To mark the launch of the IFI’s campaign to protect our national film archive, Kasandra O’Connell, Head of the IFI Film Archive, writes exclusively for the University Observer about the importance of the Irish cinema, and why our cinematic history needs to be perserved

Most people recognise the uniquely accessible quality of the moving image; they acknowledge its ability to speak to audiences in many ways and on many levels. They see that it is a multifaceted medium that can simultaneously be an historical document, an aesthetic work, a means of entertainment and of cultural expression. Yet equally most people give little thought to its physical fragility or the methods and reasons for ensuring that it is preserved. This article looks at the history of moving image preservation in Ireland, particularly the role of the Irish Film Institute and the reasons why it is important that we preserve our moving image heritage for current and future generations to learn from and enjoy.

Why preserve our moving image heritage?

“Film is history. With every foot of film that is lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves.” Martin Scorsese

In these straitened times when funding and other resources are scarce it is easy for ‘non- essential’ activities such as moving image preservation to become the victim of cutbacks. But this material is fundamental to our perception of history and of our cultural identity. The film and television material that survives from today will affect how our era is viewed by future generations, much as the filmic representations that survive from previous generations have coloured our view of the past. For example, compare our conceptions of the Famine with the War of Independence. Although both are equally rich in written records the newsreel and actuality footage extant from the latter fundamentally enriches our understanding of this period of history, enabling us to connect with it on a more dynamic, visceral and human level. The things we have chosen to record and the stories that we commit to film* tell much about our interests and beliefs, our hopes and fears. Preserving these visual records of our activities and endeavours enables us to examine ourselves through film and explore our cultural identity.

A late starter

Although the value of the moving image and its role in democratising our understanding of society, culture and history has been recognised since the 1930s, when the International Federation of Film Archives was established (FIAF), Ireland has been slow to recognise and address the need to preserve its film heritage. The lack of indigenous production in the first part of the twentieth century has often been blamed for this, but ironically it is this lack of production that makes filmic representations in the period before a national TV station was established all the more valuable and worthy of protecting.

Although the first moving images of Ireland were recorded in 1897 by the Lumière Brothers on a visit to Belfast and Dublin, and calls for the establishment of a national film archive had been made by influential Irish film practitioners such as Liam O‘Leary and George Morrison since the 1950s, it was the late 1980s before any practical steps were taken to address the issue.  The Irish Film Institute (previously National Film Institute) had been founded in 1943 with a predominantly educational remit, producing public information and cultural films up until the 1970s and maintaining a distributing library that supplied IFI produced material and other educational films to community organisations and schools around the country. In 1986, recognising the importance of creating a national film archive and cognisant of the fact that Ireland was the only country in Europe not to have one, the IFI embarked on setting up the IFI Irish Film Archive. The Institute and Archive received an official home in 1992 when the Irish Film Centre (as it was then known) was created in the newly regenerated Temple Bar, and for the first time in its history, Ireland had a dedicated film archive boasting climate-controlled vaults created specifically for the long-term preservation of film and tape materials.

The IFI Irish Film Archive

The IFI Irish Film Archive is one of Ireland’s most remarkable and unique cultural resources; as well providing a record of Irish film culture in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the material we safeguard is a vivid and tangible document of Ireland’s past and present, chronicling the development of modern Ireland at a time of unprecedented social and political change. The cameras of amateur and professional filmmakers have captured the changing landscape of our nation alongside changing attitudes, customs and social conditions.

The core of the Irish Film Archive’s initial collection was made up of selected titles from the Film Institute’s lending library, but it has grown in last twenty years to over 27,000 cans of film, 10,000 broadcast tapes and an extensive document collection which includes original film scripts, production notes, photographs and publicity material, making it the most comprehensive resource dedicated to Irish film in the world. Contemporary Irish film and television production is also held via archiving agreements with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Irish Film Board and Arts Council.

As a national resource it is important that the material in our collections is shared with the public in as many ways as possible and students, teachers, filmmakers, researchers and film enthusiasts are amongst some of the groups that avail of the on-site viewing facilities and consult the Archive’s reference collections on a regular basis. We provide material to filmmakers to include in documentaries exploring Ireland’s culture and history, undertake an extensive programme of public screenings of material in our collections on site, regionally and internationally, as well as collaborating on research projects with third level organisations, and publishing DVDs of key titles from the Archive’s holdings.

Development

When the IFI Irish Film Archive was set up in the early 1990s, it was expected that within a short period the State would recognise the value of the Archive’s activities and that government support would be secured to develop a comprehensive national moving image archive, complete with the necessary financial and legislative mechanisms required to implement a national policy in this area.  However, in the twenty years that have since passed this has not been the case. The State funding the IFI receives is a much appreciated annual grant from the Arts Council, but the amount granted makes up about twenty-seven per cent of the funding the IFI needs to operate. The rest of the Institute’s budget comes from the profits made in the IFI cinemas and café (a means of financing that is wholly unpredictable) and through fundraising and partnership agreements with partner organisations such as the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and the Irish Film Board.

The modest level of funding received and the lack of a state policy on moving image preservation have resulted in the IFI Irish Film archive being unable to develop in the way it had originally envisioned. Although we are Ireland’s national film archive, we still do not have statutory recognition and we operate with a fraction of the resources available to our equivalents in other cultural areas. The Archive’s main building in Dublin city centre reached its storage capacity a number of years ago and we have been seeking cost-effective ways to address this problem for almost a decade. Through an innovative partnership with the National University of Ireland at Maynooth we have the opportunity to build a much needed new Preservation and Research Centre – which would not only provide a safe home for the collections, but would also, through collaboration with NUIM’s digital humanities department, help us find new and inventive ways to engage with audiences throughout the world and allow us to tackle the challenging, time consuming and resource intensive issue of digital preservation.

