NUS should be transparent in its disciplinary actions for students

This letter was sent to ST Forum but was not published.

As an aunt of five teenage nieces and nephews, I am greatly disturbed by what happened at the NUS orientation camp ("Students say NUS orientation camps increasingly sexualised; some told to re-enact rape scene"; July 26).    

NUS has acknowledged that 'some of their students have flouted the rules and behaved in an unaccepted manner in organising freshmen activities' and has suspended its annual orientation week ("NUS suspends freshmen Orientation Week after reports of inappropriate activities"; July 29).  

Even if the camps were not suspended, few parents would feel safe to have their children there without a proper account from NUS on what transpired in the camps. What are the safety measures put in place?

The public need to know what the "strong disciplinary actions" are and the number of students involved in these incidents. Greater family support and legal advice need to be given to every student in view of all these complaints over the past decade, where things have gotten worse.   

I am greatly disappointed by the students' disappointment over the suspension of orientation activities ("Students disappointed over NUS' suspension of freshmen orientation activities"; July 30). To suspend the camp is not authoritative but just a temporary move to prevent more wrongs. How can trust be given when it is not treasured? All the hard work put in organizing a camp cannot justify a wrongful act.

It is also disheartening to learn that students are more concerned about their fun and their rights than empathizing with their fellow schoolmates who have been traumatized.
Education without values is worthless.

Yale-NUS College, The G-Spot and Gender Collective is one such liberal organization which believes that consent is the key to having sex. It is no surprise that games are increasingly sexualized with low morality. 

Our students have to learn to say no to negative peer pressure or name-callings. Their identity do not come from being sexually active or choosing to reserve sex for marriage. They do not even have to answer invasive questions. Real friends do not coerce. 

As an alumnus of NUS, I found my good friends not in the camp but in my three years studying there.

Our young have been known to be outspoken. Some seniors may take advantage of the fears of the freshmen to carry out such degrading acts. Not speaking up against such harassment and bullying is to let them think that it is an acceptable behaviour.

It is time our young speak up for what is right.