Baptisms in Ghent
The baptism is a traditional activity that has been an important part of student life for over a century. It serves as a way to form close companionship with your fellow students; a companionship which can last a lifetime. The baptism itself is supposed to be a fun activity full of challenges and errands that result in great memories to kick off your student life in Ghent.
The Student Activities Office, together with the konventen, takes a proactive role to guarantee the orderly conduct of these traditional activities. Of the circa 140 official student associations, 80 will organise baptism activities throughout the year. Organising a baptism involves a strict adherence to the rules and procedures that have been established throughout the years. During the summer months, every baptising association creates a baptism script that contains all baptism-related activities. First aid courses are organised and insurance policies are checked. After the voluntary registration of the rushees (minor require written permission from their guardian), the medical forms of all participants are filled in and necessary precautions are taken for allergies and medical conditions. The konventen provide complete first-aid kits that are required to present on every baptism activity.
The Ghent Baptism Decree has been a staple of student life since the turn of the century. Throughout the years the decree became more strict by adding rules on alcohol consumption and prohibiting practices such as nudism. The decree is evaluated yearly and edited if required, after which it is signed by all associations during the changing of the academic year. Since academic year 2010-11 every recognised student association in Ghent is a signatory of the decree. Correct following of the rules is checked by the DSA and the konventen, which often results in little sleep for the baptism overseers during baptism and pledging periods.
Since academic year 2019-20 there is also a Flemish baptism charter, based on the Ghent model. This charter does not replace the Ghent Baptism Decree, as the Ghent Baptism Decree is much deeper and more extensive. In academic year 2021-2022 the Ghent Baptism Decree was revised during a months-long conference with the various associations, the City of Ghent and Ghent University. Since the autumn of 2022, the new baptism decree, in which friendship and fraternization are central, has come into effect. With the new decree, trust goes hand in hand, whereby confidants are available within each konvent for participants in the baptism. When registering, each participant will receive a flyer with the contact details of the confidant who they can reach both in name and anonymously.
Did you see or hear something about a baptism that you want to report? Contact the student coordinator Emilie De Rycke via emilie.derycke@ugent.be.
Questions about baptisms? Please do not hesitate to contact us at dopen@student.ugent.be.