The IFI Archive Preservation Fund

Unfortunately, although this exciting new project is ready to go, due to the recent economic downturn the State is unable to provide sufficient capital funding to enable us to complete the new archive facility in Maynooth. However, rather than let such an exciting and practical solution to the Archive’s developmental needs pass us by we have been proactive in seeking support from the film industry, our strategic partners and the public. In November 2011 we launched The IFI Archive Preservation Fund, a campaign that asks the public to help us raise the shortfall of €300,000 we need to develop our new home for the Archive on the campus at NUIM.

To launch the campaign a short promotional film featuring Oscar nominated Irish actress Saoirse Ronan was made by Director Nick Kelly and Piranha Bar. The film shows the actress being digitally transported into some of the best loved moments from films that are preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive, including scenes from Once, My Left Foot and iconic documentary footage such as the arrival of JFK at Dublin Airport. Screened throughout cinemas in Ireland and available to watch on the internet, the aim of the film is to raise awareness of the importance and variety of the material held in the Archive’s collections and impress upon the public the importance of ensuring this material is preserved into the next century.

If you would like to support our campaign and help us build our new Preservation and Research Centre you can donate on line or in person in the IFI; also proceeds from Archive screenings and from the sale of Archive DVDs (which feature red preservation fund stickers) will go directly into the fund. If the campaign is successful and we raise sufficient funds by the spring to meet the shortfall in our budgets the new facility is scheduled to be completed by the first quarter of 2013. We are genuinely excited about this new phase in the IFI Irish Film Archive’s history and we hope you will help us to achieve it.

*Note, film when used in this article means moving image, both amateur and professional, television and cinema.

For a seemingly innocuous and fun social event, the UCD Ball and recent circumstances relating to it have provided a telling insight into the disparate mindsets of students and college authorities

It says a lot about UCD and the priorities of Irish students in general that over the course of the academic year – a year that has brought a new government, mass emigration and the ignominious bailout of our banks – that despite all these disturbing, potentially life-changing occurrences, the events surrounding the UCD Ball have arguably drawn the most impassioned response of all amongst students.

First, there was the announcement of the lineup and the ensuing debacle that followed. While students were, of course, entitled to be underwhelmed by the preliminary acts announced, the abuse aimed at UCD Entertainments Vice-President Jonny Cosgrove was unacceptable.

The sinister, loutish comments, which appeared on the UCD Ents Facebook page, were a sad indictment of the startling immaturity of many UCD students. These comments were justly condemned by the vast majority of level-headed students. Whether the Students’ Union can successfully sanction any of those responsible for making the comments remains to be seen, however it is worth investigating this possibility if it encourages people to think before they type in future.

The UCD Ball’s subsequent cancellation naturally exacerbated matters. The Students’ Union say they are blameless in the matter and have suggested college authorities are entirely responsible for the debacle. UCD, meanwhile, have been conspicuously silent on the matter, save for a letter from Registrar Philip Nolan addressed to Students’ Union President, Paul Lynam, briefly outlining the reasons why the Ball was cancelled and emphasising that “student health and safety is of paramount importance to us all”.

Regardless of what either side claims, the fact that these obstacles could not be resolved sooner represents a stunning level of collective incompetence. Impressive as the Students’ Union response has been with the ‘Save Our Ball’ campaign – a campaign which was supported by 3,000 people on Facebook in addition to acquiring 1,300 signatures on an online petition at the time of going to print – the strong impression remains that this situation could have been averted entirely.

The Union state that “University authorities reneged on the commitment, given to the Students’ Union to close campus as per the stipulations laid down,” before adding that this commitment had been made on October 21st. But clearly, the mistake was owing to a failure to effectively communicate at a fundamental level, something that absolves neither party entirely from blame and speaks volumes about the relationship (or lack thereof) that exists between them.

And even if the UCD Ball ultimately goes ahead, it seems unlikely to live up to its billing as “Europe’s biggest private party” and will surely take place on a smaller scale, in comparison with previous years.

Yet while it is disappointing that, as a result of the scheduling problems coupled with the largely underwhelming response following the announcement of its preliminary lineup, the end of year festivities for UCD students might not be as spectacular as was hoped, some perspective is needed. The UCD Ball is, ultimately, little more than an elaborate social event. Some students’ claims that the disappointment surrounding the event has “ruined” college for them seem more than a little hyperbolic.

While it is a shame that the UCD Ball has experienced so many problems, the hysterical reaction of these students seems indulgent, especially at a time when the country is in crisis. The student population need to gain a sense of perspective and be able to prioritise the primary focus of the UCD experience – achieving academic qualifications, which will be required to tackle the ultimate challenge of salvaging our tarnished reputation in Europe and elsewhere and controlling our own destiny.

Thank you

The University Observer wishes to thank everyone involved this year for their devotion to the paper

A word of thanks to people working on The University Observer and our readers is necessary today.

Many people often seem to forget that the section editors and contributors of this newspaper are unpaid students, who devote their free time to helping the paper.

This has been a challenging and at times, turbulent year for the paper, and it says so much about the character of those involved that we have emerged from the experience as a stronger and more cohesive group than ever. We can hold our heads high.

No one can relate to what the job of running this prestigious paper entails until they have experienced first-hand, the obsession, the frustration and the anxiety, which are more than compensated for by the sheer joy and satisfaction that editing it regularly involves.

