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Worldfest returns to Kent University
An event of global proportions is returning to Canterbury this month giving students, staff and the public a chance to experience music, film, dance, food and languages from around the world. The University of Kent has long been hailed as one of the most diverse universities in the country, and Worldfest will be crammed full of activities to satisfy all ages and interests.
Beginning on Saturday 20th February, with an opening parade down Canterbury High Street, and events ongoing from Monday 22nd until Sunday 28th, this year’s Worldfest promises to be just as spectacular as 2009’s. Judo, Kendo, Karate and a number of other martial arts are only a few of the available workshops alongside dance classes in Flamenco, Hip Hop, Salsa and Belly Dancing, as well as performances from many of these societies.
For those more academically orientated, language taster sessions in Mandarin, Arabic, Polish, Portuguese will be held. Throughout the day music, arts and film events from students and from performers around the world are expected to bring the campus to life, promoting cultural understanding and celebrating diversity.
A thirty-foot high Yurt, with a world market, selling foods from all over the world to tingle your taste buds with curries, cheeses, exotic fruit and a guaranteed new culinary experience, will be established in front of Templeman Library. The Yurt will also host most of the Worldfest events. All proceeds from the workshops and events will go to Seeds for Africa, a charity that helps families and communities in Africa to grow their own food and become self-sufficient, offering them a chance to fend for themselves and gain their independence.
For a full timetable of the events please go to http://www.kent.ac.uk/whatson/worldfest/programme.html where you can download the programme for free.
Terrorist: "a person who uses violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims."
Know the meaning of words before using them. If anything we are condemning China's terrorist behaviour, they fit the deffinition we don't.
Thank you
By Anonymous on 10.3.2010
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Fair point Jacob. I suppose we'll have to wait and see what the new team will think of all that when they're elected ;-)
By Vickie on 10.3.2010
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Impartiality can be practiced in a number of different ways. For instance, impartiality can be practiced by focusing on fact and shying away from opinion - unfortunately, this can often lead to bland and unentertaining writing.
Impartiality can also be practiced by allowing all viewpoints to be heard with equal respect and without authority. If somebody else takes offence to a given opinion they have the right to respond in their own words. Democracy is cool like that.
I think it looks like the editors are going to treat this article in the right way - by finding a balance somewhere in between these two methods. But I do hope that Inquire's future will be far more open to radical opinion pieces by students. I think that the only way for Inquire to gather interest, respect and a real readership is by making it more opinionated, and perhaps more lighthearted. Although I respect Inquire's status as a 'newspaper' I do feel like if anyone were to want to read straight news stories they will be more likely to flick on the BBC or pick up a professional newspaper.
Tenashe's articles have been by far the best regular columns for a long time now, and that is because they give you an insight into one particular person's mind, rather than trying to create a cold and unaffecting news story to please all mindsets.
I think it should be noted that these supposed "terrorists" were perfectly polite in both method and statement, and have done nothing to deliberately shock or to offend anybody.
By Jacob Brant on 9.3.2010
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The inQuire might get a bit more attention if it started trying to inspire a bit more of a reaction from its readers. As it stands it is a well balanced, conservative paper that reports news on around campus in a very dry fashion.
Student newspapers have traditionally provided a platform for outspoken reactionaries with an immediately obvious opinion and a penchant for offense.
Printing this letter in its entirety would be irresponsible and reactionary. Well done editors for not doing this. There is no reason that this genuine piece of 'on campus news' shouldn't be reported by the inQuire accompanied by a heading like, "the perpetrators contacted the inQuire with this message".
You could call them terrorists. Would make a good follow up on that article on the front page of the last issue that analysed the connection between being Muslim and being a terrorist.
By Gregory Maxwell on 8.3.2010
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I feel like some of the posters on this thread are missing the point. We ARE covering the story!! We're not too 'scared' to cover it, we simply have to make sure that we're doing it properly.
We actually love when a story or article generates a debate, if only more people wrote in with their views then we could have a readers' letters page in every issue. But people don't bother. What we don't want, is to get stuck in the middle of something unsubstantiated and political, as I said in my previous post- InQuire is not a platform for a student or a group of students to monopolise. It is absolutely imperative that whatever we report is fair and balanced.
And yes, Ben. Unfortunately we do have our hands tied behind our backs more often than not. There are some things which the union would have loved to keep out of the paper, but we have fought to put them in as we think that we should represent the views of the students and not the student union. But, as Kent Union fund us etc. it is not always easy to remain editorially independent.
To be honest, after a year as Chairwoman, I have come to realise that InQuire will be criticised no matter what we do. We can't win.
By Vickie on 7.3.2010
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On getting sued, all newspapers have the defence of fair comment, which can be used for any piece recognisable as comment so long as the views expressed are honestly held (ie; the author believes what they're saying) and it is written on a matter of public interest.
Seriously, do you guys think papers have no way of publishing opinions?
By Anonymous on 5.3.2010
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Ben, we're not talking about the actions of Gordon Brown, it simply isn't comparable. Questioning the character of one politician is not the same as questioning the conduct of a whole nation.
As for your comment about the SU, our hands are not tied by them but yes they are tied by law, we could get sued for careless content published - it's as simple as that.
By website-editor on 4.3.2010
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You got me there, Tom, well done. But the podcast does not cover political issues of this nature.
As I have stressed, time and time again on this thread, the person will be quoted for their political opinion, word for word, but it will also be substantiated with fact.
By website-editor on 4.3.2010
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In response to your request to find a 'disclaimer' in a newspaper, may I turn your attention to the podcast section of this very website?
There's nothing defamatory in what the anonymous poster has made. Its a political view.
Why are you so afraid that by 'publishing such a letter it could provoke a reaction from groups of a differing opinion'?
I for one would quite like to see my student newspaper getting caught in such a 'crossfire'?
By Tom Barker on 4.3.2010
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The true question of this whole saga is wether it is irresponsible for a responsible news outlet to publish something which might cause a 'reaction' from someone else.
I would say that The Observer is a responsible newspaper, but would it also be fair to say that they do often publish something would could cause a 'reaction' from someone else. For example the Gordon Brown bullying story, that clearly caused a 'reaction', but at the end of the day was it responsible and something we should know about - yes.
Unfortunately this outlet will always have its hands tied behind its backs due to a over-protectionist SU, who are hiding behind the veil of 'protecting the paper from legal action'.
By Benjamin Bowles on 4.3.2010
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There's absolutely nothing wrong with a newspaper reporting news, so if inQuire wants to write a piece about this flag business and quote those responsible, then there is no problem. You're allowed to quote somebody without it being your personal opinion.
If you're that scared of publishing the letter, why not just publish alongside it a letter from the opposite side of the argument? Then inQuire dont have to pick a side and readers can make their own minds up.
By Anonymous on 4.3.2010
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Tom, show me a paper that has opinion followed by a disclaimer saying that 'the views expressed are not the views of the paper itself?' - it simply doesn't happen, by printing it alone we are expressing an opinion and are judged and liable for it - the disclaimer is negligent.
Like I said the piece will appear in the news section, so it will be balanced. The debate will speak for itself through the information given.
Ben, if you believe inQuire needs a 'reform', run for election. Executive elections on the 22nd March, editorial elections on the 29th. Then you may actually appreciate what working for a responsible media outlet entails.
By website-editor on 4.3.2010
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A 'reaction', god forbid a 'reaction', it might create a debate!
InQuire needs a reform, oh and a pair of balls.
By Benjamin Bowles on 4.3.2010
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Can the letter not be published as a comments piece?
By Aaron Kiely on 3.3.2010
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Isn't that why newspapers have disclaimers saying that the views expressed are not the views of the paper itself?
"by publishing such a letter it could provoke a reaction from groups of a differing opinion" a debate you mean?
By Tom Barker on 3.3.2010
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Just to back up what Sam is saying, InQuire is not a platform for the views of a student, or group of students to monopolise. We are looking into reporting the removal of the Chinese flag as a news piece. We are not prepared to publish the letter as it stands as in order to remain unbiased, we would then have to publish everything from all student political groups. We need to remain impartial as InQuire is to represent all students on campus, by publishing such a letter it could provoke a reaction from groups of a differing opinion- InQuire simply doesn't want to get caught in the crossfire.
By Vickie on 3.3.2010
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Just to clarify for all concerned, this is the response I have given to Anon in an e-mail, we are now working towards publishing a news piece in the next paper.
Re: the letter.
The reason why I believe we can't publish a letter of that nature in the paper is because it is is unsubstantiated, that is it is not acompanied by fact but rather political opinion. Although I sympathise with what you're saying it needs to be accompanied in a more rounded manner in a news piece if we are to publish it. This is not to say we shy away from political news and opinions, recently we have covered issues such as the Gaza bombings, the Israel/Palestine problem and Nick Griffin's appearence on Question Time, but all these pieces were handled with great diligence by the writers so that readers can make their own opinions of any political issues rather than be persuaded by only one side of the story. We have a responsibility as a paper, and media outlet, to be as fair in reporting as possible - no matter what the issue. Your opinion is likely to be quoted word for word in any news piece we do, but we will look to use a historical backdrop of the China/Tibet issue to give the reader a broader perspective on the story.
By website-editor on 3.3.2010
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Why would it be irresponsible?
By Tom Barker on 1.3.2010
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It's curious that a student newspaper should feel inhibited from printing comments on culturally/politically relevant campus issues on the grounds that they are "politically loaded."
Heaven forbid that a paper should report opinions that are loaded with politics.
Just publish it under a disclaimer that the letters express the opinions of the letter-writers and not InQuire or the Uni. Why is that irresponsible, and yet approving an online comment is not?
At least you're considering investigating the matter further. Although is there any point doing so, if the paper maintains a policy of shying away from "politically loaded" opinions?
By Naomi De Plume on 1.3.2010
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Dear Anon,
I'm afraid it would be irresponsible to publish such a politically loaded letter in the paper (although I hope you appreciate that I chose to publish it as a comment.) I would, however, be very happy to meet up, or at least get in touch with you, to get a more substantiated piece on your actions so we can consider a piece for publication while protecting your anonymity.
If you wish to get in touch, you can e-mail me at website.editor@inquiremedia.co.uk
Sam
By website-editor on 1.3.2010
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As you might have already noticed, the Chinese flag above Rutherford has been replaced with a Tibetan one. We are sorry if we have offended any of our Chinese students, for this action was not taken against you. We have a lot of respect for the Chinese people and its culture; we just do not approve its government policies, a government that you have not chosen.
We believe that Tibet has a right to self-determination and that China’s occupation of it is outrageous. We also believe that the university should show its support for such a noble cause, what better time than worldfest to acknowledge the sufferings this people has endured and our support towards its independence?
The university may or may not decide to remove the flag, but if they take down the Tibetan flag to replace it with a Chinese one, shame on them. We have no intention of desecrating the Chinese flag and we are not thieves, this is why you will find it neatly folded next to the flag pole, we are leaving that ultimate decision in the hand of the university.
We would appreciate it if you could publish this letter in the next edition of the Inquire, to inform everyone about our motivations.
For obvious reasons we shall remain anonymous for the time being.
Thank You.
By Anonymous on 26.2.2010
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