Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
STUDENTS ROCKING THE BOAT
Queen’s blasts ‘reckless’ public health breach in its halls
QUEEN’S University has launched an investigation over footage showing students doing “rock the boat” in halls.
A video, reportedly taken on Wednesday night, portrays a large group “breaching public health guidelines” in an apparent party which allegedly took place in the Elms Treehouse social space.
Meanwhile, a “small percentage” of its 3,000 live-in students are self isolating because of Covid.
A QUB spokesperson told the Mirror : “The university is aware of a video showing students on university premises breaching public health guidelines, putting their safety and the safety of those around them at risk. This is reckless and
unacceptable behaviour and the University has launched an investigation into how this occurred.
“Disciplinary measures will be applied robustly with consequences that appropriately reflect the gravity of the situation.
“As the University has repeatedly made clear, it is essential that all members of the Queen’s community play their part and act responsibly to keep themselves and other members of the community safe.”
One student, who asked to remain anonymous, told us they moved out of halls over fears they would catch the virus and now has to self-isolate after getting a Covid alert.
RULES
They said: “I didn’t feel it was particularly safe. In accommodation they don’t really enforce rules as they just sort of said adults have to regulate their own behaviour.
“It was chaotic really and I couldn’t with good conscience have stayed. I didn’t think it was safe.”
A Queen’s spokesperson said they had “made the conscious decision to treat students living in their accommodation as independent adults, allowing them full access to facilities in the expectation they behave responsibly”.
They added: “It is very disappointing that some students appear to have abused that trust.
“A number of interventions have been made immediately to ensure a similar situation is not allowed to happen again.”