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Halifax university chant glorifies statutory rape

Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
edited September 2013 in A Moving Train
Saint Mary’s University in Halifax is promising disciplinary action after a frosh week chant glorifying underage sex with girls without consent was posted online.

A 15-second video posted to Instagram on Monday shows orientation week leaders leading a cheer about the sexual preferences of Saint Mary University men.

On a crowded football field they shout out, “Y is for your sister, O is for Oh so tight, U is for underage, N is for no consent, G is for grab that ass... Saint Mary’s boys we like them young.”

Students said the chant has been used at frosh week for years.

On Wednesday Jared Perry, the student union president, called it an oversight and apologized.

"It will not continue in the future," he said.

The university’s senior director of student services said the administration had no knowledge of the chant until Wednesday at noon. Keith Hotchkiss said he was "disgusted."

All of the 80 frosh week leaders and the entire Saint Mary’s University student union executive have been ordered to take sensitivity training.

The executive is also being sent to a conference at St. Francis Xavier University next week to learn about issues of sexual violence and consent.

The short video is garnering a backlash of disgust and anger.

“It’s derogatory, really. Underage. No consent. It’s saying that's OK. It’s definitely not. It’s a bad message. It’s saying we like the frosh girls, we like them young. It’s not good, it's not cool,” said Shannon Neville.

“I have a little sister, too. It’s definitely inappropriate,” said Luke Simms.

“Kind of heart-wrenching. Because I don’t think that girls especially should be subject to this," said Melanie Duffy. "It’s promoting violence and a negative image of girls."

watch the video of the chant with caption here:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/ID/2404134808/
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • jasonbouchard88jasonbouchard88 Posts: 369
    I saw that yesterday. It is really disturbing and upsetting, especially that even girls participated in this. Also, these people should have more than to take sensitivity training. There is this thing called "punishment".
  • Who PrincessWho Princess Posts: 7,305
    Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:
    Students said the chant has been used at frosh week for years.
    So that made it OK? Wow.
    I guess I shouldn't be surprised that young people have so little awareness that they'd think something like that is funny.
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • Thirty Bills UnpaidThirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    Who Princess wrote:
    Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:
    Students said the chant has been used at frosh week for years.
    So that made it OK? Wow.
    I guess I shouldn't be surprised that young people have so little awareness that they'd think something like that is funny.

    Young people say and do stupid things. Even university aged kids are still kids and prone to poor judgement.

    I'm surprised that the adult contingent had so little awareness and never addressed it years ago. These are the people in the business of guiding these young people and setting conditions for the university's culture so that it is a fun and safe learning environment for all.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • Who PrincessWho Princess Posts: 7,305
    Good point. Young people do and say VERY foolish things, especially when they are first in an environment that gives them so much unsupervised freedom. It's ridiculous to think that the faculty and staff were unaware of a chant that had been used for years.
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    Who Princess wrote:
    Good point. Young people do and say VERY foolish things, especially when they are first in an environment that gives them so much unsupervised freedom. It's ridiculous to think that the faculty and staff were unaware of a chant that had been used for years.

    I was watching the news last night, and they actually interviewed a girl who went there years ago, and was part of the student body government, and when she found out about it, she reported it. They then interviewed the dean and he said "well, if it was reported, it never got to me, so if I don't know about it, I can't do anything about it". Talk about not taking responsibility for the actions of your faculty. He should have said "I will investigate to see who this was reported to, if it was reported, and take proper disciplinary action". He just brushed it aside as if this student were lying about it.
    Gimli 1993
    Fargo 2003
    Winnipeg 2005
    Winnipeg 2011
    St. Paul 2014
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,055
    Jocks like that are usually hung up about the small size of their penis. What they really should be concerned about is the small size of their cranial capacity.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    brianlux wrote:
    Jocks like that are usually hung up about the small size of their penis. What they really should be concerned about is the small size of their cranial capacity.

    what's really strange is the amount of females participating.
    Gimli 1993
    Fargo 2003
    Winnipeg 2005
    Winnipeg 2011
    St. Paul 2014
  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:
    brianlux wrote:
    Jocks like that are usually hung up about the small size of their penis. What they really should be concerned about is the small size of their cranial capacity.

    what's really strange is the amount of females participating.
    That's it, though; not so much to do with dick-size (or even dicks themselves) as with perpetuating this mindset - making it so acceptable that it's repeated by rote and worse, with enthusiasm.

