The controversy surrounding this year’s Safer Sex Ball has escalated after footage of a couple sharing a very intimate moment during the night was recorded on CCTV and circulated around campus and the internet. An investigation has been launched and a member of staff reportedly fired, as the Guild take decisive action.
The video shows the pair semi naked, performing sexual acts on each other before making a rapid exit when another person arrives. It took place in the University’s Ram Bar, and has quickly become a hot topic on campus. The Exeter Tab even considered publishing the video, with 83% of readers wanting to see the steamy clip, before deciding against it due to legal reasons. The irony of the location of the students frisky behaviour has not been lost on either Exeter students nor national newspapers, with many commenting on the fact that such behaviour took place at a ball promoting safe and responsible sex!
A statement released by the Guild said that they were ensuring that “the affected parties will be supported during this difficult time. Measures were in place to provide high levels of security, but we are aware that irresponsible behaviours has taken place and we are working hard to rectify the situation. A full investigation is underway”. When asked, fellow Exeter students said that whilst it was unacceptable that the video had been recorded and distributed, the content wasn’t all that shocking or surprising – one argued that “It is the SSB after all!”
The ball has not been without it’s fair share of scandal – in December 2012, it attracted attention for it’s ‘Tribal’ theme, with a Facebook group being set up to oppose it and calls for a public apology made. The latest incident has caused some to question whether the SSB has a future, with it’s charitable aspect and theme being cited as simply an excuse for students to go out, get drunk and get their kit off. The incident has drawn attention to Exeter Uni as a whole, after it’s appearance in national press such as The Telegraph and The Daily Mail – and the attention is generally not positive. As a new member of the Russel Group, many seem to harbour concern that such behaviour goes on at one of the UK’s top ten universities. More worryingly, many are worried that this negative attention may damage other Exeter students’ reputations and career prospects. However others have urged people not to forget that the event raises over £30,000 for various charities and is the biggest AIDS awareness event in the UK. A quick survey of friends revealed that all thought the charitable nature of the event was far more important, and the SSB was here to stay.
However it isn’t just the raunchy content which has drawn comment. The fact that the CCTV was recorded in the first place has proven a major – and to some, more significant – concern, with police saying that those who did so may have committed a criminal offence. One member of staff at the Ram has since reportedly been fired, as the Guild seem intent on cracking down on this kind of behaviour. And it’s not just the SSB video which has attracted concern on campus. Over Christmas, various ‘Spotted’ pages appeared on Facebook, entertaining the student population throughout revision and exams period. However, this month, many of these pages were forced to close down after calls from the University, which accused them of publishing unwelcome comments and damaging career prospects.
Many Exeter students seem to have enjoyed the ‘banter’ provided by ‘Spotted: Exeter Uni Library’, with one saying that “it made revision fun, and wasn’t too offensive”. The University disagreed, and the page closed down last week. With the combination of the demise of these pages and the SSB video drama, Exeter has had a busy week. HCX wants to know what you think of these incidents – harmless fun, or a joke gone too far?
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