This job would be simply impossible without the selfless dedication of our contributors, and in particular, the core group of section editors who deserve to be thanked in print.

Killian, you have been like a third full-time editor at times, your dedication to the cause never ceases to amaze me. I can remember editing your very first article when I was a section editor. Watching you grow and develop into a mature and confident journalist has been one of the many highlights I’ve experienced while being involved with this paper.

Emer, your chirpiness and good-humoured nature, coupled with natural wit and flair for creative writing have played a significant role in making this year the best O-two I have seen in all my years writing for the paper.

George, you made an incredibly swift transition from contributor to section editor, but I never had any doubt that the Music section was in assured hands. Your knowledge of music and levels of dedication consistently exceeded all expectations of a section editor’s role.

Jon, your presence has made the office such a fun place to work in. Moreover, your inimitable writing style has added an extra dimension to O-two this year and your articles have always been a pleasure to read. You are a highly intelligent writer with a natural gift for storytelling.

Donna, the Fashion section has been exemplary with you at the helm. Though you only edited it for the final four issues, you still managed to make a considerable impact by putting your own effervescent stamp on the paper.

Leanne, your passion and warmth both in person and in print has simply been a joy to witness. You are undoubtedly one of the best writers to ever grace the pages of this paper, and your mental health article was one of the most powerful and honest pieces of journalism I’ve ever read.

Natalie, people like you are the reason I got so involved with the paper in the first place. Your infectious enthusiasm always enlivened the office and made me smile even during my worst moments, while your creativity and highly entertaining writing style were the hallmarks of a truly outstanding Features section.

Alan, you have brought a fresh perspective to the Science, Health and Technology section and your knowledge of science and all-round friendliness are a credit to you as a person. Working with you has been a pleasure.

Kate, you never fail to amaze me. You should be enormously proud of the talent and versatility which you’ve displayed over the years writing for the paper, and the dignified and selfless manner in which you operate are attributes that make you a truly wonderful section editor and person.

Ryan, being Sports Editor is a difficult job, which often requires you to give up large chunks of your weekend. The fact that you took to this task with consummate ease speaks volumes about you as a person and the obvious excitement and enthusiasm you have for writing sport made you perfect for the section.

Sarah, I think christening you ‘Sunny D’ was one of my most astute moments, as it perfectly encapsulates your personality. Your promotion to Chief News Reporter provided a breath of fresh air to the office at a time when it was desperately needed, and it was one of the swiftest and easiest decisions I made once I became Editor. Journalism is in your DNA.

Katie, you truly are a baby-faced assassin. You are a wonderful writer and a terrific person to boot. You are also probably the most organised person I’ve ever met – I’ll never know how you manage to juggle so many different activities and I’m sure you’ll be a success in whatever career you elect to pursue amid the variety of options at your disposal.

Amy, News Editor is often the most thankless task in the paper. Yet you undertook the role with such passion, enthusiasm and wiliness that the role fitted you perfectly. Thank you for being a better news reporter than I ever will. Your sheer determination and indefatigable nature will bring you far in life.

To all the ex-Editors and Deputy Editors, and particularly the ones who presided over my years writing with the paper – Stephen and Michelle, Rob and Dave, Dani and Zelda, and Catriona and Gav – your unrelenting support, encouragement and friendship has meant more to me than you’ll ever realise. You have set the bar incredibly high and I have done my best to uphold the high standards that you set.

In addition, there are three members of staff that I have had the pleasure of working with over the course of the year that I wish to thank.

Bridget, I know you put your heart and soul into working with the paper and you should be more than proud of the first seven issues of this volume. Remember that the paper will always love you, and that we fully appreciate all the amazing work you’ve done for us over the years.

Jenn, thank you so much being an awesome friend and for having the Zen-like patience to put up with my penchant for submitting copy at ungodly hours. The design of the paper has been consistently excellent this year and I’m sure you will continue to do amazing work for whichever publication is lucky enough to have you in the future.

Quinton, you’ve been a fantastic Deputy Editor and friend. I’ve never worked with anyone who has complemented my strengths and compensated for my shortcomings as much as you have. You truly are a special person.

To my family and friends outside the paper, I also wish to express my gratitude. Thank you for supporting me through the good times and the bad. You have kept me sane during the occasional hours I spent outside the office.

Finally, I wish to thank our readers. Whether you are an avid reader or someone who just glances at Mystic Mittens occasionally, your feedback and support means so much to the paper. Always remember the importance of student media and that we care every bit as deeply about student issues as the majority of you undoubtedly do.

Student media is an essential component of university life. It’s the reason so many talented people fill our national airwaves, newspapers and television sets. It’s the reason thousands upon thousands of students marched to protest against the reintroduction of third-level fees. And it’s the reason that drives me to finish writing this article at 5.01am on a Friday morning.

Sir,

I am sending my correspondence to your letterbox to counteract what I believe will be an overcritical issue of your upstanding publication which releases its final issue of the year on April 12th 2011. As someone who is thoroughly aware of the intricacies of The University Observer, I am fully aware that you will be using this final issue of the academic year to pick apart the performances of the Students’ Union sabbatical officers and critically analyse their achievements.

I will hold my hands up and admit fault if I am wrong, but I assume that your analysis of the Students’ Union will be overcritical of their performances and fail to highlight their accomplishments. Starting with President Paul Lynam, I believe he has excelled and outperformed the exceptional standard set by James Carroll in 2005/06. He has applied on all his previous experience in student politics and drawn on a library of knowledge to lead the students of UCD with dignity and respect.

