I thought the frosh week chant was pretty lame.  AFAI remember:

Brrr it's cold out here there must be some frosh in the air.  I said brrr it's cold out here there must be some frosh in there air.

I'll happily take lame over the YOUNG chant.

Hi chemgal,

If any post-secondary shool I attended had a cheer or a chant it would be news to me.

Of course I went to decidedly small schools where orientation was basically, "This is the academic building and the building next to it is your dorm.  Any questions?  No? See you around.  Next!"

The fact that two universities on opposite ends of the country have such a similar cheer suggests to me that they are not the only universities where such a cheer exists.  Sadly both schools felt it necessary to point out that they had been using these chants for the last 20 years or so which should be casting aspersions on the ability of Alumni to do adequate discernment beyond "don't get caught saying this in public."

Grace and peace to you.

John

Plus ca meme chose.

I remember uproars over the Engineering Society orientation at University of Waterloo when I lived in that area (and went to that university). That went beyond just chants, though. Racy stuff in their newsletter and even their symbol the *cough* "Rigid Tool" with all the double entendres that entailed. Given that engineering was still proportionately close to being an all-male profession at that time, the sexism in their various carryings-on was quite rampant and rather an embarrassment to the rest of the university. The faculty and university came down hard on them after some incident or another (forget if it was something specifically serious or more of a straw breaking the camel's back) and things quieted down. Haven't heard any complaints re. them recently but I've also been living outside Waterloo Region for over twenty years now so not really as plugged in to that area as I was in those days.

One would hope that attitudes would have changed and improved since then (this was in the eighties) but apparently not, at least not completely.

Mendalla

I was a commuter student during my undergradute years, and so my time on campus was basically for the purpose of attending classes or doing research in the libraries. I had a very active non-academic life, which (combined with being an introvert) meant that "frosh activities" or even attending campus social events wasn't really my cup of tea during University. However, I don't recall ever hearing about anything like this during my undergraduate years.

I agree.  I came across an statement about a student leader complained about it last year.  I guess if the university doesn't receive a bunch of public negative attention they don't really care.  Social media definitely has it's uses.

I remember racy stuff in engineering school, but nothing condoning rape.

/Godiva was a lady who through Coventry did ride...

Actually, I can remember it well.

I was a Queen's University frosh more than 20 years ago, and I can vividly remember the chants.

They were chants that had been used for years.

I remember a homophobic slur in one, calling all engineers "a bunch of queers."

And in my frosh year, the university was promoting date rape awareness, and promoted a slogan "no means no."

Some Queen's students started to joke around with the slogan, saying "no means yes" and "no means tie me up." That was where I first heard the expression "impact vs. intent."

It may have been the intent of some people to be funny and joke around with the slogan, but the impact of what they did was quite different. The impact was offensive and intimidating, and could have been considered criminal solicitation.

Hopefully it's a steep learning curve for some post-secondary students.

A learning curve about sensitive and inclusive language, and impact vs. intent.

Hopefully frosh week planners are more closely supervised by the school's admin., and they work together to give the chants an "appropriate language" makeover.

GO, I've come across similar situations, but it was all on a individual bases, not a group who organized it.  That's where the chants in the news were different.

Racy stuff, sure.  Although the admin put the end to some of it like a sexy calendar (other universities managed to get them out).  Some of the theme nights at the bar encouraged minimal clothing.  It wasn't about rape, insulting others, etc. though.  One of the more popular nights the gender bender was pretty much open to all, I don't know how involved Campus Crusade for Christ was though :)