Campus Watch

Posted on by The Gryphon Web Editor

University of Pennsylvania: Introduction of Pet Friendly Dorms

As of Spring 2019, students living in the North Hall of Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania will be able to bring certain pets to live with them in their dorms.

Students in the dormitory will be given the opportunity to bring pets that have “been under the primary care of the resident or their family for at least three months”, according to the university. Cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, fish and dogs are among the animals that will be allowed to live in the dormitory.

However, there are some restrictions with regard to the size and breeds of dogs being brought to the dorms. They must be under 40 pounds, and certain breeds will not be permitted, although the university have not yet confirmed which breeds will be prohibited. Additionally, the animals must be at least 6 months old and spayed or neutered.

The university have also stated that the pets will not be allowed in any on-campus buildings and are consequently restricted to the North Hall dorms.

Lock Haven university have stated that they believe that this scheme will “make their college experience more enjoyable and more successful” due to the comfort that the animals will provide the students.

Charlotte Loughlin

University of Oxford: Stormzy Claims Uni Turned Down His Scholarship Offer

British grime artist Stormzy made public this August that he had reached an agreement with the University of Cambridge to establish a scholarship holding his name, which will offer two British black students the chance to study, fully-funded, at this University.

This decision comes motivated by some alarming facts: last year, only 12% of the British students accepted between 2012 and 2016 were black.

However, this good news are overshadowed by claims made by the artist last week: during his book launch event at the London Barbican Centre, he revealed that Oxford had rejected his scholarship offer before proposing it to Cambridge University.

This statement has, once again, brought to the public eye the debate surrounding ethnicity and university admission figures in elite universities, and has had a great impact in social media.

Following this controversy, the University of Oxford were quick to clarify that they “Have not received or turned down any offer or proposal to fund undergraduate scholarships at Oxford”.

The same spokesperson ensured that they were interested in collaborating with Stormzy to establish scholarships for students with African-Caribbean heritage.

Elena Sotelo

University of Bristol: £50 Fine for Noisy Neighbours

University of Bristol students have been brandished with fines and forced to attend antisocial behavior classes as the university attempts to tackle issues caused by rowdy students.

Disruptive students hosting parties until the early hours of the morning are thought to have been creating tension with locals, which has led to the University implementing the program, the first of its kind.  

So far 11 students have had to attend sessions, which include information about their roles and responsibilities in the area and the potential impact that disruptive behavior can cause on locals. The first of these sessions was described as a success by the session leader, Mark Thompson.  

As well as classes, Bristol is also imposing fines, which range from £50 to £250 for repeat offenders, with all of the money raised being added to their community fund, which has been set up to try to bridge the gap between students and local residents.   

Bristol Uni is not the first to take action. Universities around the country, including Newcastle and Manchester, have revealed plans to try to tackle the issue of student antisocial behavior in their local areas.

Matt Kefford

Image: [BBC]