Hilda's: Not Keen on Men
AS THE REFERNDUM APPROACHES to give undergraduates at St Hilda's a chance to vote on whether the college should retain its single-sex status, a 'lilac ribbon' campaign against the possibility of becoming mixed has been launched by some of the students.
With the referendum scheduled for Thursday 6th Week, the idea has spread rapidly, with ribbons sighted all around the college. Some have gone a step further and have arrived at a recent JCR meeting entirley clad in the colour.
The referendum is being held to try to influence the imminent decision from the college's Governing Body, who have the exclusive right to decide on whether Hilda's will accept men. The opinion of the MCR will be asked in a separate referendum.
Whilst neither the JCR nor MCR hold a vote on Governing Body, Penny Berrill, Hilda's JCR President, has stressed the importance of the students having an opportunity to air their views.
Speaking to The OxStu, Berrill said: "The students are stakeholders in the future of the college, thus the JCR's opinions must be taken incredibly seriously".
A series of events about single-sex education have been planned over the next week to help students make an informed decision.
Lady English, Principal of St. Hilda's, told The OxStu that the decision regarding the single-sex status of the college would "probably be taken at the end of this term or at the beginning of next term".
On the upcoming referendum, she commented: "The opinion of the JCR is one of the pieces of information that will be taken into account when making the decision, but it will be weighed up alongside a number of other factors."
Support for the ribbon-wearing undergraduates at St. Hilda's is also coming from other college JCRs. St Anne's JCR passed a motion explicitly supporting the maintenance of the college's single-sex status, citing as a reason the desire that St Hilda's should be allowed to continue to provide a "fertile furrow of 'frustrated' women to male and female undergraduates across the University".
13th Feb 2003