    Shame on them, shame on the dean, shame on anyone who supported this by doing nothing.
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,055
    Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:
    brianlux wrote:
    Jocks like that are usually hung up about the small size of their penis. What they really should be concerned about is the small size of their cranial capacity.

    what's really strange is the amount of females participating.

    Strange and disturbing. So much for the women's movement? This article and other current events really disturb me. People my age have been supporting the women's movement as well as speaking out against war and supporting the environment for several decades and we see little change. It's depressing as hell. :(
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • groovemegrooveme Posts: 353
    Terrible. This just reinforces my ardent belief that we need to teach boys to prevent rape. We need to teach them to respect women, that no means no, and that drunk means no.

    Unfortunately, so may girls these days are getting the message that their value is in their sexuality, and they buy in to this culture as exemplified by that idiotic chant. So I guess they also need to be taught to respect themselves, too!
  • Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    grooveme wrote:
    Terrible. This just reinforces my ardent belief that we need to teach boys to prevent rape. We need to teach them to respect women, that no means no, and that drunk means no.

    Unfortunately, so may girls these days are getting the message that their value is in their sexuality, and they buy in to this culture as exemplified by that idiotic chant. So I guess they also need to be taught to respect themselves, too!

    not to excuse anyone's behaviour here, but I honestly think they were doing this in jest. I highly doubt anyone who was chanting actively believes in what they were saying. it IS a bit odd that there were women engaged in it, but you could argue that just further exemplifies the ridiculous nature of it all and how they were obviously not taking it seriously. unfortunately, in this everyone-everywhere-is-taking-video world, they should have known better.
    Gimli 1993
    Fargo 2003
    Winnipeg 2005
    Winnipeg 2011
    St. Paul 2014
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,055
    Brain dead sexist jocks... what my friends and I used to say about them:

    rah rah ree,
    kick 'em in the knee,
    rah rah rass,
    kick em in the other knee.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • lukin2006lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    The same chant was reported at a university in BC as well
    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
  • Thirty Bills UnpaidThirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    brianlux wrote:
    Brain dead sexist jocks... what my friends and I used to say about them:

    rah rah ree,
    kick 'em in the knee,
    rah rah rass,
    kick em in the other knee.

    Brian...

    As a former college athlete and sports enthusiast... I should be taking offence to your generalizations about 'jocks'. But I don't. I know where they are coming from. I'm not going to say that I was a 'typical' jock- I was (and am) far from it in actuality- but many of my friends acted foolishly on a regular basis: amusing on some occasions... annoying on others.

    What's my point here? My point is that in most cases... stereotypes exist for a reason. Sometimes ignoring them is willful ignorance.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,055
    Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:
    brianlux wrote:
    Brain dead sexist jocks... what my friends and I used to say about them:

    rah rah ree,
    kick 'em in the knee,
    rah rah rass,
    kick em in the other knee.

    Brian...

    As a former college athlete and sports enthusiast... I should be taking offence to your generalizations about 'jocks'. But I don't. I know where they are coming from. I'm not going to say that I was a 'typical' jock- I was (and am) far from it in actuality- but many of my friends acted foolishly on a regular basis: amusing on some occasions... annoying on others.

    What's my point here? My point is that in most cases... stereotypes exist for a reason. Sometimes ignoring them is willful ignorance.

