The Carleton University Students’ Association will reimburse students who have purchased tickets to the upcoming Rick Ross concert, according to a statement released April 5. Reimbursements will be available starting as early as April 8.
No more tickets will be sold through the association, the statement reads.
CUSA has not released the contract with the promotions company Urban Jamz from which the concert tickets were purchased, nor have details been released on whether Urban Jamz will reimburse CUSA for the tickets. The statement says that CUSA has “worked hard to negotiate and reach a settlement with the organizers of the upcoming Rick Ross concert.”
On Mar. 28 the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) reacted against rapper Rick Ross’s allegedly pro-rape lyrics in a statement by defining their role in the upcoming Pandamonium concert as a purchaser of at-cost tickets to an event that is not “exclusive” to CUSA.
We consider the lyrics in question to be repulsive and uncharacteristic of the views and beliefs of CUSA as an organization and its members,” the statement reads.
The incident has reflected poorly on the organization and its members, the statement reads, and it states that in the coming weeks and months CUSA will educate the students and community on “issues that actively contribute to rape culture.”
“We are now in the process of looking into selling off the remainder of the tickets back to the organizers,” the statement said.
As of 3:30 p.m. Mar. 28, CUSA was still selling tickets in the University Centre atrium.
An annual concert organized by the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) came under fire for featuring rapper Rick Ross, who raps a lyric about date rape in a recent song featuring him.
In the song “U.O.E.N.O” by rapper Rocko, Ross raps, “Put molly all in her champagne / She ain’t even know it / I took her home and I enjoyed that / She ain’t even know it.”
Carleton student Kira-Lynn Ferderber created a Facebook group March 27, and around 535 students joined the group aimed at getting CUSA to withdraw its support from the show.
The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) also denounced the decision made by CUSA. While the concert—known as “Pandamonium”—is usually organized in collaboration with SFUO, the union did not want to be associated with the concert this year and asked that CUSA not use the Pandamonium name.
CUSA vice-president (finance) Michael De Luca responded to student discontent through a Facebook post of Rick Ross posters on campus with the caption, “Haters gunna hate.”
Sarah McCue, a member and support worker for the Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre said it was “inexcusable” that CUSA executives hadn’t taken an official stand or issued a response.
The concert has prompted CUSA public affairs councillor Dillon Black to post their official resignation.
“I will not stand or represent an organization that promotes and sustains Rape Culture. I AM TIRED of CUSA’s ignorance and avoidance on issues that matter to students. I am going to use whatever I have left and actively stand against it,” Black wrote on Facebook.
McCue said the solution was “straightforward.”
“CUSA needs to pull its funding, or in the least respond to the situation,” she said.
“Our constitution and our discrimination on campus policy, or what’s left of it, clearly states that CUSA doesn’t condone any form of sexism or violence like this. If you respect women and you respect survivors of sexual assault then you won’t pay to have someone come with students’ money that is advocating for rape.”
CUSA president Alexander Golovko couldn’t be reached for comment, and vice-president (student life) Tomisin Olawale—the executive responsible for the concert—ignored repeated requests for an interview.
In 2007, CUSA cancelled a performance by dance hall artist Elephant Man after students opposed the lyric “Join our dance and let’s burn out the queer man,” according to the Ottawa Citizen.
“When you normalize sexual assault and you normalize violence in the way that Rick Ross has done through his lyrics, then people think it’s okay, and you create a rape culture that we don’t need any more reinforcement of on our campus,” McCue said.
“When we know that campuses are the second most common place where sexual assaults happen, and we know that one-quarter of women between the ages of 18 and 24 will experience sexual assault, then what are you saying to your members?”
Some students wrote in the Facebook group that Ross’ music shouldn’t be censored.
CUSA is continuing to sell tickets for the event.
— with files from Jakob Kuzyk
