In Belgium we have (mixed) student societies, mostly set up by study choice (e.g. the 'Maths & Physics Society'), and some unpleasant ones around politics. New

In Belgium we have (mixed) student societies, mostly set up by study choice (e.g. the 'Maths & Physics Society'), and some unpleasant ones around politics. New students get a hazing, after which they all wear lab coats with drawings on them and adopt new names. Activities center mostly around drinking and singing songs ('cantusses') in Latin ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaudeamus_igitur http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaudeamus_igitur ), or so it seems to me anyway. My memory of these events is really rather hazy.