Lincoln College has cancelled the first bop of the term in an attempt to curb a reported increase in anti-social behaviour at College Entz events.
In particular, the college is responding to misbehaviour at the last bop of Hilary term which it described as “wrestling and gallivanting” in an email sent to the JCR body.
Students have been disciplined for acts including excessive littering, vomiting on college property and verbal abuse directed towards college staff. A number of such cases have been met with warnings from the Deans but these have so far been unsuccessful in quelling disruption.
JCR president Peter Morcos has confirmed that the ban is “a response by College to what it perceived to be excessively raucous behaviour by undergraduates.” Morcos added that this behaviour resulted in “modest” damage to college property.
However some Lincoln students have expressed consternation at the decision to ban the first bop of Trinity Term, arguing that the damage resulting from the last bop was minimal. A number of students have also said they were unaware that any disruption had taken place at all.
Daniel Byrd, a second-year Computer Scientist, said, “Although I was at the bop, I didn’t notice anything different about it compared to other ones, and the ban has surprised me.”
Lincoln has said they are in the process of disciplining the main individuals responsible for the impromptu wrestling that took place at last term’s bop and have acknowledged that it was a minority of Lincoln students who participated.
Austen Saunders, a finalist at Lincoln, expressed regret that the bop was cancelled. He said, “It seems disappointing that College has chosen to collectively punish the entire JCR for the indiscretions of a few, especially when other disciplinary actions are being taken. I was looking forward to the chance to relax and take an evening off from Finals revision. I had planned to go as Bubble from Ab Fab.”
Lincoln College has suggested that there will be no more cancellations of bops provided that “the rest of the term runs smoothly”.
