College to investigate magazine claims of sexual harassment - SMH (1 Viewer)

[OzKo]

Sydney University's Wesley College is investigating reports of inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment during Orientation Week, after two undercover magazine reporters snuck in to a number of on-campus parties posing as students.

The allegations, as reported by Cleo magazine, include excessive drinking, bullying and a series of ''hazing'' rituals that reduced some female students to tears.
State and federal ministers have labelled the reports ''shocking'' and ''totally unacceptable''.

According to the investigation, first-year female students from the oldest co-ed college at the university were allegedly told to skol alcohol and sit on the ground, while their male peers stood on tables around them screaming insults. Older male ''mentors'' from various colleges are also said to have been ''sexually aggressive'' and to have pressured new female students to kiss male peers.

The details have emerged after two reporters snuck into O Week celebrations between February 25 and March 2.

The magazine's editor, Sharri Markson, said the reporters spoke with more than 30 male and female students but the incidents recounted by the unnamed students were obtained through formal interviews.

"Somebody spilt milk on the ground and they made another girl wipe it up with her shirt and roll around in it, and she was crying and they wouldn't let her get up,'' one student told Cleo.

''Another girl, dubbed 'Fresher Moist', was allegedly asked to pour orange juice over her chest and have a wet T-shirt at all times, while a student given the name 'Fresher Tequila' was allegedly asked to skol two shots of tequila before breakfast,'' the magazine reported on its website on Wednesday night.

At another of the college's parties, teenage female students were reportedly told to sit on the floor and called names like ''slut'' and ''skank'' by at least 30 male students standing on tables.

''He kept yelling, 'Get the f--- out,' standing on this table and yelling down to us,'' one female student told the magazine.

Last year, Fairfax Media reported more than 20 male students were suspended from St John's College after an O Week ritual left a female teenage student close to death in hospital.

Wesley College master Lisa Sutherland said she had nothing to add regarding the allegations beyond a statement she had provided to the magazine.

In the statement, she said the college was unaware of the alleged incidents until contacted by the magazine on Tuesday.

'The college is now investigating the alleged incidents as we take such claims seriously and have strict procedures in place to deal with any complaints brought to the college's attention.''

NSW Minister for Women Pru Goward told Cleo the reports were shocking and she awaited the outcomes of their investigation. Federal Minister for the Status of Women Julie Collins said the behaviour was ''totally unacceptable''.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/college-t...aims-of-sexual-harassment-20130327-2gup6.html

 

[Rafy]

http://www.cleo.com.au/undercover-at-o-week.htm

 

[madharris]

From facebook if anyone wanted to see the response

"O-Week and the residential colleges are in the news after stories in Cleo magazine and on TV's A Current Affair.

There is no place for sexual harassment, bullying or other forms of anti-social behaviour in college or anywhere else in the University of Sydney.

Although the residential colleges are independent, the University’s code of conduct applies to behaviour in colleges as well as on campus. We encourage any student who has concerns to report them to the University so that they may be properly investigated and appropriate action taken.

The University and the residential colleges continue to work together on implementing this code of conduct and on counselling students on the standards that are expected of them.

Here's the Cleo article (http://bit.ly/YHIDRp) and ACA segment (and college statements): http://bit.ly/14wrocW "

 

[OzKo]

These colleges are an absolutely daft place.

The sooner they phase them out, the better.

I would much rather the University expand the University Village rather than persisting with these shambolic institutions. Prelonging any action will drag the University's name through the mud even further.

 

[madharris]

These colleges are an absolutely daft place.

The sooner they phase them out, the better.

I would much rather the University expand the University Village rather than persisting with these shambolic institutions. Prelonging any action will drag the University's name through the mud even further.

You're probably right, although the village has parties every night, they don't have any of this fresher initiation stuff

However in saying that, many people are up for doing that type of stuff! A lot of my friends in college (both guys and girls) have told me they know it's just for fun and actually enjoy doing these things just for the experiences that they have of uni.
One of my friends told me that he just thinks it's the colleges with guys and girls though that all the negativity happens as he goes to St pauls which is all guys and everyone is fine with it. Another of my friends at sancta sophia (or whatever it's called) have had almost no problem with this type of stuff until the visit other colleges

I'm not sure if that made sense, but i'm tired and not going to try and correct it

 

[TheGreatest99.95]

everything in that article is extremely exaggerated! also the ACA video reporting on this used a lot of shots/scenes from BALI SCHOOLIES and not in fact O Week!!!! absolute disgrace

 

[J18134]

how fucking sad does your life have to be to crash college parties when youre a qualified journalist? (then again probably not qualified)

 

[Kiraken]

that stuff sounds really horrible and disgusting tbh

 

[enoilgam]

that stuff sounds really horrible and disgusting tbh

I think it's been overblown a bit by the media (goes without saying to be honest), but I never understood why people engage in this kind of behaviour. Like, you have to have a tough skin and some hazing is alright, but there is a line when it becomes pointless and cruel for cruelty sake. From what I have heard, quite a bit of stuff falls into the latter category.

