A Freshers’ Week ceilidh at Brasenose College has come under fire for being “inauthentic” and using music “not at all recognisable to the Scots in the room.”
One Brasenose fresher complained of “the misuse of the Scottish term ‘ceilidh'”, which “confused some of us who were expecting something that reminded us of home”.
Another told Cherwell: “The dances we all know and love were nowhere to be seen. The fact that the band was entirely English, while not necessarily an issue if they give an authentic ceilidh, did then seem as if the event had little interest in recreating an authentic ceilidh.”
One student complained to the Brasenose JCR committee, calling the event “a bit problematic” and saying that “if they didn’t want a proper ceilidh they shouldn’t have called it that, and if they did they should have done more research”.
Speaking on behalf of the Brasenose JCR, JCR President Manish Binukrishnan told Cherwell: “I’d like to apologise on behalf of Brasenose JCR to any in our community who felt that the Fresher’s Week Ceilidh was an inappropriate representation of Scottish culture.
“Our intention was to represent a variety of cultures, so there were also Welsh and Irish Ceilidh dances. However, we’re committed to coordinating with our Scottish students to make sure the next Fresher’s Week Ceilidh is appropriately advertised, and that our Burn’s Night Ceilidh in February is as authentic as possible.
“We had run this even both in Fresher’s Week and after Burn’s Night successfully for many years, but we’re always willing to improve and make Brasenose as representative as possible so we can celebrate and promote cultures in a respectful manner.”
