‘Asylum night’ at Walkabout: promoters encourage dressing as “crazy patients” and “psycho surgeons”

A DISGUSTING Halloween night at Temple’s Walkabout has encouraged students to dress up as “psycho surgeons”, “nasty nurses” and “crazy patients” tonight.   

The violent “asylum”-themed event, organised by Wicked Student Nights and affiliated with KCLSU, is marketed with gruesome graphics, including a bloodied patient strapped in a wheelchair.

Jamie Sweeney, KCLSU’s Vice President for Welfare, said that the theme is totally unacceptable and that the union will be investigating.

He said that while the night is affiliated with KCLSU, the officers did not know that it was going to be promoted under this banner and only found out today.

Fergus Harrington, Director of Wicked Student Nights, said that he had received one complaint today which he will respond to tomorrow.

He pointed out that the promo doesn’t use the word “mental” anywhere, and said he does not include anything that he personally deems to be offensive.

“We’ve been running events for King’s students for decades and we’ve never had a complaint about one before,” he said.

“It’s been marketed for over a month,” he added, claiming that over 1,000 tickets had been sold, and that had a complaint been made earlier it would have been possible to change or cancel the event.

He said that KCLSU had not endorsed the theme and might not have even been aware of it as there was “not a huge amount of dialogue.”

Harrington also said Wicked Student Nights gives £20,000 per year to societies at King’s, with a focus on sports clubs.

The event was advertised on the KCLSU website as an Unlocking London Red Card Party with no mention of the theme.

The event as advertised on the KCLSU website / KCLSU

The controversial event comes as a huge blow to the union’s current mental health campaigning, which hopes to increase awareness about mental health issues.

The student officers are meeting to discuss the issue tonight.