Students at a Cambridge college have cancelled a party themed on Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in 80 Days after complaints dressing up as another culture constituted “cultural appropriation”.
The decision by students at Pembroke College comes just days after Jesus College removed a bronze cockerel from the main hall over accusations it was “racist” as it celebrated a “colonial past”.
The Tab now reports that the Pembroke junior parlour committee wrote to students saying:
“Having discussed the matter at length as a committee, we have decided that the most appropriate action is to break with the tradition of reusing finalists’ first fresher bop theme, in their end of Lent term third year bop. Instead we are using an alternative theme to avoid the potential for offense [sic] to be caused by the theme Around the World in 80 Days.”
One student took to Facebook to support the decision, claiming: “This is a way to minimise the risk of people of colour having a sh*t night, being reminded that they share a college with ignorant people who don’t understand the impact of their ‘harmless’ bop outfit.”
However, another student who claimed to have chosen the theme said: “Doesn’t any theme contain aspects which could be spun into an offensive costume?… This seems overly controlling and a little insulting.”
Another said the theme could have been a way to appreciate the diversity of cultures, writing: “I don’t feel dressing up in costumes that celebrate cultural diversity should be reprimanded. Can’t we take joy in spending an evening in the national dress of another country?!”
They added that the decision “just serves to perpetuate the downward spiral of extreme political correctness that I feel universities across the world seems [sic] to be succumbing to.”
The decision is the latest example of politically correct ideology spreading throughout Western universities.
Earlier this week, Breitbart London reported on Jesus College’s decision to remove a bronze cockerel after students said it celebrated Britain’s colonial past.
During a heated debate, one student snapped: “The opinion of two white men is not valid,” while another who seconded the motion calling for its removal said “grown men cried” after similar bronze pieces were returned to Africa.
Oriel College, Oxford, was also subject to a campaign by students to remove a statue of colonialist Cecil Rhodes, although that proved unsuccessful. Students at Royal Holloway University of London are also campaigning to remove a statue of Queen Victoria because it describes her as Empress of India.
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