One of his many right-hand men, Pat de Brún, has been a valiant steed to Mr Lynam throughout the year and never faltered in his line of duty. The students of UCD can look forward to (at the very least) another year of de Brún leading the way and setting the tone for student life in the university. His mannerism makes him a perfect candidate for re-election to the position, something I believe Pat should seriously consider.

Scott Ahearn and Jonny Cosgrove are another two gems that the UCD Students’ Union are losing. I am not overstepping the mark in saying that Mr Ahearn has been the best ever welfare officer to grace the Students’ Union. The world is a better place because of Scott Ahearn and can only benefit from his incomparable people skills.

In a difference of opinion, it is difficult not to overlook the social behemoth that is Jonny Cosgrove. Off hand, I cannot think of an individual that has ever made 25,000 people feel so welcome and accepted before. He has made Ents into an all-encompassing giant that facilitates limitless social reaction between the very entities that make UCD what it is, the students. I speak for all students when saying; you will be most sorely missed.

Finally, I have been pleased with the performance of Education Vice-President, James Williamson. He performed every job adequately, but not spectacularly.

The future is bright, however. We, the students of UCD, have a President we can trust in Pat de Brún that has a vision we should all follow.

–

Yours etc,

Laura Kelly

This year’s Sabbatical elections raise some interesting questions and their results will go some way towards revealing whether UCDSU is truly representative of the student body

Let’s be clear, The Students’ Union is – at least to a certain extent – a clique, as has been claimed by some students recently. However, to suggest it is different to any other entity in UCD seems slightly unfair.

A clique is defined as “a small exclusive groups of friends or associates”. Even the staunchest SU Officer would be hard-pressed to deny that this is not a legitimate description of their current status.

It seems impossible, inhuman even, for a group of people who spend so much time together not to become friends. Similarly, most groups tend to require certain guidelines for entry.

In order to make an impact and acquire a position as a Sabbatical Officer, it can be assumed that certain skills – oratorical competence, friendliness, and political nous – are imperative. Consequently, like most coveted positions, there is a certain degree of exclusivity attached to the role. Not just anyone can become a Sabbatical Officer.

Yet complaints about the SU being an ‘old boys club’ (both literally and figuratively) cannot be easily dismissed. Essentially, the underlying problem, which leads some to question the credibility of the Students’ Union, is inextricably linked with the issue of student voting.

Last year, roughly 4,300 students voted in the SU Elections – a paltry figure and one that amounted to a turnout which was 20 per cent less than the previous year. Admittedly, this can be partly attributed to the fact that three of the Sabbatical positions last year were uncontested. However, to extrapolate the implications of the aforementioned figures, as part of a feature investigating students’ attitudes towards the Union, our reporter had to go out of her way to find and interview students who genuinely seemed to care about its workings.

Moreover, many of those who do vote can hardly be said to be doing so with the interests of the student body in mind. Anyone who has ever walked through buildings in Science or Arts on voting day knows the level of farce that often characterises proceedings.

Some students vote purely out of personal allegiance to the candidate (or someone on their campaign team), while campaigners hassling students until they relent and somewhat reluctantly vote for the candidate in question is another common practice. All of which underpins the broad student apathy that in turn brings into question the relevance of the Union.

If UCDSU is truly worthy of the praise that it often lavishes upon itself, if it truly is “the best Students’ Union in the country,” as has been claimed, then surely a concerted effort must be made to discourage elitism, to actively promote political engagement and to ensure the voter turnout increases substantially in the forthcoming elections. Its credibility as an organisation depends on it.

And regardless of how many posters, manifestos or cheesy online videos which candidates promulgate, the ultimate success or failure of next year’s SU lies with you, the student. Therefore, it is imperative to think carefully before registering your vote. Students only have themselves to blame for the general disillusionment that arguably exists with the status quo. And the only way to alleviate this frustration is to scrutinise the manifestos, pay attention to the campus media, and question the campaigners.

And while last year’s voting turnout was alarmingly low, there remains legitimate scope for optimism this year. For instance, there are 14 candidates actively running in this year’s Students’ Union Elections – precisely double the amount of candidates that ran last year, a figure which would have been even higher had a series of technicalities not reduced the overall number.

Incredibly, no woman has been elected into the SU since 2007. However, there are now a record number of women running, while they will be represented in at least one of the positions unless the RON (Re-Open Nominations) vote intervenes. The elections thus represent a vast opportunity to achieve gender equality in student representation.

Lastly, the record numbers of those voting in the recent general election – including a significantly high portion of young people – creates further cause for optimism. If university is a microcosm of society, then surely this trend will be mirrored over the next few days.

Yet the choice, as ever, solely remains with all the students to vote to achieve a truly representative student body.

UCD, binge drinking and student alienation

The lack of a vibrant community spirit and social awkwardness of many UCD students is masked by a tacit acceptance of binge drinking in UCD. Such attitudes ultimately prove detrimental to students’ overall quality of life and university experiences

Is UCD a welcoming place? This was one of the questions that The University Observer asked the candidates for Welfare Officer during our Sabbatical interviews this issue and the general consensus was that room for improvement existed in this area.

UCD can be a haven for social hermits. Too many students are content to blend in with the scenery for the duration of their degree until the requisite time passes and they are at last permitted to escape its confines. Alternatively, the weight of social exclusion sometimes becomes too heavy a burden to bear, and they elect to drop out owing to the intensity of their loneliness and disenfranchisement with university life. According to cliché, university is one of the best times of a person’s life, but for some, it amounts to years of painstaking torture.

Moreover, the Irish are a notoriously repressed race. And such attitudes have been sustained from generation to generation. However, university should serve as a counterpoint to this shortcoming. Students need to serve as role models for the rest of the country by nurturing camaraderie between one another.

