A student union president said this and it didn’t end well
Today’s Twitterstorm™ comes courtesy of Emily Dawes, president of the Student Union at Southampton University who’s not happy with a university mural because it’s got too many white blokes in it.
And this is the one she’s talking about.
To see the mural in all its glory for yourself, head to the Senate Room on Highfield Campus, Southampton University! pic.twitter.com/a6AhFwaI1J
— William Rothenstein (@WRothenstein) May 7, 2015
Now we’re all for efforts to improve diversity in all walks of life. Except, er, there’s a story behind the Rothenstein Mural and it’s quite an important one.
Just out of interest what does the mural depict and have you any idea when and why it was made?
— John-Paul Fitzgibbon (@jpjfitz) October 24, 2018
It was painted in 1916 and depicts all those students who left uni to fight in the First World War and never returned. They are being presented the degree they couldn’t return to finish
— Louisa (@ukhistorygirl) October 25, 2018
Ah, right.
Is this the mural to those heroic students from the university that had to forego their studies in order to fight for the freedom of Europe in WW1, and never got to graduate? I’m trying to think of a reason why anyone would actively want to deface a war memorial… ☹️
— Henry James (@HH_Explores) October 24, 2018
Yes, that’s the one.
Ha ha. This is a WW1 memorial. https://t.co/N9UeDiTeFi
— Sam Bowman (@s8mb) October 25, 2018
We’ve probably not heard the last of it just yet.
Here's our statement regarding yesterday's tweet from our Union President. pic.twitter.com/xqKiK6GPNI
— SUSU (@Union_Soton) October 25, 2018
