Student newspaper closed after slurring the Welsh

Anthony Butcher · 19-12-2004, 03:48 AM

Quote:

The student newspaper at St Andrews University, where Prince William is in his final year, has been shut down after making a light-hearted joke at the expense of the Welsh.

In a recent column, Jo Kerr, the 19-year-old editor of the Scottish university newspaper, The Saint, jokingly accused the Welsh of "evil doings" after a Christian group from Wales protested about a production of the play Corpus Christ.

In the play, which was written by Terence McNally, an American playwright, Jesus is portrayed as the homosexual son of an alcoholic.

"At first it all sounded like something from a Monty Python sketch, participants in a comedy portraying Jesus as a gay son of an alcoholic are attacked by a not so merry band of fundamentalist Christians from Wales," wrote Ms Kerr.

"It's almost beyond belief (apart from the fact that I have secretly suspected the Welsh of evil doings ever since they spawned the caterwauling Charlotte Church)."

In retaliation for its supposedly racist comments, The Saint was locked out of its offices by its landlord, the Students' Association, for breaching its equal opportunities rules. In a memo to the newspaper last week, the association said that it had been found guilty of being "discriminatory against minority groups" following an anonymous complaint.

The newspaper's staff, including Ms Kerr, who is a Scot studying for a degree in English, will now have to pay to undergo "diversity awareness training", provided by the university's human resources department, before the association will consider letting them back INTO phpbb_their offices.

Blood pressure rising... must remain calm...

Intbel · 19-12-2004, 07:21 AM

Good grief.

Pay for awareness training?

I mean ... well .. good grief ... I have no words ...

mkpdavies · 19-12-2004, 10:24 AM

You couldn't make it up!

C_steam · 19-12-2004, 10:36 AM

Have you ever thought that the point of awareness training is to make you aware of peoples differences? Sort of self defeating don't you think?

I mean, surely awareness training about the Welsh would cover:-

odd language, sheep, tall hats, sheep, charlotte church, sheep, dylan thomas, sheep, coal mining, sheep, slate, sheep, mountains, mountain sheep, tom jones, more sheep?

Isn't that what they were closed down for in the first place?

Intbel · 19-12-2004, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C_steam

Have you ever thought that the point of awareness training is to make you aware of peoples differences? Sort of self defeating don't you think?

I mean, surely awareness training about the Welsh would cover:-

odd language, sheep, tall hats, sheep, charlotte church, sheep, dylan thomas, sheep, coal mining, sheep, slate, sheep, mountains, mountain sheep, tom jones, more sheep?

Isn't that what they were closed down for in the first place?

Perhaps the Students' Association thinks that even more diversity is needed.

19-12-2004, 07:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
Intbel Uber Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: In a field near you - look for the yellow and purple tent ... Posts: 4,665	Good grief. Pay for awareness training? I mean ... well .. good grief ... I have no words ... __________________ We are all free to choose - every step of the way - no exceptions.

19-12-2004, 10:24 AM	#3 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,604	You couldn't make it up! __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

19-12-2004, 10:36 AM	#4 (permalink)
C_steam Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Paddling up 5hit creek..... Posts: 7,509	Have you ever thought that the point of awareness training is to make you aware of peoples differences? Sort of self defeating don't you think? I mean, surely awareness training about the Welsh would cover:- odd language, sheep, tall hats, sheep, charlotte church, sheep, dylan thomas, sheep, coal mining, sheep, slate, sheep, mountains, mountain sheep, tom jones, more sheep? Isn't that what they were closed down for in the first place?

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