Cambridge University students were seen fighting, stripping off, vomiting, passing out and urinating in bushes and flower beds, to the disgust of families at a Cambridge park this weekend.
Emergency services had to be called in as some of the country's most promising students started vomiting and collapsing from too much alcohol during the bank holiday bender.
The undergraduates, many billed as the leaders and thinkers of tomorrow, created binge-drinking scenes which suggested David Cameron's declared war on 'booze Britain' still has a long way to go.
Medical attention: A reveller was taken to hospital by ambulance after he drank himself unconscious at the park in Cambridge's city centre yesterday afternoon
Nature calls: Many of them were members of the college drinking societies and turned up wearing their university blazers- one undergraduate was seen weeing into the nearby flower bed
Public display: Some students were seen acting out sexual positions, while male students chanted and ran around with their trousers round their ankles
Around 2,000 Cambridge University students gathered for Caesarean Sunday, a riotous party in a city centre public park to mark the beginning of the summer term.
One undergraduate was even taken to hospital by ambulance after he drank himself unconscious at the park in Cambridge’s city centre yesterday afternoon.
Many of the revellers were members of the college drinking societies turned up wearing their university blazers and pushing trolley loads of booze.
They then spent the afternoon taking part in shocking and bizarre initiation ceremonies.
Girls were seen drinking port through condoms, while others were held upside down as alcohol was poured in their mouths.
Booze trolley: Students transported as much alcohol as they could carry to the green
Passed out: A male lies on the grass, being helped by his friends. Caesarian Sunday is seen as the birth of the drinking parties for the summer term, which ends with the notorious after-exams party, Suicide Sunday, in June
Fancy dress fun: The bad weather didn't stop students getting dressed up by painting their faces - although shocked onlookers later witnessed an organised fight between the Caesareans, Jesus’ inter-year drinking society and the Girton Green Giants, in which blood was shed as students chanted and cheered
Some were seen acting out sexual positions, while male students chanted and ran around with their trousers round their ankles.
INSIDE THE DRINKING RITUALS OF CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY STUDENT
Binge-drinking serves as a form of initiation, to Cambridge University's popular drinking societies.
Caesarean Sunday is seen as the birth of the drinking parties for the summer term. It historically takes place at a park in Cambridge’s city centre, on the first bank holiday of the summer term.
It is said to have started when a member of the Green Giants stole a bottle of Pimm’s from a Caesarean. The bottle was then thrown at the Caesarian in a challenge to fight.
Now, every year, the president of Girton’s drinking society downs a bottle of Pimm’s and invites the Jesus drinking society to fight.
CUTV.com bills it as 'an institution.'
Suicide Sunday
The party at Cambridge University is a traditional event in which hundreds of students celebrated finishing their exams.
Three years ago the Suicide Sunday garden party, organised by the Wyverns, an all-male Magdalene College drinking society, had to be held in a new location for the first time in 80 years after officials banned students from holding the event on university land.
The controversial decision was made after a 23-year-old student was arrested the previous year during the infamous jelly wrestling contest for punching a spectator.
The name, is said to be a celebration that students haven't committed suicide due to exam stress - when it is held they are still unaware of their results.
VT valley rally
Its winter equivalent, the VT valley rally, occurs during the annual Varsity ski trip, is quickly catching up to Suicide Sunday’s levels of debauchery.
Last year female students stripped to their underwear in front of hundreds of onlookers, while both men and women simulated sex acts with each other.
Wyverns drinking society
The Wyverns drinking society has a reputation for its hard partying and excessive drinking.
Its initiation ceremony involves eating a 15-course meal with delicacies such as a pig’s snout with wasabi sauce and a pint of water with a goldfish swimming inside.
The Caesareans society has a tradition whereby any initiated member can point at an invited male, or 'Legionary' as they call it, keeping with the Roman theme, and he must then down his drink.
There is no limit to the number of times this can be done to any one individual, and it has been reported that many don’t make it much past the end of the meal.
The Ferret drinking society
The Ferretz, an inter-collegiate drinking society, must consume 80 units on their initiatio. They usually start with a bottle of gin and finish off with a bottle of port - consumed through a condom.
But not all initiations involve heavy drinking. Most female societies prefer to set the girls tasks, such as kissing strangers and dressing up, and asking strangers sex questions.