 

[RishBonjour]

I think it's been overblown a bit by the media (goes without saying to be honest), but I never understood why people engage in this kind of behaviour. Like, you have to have a tough skin and some hazing is alright, but there is a line when it becomes pointless and cruel for cruelty sake. From what I have heard, quite a bit of stuff falls into the latter category.

Influenced by american teen movies like American pie etc ?
Yeah they do repeat the word "alleged" before everything they say. Either way, no one should be forced to do anything like that. IF they are doing it and having fun, that's fine, but some of the girls were clearly harassed.

how fucking sad does your life have to be to crash college parties when youre a qualified journalist? (then again probably not qualified)

Filler articles and reject shows like ACA obviously. Fuck how do people watch that. "We will show you HOW TO SAVE YOUR MONEY", " YOU ARE GETTING RIPPED OFF", "IS HE SYDNEY's BEST HUSBAND". how stupid are some people.

 

[enoilgam]

Influenced by american teen movies like American pie etc ?
Yeah they do repeat the word "alleged" before everything they say. Either way, no one should be forced to do anything like that. IF they are doing it and having fun, that's fine, but some of the girls were clearly harassed.

I think it's more a culture thing. Like, some form of hazing in certain organisations is good for team-building, but most of the time it just seems like an excuse for people to be cruel and demeaning.

 

[LoveHateSchool]

Obviously a hot topic at university today; it was interesting to hear comments from college kids (inc Wesley), Village kids and general university population.

Okay, wow so I feel pretty embroiled in all this. (Just for clarification's sake I am a college student) . I know the person 'Aly' well, same contributor to the Cleo Magazine and on the ACA. Both stories are by the same person. So it is one person's perspective. I actually do wonder if Cleo did really crash these college parties too btw-just the logistics of how they would have gotten in I am sketchy on.

I don't believe they are sham institutions-for some of us they serve a really valuable purpose. It is a nice interim for those that move many hours away from home (often international students and students from other states) and academic support via tutorial programs. It offers a support network that would be completely non existant for some students otherwise. Often good for students who train at SUSF for sport too. Selection is heavily focused on academics and ECs-and there are often scholarship opportunities for students.

I feel that we have to be careful to brush all the colleges with the same brush. I know for my college, that we were never forced into an O week ritual or initiation. Every activity was under the proviso of "if you want to". Some of the people at my college don't even drink at all. There were also dry events offered during the week, it was not open bar at every event, obviously as there were u18 events for the underagers. Some alcoholic events went by way of pre paid drink cards etc.

However, I'm not going to shy away from discussion of the topic at hand here. As whenever, I am a part of anything, I will endeavour to make it a better place. I won't shy away from the tough issues and I will be completely honest. And really I'm still on an early stage anthropological study thing into this whole college culture-and it's pretty interesting considering all I had heard last year leading up to going here. I will be able to more solidly form an opinion after greater experience with the college calendar.

I cannot speak for all elements of the article as many of the college events are X with college Y one night in O week, then College X and College Z have breakfast this morning together etc. and this is from a particular college fresher's perspective. I've heard many differing recounts of some of the college events. For the events I was at, I can vouch that particularly the ACA story is completely overblown. I did not witness some of the reputed statements made in the article at the events I was at, like the Foam Party(saw no groping) or one of the Paul's parties(there's no mystery punch, all drinks are served through the bar). Most of that footage is schoolies stock footage and some of it just from the general University Wonderland party. I was not at the Wesley breakfast on the 28th but did attend one of the other ones during the week(only male Wesley students were at this one). It was probably the event I saw the most evidence of a 'hazing' but not to the level described in the article.

There are issues that come up in college, nowhere is perfect-however I think these are more endemic in society and they shouldn't just be pinned on these 'elitist' USYD colleges which seem to be the easy target for media. Drinking culture exists in the general university and wider community, there are RSA efforts at college to manage this. I would be really loathe to experience sexism at college, and will ardently speak out about it if I see it occur. Unfortunately sexism is something prevalent in the whole of society, it is not something ingrained into a college if it were to occur. There's other aspects of college that strike me that I would like to move forward for change, firstly how some particular colleges are quite heavily Sydney populated. To me, it really defeats the purpose of a college if you live 10-15 mins away from the university.

It is an interesting comparison to try and compare the culture to say the Melbourne residential colleges, ANU residential colleges and say like UNSW, Uni Of Newcastle etc. Often you find that the demographic and culture in the colleges can differ diversely from one another on the same campus. I'd definitely love to (and will) discuss how my friends found their experiences at other university's college and see what kind of culture operated at each one. I looked fairly thoroughly into colleges at other three universities, but hearing first hand experience is always the most interesting way to examine and learn. I think the key principle with college orientation and events through the year is a policy of having things in good fun and most importantly, voluntary participation. My college O week experience was fantastic, and from what I gather the majority would agree, but there's always growth to be had and rational/truthful discussion to be had. The Cleo Magazine and ACA story are a sham of journalism though-I wouldn't trust their journalistic integrity as far as I could throw it.

 

[someth1ng]

^tl;dr

Just kidding, it's good to hear that the media has just overblown the whole situation - if it did occur then well, that's pretty bad. The media is notorious for bias, exaggeration and inaccurate accounts for the sake of popularity, interest and money.

Also, when are you gonna introduce me to your college?