By GABRIELLE MCGOVERN
At St. Mary’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, welcome week for the incoming freshmen did not go according to plan.
About two weeks ago, an event for the freshmen called “Turf Burn” started the controversy. A video has gone viral of the college’s orientation leaders chanting a pro-rape or pro-sexual assault song. Instead of educating the new students on how to prevent rape and sexual assault, the leaders were acting insensitively, even encouraging such actions on campus.
They chanted: “SMU boys, we like them young. 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.”
“For something that is such a concern, why would you chant about rape to freshmen who need to be taught the most about the seriousness of rape?” Ellie Buckner, FCRH ’17, said.
Both men and women have performed this chant that supports non-consensual sex at the college’s “Frosh Week” since 2009. Hundreds of freshmen followed the lead of their 80 orientation leaders and shouted and cheered with them. With so many colleges trying to prevent rape, it is shocking that these leaders took the issue so lightly.
“Although no one was physically hurt, rape isn’t something one jokes about. How would someone who was raped feel when listening to this cheer? Chanting about it is offending,” Magda Christoforou, FCRH ’17, said. “The people who have been sexually assaulted are hurting the most from this. If the leaders in the video had been sexually assaulted, they wouldn’t be chanting about it.”
“The only thing learned from the chant was how guys view and look at girls. The bystanders who were watching the leaders probably thought they were promoting rape,” Sam Zimits, FCRH ’17, said. “The freshmen will think rape is not a serious concept because the leaders chanting were not taking the subject seriously. The leaders were chanting as if rape is the new norm.”
With the media and public’s attention on St. Mary’s College, an apology was necessary. Jared Perry, the president of the college’s Students’ Association, said to CBS that he joined in on the chant, but he was sorry and found it inappropriate. Perry said it was the “biggest mistake I’ve made throughout my university career and probably my life.”
Perry defended the “Frosh Week” leaders and said, “These are great leaders. This was…a lack of judgment.”
Because of the negative publicity St. Mary’s College has been receiving, Perry voluntarily stepped down from his position as chair of Students Nova Scotia, a Canadian based student organization.
“This chant does not label the leaders as bad people nor does it define their character. Sexual assault, however, is not something to be taken lightly,” Shannon Mis, FCRH ’17 said. “The chant was not even in a joking context. I just don’t understand. These leaders were projecting poor judgment. The student leaders should be educated about the seriousness of sexual assault.”
President Colin Dodd of St. Mary’s College is taking charge. He is forcing the leaders to go to a consent and sexual assault seminar, where they will learn about sexual violence.
Dodd recently said, “My colleagues and I were shocked… and are deeply sorry that our students… were exposed to disturbing, sexually charged material.”
Joe Southern, FCRH ’17, believes that what the leaders did was absolutely wrong.
“Talking and joking about it leaves people hurt, especially those who have been assaulted,” Southern said.
However, he does not believe that the leaders violated the law because they have freedom of speech.
Perry added that the leaders are sorry, and they understand now that their actions were wrong.
Justin Barker, FCRH ’17, gave great insight on what this chant shows.
“The leaders may be sorry, but they proved the direction our society is headed for, which is this idea that sex is free and meaningless. People think they should get what they want, while not considering what the other person wants,” Barker said.
Gabrielle McGovern, FCRH ’17, is a communication and media studies major from Branchburg, NJ.