Shocked onlookers later witnessed an organised fight between the Caesarians, Jesus’ inter-year drinking society and the Girton Green Giants, in which blood was shed as students chanted and cheered.
An ambulance was called just before 3pm after a student in his 20’s collapsed from drinking too much.
He was worked on for an hour by paramedics before being taken to nearby Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
Police officers were also called to the park to assist with the incident.
Just metres away a crowd of 200 people had gathered to hear a brass band play, but their afternoon’s entertainment was disrupted by the drunken students.
'I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, it was disgusting behaviour by students who are meant to be the cream of the crop,' said mum-of-two Tracy Burton, 31, from Cambridge.
'We had gone for a walk in the park with our children and there were lots of other families around and I’m furious they were exposed to their partying.
'Lots of the students were semi-naked, others were shouting, swearing and singing loudly.
'They were totally out of control and no one seemed to be stopping them.
'It totally ruined our afternoon and my four-year-old now says he doesn’t want to go back to the park.'
Cambridge University students take part in Caesarean Sunday every year to mark the start of the summer term.
This year thousands of students shouted and cheered at around 3pm as more than 20 male students with 'war paint' on their faces viciously fought on the Green.
One team, wearing make-shift togas, marched behind a pig’s head on a stake as they headed to battle.
Many then continued to drink all afternoon, before jumping in the nearby River Cam in their underwear or staggering to the nearby night clubs.
A lot of the students, both male and female, could barely stand by the end of the afternoon.
One girl was supported by her friends as she hobbled home, while another had to be carried by a male friend as other students looked on giggling.
'This is one of the biggest events in the calendar for the drinking societies and some graduates even come back just for the occasion,' said one student, who did not want to be named.
'Many of them will start drinking at lunchtime and just carry on. A lot of them have been in the pubs for most of the day.
'The initiations are really shocking and its worse as it’s in a public place, but most students are so drunk they don’t realise or care.
Legend has it that a member of the Girton Green Giants once stole a bottle of Pimms from a member of the Jesus college Caesareans.
The bottle was subsequently thrown at the group of Caesareans in a challenge to a fight.
Now every year the president of Girton’s drinking society downs a bottle of Pimms and invites the Jesus drinking society to fight.
'Most of them think they deserve to party hard as they work hard during the term.
Helping hand: Some of the students had more of their hands than they bargained for - these three men dragged their friend who has passed out across the green
Upside down: Girls were seen drinking port through condoms, while others were held upside down as alcohol was poured in their mouths
Crowd: Just metres away a crowd of 200 people had gathered to hear a brass band play, but their afternoon's entertainment was disrupted by the drunken students
Dressed up: 'They were totally out of control and no one seemed to be stopping them,' said mum-of-two Tracy Burton, 31, from Cambridge
Moment out: Some students were so overwhelmed by the afternoon's activities they had to take a moment out on the grass
'Exams are coming up and this is their way to let off a bit of steam before weeks of revision.'
Caesarean Sunday is seen as the birth of the drinking parties for the summer term, which ends with the notorious after-exams party, Suicide Sunday, in June.
Three years ago the Suicide Sunday garden party, organised by the Wyverns, an all-male Magdalene College drinking society, had to be held in a new location for the first time in 80 years after officials banned students from holding the event on university land.
Horseplay: A lot of the students, both male and female, could barely stand by the end of the afternoon
Intoxication: Binge-drinking serves as a form of initiation, to Cambridge University's popular drinking societies
The controversial decision was made after a 23-year-old student was arrested the previous year during the infamous jelly wrestling contest for punching a spectator.
The Wyverns drinking society has a reputation for its hard partying and excessive drinking.
Its initiation ceremony involves eating a 15-course meal with delicacies such as a pig’s snout with wasabi sauce and a pint of water with a goldfish swimming inside.
The Caesarean society has a tradition whereby any initiated member can point at an invited male, or 'Legionary' as they call it, keeping with the Roman theme, and he must then down his drink.
There is no limit to the number of times this can be done to any one individual, and it has been reported that many don’t make it much past the end of the meal.
Headed for home: One girl's time was up when she was carried home, although her friends still looked in good spirits
One down: A girl was supported by her friends as she hobbled home
All together now: Students helped to push the ambulance out the mud - the patient was worked on for an hour by paramedics before being taken to nearby Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge
