F R @thebadgersussex E badger@sussexstudent.com E
The
Badger
thebadgeronline.com
Official newspaper by and for University of Sussex students and community
•
Printed on recycled paper
•
13 May 2024
Sussex Will Not Condemn Palestine Genocide, Says VC Roseneil
•
•
The SU, UCU and Unison presented an open letter to University administration at the end of April demanding official condemnation of “Israel’s colonial genocide” and action by Sussex. Following a meeting with representatives, VC Roseneil responded publicly and confirmed the University refuses to take an institutional position.
Ada Carpenter Senior Editor
V
ice-Chancellor Professor Sasha Roseneil has defended the University of Sussex Executive Team’s decision to “not [take] a specific institutional position on the conflict in Israel-Gaza/Palestine.” In a message sent to all staff and students on 2 May, VC Roseneil said “I believe the University as an institution should refrain from making statements about matters that are external to the running of the organisation.” This statement was made following a meeting between the Executive Team and representatives of the Students’ Union (SU) and the University and College Union (UCU) on 1 May that discussed their open letter asking for Sussex to “publicly condemn Israel’s colonial genocide in Gaza.” The open letter called on the University Executive Team to “fully divest from all companies that are complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, publicly disclose full details of all the University investments, and commit against making future investments in companies that are complicit in Israeli
Open Letter
settler colonialism and apartheid.” Divestment forms a central part of the Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) movement, which has been endorsed by the SU and UCU since 2015. While the University does have an existing “Socially responsible section of Investment Management Policy”, the past and current investment portfolio seems to compromise the principles laid out, in particular, the “promotion of human rights” and of “international cooperation and an end to international conflict.” Based on Freedom of Information requests by Sussex students and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the University has investments totalling £20,916,240.57 in corporations or funds complicit in Israel’s genocidal attacks. This includes almost £14.5 million invested in Barclays Bank, which invests in companies known to support the Israeli military, and over £100,000 in Siemens, which amongst other concerns is “participating in [a] high-speed train project that crosses the Green Line into the occupied West Bank in two areas, using occupied Palestinian land for an Israeli transportation project aimed exclusively for Israelis.” For a full breakdown of the complicit investments,
Image: Zeeshan Tirmizi.
read the open letter. In her 2 May statement, Roseneil conceded “it is right that we review our policy, testing it with our community, and seeking best-practice in ethical investment.” She announced “I will be recommending to Council that we establish a new group, which will include student and staff representatives, to review [the Continued on page 4...
Badger Wins Big at National Awards Journalism, The Guardian, Sky News, and The Times. The Badger received ten shortlists, which completely blew us away considering our humble beginning this academic year with a committee of just four people. Our team did us proud by successfully winning five awards - presented by Aubrey Allegretti, 2014 Editor-in-Chief of The Badger turned
Semhar (Semi) Tesfazgy Editor-in-Chief
T
he Badger has done Sussex proud! Committee members from The Badger attended the Student Publication Association’s National Conference (SPANC) in Bristol from 10 to 12 April, bringing home five national awards across several categories. It was an incredible weekend, filled with talks from industry heads and experienced journalists - not to mention a chance to network with our fellow student publications nationwide! The 2024 awards had more than 1,200 entries, and nominations were judged by top editors and journalists from media organisations across the UK - including the BBC, The Bureau of Investigative
Continued on page 6...
p8
Local Life
• A Candid Interview with Brighton’s Peace Camp • Top 10: Quirky Shops
Opinion
p13
• What Happens on Tour
Shouldn’t Stay on Tour • Ways to Support Palestine as Students
Arts
p19
• Confessions of an Ex-
Gamer Girl • Jojo Si-What on Earth is Going On?
Sci & Tech p28 • Sustainable Dining
Through 3D Food Printing
A Brief History of
Badger committee members at the Student Publication Association Awards.
Read more inside
p16
Sport
• Varsity Reports
p30