Initiations are nothing new for Otago University students who put their pride on the line to secure a second-year flat.
But allegations of students sharing vomit suggest this rite of passage has gone too far.
The university's magazine editor Fox Meyer told Breakfast the initiations are "extremely" concerning.
He said students say initiations are meant to be part of a "bonding process", but they aren't.
"To me these sound like explanations you give yourself to sort of justify why you let this happen and its cyclic as well, every year it gets passed down and passed down and at some point someone just has to say that this has got to stop."
Meyer said rumours have surfaced this week of students biting the legs of live ducks, but he said the university hasn't be able to prove this.
"But there is a lot of bodily fluids involved, a lot of consumption of various bodily fluids involved and other legally purchasable fluids.
"They say you know it's student culture but it's not, it's like 20 years old tops, and so how are you as a first year student meant to be able to say in front of a group of up to a hundred people that you're actually not going to be part of this.
"Especially if you've been told that if anybody doesn't show up or if anybody quits, those in the group bear that punishment."
He said the power play is "completely sadistic".
"Someone at some point has to call this off before it goes even further."
Asked how the cycle can be broken, Meyer said people need to stop attending the initiations all together.
"They become quite social events and you know, whether that's the threat of ending up on the media or just having to sit through something that's horrific and traumatising to watch.
"Just don't be a part of it, it's not worth it," he said.
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