At the moment, UCD is anything but a vibrant environment. It is a sleeping giant whereby the number of students attending lectures, involving themselves in societies and voting in student elections is disconcertingly low.

Part of the problem is the seemingly inextricable links between college and alcohol. Excessive student drinking remains prevalent and there is a widespread tolerance of the status quo. Many societies in UCD amount to little more than glorified drinking clubs, and students’ ambivalent attitudes towards binge drinking are currently typified by the fact that more than one of the candidates’ manifestos in the upcoming SU Elections seems at best to make light of binge drinking.

However, binge drinking should be treated as another social disease, not as a hilariously unfortunate circumstance which people finds themselves in from time to time, or as an essential part of social interaction in college life.

While there have been token efforts to address this problem, most students continue to engage in it, if statistics are to be believed. According to a report in The Irish Times last November, 45 per cent of students go binge drinking at least once a week on average. And despite this eye-opening evidence, SU candidates interviewed by The University Observer, while acknowledging its pitfalls, seldom highlighted the issue as one of their key priorities to be tackled.

This sense of expectancy in which ‘getting wasted’ is a rite of passage in the college experience is a one of the subversive problems with Irish university life. It leads to a number of other problems also.

Alcohol is a depressant. It therefore imbues some students with a temporary escape from reality. It induces in them a sense of laziness, which causes them to attend lectures irregularly, or to sit passively in front of the television whilst nursing their hangovers when they could be achieving self-fulfilment in a broader context. It is one of the reasons for the high suicide rate among young people in this country and it has also led directly to the unnecessary deaths of many, in cases where innocent drinking games have ended in tragedy.

Last November for instance, The Irish Times reported on the death of a UCC student who had “downed a large quantity of vodka in one slug for a dare at a party in his student flat”. It is this groupthink mentality, whereby it is reasonable to treat drinking as a sport and in which fun and social interaction are believed to be fostered by copious consumption of alcohol, which constitutes one of the few remaining widespread taboos in our society that date back to pre-Celtic Tiger Ireland.

Perhaps the incoming Welfare Officer will make further efforts to tackle this problem or perhaps the college and the country as a whole will continue to quietly ignore this issue. One matter is certain however, SU candidates jokey references to being passed out “on your neighbour’s bathroom floor” is at best irresponsible and at worst, highly insensitive to the feelings of those who have experienced the perils of alcoholism first hand.

The incoming Welfare Officer needs to address this binge culture, as failing to do so undermines the credibility of this important position and makes a joke of the entire Students’ Union.

Quotes of the Fortnight: SU Election Special

I got into the fashion show, so it’s definitely open to everyone.

Ents candidate, Stephen Darcy, rejects claims that the UCD Fashion Show is in any way exclusive.

I’ll be the kind of welfare officer that you can ring at any point in the day. If you’re stuck out in Balbriggan, and you need a lift, if you’re in danger, I’ll be there for you.

Welfare candidate, Lorna Danaher, outlines the lengths she is willing to go to in order to help students.

You sign up at Freshers’ Week.

Ents candidate, Robert Manning, responds to the question of how you become a member of UCDSU.

The Observer’s great!

Welfare candidate, Regina Brady, does not in any way trying to influence our analysis of her.

My manifesto’s a comic book.

Ents candidate, Darragh Kinsella, responds to the question of what distinguishes his candidacy.

As for education, I don’t even know who’s running anymore – it’s so confusing.

Ents candidate, Edel Ni Churraoin, sums up the general feeling surrounding the Education race.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Radio’s News at One in the aftermath of Fianna Fáil’s decimation in the Irish general election, the party leader Micheál Martin announced that the organisation is ‘actively considering’ entering Northern Ireland politics. Critics have been quick to accuse Martin of jumping on the Republican bandwagon. In a desperate attempt to rescue the party from the political graveyard he has returned to the rhetoric of Republican nationalism.

Do Martin’s comments smack of political opportunism or are they, in fact, a genuine policy initiative to breed new life into a bewildered organisation? In the first instances, given the traumatised state that the party finds itself, his comments do seem opportunistic. With only 20 Dáil seats, no women TDs, much of the Ógra generation wiped out and the party in a shambles at local level, the last place Martin should be looking at is Northern Ireland.

His pledge, however, is not simply a case for political jostling. In fact, in recent years the Fianna Fáil hierarchy has already made some small footprints in the political landscape of Northern Ireland. Although tentative, since 2007, Fianna Fáil has officially begun to build up its organisation through the North.

In September 2007, then taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Bertie Ahern announced that Fianna Fáil had decided to extend its organisation into Northern Ireland so as to possibly contest future local and Assembly Northern Ireland elections, scheduled for 2016. Upon Ahern’s announcement, a new sub-committee of Fianna Fáil’s National Executive, the ‘Northern Ireland Strategy Group’, was formed to draft the party’s strategy on the North. Up until his recent retirement, the sub-committee was chaired by the former minister for justice and border county TD for Louth, Dermot Ahern.

In early December 2007, Fianna Fáil commenced its first recruitment drive in Northern Ireland in almost seventy years. Two new ‘Political Societies’ were established: the first, the William Drennan cumann at Queen’s University Belfast, the second the Watty Graham cumann at Magee campus of the Ulster of University, in Derry. Furthermore, in the same month, Fianna Fáil successfully registered with the UK Electoral Commission as a Northern Ireland political party.

