not fully explaining the process of the ceremony to the first year students ahead of time.
- There should be no hoods, blindfolds etc. to inhibit the students' vision or increase anxiety. The lights in the hallways / rooms where the event is taking place should remain on.
- There should be no yelling, screaming, etc at the first year students. This is a welcoming ceremony not a rite of passage. The student should not be treated as though they are not as good as, or equal to, the people leading the ceremony. There are to be no enforced silences, mass kneeling, or restricting where and/or how students can sit. Example: leaders should not sit in chairs or on couches while first year students sit on the floor.
- Ceremonies should not include aspects that makes students drink, eat, or come in contact with anything that is meant to be a "gross out" or involve food or drink that they would not normally consider as pleasant to consume.
- Any Quests or task that may be a part of the ceremony must be submitted and described in detail for each individual student (not just examples), approved by the Don of each house and then forwarded to the Coordinator for final approval.
- The opportunity to opt out of the ceremony should be made clear to each student in a way that makes it a real option (no embarrassment) and leaves the student still feeling part of the house. Example: students opting out might bypass the ceremony but still rejoin the group at the end.
- Welcoming ceremonies are to occur at the time designated in the orientation schedule and not involve other activities occurring earlier or later in the term.
- If these ceremonies include a pledge or oath, this MUST also be forwarded to the Don and the Coordinator in advance of the event for approval.
If there are any further questions regarding the Welcoming Ceremony, please contact the Residence Coordinator at kskentel@unb.ca or 458-7002.
