England’s historic University of Oxford has instituted a ban on clapping during “Student Council meetings and other official SU events,”citing the potential anxiety-triggering nature of the loud sound of applause.
An official statement from the Student Council at Oxford announced the intention to request that students opt for the British Sign Language “silent jazz hands” instead of loud clapping as it may not be an “inclusive” behavior. The statement noted that applause could cause discomfort for students at the university that were dealing with “anxiety disorders, sensory sensitivity, and/or those who use hearing impairment aids.”
Oxford, which has been in continual operation as an institute of higher learning since at least AD 1096, became the second major university in England to reject clapping in favor of jazz hands. The University of Manchester adopted the same rule in 2018, an act the Oxford student union praised in their statement. The Student Union says they will mandate that Sabbatical Officers of the school encourage the use of jazz hands and further requests that the SOs “lobby the University” to enact jazz hands at all school functions.
Some media personalities did not find the immediate value in the change to applause procedures at the University of Oxford. “Re your ban on clapping to stop students with anxiety being triggered, & use of silent ‘jazz hands’ instead,” television presenter Piers Morgan tweeted to Sabbatical Officer Róisín McCallion. “a) Performing ‘jazz hands’ is racist. b) Your new rule excludes blind people, so will make them feel marginalised. c) Grow a pair you imbeciles.”
H @OxfordSU_WEO, re your ban on clapping to stop students with anxiety being triggered, & use of silent ‘jazz hands’ instead..
a) Performing ‘jazz hands’ is racist.
b) Your new rule excludes blind people, so will make them feel marginalised.
c) Grow a pair you imbeciles.— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 24, 2019
A former student of the university also saw the choice as a bit silly, if well-intentioned. “Oxford University Student Union is always seeking to be more accommodating for students. Especially for those with accessibility issues,” the former student said. “But this idea will not work and is completely ludicrous.”
McCallion defended the decision as reflective of the Student Union’s system of values. “The policy was proposed in order to encourage the use of British Sign Language clapping during our democratic events to make those events more accessible and inclusive for all, including people who suffer from anxiety,” she said in a statement. “Inclusivity is one of the Students’ Union’s founding principles.”