At the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, in February 2009, it was revealed that the establishment of a Fianna Fáil Fora across Northern Ireland, initially on a county-by-county basis, had commenced. A Fianna Fáil spokesperson said each Fora would not constitute a party branch, but was an informal grouping of people interested in or sympathetic to Fianna Fáil. The aim of each Fora is ‘to build up membership and a solid party structure’ in a particular electoral region.

The Fianna Fáil leadership stressed the need for local organisations within Northern Ireland to form themselves and then to approach party headquarters for formal recognition and support. This ‘bottom up’ approach has been continually echoed by senior Fianna Fáil members, former taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil, Brian Cowen articulated that the party’s approach towards its entry into Northern Ireland should be ‘carefully and quietly’ managed.

In September 2009, Fianna Fáil officially formed its first Fora in the constituency of Downpatrick, south Down. In July of the same year, the youth wing of the Fianna Fáil, Ógra Fianna Fáil, held its first summer school in Derry; in early August 2010 the Ógra Fianna Fáil again held their summer school in Northern Ireland, on this occasion the venue was Belfast.

In November 2009, a further constituency Fora, the party’s third (the other being established in Crossmaglen, south Armagh) was formed in the constituency of Fermanagh south Tyrone. While in July 2010, Brian Cowen visited the republican heartland of Crossmaglen, south Armagh, to officially open a Fianna Fáil office in the town; Cowen’s presence marked the first occasion that a serving taoiseach visited Crossmaglen.

Fianna Fáil’s decision to cross the border was undoubtedly influenced by the ‘normalising’ process which has occurred within Northern Ireland politics over recent years. The Democratic Unionist Party’s decision in 2007 to enter a power-sharing executive with Sinn Féin, as noted by a senior Fianna Fáil source, meant that there was no longer any reason for the Fianna Fáil not to enter Northern Ireland politics, it was now ‘pragmatic … politics as usual’.

Sinn Féin’s recent success in the Irish general election – now representing a major Opposition force in the Dáil – lends further weight to Martin and those within Fianna Fáil, that the time is now opportune to push forward the party’s drive in the North. Indeed, for many of the Irish electorate, the Fianna Fáil government’s leading role in the peace process is the only positive factor that can be accredited to the party’s fourteen years in power.

In declaring Fianna Fáil’s intention to return to the ‘fourth green field’, Martin hopes to steel from Sinn Féin the title of the true ‘All Ireland’ political party. In the same vein that Sinn Féin successfully secured a percentage of Fianna Fáil’s core vote during last month’s general election, Martin will ultimately hope to tap into those northern nationalists that have grown despondent of Sinn Féin’s polices.

The question of whether Fianna Fáil would seek to merge with the SDLP is interesting. The SDLP are not in good health at present; they have found themselves marginalised in recent years by the polarisation of politics in Northern Ireland. Speaking only last month, Martin ruled out the probability of an immediate deal between Fianna Fáil and the SDLP.

Nevertheless, over recent years the kite has been flown. Some within the SDLP are known to favour an alliance with Fianna Fáil. The election of Margaret Richie as leader of the SDLP in February 2010 means for the meantime any merger with Fianna Fáil is highly unlikely. Speaking at the Irish Labour Party conference in April 2010 she maintained that there would be no alliance with Fianna Fáil on ‘my watch’.

Micheál Martin’s recent announcement that Fianna Fáil wished get involved ‘on the ground’ in Northern Ireland politics bares all the hallmarks of a politician desperately trying to carve out an ideological niche for a party that is on the brink of the political abyss. His comments, however, are not to be unexpected. Prior to the general election it was anticipated by Fianna Fáil headquarters that by the end of 2011 further Forums would be established in every of Northern Ireland’s six counties, with plans to create Fora in Belfast city, Derry city and Co. Tyrone. Given Fianna Fáil’s collapse, it is difficult to envisage that the party can secure this objective.

Nonetheless, over the coming years, in the run up to the Northern Ireland Assembly election scheduled for 2016 (the centenary of the 1916 Rising), Martin may look to the North for some salvation from the political turmoil that Fianna Fáil now finds itself. If the party is to fashion a new identity, based on the key values and ideological principles of Fianna Fáil’s founding fathers, as Martin has himself acknowledged, maybe its extension into Northern Ireland, will help to regenerate and refocus the party.

Sir,

I see from your editorial on student media that you’ve discovered that the now defunct Students’ Union motion on the Observer’s financial support originated from a discussion on boards.ie.  I also read that in your opinion what precipitated this motion was a lack of ”recourse to the necessary information on a topic of contention” i.e. just how much of the budgeted €50,000 the Observer is actually drawn down from the Union. After making such points you then promptly fail to inform your readership, the 22,000 members of UCDSU, just how much the Observer has actually received from the Union in this or any other year.  Could this be another example of “the laziness of the internet generation writ large”?

In contrast the News Editor’s piece on the forthcoming constitutional review raises the question of “how much is it going to cost?” Current Union president and former Fianna Fail supporter Paul Lynam says that outside contributions will be sourced through apparently cost-free interviews.  While this technique might be useful for suppressing a written record of the valued opinions people will give, it must be remembered that interviews take time and it’s not like people with valued opinions ever expect to be paid for that.

All cynicism aside, the truth is you are not required to inform the Union membership of what the Observer costs.  In fact a quick reading of the constitution will show just how few of the financial controls recommended by the €25,400 Deloitte and Touche Development Plan were included in the current constitution by the card-carrying Fianna Fail member (and her boyfriend) who presented it to the Union membership barely three years ago.

However, for anything produced by Fianna Fail to get 60% of its intended value or lifespan is an extraordinary achievement nowadays.

