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‘Sex discrimination’ at Christ Church

A Christ Church student booked to perform at the college’s Commemoration Ball next week has accused the Ball Committee of sexual discrimination and unfair treatment.

Iona Bain, President of the Christ Church Music Society said that she has “notified the college authorities to a potential case of sex discrimination against herself.”

Bain claims that she offered her services to the Ball Committee, but that problems emerged when College asked her to perform on a secondary stage, at the same time as the main act.

Bain has argued that her band has been “downgraded to a secondary stage” because “I don’t conform to the male indie stereotype.”

She was notified that her three band members from Wadham would arrive at the ball, perform and would then have to leave the premises immediately after their performance.

Bain said, “I didn’t expect my other band members were to be treated like gatecrashers after performing for free, especially with half the band having bought tickets.”

She added that it was common practice for performers to be allowed to enjoy the ball for free without being “promptly escorted out by bouncers.”

She continued, “I can only assume that the committee has handed out so many free tickets to committee members and other cronies, and paid so much for their guest acts whatever they are, that they are having to treat me and my band members in this shabby way.”

However, Bain’s claims have caused outrage amongst Christ Church students.

The Committee’s Music and Entz rep, Laura Spiers, claimed that no free tickets have been given out, apart from those reserved for four executive members of last year’s ball committee, and current committee members.

She said, “Any performers who have received tickets have been given tickets as a form of payment instead of cash.

“Iona and her band were also offered these tickets as payment but declined them saying that they would rather do it for free and in service of the college, a decision the ball committee respected.”

One second year from Christ Church, who wished to remain anonymous, said that Bain has “forced her way into playing at the ball” and has upset a lot of people.

“We have definitely not been giving away tickets to anyone.”

Frances Baird, the Committee’s marketing representative, claimed that Bain and her band were granted a slot on the secondary stage rather than the main one because there are “other bigger, and more high profile acts already filling the schedule on the main stage”.

Baird defended the decision to move Bain to a secondary stage: “it’s a slightly different atmosphere and it was better suited for her performance and it would better suit her band.

“It’s not secondary in that we think it’s any less valuable; it’s just an alternative for people who don’t want to be at the main stage so we thought it was more appropriate.”

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