A controversial Playboy theme for an official student night affiliated with Lancaster’s Students’ Union (LUSU) has been scrapped, it emerged last Friday.
Following a successful pitch to the Social and Events group last year, Lost nightclub won the right to host the official LUSU student night on Mondays from October 8th. The nightclub then made a unilateral decision regarding the weekly event’s theme – despite securing the remit under the proviso of close collaboration with LUSU and college JCRs in order to determine the nights’ themes.
LUSU Vice President for Equality, Welfare and Diversity Rosalia O’Reilly has vowed personally to monitor the themes proposed for future student nights hosted by city-centre venues under the label of Lancaster’s Students’ Union, aiming thereby to ensure that “[these venues] aren’t misrepresenting Lancaster University Students’ Union”. O’Reilly highlighted Lost’s negligence towards the attitude of LUSU and its student representatives in saying that “the first [she] personally heard about it…was literally when [she] picked up a ‘lost in the Playboy mansion’ flyer a week or so back”.
Serious concerns were raised over the suitability of the Playboy theme, with its encouragement of students to dress up as “bunny girls” for free entry to the nightclub. Following conversations between O’Reilly and the VP (Events and Democracy) Libby Martin, along with the consultation of the social committees, the decision was made to withdraw the theme and help Lost facilitate the promotion of a last-minute change to proposed proceedings.
Lost has retained the right to host the official LUSU Monday Student Night, and Martin said that the Union was happy to continue working with Lost in the future, should the opportunity arise. Promotion for the club’s two student nights, on Mondays and Wednesdays, now focuses on the drinks offers available and does not make reference to any specific dress-theme.
Formerly known as Toast, the refurbished and rebranded club launched its new image mid-September, promising an innovative blend of student-friendly drinks deals and ‘the safest, most enjoyable and most extravagant VIP experience around’.
SCAN contacted Lost Lancaster’s general Manager, Mr Leigh Sweetman, but received no response.
