Men allowed back on campus early after University of Warwick reduces suspension

Women discussed as rape targets by a group of male students at the University of Warwick say they are terrified of seeing the men return to campus after the university reduced the length of their suspension.

Last year five men were barred or suspended by the university over their membership of a long-running group chat that discussed rape and sexual assault of women, including individual students, as well as racism, antisemitism and homophobia.

After a decision from the university’s disciplinary proceedings in June, two of the men were banned from the Warwick campus for 10 years. But it has emerged that, after an appeal, the two will be able to return to the campus from September.
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Two of the other men were suspended for just one year, meaning that four of the five who were disciplined could return as students at the start of the next academic year. The fifth student was banned from the campus for life.

In an open letter to Warwick, one of the women involved said: “I feel terrified at the prospect of having these boys in my seminars and lectures, as they sit there feeling guilt-free. Knowing that I may have to come face to face with them again just to continue my education is unacceptable.”

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jan/31/women-terrified-as-students-can-return-after-messages

On a mission to “inform, engage and inspire audiences about the importance of protecting global biodiversity,” the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival (WCFF) produces interactive events with an environmental focus. With its annual festival, the organization showcases powerful work by the best independent filmmakers, with “Dream” by Zombie Studio serving as a perfect and poignant example.

In this animation, animals sing an emotional rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables. The video opens with the creatures existing happily in their habitats: a blue whale breaches, a brown pelican skims the water, a rhinoceros runs with her calf, and a pair of baby harp seals play in the snow.

Suddenly, however, the video takes a sinister turn as frightening men invade each environment. Tragically, the animals are no match for their guns, clubs, harpoons, and pollution, and the video comes to a heartbreaking conclusion as the seal pup sings: “Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.”

Zombie House created the video as a promotional film for the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival in 2016. Though it’s now a few years old, the award-winning piece has strongly resonated, serving as a much-needed reminder that we still can’t “let the dream go extinct.”

https://mymodernmet.com/dream-zombie-studio/

Alabama state Auditor Jim Ziegler (R) is facing pushback over a post he shared on Facebook over the weekend discussing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (D-Ariz.) attire.

Ziegler shared photos of the Arizona Democrat donning a dress and tall boots while on the Senate floor last week with the headline: “What newly elected AZ democrat senator Kyrsten Sinema wore to work.”

The post prompted heated discussion from commenters, many of whom slammed the Republican and accused him of shaming Sinema for her attire.

According to AL.com, Ziegler also wrote that Sinema “took the floor improperly attired” in an earlier version of the post. However, that phrasing was later removed from the post.

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AL.com reports that Ziegler has a reputation for making controversial comments and previously captured headlines in 2016 when he compared alleged relationships Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore had with teen girls to the biblical story of Mary and Joseph’s marriage.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/427399-republican-state-official-under-fire-for-comments-about-sinemas-outfit?__twitter_impression=true

Capitals fan Greg Christian held a handmade poster outside of Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena last Wednesday depicting the 36 venues in which he had seen his favorite team play. In his other hand, the Baltimore native and D.C. resident gripped a 20-by-30-inch photograph of his late wife, Dona Coultice-Christian, wearing her matching lavender Hockey Fights Cancer sweater. The couple had visited 34 hockey venues together before Dona died of pancreatic cancer last Thanksgiving. Greg made sure she was by his side for the final two stops of their tour.

“I came to the realization that she would’ve wanted me to go, and so I went,” said Christian, who considered postponing trips earlier this month to St. Louis and Toronto, home to the only two active arenas in which he and his wife hadn’t seen the Capitals play. “I thought taking the picture of her was a way to have her along with me. We already had the tickets, so I actually put the poster of her in her seat."

https://twitter.com/charmcitygreg/status/1088227040078254080
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/01/29/after-losing-his-wife-cancer-caps-fan-completes-their-venue-tour/?utm_term=.6dbfcbaec06f