Yours in begrudging optimism,

Pierce Farrell

Vice-Chairperson of Council 2003-04

Chairperson of SU Constitutional Review Group 2004-05(that was free by the way)

Students’ Union Communications and I.T. Officer 2005-06

~

Science Day and the skydive cancellation

Sir,

As the coordinator of the skydive for last year’s Science Day committee, I was extremely dismayed by the report in your last issue that the skydive was cancelled due to logistical problems last year. I can assure you that there were no significant logistical problems that would warrant the cancellation of the dive. In my eyes the Skydive last year was a resounding success with over €6000 raised from the skydive alone. The article also reported that the skydive and the Cycle to Galway took place around the same time, which is also inaccurate. The Cycle to Galway took place in the first week of February while the skydive went ahead on the 16th of April. This is a gap of over two months between the two events.

As somebody who took part in the skydive, I can honestly say it is such an exhilarating experience and something I would definitely do again. Everyone involved echoed this belief on the day. That is why I was both surprised and disappointed to learn that the skydive would not go ahead this year. Not only is it an extremely fun and thrilling way to raise funds for charity, it was also an event which was unique to the Science Day committee (now society), as to my knowledge no other society on campus runs such an event. The skydive was completely separate from other Science Day events and was organised by subsection of the committee that had nothing to do with the Cycle. It is therefore not a valid explanation to say that the reason for its cancellation was due to logistical problems last year between these two events, as they were organised by two different groups of people within the committee.

Given that Science Day is now a society and has more people involved than ever in my time at UCD, I feel that had a skydive been organised this year, it could have been bigger and better than ever, especially considering the success of last year’s event. Unlike myself last year, this year’s organisers would have had guidelines on how to go about organising the event and so could have really built on the success of last year’s skydive. I felt this article really disparaged our efforts last year and didn’t offer a convincing explanation as to why there is no Skydive this year.

Yours etc,

Yvonne Smith

4th Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Paul Fennessy

Art and Design Director

Jenn Compeau & Shane McIntyre

Copy Editor

Quinton O’Reilly

O-two Editors

Emer Sugrue

Killian Woods

News Editor

Amy Bracken

Deputy News Editor

Katie Hughes

Chief News Reporter

Sarah Doran

Features Editor

Leanne Waters

Deputy Features Editor

Natalie Voorheis

Comment Editor

Kate Rothwell

Science, Health and Technology Editor

Alan Coughlan

Sports Editor

Ryan Mackenzie

Music Editor

George Morahan

Film and TV Editor

Jon Hozier-Byrne

Fashion Editor

Donna Doyle

Online Editor

Killian Woods

Contributors:

The Badger, Sinead O’Brien, Anna Burzlaff, Gordon O’Callaghan, Mary Cody, Laura O’Connor, Eoin Brady, Bríd Doherty, Faye Docherty, Cormac Duffy, David Farrell, Sean Finnan, Daryl Bolger, Ciara Gilleece, Mathilde Guenegan, Imelda Hehir, Andrew Hines, Matthew Jones, Adam Kearney, Daniel Keenan, Ronan O’Kelly, Alison Lee, Sophie Lioe, Joseph Murphy, Mystic Mittens, Fadora McSexypants, Ben Storey, Breffni O’Sullivan, Talleyrand, Aoife Valentine, Philippa White.

Illustrator: Olwen Hogan

Photographers: Emer Sugrue, Jon Hozier-Byrne, Sean Finnan, Gordon O’Callaghan

Special Thanks: Peter, Ian, Tim, Malcolm, Ade, Jonathan, Dave, Emma, Jed, Bob, Steve (and the robots) at Trafford Park Printing; Paul at Higgs; Eilis O’Brien and Dominic Martella; Colm, Sabrina and Rory at MCD Promotions; Bernie Divilly at PIAS; Mary Kate Murphy at EA; Giselle Jiang; Dave Carmody; Dominic, Grace, Charlie, Jason, Gary, Stephen, Mark, Sandra, Paul and all the Student Centre Staff;

Very Special Thanks:

Dave Neary, Rob Lowney

Tel: (01) 716 3119/3120

Email:

info@universityobserver.ie

www.universityobserver.ie

The University Observer is printed at The Guardian Print Centre, Longbridge Road, Manchester, M17 1SN.

Clarification and Corrections:

In issue 10 of The University Observer, a photo of actor Victor Garber was incorrectly captioned, and Mr Garber was mistaken for Enda Kenny. We apologise for any confusion caused.

The blame for cheating in exams lies entirely at the feet of the individual students and this worrying phenomenon must not be treated solely as a UCD problem

The revelations in this newspaper that students conspired to cheat over the course of the 2008 Christmas exams constitute another blow for fairness and transparency at university level. The fact that not one, but two students approached an individual to illegally sit an exam in their place is deeply disconcerting and indicative of a larger malaise afflicting Irish society.

Make no mistake: this is a nationwide problem rather than one solely restricted to UCD. Last November, DCU’s the College View reported that “at least five DCU graduates cheated on their final exams using a hidden electronic device” and claimed that students from Trinity, UCD and DIT also availed of the device.

As one of the offending students who spoke with The University Observer said, cheating is a “third-level problem rather than a UCD problem”. With a small minority of students seemingly so intent on cheating, UCD – the biggest Irish university – is naturally the most prone to being targeted by cheats. It would therefore be unreasonable to point the figure of blame at the heads of invigilators or UCD authorities. So vast are the numbers of students attending this university that it would be almost impossible to implement a flawless system to completely mitigate the risk posed by cheats. So who is to blame?

The students, no matter which university they attend, must look to take personal responsibility and question their motives. An exemplary GPA is not something that can be taken for granted, but surely it is not worth the “worry… hanging over you” which one of the interviewees admitted to feeling.

