Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Case Study No. 0936: Calypso Nash

Calls to reinstate Harlem Shake librarian.
1:34
Calls to reinstate Harlem Shake librarian.

There are calls for the reinstatement of a part-time librarian who was fired after a Harlem Shake video was filmed at an Oxford University college.

About 30 students took part in a version of the internet dance craze in St Hilda's College library.

Bradford West's Respect MP George Galloway is among those opposed to the sacking. He has filed Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for the librarian to get her job back.
Tags: reinstate Harlem Shake librarian reinstatement part-time librarian Harlem Shake video filmed Oxford University college 30 students internet dance craze St Hilda's College library Bradford West's Respect George Galloway Early Day Motion Parliament
Added: 5 months ago
From: NewsInWorldNow
Views: 1,090

[scene opens with footage of a Harlem Shake video being performed inside of the Kathleen Major Library at St Hilda's College, as "Pictures from YouTube" appears on screen]
ELLIE PRICE: [in voice over] It starts with a lone dancer, then cuts to what looks like chaos. But this was organized, just one incarnation of the thousands of Harlem Shake videos doing the rounds on the internet. But it's what happened after that's put Saint Hilda's College in the headlines globally.
[cut to a young woman ("Esther Gosling, JCR President, St Hilda's College") standing outside of the library and speaking directly to the camera]
ESTHER GOSLING: Just thought it was unfair, to be honest, if twenty-thirty students come to the library, who all have the right bod-card to get into the library, is very difficult and not really her position necessarily, or she shouldn't be expected to have to stop and have to put up with that.
[cut to a female student ("Dora Amos, Student, St Hilda's College") standing outside of the library and speaking directly to the camera]
DORA AMOS: It still seems like quite a strong action to take, from the point of view of the students who thought it was gonna be a light-hearted fun thing to do ...
[cut to the female reporter walking outside of the library and speaking directly to the camera]
ELLIE PRICE: The student body here has written to the college asking for reasons why the librarian was fired, and demanding a reinstatement. The college itself won't comment.
[cut back to footage of the Harlem Shake video]
ELLIE PRICE: [in voice over] The people on Twitter have. Hundreds of messages have been tweeted around the world on the story, with many surprised at the college's reaction.
[cut to footage from other Harlem Shake videos]
ELLIE PRICE: [in voice over] It's not the first time an Oxford University college has been involved in the latest craze ... but one student told me the difference here is that it took place in the library.
[cut to a female student ("Eleanor Bley Griffiths, Student Journalist") sitting in front of her computer, speaking directly to the camera]
ELEANOR BLEY GRIFFITHS: I think the college has had a bit of a sense-of-humor failure. The students recorded it in the middle of the night, on a Sunday, for seven minutes. Uh, it was hardly disturbing anyone.
[cut to an exterior shot of the library]
ELLIE PRICE: [in voice over] The MP George Galloway says he's filed a motion to reinstate the librarian, that could be mentioned in Parliament tomorrow.
[cut back to footage of the Harlem Shake video]
ELLIE PRICE: [in voice over] It seems Saint Hilda's College may have earned itself a reputation ... it will find hard to shake. Ellie Price, BBC South Today.

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From telegraph.co.uk:

Oxford University librarian sacked after students perform Harlem Shake dance and post recording on YouTube
By Alice Philipson
3:24PM GMT 19 Mar 2013

Calypso Nash is being blamed for failing to prevent the group of around 30 students performing the song in St Hilda's College library.

But yesterday students were calling for the reinstatement of Miss Nash, who is a graduate student studying Classics, as she "just happened to be there at the library at the time" rather than taking part.

It is thought Miss Nash played no part in organising the prank and had not been informed students were due to perform the stunt.

The 30-second long video clip, which has had more than 5,000 views, has sparked outrage amongst the senior staff members of the 120-year-old Oxford University College.

Every student who has been identified as taking part in the video has been fined by the Dean.

In the video, students donned fancy-dress and can be seen dancing in the library aisles, while others were seen standing on chairs and on tables.

