UBC investigates frosh students' pro-rape chant
The University of British Columbia has pledged an investigation after its students reportedly sang a chant advocating rape during frosh week.
The incident took place on a bus ride during the Sauder FROSH, a three-day orientation for the Sauder School of Business, organized by the Commerce Undergraduate Society (CUS).
The chant condones non-consensual sex with underage girls saying, "Y-O-U-N-G at UBC, we like 'em young, Y is for your sister, O is for oh so tight, U is for underage, N is for no consent, G is for go to jail."
Robert Helsley, Dean of the Sauder School of Business, and Louise Cowin, UBC Vice President for Students, have issued a joint statement, saying the chant is of grave concern to all members of the UBC community.
"Such behaviour would be completely inconsistent with the values of UBC and the Sauder School of Business and completely inconsistent with the instruction that the Commerce Undergraduate Society receives on appropriate conduct prior to FROSH," the statement said.
Helsley and Cowin said the university is taking the reports very seriously and that UBC and the Sauder School of Business would conduct a joint investigation into the incident.
"Any disciplinary measures will follow the university’s policy on discipline for non-academic misconduct," they said in the statement.
"The university will also take steps to educate students about the harm caused by such behaviorand ensure that all student led activities meet the University’s standards of appropriate student conduct and are consistent with the values of the institution.
The use of the chant at UBC came to light after a first-year business student posted the lyrics on Twitter, condemning the chant, along with a report in the student newspaper, The Ubyssey.
Students say the chant has been used for 20 years, and this year frosh week organizers didn't prevent it, allowing students to chant it "in the bus," but not in public.
The CUS has issued a statement, saying there was little they could do to stop the chants.
"While we do our best to provide a safe and controlled environment during formal Sauder FROSH sessions, there is admittedly little we can do to completely control what some leaders may expose their students to," said the statement.
The CUS said it would take "all feasible steps going forward to ensure all unacceptable behaviour is fully eradicated from our orientation event."
The revelations come only days after student leaders at Nova Scotia's St. Mary's University were caught on camera chanting about non-consensual underage sex during frosh week at the Halifax school.
Jared Perry, chair of Students Nova Scotia and president of the student council at St. Mary's, stepped down from his position in light of the controversy.
St. Mary's president Colin Dodds is forming a presidential council to investigate the incident and ways to prevent any other situations.
