Brussels, (Brussels Morning)- Comic acts, a lot of booze, and a kind of exclusive membership: the controversial Solvay Circle is in the eye of the storm now that the public prosecutor is investigating whether there is “extensive cross-border transfer” among students who are part of the VUB circle.
It is probably no coincidence that Solvay Kring opted for the above credo when it was founded in 1969. The student group, which mainly recruits from the commercial engineering course, aims for exclusivity, coupled with a better and more expensive lifestyle.
The circle itself emphasises this in its external communication. “That we have a lot of money is not gossip, it’s the truth”, can be read, for example, in an article on the student site Guido from 2011. Or also: “Despite the fact that we only represent one direction, we still organise the largest and most successful activities.”
Nat T-shirt
However, these activities are increasingly striking for their extremes. Such as the Erotica TD, which already caused a stir six years ago after testimonials from female students in the Brussels student magazine De Moeial. That infamous evening, a wet T-shirt contest was organised, in which students had to throw ice-cold water over their clothes, and then take off their bras. At the end of the competition, one student was crowned the winner.
At that TD – meanwhile renamed ‘Moulin Orange’ – not only professional strippers, but also shafts of the Solvay Circle had to perform a strip act. That’s what Emma* says, who obtained her diploma at the VUB last year. She was once present at the TD Séparé, where male students had to showcase their talents.
Meat inspection
Several such stories are circulating in student circles. The constant every time? Lots of naked and sexually tinted assignments where men and women have to touch and feel each other in sometimes strange positions.
Emma points to another custom: “During the weeks before the actual baptism ritual, there is a tent on the VUB campus that passers-by could not see inside”.
“Baptism rituals are then performed in which boys have to go completely naked and girls are only allowed to keep their panties on. Female students are then told comments about their breasts afterwards. It is an outright meat inspection.”
Another student who spoke to BRUZZ talks about “disparaging situations”.
Strong potion
In addition to explicitly sexual activities, alcohol also plays a prominent role, according to several sources. “Shafts are put on the train to say the Ardennes, each with a bottle of spirits in hand. You may not get off the train until you have soldiered on that bottle. In another game – ‘beer king’ – several students have already been taken to their room in wheelbarrows.”
Footage from the Erotica TD shows a hired stripper.
‘Arrogant’
Due to the complaints that led to a criminal complaint before the court on Tuesday and the suspension of the possible perpetrators of “extremely transgressive behaviour”, the activities of the Solvay Circle that take place on the VUB campus are temporarily put on hold .
“Access to the campus is prohibited for several members of the presidium, but the activities of the circle on the campus will also be stopped,” said VUB spokeswoman Nathalie Vlaemynck. She also confirms that the judicial investigation focuses on facts that took place last year.
According to Max*, who has been on the presidency of the Solvay Circle, a few bad apples ruin the reputation of the sorority.
“There are individuals who have done things that were unacceptable and that is then widely spread. Unjustified. The feeling that I and my friends have left with the Solvay Circle is that it is a circle like any other. The focus is on having fun.”
Max sounds sober about the sensational TDs and activities of the student club. “There was indeed a wet T-shirt contest , but it was completely voluntary and also accompanied by a wet boxer contest for male students,” he says. “I said no to that at the time, and that was no problem at all.”
According to Max, the circle’s dubious reputation also has to do with the ambitious profile of its members. “They are people who are very enterprising and have the urge to be the biggest and the best. Our TDs are therefore the most visited of the VUB. I think that many people saw us as arrogant because of this, but in practice it is not that bad.”
Among the best-known former members are Alexander De Croo and Eva De Bleeker; the latter was even vice-chairman once.
‘ Awareness ‘
VUB Vice Rector Nadine Engels will lead an investigation into the transgressive behaviour, in which she will talk to the alleged perpetrators, the victims and reporters, the Brussels university said. The prosecutor’s office has also started an investigation, but will not comment further.
The Solvay Circle did respond via social media. “We are stunned and would like to emphasise that we fully condemn and under no circumstances tolerate unwanted transgressive behaviour. We also provide all our explicit support to the victims and the investigation.”
“Unwanted, transgressive behaviour is fundamentally not in line with the values and standards we stand for, on the contrary. We also want to emphasise as much as possible that this concerns complaints against individuals and by no means a complaint against our association.”
