SUBSKI Suspended From USU's Clubs And Societies Program

WORDS BY SANDRA BUOL

For those old hands who know every club and society on campus and have visited OWeek, they will have noticed a particular absence this year.  The popular Sydney University Boarders and Skiers Club – SUBSKI – were not to be found amongst the stalls on Eastern Avenue and the front lawns. Instead, SUBSKI members were seen handing out shirts and other goodies at a stall located behind the Wentworth Building. Their absence at the official OWeek Festival had a good reason: a week ago the USU suspended SUBSKI from their Clubs and Societies program.
 
Far removed from all of the other stalls, their position on Cadigal Green all but confirms their current registration status. This is because you need to be a registered club or society in order to be able to fill a stall at the OWeek Festival.
 
Courtney Thompson, President of the USU, confirmed the suspension but refrained from giving further information.
 
“We can confirm that SUBSKI’s registration has been suspended. SUBSKI has commenced legal proceedings and as such, we’re unable to provide further comment at this time. Once the matter is resolved legally the USU would be happy to discuss the matter to the extent that we can,” she told Pulp.
 
While we’re yet to learn of the specifics, it is known that SUBSKI has caused controversy before. Their parties are well-known and well-liked, but they are also alcohol fuelled and inappropriate behaviour by members – to the point of harassment – has been investigated before. They became a USU Club in 2014 after having been previously removed from Sydney University Sport & Fitness in 2012 for an incident that happened on one of their NZ Tour of Duty trips.
 
Tristan Oldfield, President of SUBSKI, gave a comment on the issue, saying:
 
“The Sydney University Boarders and Skiers Club has received 437 new memberships in 2018, which is 50% less due to exclusion from OWeek. We have also returned from a successful ski trip to Japan with a great deal of time spent skiing and snowboarding. With a new executive elected for 2018, all six members are first time SUBSKI executives consisting of 3 women and 3 men. We are implementing the new USU alcohol policy, like many other clubs and societies. The SRC Legal Service has advised us that the USU have breached procedural fairness. What we will be asking the USU is to give us a fair go.”