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Is Swansea University right to ban its pole fitness society?

posted 16.10.13 at 6:11pm

Swansea University's Pole Fitness society is now bannedSwansea University's Pole Fitness society is now banned

Swansea universitys students' union have voted unanioumously to ban the union's Pole Fitness society.

The Union trustee board said in September; 'The Trustees believe that ‘pole fitness’ classes are increasingly marketed as an empowering way for young women to keep fit and regain control of their lives. This is especially true on university campuses. We asked ourselves however, is it empowering to gain fitness in a way that is inextricably linked to the multi million pound sex industry?

Pole fitness and pole dancing are a direct spin off from lap dancing. Can we separate ‘pole fitness’ from ‘pole dancing’? We believe that you cannot, because whatever you name it, pole ‘fitness’ or pole ‘dancing’, you are still participating in the social context of what the pole represents. Everyone knows where it comes from, that pole dancers are to be found in strip clubs and sex establishments and that pole dancing is a dance form specifically designed to sexually excite the watcher. Pole dancers are almost always women, and watchers almost always men.

The Pulse Week One

posted 13.10.13 at 4:35pm

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Week one might be over, but you can still catch all of The Pulse's highlights and interviews right here.

Gay and lesbian asylum seekers told to 'prove they're gay'

posted 13.10.13 at 3:49pm

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Gay and lesbian people seeking asylum in the UK have been told to prove their sexuality, extreme cases include people handing over photographic and even video evidence.

Jack explains the story.

The Friday Pulse team discuss whether it is possible to prove your sexuality, and whether people should have to.

We consider whether marriage should be used as proof instead of visual evidence.

And if there are too many checks for asylum seekers seeking entry into the UK, are we letting too many people into the UK or are we turning away people who genuinely need asylum?

If you have any thoughts on this story then feel free to comment below.

Does feminism need a rebrand?

posted 08.10.13 at 7:27pm

Women who consider themselves feminists are “man-hating” and “unhygienic” says the results from a study conducted by the University of Toronto. Today on the Pulse we discussed the topic of feminism and whether the term and what its associated with needed to be binned and that the whole movement needed to move on and rebrand. Should feminists therefore shave their legs, get a new haircut and create a new form of feminism that better fits in to modern society? We pose this question to Francesca Garforth, co-founder of the brand new UoN Feminist society.

The University of Nottingham has not managed to stay out of recent debates concerning modern day sexism. The first controversy was concerning the tweets from an un-official twitter page of Lincoln Hall which made inappropriate and clearly sexist remarks. The Tuesday Pulse team give their opinion on the matter.

Equally the University of Nottingham’s Feminist Society is setting up a petition to ban Robin Thicke’s infamous song ‘Blurred Lines’. We asked Francesca from the Feminist Society what she thought.

Will you be quitting this Stoptober?

posted 01.10.13 at 7:03pm

Today, 1st October, marks the beginning of Stoptober. Which is a campaign run by the NHS throughout the month in an attempt to help people to stop smoking for 28 days. So far nearly 200,000 people have signed up to take part. The NHS will send encouraging texts and support people throughout the challenge. We spoke to celebrity Doctor Hilary Jones and he tells us about some specific advice for students hoping to stub out of their lives.

Dr Hilary Jones explains how Stoptober works at getting people to stay off cigarettes beyond just the month of October.

HealthExpress, the online health clinic, in partnership with Dr Hilary Jones has adopted a new method of shocking smokers in to quitting. Dr Hilary Jones explains in more detail.

Some listeners thought this latest method was going just to far. Dr Hilary Jones explains why these visual shocks work.

We asked how the campaign is going to be working and where you can expect to see these masks.