Pressure goes on ‘sexist’ clubs

Press, 24 October 1984, Page 8

Pressure goes on ‘sexist’ clubs

PA .Auckland The Auckland University Students’ Association has threatened .to withhold grants and access to . resources from campus clubs involved in racist or sexist activities.

The president, Ms Trish Mullins, said that affiliated groups had to adhere to association policy. Plans by the Law School to hold its annual ball at Dirty Dick’s Restaurant, where .serving wenches feature in bawdy Eliza-bethan-style dining, were dropped when the association refused to give any money unless the venue was changed. The university park clubrooms have also come under scrutiny since the

campus soccer club booked in for a function in August at which a stripper was to perform. The event was cancelled at the last minute when the association told the club, it would be contravening policy against the exploitation of women. The recreation sub-com-mittee decided this month that no bookings for the clubrooms and grounds should be accepted for any activities of a “sexist, racist, or otherwise offensive nature”. It said in a report to the University Council that university recreational facilities should not be available for functions of a nature that were no longer acceptable to thinking people.

The university also stood to attract negative publicity by condoning them, the report said. Ms Mullins said the association was “cracking down” throughout the campus on the distribution of racist material some students thought was humorous and on any functions of a sexist nature. "Students put pictures from ‘Penthouse’ next to advertisements on the noticeboard selling calculators to catch people’s attention,” she said. “If they want our support and assistance, they have to follow policy. We are quite prepared to deny grants or access to resources from people who don’t.”