My time in Ukraine page 14
Ella Eyre Interview page 46
Mental health special page 9-11
Issue 278 Issue 278 Monday 27th Monday 27th October 2014 October 2014 www.epigram.org.uk www.epigram.org.uk
Wardens feel ‘too uncomfortable’ to address issues surrounding sexual consent during Freshers’ Week welcome talks, instead leaving topic unaddressed
Hall Wardens ‘undermine’ Union
Sarah Newey News Editor Ivana Scatola Deputy News Editor Issy May Bull Deputy News Editor
flirckr: roga muffin
Hall Wardens have not complied with the University and University of Bristol Union’s desires to address the issue of rape consent during Freshers’ Week, Epigram has learned. Wardens were asked to include a single presentation slide which briefly highlighted issues of consent in their welcome talks. The slide was designed by Alice Phillips, the Students’ Union’s Equality, Liberation and Access Officer, and approved by Director of University Student Services Mark Ames This was another measure to attempt to combat the rape culture which 46% of students believe still exists at Bristol University (Epigram, 13/10), and which the Union have been actively campaigning against for over a year. However, just one week before Freshers’ Week, the Hall Warden’s Committee opted to make this slide optional rather than compulsory. Consequently, Epigram is aware of only 3 halls at Bristol using the slide and addressed the issue during Freshers’ Week. Alice Phillips, the Equality, Liberation and Access Officer, expressed her dissatisfaction with the outcome to Epigram, ‘[Dr] Martin Crossley Evans [the Head Warden] did not tell me that the committee had decided the slide was optional, I found out from a senior resident on Friday 19 September that this decision had been made. This was very disappointing because by this point there was very little I could do, and I had been under the impression that since the slide had been sent to them by the University it would be included.’ She went on to suggest that its inclusion ‘Would have shown progress on the University’s part and would have been a good platform to build on for the Union’s work on consent awareness in the future.’ Epigram was told that the Warden’s Committee made the consent slide optional because they did not feel that wardens were qualified
Bristol’s take contrasts with universities like Oxbridge, where there are compulsory workshops enough to discuss the issue. It has also been suggested that it was felt that consent did not fit in with the general theme of welcome talks. David Alder, Bristol University’s Director of Communications & Marketing, commented that ‘The Hall Wardens had discussed this matter in
advance and made it clear they did not wish to undermine the need for guidance and advice on this important issue, but felt it needed to be delivered in a different format by people with experience of making presentations on this challenging issue.’ When asked about the issue, Dr
Crossley Evans was guarded, adding, ‘The Wardens individually and collectively are very happy to have the Union introduce consent training and workshops in the halls for those in University residences during the autumn term.’ continued on page 3
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