YUSU Accused of Sexism Student and Staff Anger Over ‘Sexist’ Goodie Bags Matt Burton and Sam Bayley Defend Actions
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Nominated for five Guardian Student Media Awards 2007 Autumn Term Week Three Tuesday 23 October 2007 www.nouse.co.uk NOUSE Est. 1964 YUSU accused of sexism Student and staff anger over ‘sexist’ goodie bags Matt Burton and Sam Bayley defend actions By Anjli Raval or sexual identity”. DEPUTY EDITOR The initial proposal by Bayley and Burton to dis- tribute the bags was met YUSU HAS BEEN accused with vocal opposition from of sexism by national groups, several officers of the academic and administrative Students’ Union. The mat- staff and students during a ter was taken to the weekly controversy regarding the Union Executive meeting, gender-specific “goodie bags” on which all Union officers that were distributed at sit. Following a heated Freshers’ Fair. debate, the motion passed The bags, which were narrowly by seven votes to sourced from Complimen- five, with no abstentions. tary Sampling by Sam Speaking during the Bayley, Societies and meeting, Laura Payne, a Communications Officer, YUSU Women’s Officer and Matt Burton, Services said: “In our opinion, some and Finance Officer, were of the items in the bags, colour coded blue and pink such as the copy of FHM and read ‘Welcome from and the cellulite cream, are your Students’ Union’. The designed to enforce gender blue bags contained a sample stereotypes; they could copy of FHM (For Him potentially be detrimental Magazine), a chocolate bar to students’ welfare and the and a full-size tin of baked culture of equality we have beans. The pink bags con- here at the University.” tained cellulite cream, Matt Burton and Sam female deoderant, and a Bayley upheld that there half-size tin of baked beans. was no problem with the YUSU have claimed that the bags. Burton said: “Why do bags had no gender connota- we need to baby people? It’s tions. political correctness gone YUSU has received over mad. There are a lot of peo- 40 letters and emails of com- ple that would get a lot of plaint about the bags. In an Sam Bayley, YUSU Societies and Communications Officer, and Matt Burton, YUSU Services and Finance Officer pleasure out of these maga- email leaked to Nouse, the graphic and deeply contemp- welcome than they have tural, religious and gender Burge, former Women’s zines.” FHM has recently director of OBJECT, which tuous material to male stu- every right to expect.” grounds and quite possibly Officer, Meghan Reid from been reprimanded for pub- acts as an advisor to Amnesty dents reflects very poorly on Members of University offensive to some groups in the Centre for Women's lishing topless photos of a International UK, works the University, is totally staff have also spoken out the University community. Studies said: “This is 14-year-old girl without her with NUS and is a member counter to any equality com- against the bags. In an email We want the first impression absolutely ridiculous. This consent. of the Women's National mitments and plays its part to Nouse, the University’s of the University to be a wel- action seriously undermines The opposition by the Commission, criticised in contributing to an envi- Equal Opportunities Officer, coming one, not something the work the University and Women’s Officers was YUSU’s actions. Dr Sasha ronment where women - Yvie Holder, said, “the con- that makes some students YUSU do to maintain a high strongly supported by Rakoff said: “We feel YUSU's who can be as young as 17 - tents of the bags will have feel uneasy or offends them.” reputation and support our decision to promote porno- are, and feel, less safe and been inappropriate on cul- In an email to Amy students regardless of gender >> NEWS P2 Two York students Students taken to Prince of Persia: York launch BUSA sexually assaulted hospital from Club D Iran and the media rugby campaign Two female University of York stu- Ambulances were called to Club D The Middle East is often York’s Rugby Union team defeated dents have been sexually assaulted amidst fears of a repeat of last maligned in the media, but what Huddersfield to get their BUSA in separate incidents since the year’s drink-spiking spree. At least is life actually like for Iranian citi- campaign off to a victorious start beginning of term. In the first inci- four students went to hospital dur- zens? Nouse sends a reporter to for the first time in three years. dent, the victim and a friend were ing the event or shortly after. The find out the truth. He discovers a The match was hard fought, with followed by a man down Fulford incident has sparked a debate over region curiously at odds with the York forced to defend their lead Road and attacked. the effects of alcohol on campus. public’s perceptions right until