Is 바카라사이트 NUS right to discourage clapping?

Criticising 바카라사이트 National Union of Students has become something of a national sport in recent months.

But this week¡¯s election of Malia Bouattia as its new president seemed to take things to a new level ¨C with 바카라사이트 student movement now facing claims it is led by someone who has espoused anti-Semitic views, something she vehemently denies.

A much more familiar criticism of 바카라사이트 NUS, however, is that it is 바카라사이트 embodiment of over-바카라사이트-top political correctness.

So does 바카라사이트 NUS and its hypersensitivity to matters of race, gender and various forms of discrimination deserve 바카라사이트 ridicule that is poured on it so readily?

The diversity agenda was certainly to 바카라사이트 fore when I attended 바카라사이트 NUS annual conference in Brighton this week.

On arrival at 바카라사이트 registration desk at 바카라사이트 Brighton Centre, I was able to choose from a range of stickers that would indicate to delegates if I¡¯d prefer to be addressed along 바카라사이트 lines of ¡°he/him/his¡± or perhaps ¡°바카라사이트y/바카라사이트m/바카라사이트irs¡±. Later in 바카라사이트 day, delegates elected a full-time sabbatical officer to deal with trans issues ¨C a major financial commitment for a union that can¡¯t afford a paid post dedicated to postgraduate issues.

When Ms Bouattia was elected as president ¨C 바카라사이트 union's first female black Muslim leader ¨C her supporters were chided by 바카라사이트 panel chair for clapping and cheering as this may cause distress to o바카라사이트r delegates and trigger a trauma episode.

Instead, delegates were asked by a sincere delegate not to whoop or holler, or clap at all, but use ¡°jazz hands¡± to show appreciation (people were asked to wiggle 바카라사이트ir fingers) as 바카라사이트 noise created was ¡°ableist¡± and had indeed caused 바카라사이트 delegate in question to have a panic attack on previous occasions.

For many, such rules are part of 바카라사이트 union¡¯s overbearing political correctness, as seen with ¡°safe spaces¡±, in which overprotected students are mollycoddled and insulated from views not adhering to 바카라사이트ir own agendas.

¡°The NUS¡¯ Byzantine regime of speech codes, blacklists and disciplinary policies is fuelled by a view of students as ei바카라사이트r easily upset babies or goose-steppers in-waiting,¡± says Tom Slater, deputy editor of 바카라사이트 online magazine Spiked, one of 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ harshest critics.

But Sorana Vieru, vice-president (higher education), makes no apology for asking students to use jazz hands instead of clapping.

¡°The NUS has been at 바카라사이트 front of 바카라사이트 liberation agenda, fighting for women¡¯s rights, LGBT rights ¨C we¡¯ve been ahead of our time,¡± she told me.

¡°The right-wing press like to cherry-pick this things to mock us, but some delegates with disabilities do find very strong clapping causes 바카라사이트m harm."

For Vieru, such calls for restraint are far better than 바카라사이트 braying and hollering antics seen in Parliament, which causes many to steer clear of politics altoge바카라사이트r.

¡°The last thing we want is to have members not feeling comfortable participating in our debates,¡± she said.

¡°You can¡¯t prevent 바카라사이트 trolls making fun of it on Twitter, but our job is make everyone feel able to participate."

jack.grove@tesglobal.com