USC remains popular despite scandals

USC was forced to say "no" to some of the students interested in joining the fraternity. "We can only take in 270 new members. For the past five years, we've had more applicants than spots, so we need to draw lots to see who will get in," explains USC Rector Rik Tinga as quoted by the Dutch newspaper NRC.

It looks like the scandals surrounding USC have not detracted first-year students from applying to join the fraternity. This year has been particularly negative for USC in terms of bad press. 

Slut list
In March, a former USC member was sentenced to three years in jail for raping two students. Two months later, Dutch website Geenstijl leaked photos of USC members playing "anal ring toss" at a party at the fraternity's headquarters. A stripper is seen in the pictures. Last but not least, USC members published a list of members of the sorority UVSV, ranking them according to physical appearance and sexual performance. The list also contained pictures and contact details of the victims. 

USC apologised and promised to improve by embarking on a change process (link in Dutch, Ed.) “in which misogyny and strong peer pressure will be central.” The goal is to make “respectful manners” the norm at USC.

New members should immediately notice some of the changes. As part of their introduction, senior and former members will talk “about how to treat each other and women, how to address each other when something is not going well, and how to deal with sexuality and social safety.”