NEW STUDENT NEWSPAPER The Sanctuary has been shunned by YUSU, with Rhianna Kinchen, Student Activities Officer, condemning its content as “malicious and offensive.”
The Sanctuary, a national organisation with 14 branches in the country’s best Universities, is a satirical take on both national and student news.
On its first ever edition at York, however, the paper suffered a major set-back when distribution at the YUSU Fresher’s Fair was swiftly halted.
Students present at the fair report seeing YUSU Sabbs throwing out stacks of the new paper.
The Sanctuary Editor Gordon Harrison said: “YUSU stopped The Sanctuary from distributing their papers on the day of Fresher’s Fair for what seems to be a number of confusing and rather conflicting reasons”.
According to Kinchen however, the sole reason for the removal of the publication from the event was simply that, “they are not a ratified society and therefore did not have permission from YUSU to be at the event”.
Welfare issues and a lack of accountability to the Student’s Union are at the heart of YUSU’s concern.
“The content and editorial of The Sanctuary are not only unnecessarily malicious and offensive to individuals, but pose a risk to student welfare”, explained Kinchen .
“The Sanctuary does not have students’ well-being as a priority”, she added.
Harrison however seriously disputes that the paper’s approach is anything but “jovial”.
“The Sanctuary is not a publication which sets its sights on offending or causing harm to any of its readers. We obviously do not agree with bullying.”
He added that “strong personalities and indeed people in positions of power leave themselves open for criticism”.
Legal complications too look to be an issue for the publication, raising fresh concerns about its edgy and potentially libelous content.
Kinchen has advised that The Sanctuary reporters are “vulnerable “without the legal support and advice of YUSU.
Despite this, The Sanctuary remains defiant andlooks set to continue operations within University, with YUSU seemingly isolated from the process.