National Union of Students dismisses motion to stop people from 'pressing F to pay respects' as 'waste of conference time'

One of the motions brought up at the National Union of Students (NUS) National Conference today was the practice of ‘pressing F to pay respects’. No, really.
The Students’ Union at the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, had originally put the motion forward.
It was to be discussed at the NUS National Conference which runs today and tomorrow (April 10th and 11th) in Glasgow.
However, Esports News UK understands the Conference voted not to hear the motion as it was a ‘waste of conference time’.
The motion, titled ‘What the F’, argues that ‘society has become so debased in recent times that we signal our respect to others by typing “F”‘.
 

“It’s proof we are more inclined to take people for granted to the extent that we would rather press a single letter on a keyboard to acknowledge what someone has done or said.”

 
It continues: “This is a part of a wider phenomenon where people don’t really understand how to show genuine gratitude and sincere feelings anymore.
“This is further proof we are more inclined to take people for granted to the extent that we would rather press a single letter on a keyboard to acknowledge what someone has done or said.”
As you’ll see in the full motion pasted at the bottom of this article, there are some phrases and references in it that makes it seem to be a joke.
For example, ‘conference resolves to give conference an “F”’.
‘Press F to pay respects’ refers to a scene from Call of Duty Advanced Warfare, where the player is asked to ‘press F to pay respects’ at a soldier’s funeral. It has since become a part of gaming and internet culture, and is used with imagery from other games such as those in the Metal Gear Solid series (pictured top).
National Conference is the sovereign policy-making body of NUS and brings together various students’ unions across the country to discuss and vote on motions.
 

The full motion (as found on page 40 in the NUS Conference document): 

215 What the “F”
Submitted by: The Students’ Union at UWE
Speech for: The Students’ Union at UWE
Speech against: Free
Conference Believes
1. That society has become so debased in recent times that we signal our respect to others by typing “F”.
2. This is pathetic behaviour.
3. This doesn’t actually show respect to individuals, rather, complete lunacy and laziness.
4. Every instance of this has been responded to with the react emoji, specifically; angry.
Conference Further Believes
1. This is a part of a wider phenomenon where people don’t really understand how to show genuine gratitude and sincere feelings anymore.
2. That this is further proof we are more inclined to take people for granted to the extent that we would rather press a single letter on a keyboard to acknowledge what someone has done or said.
3. This practice originated from the internet game “Call of Duty”, where it is common practice for people to literally “press F to pay respect”.
4. The message of this motion to be lost on basement dwellers jacking off furiously whilst simultaneously shooting down grandmas and prostitutes in video games.
Conference Resolves
1. To reassert the importance of showing appreciation for others.
2. To stop douchebags from participating in the annoying as hell practice of “pressing F to pay respects” via direct action if necessary.
3. For individuals (that live in a society) to be less like that bobbing duck toy and more like actual humans.
4. To give conference an “F”.
 
News credit: Thetab.com and Tom Bagot:

“2. To stop douchebags from participating in the annoying as hell practice of “Pressing F to pay respects” ” – From the NUS National Conference, pg 40.

F pic.twitter.com/3McFyBEfFW
— Tom Bagot (@TomBagotES) April 10, 2019

Dom Sacco

Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.

As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.