'Cambridge University union bans military Freshers' Fair events because...

[Nearly Sane]

...their presence could 'trigger' students with mental health issues'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7967651/Cambridge-University-union-bans-military-personnel-Freshers-Fares.html?fbclid=IwAR19U-kjT8hguun0aG5XGN_xgQ4wOpL5kSBRXiXYYcXXDiAzhIJJ1zPvX7E

[Steve H]

Oh, do me a favour - it's the fucking 'Mail'.

[Aruntraveller]

Oh, do me a favour - it's the fucking 'Mail'.

And?

I know the Mail is not always reliable but this is reported elsewhere including the Indy. It appears that this ridiculous motion/notion is true.

At the risk of sounding like a grumpy old man, they really should get a life.

[Outrider]

It's the Student Union's employment fair, and they choose whom they wish to invite - they had a vote, and the majority decided that having a military presence was unacceptable.  It's not being forced on them, it's their own collective choice - in this day and age I might suggest to them (if they asked) that a reliable job with fixed hours isn't something to be dismissed out of hand, but ultimately it's their choice.

O.

[Nearly Sane]

It's the Student Union's employment fair, and they choose whom they wish to invite - they had a vote, and the majority decided that having a military presence was unacceptable.  It's not being forced on them, it's their own collective choice - in this day and age I might suggest to them (if they asked) that a reliable job with fixed hours isn't something to be dismissed out of hand, but ultimately it's their choice.

O.

Yes, it's their choice but that doesn't make the choice at all sensible.

[Nearly Sane]

Oh, do me a favour - it's the fucking 'Mail'.

Does it matter if the story is true - which as Trentvoyager notes it appears to be. Though the picture in the article appears to be of the Cambridge Union Society, not the Cambridge University Students Union

[Outrider]

Yes, it's their choice but that doesn't make the choice at all sensible.

Their remit is the welfare of the students, and they are attempting to balance future employment prospects against current wellbeing.  That's a judgment call, and whilst I might make a different judgement call I don't know them, and - ultimately - this the point in their life where they're being asked to start making those judgement calls. They're going to get some of them wrong, if this is the worst one the get wrong they're probably going to do OK.

O.

[ippy]

...their presence could 'trigger' students with mental health issues'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7967651/Cambridge-University-union-bans-military-personnel-Freshers-Fares.html?fbclid=IwAR19U-kjT8hguun0aG5XGN_xgQ4wOpL5kSBRXiXYYcXXDiAzhIJJ1zPvX7E

I hope they've remembered to allow for phobics that might be set off of the rails by their fear of rubber bands and say a fear of floor tiles in a similar way, well, you can't be too careful when dealing with these sorts of things? Come to think of it there may well be some people that have an unreasonable fear of forums? Wouldn't want to set them off!

ippy

[Robbie]

Presumably some military personnel would have stands and give career advice.  Surely they wouldn't have weapons there?  That would be dangerous.

I am not at all military minded but I know plenty of young people do have successful careers as officers in the forces, not all of which involve killing.

[Steve H]

I hope they've remembered to allow for phobics that might be set off of the rails by their fear of rubber bands and say a fear of floor tiles in a similar way, well, you can't be too careful when dealing with these sorts of things? Come to think of it there may well be some people that have an unreasonable fear of forums? Wouldn't want to set them off!

ippy

Laboured sarcasm is a poor substitute for a rational argument.

[jeremyp]

It's the Student Union's employment fair,

Not according to the Daily Mail. It was the Freshers' fair according to them, meaning it was the event at which all the student societies try to recruit new first year students.

The article goes on to say this:

The final motion only proposed to restrict firearms at the Freshers’ Fair event and did not constitute any sort of ban on military personnel, military organisations or military student societies.

I know this is the Daily Fail, but if the above quote is true, it seems an entirely reasonable measure to me. To be honest, I am amazed that it is not illegal to bring firearms to the Freshers' Fair.