One performer was dressed as a member of the jailed Russian pop group Pussy Riot, while others donned horses heads, a furry badger costume or appeared as weight lifters and a skier.

A petition has now been started by students to get Miss Nash reinstated.

The librarian's profile on business networking site LinkedIn says she is a member of the Oxford University Orchestra and Sinfonietta and is a JCR entertainment representative for St Hilda's College.

She won a scholarship to St Hilda's in 2010 and studies Classics, as well as Ancient Greek and Roman Literature, and history and philosphy.

Students are also calling for the fines to be rescinded as they shot the video late at night as not to disturb anyone studying.

At St Hilda's Junior Common Room weekly meeting, students passed a motion calling for the immediate reinstatement of the librarian.

As a result of the vote the JCR president Esther Gosling is to "ask for a written reason for the decision from the Head Librarian, and also to bring the matter to the attention of the governing body, calling in the strongest terms for Calypso to be rehired."

Miss Gosling will also be writing to the Dean to seek the fines imposed being overturned because "the Harlem shake did not cause a disturbance coming as it did at 11:30 pm on a Sunday evening - and that the event - only lasted roughly seven minutes."

Ellen Gibson, a student at St Hilda's, said: "The situation seems ridiculous.

"The Librarian had nothing to do with the protest; she just happened to be there at the time."

Another Hilda's student said of Calypso's sacking: "She was not in a position to stop them at the time"

JCR Secretary Katie Meadon said: "We are not trying to deliberately undermine any decisions made by college authorities, but we, and the rest of the JCR, believe that the dismissal of the librarian in question was unfair. We hope that the college will take the JCR's opinions into account regarding this matter."

St Hilda's College did not respond to a request for comment by the Daily Telegraph.

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From bbc.co.uk:

Students at an Oxford college have called for the reinstatement of a librarian who they say was sacked after the filming of a Harlem Shake video.

About 30 students took part in a version of the internet dance craze in St Hilda's College library. It has had more than 5,000 views on YouTube.

St Hilda's Junior Common Room (JCR) passed a motion demanding the librarian is reinstated.

An Oxford University spokeswoman said the college was making no comment.

JCR president Esther Gosling said the librarian had been sacked and up to five students fined between 30 and 60 pounds after the video was posted online in February.

She said the filming had taken place in the library shortly before midnight. She insisted the librarian was not involved in organising the stunt and "couldn't have stopped it".

"We don't want to undermine the college authorities or decisions they make, but in this case we think their reaction is excessive and the dismissal is unfair," she said.

Ms Gosling said the college had told her they could not comment on individual staff matters.

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From huffingtonpost.com:

Students and politicians alike are calling for an Oxford University librarian to be reinstated after she was fired for the filming of a Harlem Shake video in one of the school's libraries.

Though the librarian, Calypso Nash, did not actually take part in the making of the video, she allegedly lost her job because the filming took place on her watch, the Independent reports.

Harlem Shake videos became an Internet sensation earlier this year. They typically involve one masked person dancing to the DJ Bauuer song for 15 seconds before a crowd joins in.

According to Cherwell, the school's independent student publication, various colleges within Oxford University filmed their own versions of the viral dance hit throughout the month of February. However, the students who filmed their Harlem Shake video in the library reportedly did not get permission beforehand.

As the BBC notes, the students were fined 30 to 60 pounds (about $45 to $90), and Nash was fired.

The Huffington Post UK spoke with one student who called Nash's firing "hugely unjust."

"She knew nothing about the dance and we don't see how she could have prevented it happening, neither is it her position to do so," Esther Gosling said.

Cherwell has since reported that the librarian has not only the support of the student body, but of George Galloway, a member of parliament.

Galloway reportedly petitioned the House of Commons for the librarian's reinstatement, arguing that Nash bears no responsibility for the Harlem Shake video.

The motion reportedly alleges that "the College authorities seem to have suffered a severe sense of humour loss."

Perhaps surprisingly, Nash isn't the only person to have lost her job over the filming of a Harlem Shake video. Fifteen miners in Australia were fired earlier this month after they performed the viral dance hit underground.

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