‘Serial Pisser’ trend reaches College, student, staff respond

graphic by James Ryan Prizant

James Ryan Prizant
prizantjry@lakeforest.edu 
Staff Writer

A viral trend involving apparent urination targeting college campuses circulated on social media in the last weeks. Following this, a page appeared on social media, bringing the trend to Lake Forest College.  The administration of the school has become aware of this page, and the case was investigated.  

This account depicts an unknown individual apparently relieving themselves on campus property and personal property, including building signs and bicycles. Five videos are visible on the account: four from early September and one posted on October 1 captioned “back in our prime.”

This account is one of many continuing the “serial pisser” TikTok trend, where accounts are created labeling themselves as the “college pisser” and depict urinating on others’ property.

“I’m aware that there is a TikTok account. I am aware that there is some degree of a trend. Beyond that, not too much, honestly,” Dean of Students and Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Tony Tyler said. “I don’t think anything significant [has been done] in terms of trying to identify the individual. We are not pursuing it.”

There have been some speculations that the person responsible may not genuinely be urinating in their videos as they appear to show, including one from Tyler.

“I would say, from my cursory view of the videos, it appears they are using a water bottle, so I am not too worried about it,” Tyler said.

Some students, like freshman Sophia Bernichenko, also agree.

“I personally think it’s fake,” Berdnichenko said. “I don’t think it’s real; I think it’s just a bottle of water.”

Berdnichenko, along with others, outwardly despise and abhor such a gesture, with the freshman referring to anyone who does such an act as a “creep” and “disgusting.” 

It’s because of the nature of such alleged activity that students like Berdnichenko think “action should be taken.”

Tyler speaks of sanctions, which he informally describes as “the outcome of, if somebody is found responsible for a violation of a code of student conduct.” 

While there are no dedicated sanctions assigned to this specific kind of disobedience, this does mean, as Tyler puts it, “all sanctions are on the table” if indeed the videos held credibility.

However, Tyler said that “the goal of a sanction is never to be simply punitive.” If a student is caught doing some violating action, “sanctions that are relevant to the case, that are proportional to the case, and are educational” will be applied by a hearing conduct officer.