    Sorry, Thirty, I should have been more specific. I'm certainly not anti-sports. I've been a baseball fan for many years- clear back to the days of see Mays, McCovey and the Alou Bros. in Candlestick Park, enjoyed attending some San Jose Earthquakes soccer games in the Bay Area, been to a few Golden State Warriors games and competed in track and field early on in high school. Heck, I've even gone golfing a few times and once scored a 72! (in 9 holes :lol: ).

    No, I'm referring to the kind of pinheads that fit the stereotype of "dumb jocks".
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    apparently UBC also has been doing a similar chant ...
  • Thirty Bills UnpaidThirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    brianlux wrote:
    Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:
    Brian...

    As a former college athlete and sports enthusiast... I should be taking offence to your generalizations about 'jocks'. But I don't. I know where they are coming from. I'm not going to say that I was a 'typical' jock- I was (and am) far from it in actuality- but many of my friends acted foolishly on a regular basis: amusing on some occasions... annoying on others.

    What's my point here? My point is that in most cases... stereotypes exist for a reason. Sometimes ignoring them is willful ignorance.

    Sorry, Thirty, I should have been more specific. I'm certainly not anti-sports. I've been a baseball fan for many years- clear back to the days of see Mays, McCovey and the Alou Bros. in Candlestick Park, enjoyed attending some San Jose Earthquakes soccer games in the Bay Area, been to a few Golden State Warriors games and competed in track and field early on in high school. Heck, I've even gone golfing a few times and once scored a 72! (in 9 holes :lol: ).

    No, I'm referring to the kind of pinheads that fit the stereotype of "dumb jocks".

    I was serious when I said I took no offence at all- no apologies needed for me.

    I wanted to use this opportunity to point out that in almost all cases... stereotypes were developed for a reason. It doesn't mean they are all-encompassing... but it does mean that there might be an element of truth to them.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • groovemegrooveme Posts: 353
    Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:
    grooveme wrote:
    Terrible. This just reinforces my ardent belief that we need to teach boys to prevent rape. We need to teach them to respect women, that no means no, and that drunk means no.

    Unfortunately, so may girls these days are getting the message that their value is in their sexuality, and they buy in to this culture as exemplified by that idiotic chant. So I guess they also need to be taught to respect themselves, too!

    not to excuse anyone's behaviour here, but I honestly think they were doing this in jest. I highly doubt anyone who was chanting actively believes in what they were saying. it IS a bit odd that there were women engaged in it, but you could argue that just further exemplifies the ridiculous nature of it all and how they were obviously not taking it seriously. unfortunately, in this everyone-everywhere-is-taking-video world, they should have known better.

    It might be in jest (let's hope!), but it is in poor taste, given the propensity of many high school and college athletes to be involved in rape and sexual abuse of girls and women. Even saying this type of thing jokingly gives it some legitimacy, I think
  • Thirty Bills UnpaidThirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    grooveme wrote:
    Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:
    not to excuse anyone's behaviour here, but I honestly think they were doing this in jest. I highly doubt anyone who was chanting actively believes in what they were saying. it IS a bit odd that there were women engaged in it, but you could argue that just further exemplifies the ridiculous nature of it all and how they were obviously not taking it seriously. unfortunately, in this everyone-everywhere-is-taking-video world, they should have known better.

    It might be in jest (let's hope!), but it is in poor taste, given the propensity of many high school and college athletes to be involved in rape and sexual abuse of girls and women. Even saying this type of thing jokingly gives it some legitimacy, I think

    I'm pretty sure he's saying the kids are mindlessly chanting without much, if any, thought at all. It's not a rallying cry meant to inspire potential rapists as much as it is an opportunity to be silly and loud. I think it is safe to say that they are chanting a whole bunch of other things as well. But I agree that even in jest... it has the potential to give it some legitimacy.

    The adults need to intervene and point out the 'oversight' or inappropriateness- they obviously didn't place too much thought into it as well: universities are full of activists and I can guarantee you that throughout the years there were many women's rights activists that have heard the chant, perhaps frowned or wore a slightly perplexed expression on their face, but didn't think too much on it.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
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