the final whistle. NEWS >> P3 NEWS >> P4-5 MUSE >> M14 SPORT >> P20 NOUSE :THE UNIVERSITY OF YORK STUDENT NEWSPAPER 2 News Tuesday October 23 2007 Minibars removed SU officers accused of sexism from student rooms MINI-BARS WERE removed from the bedrooms of Freshers being accommo- over freshers’ bag distribution dated at Holiday Inn, Tadcaster Road for fear of further expenditure result- << CONTINUED from front ing a full tin of beans and a choco- ing from their stay there, which will late bar, yet those items weren’t already cost the University an estimat- Academic and Welfare Officer, included in our bags.” One male ed £30,000. According to Won Youn, Grace Fletcher-Hall and ex- student said of the controversy JCRC Chair of Langwith College, mini- Women’s Officer, Amy Burge who “some people need to be shipped bars were removed from the hotel also sat in on discussions at the off to the Third World. Then rooms of 47 new Langwith College res- open meeting on October 10. they’d have something worth idents, who were placed there as a Burge spoke out against the bags, complaining about.” result of the accommodation shortage. saying “they are not only sexist to Pallas will put forward a Managers of the Holiday Inn were women; they also assume that all motion regarding the bags at a unavailable for comment. One fresher male students are interested in Union General Meeting on said, “It was a strange way to start my viewing sexually explicit photo- Tuesday October 23. The motion, university experience but we had lots graphs of women, and completely which has been seconded by of fun, and we weren’t too bothered ignore gay men.” Environment and Ethics Officers, about the mini-bars.” Matthew Pallas, LGBT the Academic and Welfare Officer said he found FHM to be Officer, and the Women’s Officers, “degrading to women” and states that “any Union sabbatical, SU chlamydia drive thought the bags were “hetero- part-time officer or staff member normative, subconsciously send- who orders or receives prod- ON MONDAY October 22, 15 students ing out the message that everyone ucts…to be distributed free to stu- were tested for chlamydia in the is straight.” dents during Freshers’ Week or at Charles as part of a YUSU awareness Leaked emails obtained by any other freshers’ welcome event drive. The campaign is being fronted Nouse have shown continued dis- must consult the Academic & by Academic and Welfare Officer quiet within YUSU since the Welfare Officer, Equality & Grace Fletcher-Hall and Women’s motion was passed. Sam Bayley Diversity Officers and Officer Laura Payne. Fletcher Hall said sent out emails reminding all offi- Environment & Ethics Officers” “1 in 10 students are infected with cers “that they are required by the to make sure that any products Chlamydia. It’s vital that people get Union Code (and thus the consti- detrimental to the welfare of stu- tested, because if they find out they tution) to abide by and carry out dents will not be distributed. have it, it's very easy to treat.” Under decisions of the Executive the new testing system, labelled the Committee, and that officers must “I was disappointed by FHM. ‘Take-away Service, test samples can not campaign against the deci- HOLE TOM be taken at home and returned to the sions of a committee once they Not by the sexist images, Clinic. Testing kits can be collected have been voted upon.” but the exclusion of the from Fletcher Hall or can be sent To counter the distribution of Ladies' Confessions section. through internal mail for discretion. bags at YUSU Fair, Amy Burge It's the best bit, because it’s The trial will run throughout October gave students the opportunity to The bags aimed at male students contained copies of FHM clearly written by men. Real and, if successful, should be perma- swap their copies of FHM and cel- women don't say ‘it's just nently available to all students. lulite cream for “sexism free” freshers showed mixed reactions is the implication that women eat too big’ nearly that often” cakes. About 250 copies of FHM to the bags. One female student less than men. I don’t know many were swapped. During the fair, said: “What I find really offensive women who aren’t capable of eat- COMMENT >> P10 100 Toffs and Gallery gold cards for YUSU YUSU has obtained 100 gold cards for Haleh Afshar takes House of Lords peerage the Gallery and Toffs, which are to be distributed to select members of the By Jennifer O’Mahony Government on public policy was told. I shall certainly be fight- ment.” Professor Afshar has Union’s committees. The cards permit DEPUTY EDITOR relating to Muslim women and ing for equal opportunities for served on the British Council and students to get into Gallery and Toffs Islamic law and is the founder and minorities and for women as I the United Nations Association of for free with one guest.