Pattaravadee Kongsincharoenchai

Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University

The department in which Pattaravadee studies is known for its energetic hazing.

“We have this five-day event called Pid-Pew, where we dress up according to different themes each day. At Pid-Pew we also dance along to songs written by the seniors. It allowed me to experience the fun and free side of the faculty because other faculties’ initiation events are never this energetic.

“Then there’s an event called Hong Cheer [Cheer Room], where freshmen get yelled at by the seniors and are forced to sing and memorise songs. But I guess my favourite part about it is the ending. That’s when the seniors finally reveal their humorous sides, telling jokes. Then we got our notebooks signed by classmates and that was a good way of making friends.

“The only downside to initiation rites is that it takes up a lot of time. After class, I’d go straight to Hong Cheer and it would last until night-time. From there, I’d have to go straight home to do work. While I’m not really invested in faculty activities, my curiosity was what compelled me to attend Hong Cheer.”

Pattaravadee believes that hazing should be a learning experience for freshmen. “The activity should teach freshmen about how supportive their classmates can be and the sacrifices others in the faculty can make. Staff and faculty should also monitor events to ensure they are safe.”