The marching band at Queen’s University’s has been suspended for the rest of the fall term after circulating material containing offensive language demeaning to women, according to the university.
Ann Tierney, vice-provost and dean of student affairs at Queen’s, said the materials were “unacceptable.”
“They point to a sub-culture within the bands where explicit, disrespectful and degrading language marginalizes community members who may remain silent for fear of exclusion,” Tierney said in a statement.
Many students don’t agree with the university’s stance.
“The university has blown [the band’s actions] way out of proportion,” said Suzanne Zaffino, a first-year music major at Queen’s. “It’s embarrassing enough for Queen’s without the suspensions.”
The Queen’s Journal, the university’s student newspaper, obtained a Queen’s band songbook and three years worth of pamphlets, which contained phrases like “I will rape you with a lamp” and photos of band members edited to represent sexual actions. Titles on the front page included “Sucking nipple and biting the tit since 1905″ and “Perpetuating racial stereotypes since 1905,” according to the National Post.
Band members were instructed to destroy all hard and digital copies of the Queen’s band songbook, the Queen’s Jounal reported.
“Some of these songs are staples to student life,” said Tom Toll, a second-year Queen’s student. “There are many student groups that have similar traditions, at most schools.”
In a statement, the band said they take responsibility for their actions, but not for the “university’s reaction with regards to the suspension of [their] performances.”
“It is unfortunate that such a small part of the Queen’s [band’s] past has tarnished our 2011-2012 year,” the statement read. “[It] overshadowed many of our charity and community-based initiatives.”
The Toronto Santa Claus Parade, Montreal’s St. Patrick Day Parade and the Calgary Stampede are among the events the band will now miss.
Toll said he thinks the suspension will seriously harm school spirit and morale.
“Everyone loves it when they walk around around before games, now the whole school is missing out,” he said.
“All the steps the school seems to be taking against the band are pretty harsh and unnecessary,” Zaffino said.
Matthew Clancy, first-year public affairs and policy management student at Carleton said punishing students for playful tradition is unfair.
“It would be like suspending all the [frosh week] facilitators for the songs that everyone learns then,” Clancy said.