National Sweater Day video spurs
negative reaction from faculty

> Video has been called ‘offensive’ and ‘inappropriate’

Max Hill
The Peak (Simon Fraser University)

 

video posted on SFU’s

YouTube page and
distributed by SFU Facilities
Services has been removed
following negative reactions from
faculty members and students.
The video, originally released in
2014, promotes National Sweater
Day, a yearly observation meant
to promote energy conservation.
It depicts a casual exchange
between a female instructor
and a male student.

In an entry on her
personal blog, Department of
History faculty member Elise
Chenier criticized the video at
length: “When the very place you
work promotes the kind of sexism
that your intellectual work seeks
to contest and ultimately, destroy,
you feel like you are being eaten
from the inside out. There was
once a time when I would have
seen the video is simply outdated,
idiotic, and yes, offensive, but

now I see it much differently.
“Now I feel the harm it
does, and not just to Miss
Pinkham, but also to her male
student who is encouraged to
relate to half the population on
such a limited level, and who
himself then is defined by his
heterosexual desire for women.”
Chenier also claimed that
“the collective outrage of female
faculty resulted in the video being
removed from the SFU website.”
Many took to Twitter to
express their outrage at the
videos, including SFU faculty
members Esther Verheyen,
Jeremy Snyder, and Kevin Morse.
When the video was first
released in 2014, it did not receive
the same negative feedback on
Twitter, with one commenter
referring to it as “clever.”
However, The Peak was unable
to find any positive comments
towards the video from this year.
SFU has since sent several
apologies via their public
Twitter account and deleted
the video from their website

and YouTube account.

Joanne Curry, Vice President
External Relations, sent an email
via University Communications
apologizing for the video.

“As the video was produced
by an external vendor, I had
not seen it. When I did watch
it, | immediately agreed with
the feedback we had received
that the video is inappropriate,
sexist, and not in keeping with
our equity commitment,” Curry
wrote. “We took steps to remove
the video as quickly as possible
and have followed up with
the group who produced and
distributed the video to ensure
it will no longer be used.”

Curry detailed plans
to review University
Communications’ policy on
reposting videos and other
content, noting that “future
requests to share information
by email to the SFU community
will be vetted by leaders within
University Communication,”
and “staff of the department
responsible for this video will be

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required to undergo appropriate
training to ensure an equitable
and safe work environment for
everyone in the SFU community.”
An official statement posted
on SFU’s website, also penned
by Curry, echoed many of her
statements from her email,

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adding: “We plan to investigate

how this video was posted and

plan to put into place additional

procedures to ensure that this will

not happen again in the future.
“We appreciate your

patience in this matter.’

Renovations underway at New West campus

> Growing student population calls for upgrades

 

Aaron Guillen

Staff Reporter

 

ince February 8, construction

has been taking place in
the 0600/1600 area of the New
Westminster Campus, the long
hallway to the left after passing
through the Bookstore. College
officials announced at the
beginning of the month that
they were planning to renovate
the lower area of the campus.

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“This will be the largest
renovation at New Westminster
campus since its opening in
1982. The project will include
classroom upgrades such as
energy efficient lighting, HVAC
systems and state-of-the-art
AV technology for instructors,”
states the school blog.

Covering around 3,000
square metres, the renovation
promises to improve students’
learning experience and place
priority on an Engineering

Foundations Certificate and
Engineering Essentials program.
There will be 22 new classrooms
and lab spaces by the project’s
end.

Tentatively on course
for completion by August,
students should be cautious
along Victoria Street, the hub
of construction preparation
and demolition. For safety
reasons, Douglas officials warn
pedestrians to avoid the street,
due to closed sidewalks and

potential construction fencing.
Students should expect single-
lane traffic along the road

and periodical closures to the
parkade during major renovation
days.

“As with any construction,
there will be occasional noise
and minor disruptions. Some
classes will be moved to new
rooms to ensure the expected
noise does not impact students
or teachers.”

Many questions are raised

 

Image via www.douglaspresident.ca

by this six-month project. Will
new students be able to access
the new and renovated spaces
by Fall 2016? How much will this
renovation cost, and will that
affect the ever-rising tuition
rates for the next few semesters?
Douglas College has yet to
confirm the estimated price tag,
although one could speculate
there will be a reveal during

the college’s Annual General
Meeting on February 24.