Ultimately, we are only talking about a very limited number of college exams. Nonetheless, people who are found to be lying about the small things are often capable of lying about the big things too. To wit: dozens of cheats have been badly exposed in our society in recent months, their presence has been apparent in tribunals, our regulators and our flawed banking systems.

While the process of refining our education system is undoubtedly an ongoing one, UCD, to their credit, have enforced significant changes to the manner in which the exams are held since 2008 (when the incidents in question took place). There has been the introduction of the €50 fine for forgetting your student cards – a useful scheme, although one which may not dissuade someone who is desperate enough to cheat in the first place.

The use of additional photo ID by examiners to check the veracity of someone’s student card is another measure towards alleviating the threat of cheating. This move will perhaps put an end to students impersonating others and thus, being able to sit their exams. But potential still exists for exploitation of the system – listening devices (as mentioned already), along with fake IDs, are understood to be two prominent methods which students have adopted to gain an undue advantage over their counterparts.

And it is their counterparts who suffer most as a result of such blatant wrongdoing. It only takes one person to sully the reputation of an entire course and to discredit the validity of a degree. And yet students persist, undaunted by the implications of such actions. Why? Because it is human nature and it has “plagued education since the beginning of time,” as one of its exponents cynically told this newspaper.

And let’s be honest, it is not unreasonable to suggest that far more people than the two students interviewed would seize the opportunity to cheat if given legitimate scope to avoid the consequences that come with being caught. In November 2009, The University Observer reported that an exam was cancelled after “it emerged that some Commerce Students had photocopied their exam paper and shared copies with their counterparts in second year Business & Law who were due to sit the exam later that week”.

Therefore in short, it seems cheating remains a serious concern both within and outside the confines of UCD. So the latest revelations are ostensibly a mere footnote underpinning deeper societal issues that surely require strict vigilance and harsh sanctions.

~

Journalism, the internet and student politics

While the internet has in many ways improved freedom of speech and journalistic transparency, its growing prominence has also led to an increase in the dissemination of false information, as recent events have proven

It is indicative of the growing power of the internet that one or two grumblings regarding this newspaper in recent months has evolved into something far more serious altogether. The paucity of informed opinion in these online debates led to the prevalence of misguided notions concerning the paper’s finances and the elevation of myth over fact. Many of the opinions expressed on such matters have been at best misguided and at worst, wilfully malevolent.

The internet has often served as a significant aid towards enabling democracy to prevail. It has undoubtedly given voice to people who would otherwise have remained on the periphery of society. Julian Assange, for instance, would surely be unheard of were it not for its existence.

Nonetheless, more often than not the internet has also been a place where falsehoods are presented as fact, where people with no recourse to the necessary information on a topic of contention are represented as authoritative figureheads, and where ignorance is bliss essentially. Anyone can say anything without being restrained, owing to the leniency of online libel laws.

To suggest this newspaper costs €50,000 is significantly overstated, to say it is a mouthpiece for the Students’ Union when it has a history of forensically and objectively analysing the organisation (up to and including this year) and to argue that it needs to start cutting costs when it has in fact been consistently reducing costs over the past four years, constitutes a select few examples of the attempted triumph of fiction over fact.

When the prospect of a referendum and an all-too-hastily drawn up motion emanates from this blurring of fact and fiction, all interested parties must ask serious questions both of themselves and of the current regulations which gave credence to such ill-thought-out attacks on student media.

Perhaps the endless array of information readily available at the click of a mouse has been both a blessing and a curse. Perhaps it has induced laziness as much as it has inspired curiosity. Perhaps it has harmed our analytical faculties, discouraged our need to scrutinise and question opinion, and debilitated our willingness to engage in objective, thorough and sustained research.

One of the most pressing issues, as far as this university is concerned, is the lack of knowledge in relation to the Students’ Union constitution which has become apparent recently. This is one pertinent example of the laziness of the internet generation writ large. Very few people, from the Class Reps, admittedly up to and including myself, seem to possess a practical knowledge of a document that to a large extent dictates how UCD students experience life on campus.

I personally pledge to no longer take this document for granted and to develop a more thorough understanding of its guidelines, and I can only hope other Students’ Union affiliates will do the same. A continuation of this lack of knowledge will further the likelihood of potential scenarios whereby its terms are breeched, with the attendant lack of scrutiny and transparency to the detriment of all parties.

UCD is all too often an overly docile environment. Voting turnouts both for student and national elections are generally disproportionately low, while the number of students who neglect to undertake activities outside of their mandatory coursework remains disproportionately high. Thus rigorous standards must be upheld from the top down. And Sabbatical Officers and Class Reps demonstrating a more comprehensive understanding of their own constitution would be a step in the right direction.

Albert Einstein once stated: “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” While the internet grants us unlimited access to information, we all share a certain responsibility to use this information in the honest pursuit of the truth, to challenge the status quo, to question those in power and safeguard student integrity. It doesn’t give us the right to become complacent, as how rather than what you read is ultimately imperative.

~

Thanks for your support

Whether it was writing in letters of support or simply liking the Facebook status, The University Observer wishes to thank everyone for their solidarity in recent weeks

The paper has been faced with a number of challenges to overcome and I have been required to make a series of difficult decisions of late. Yet despite the daunting tests confronting the paper, the guidance, support and encouragement we’ve received has been nothing short of overwhelming. Not once did we ever feel alone during these ordeals, thanks to the generous offerings of help by too many people to mention.

Friends, colleagues, relatives and ex-editors have all played a significant part in helping to ensure the stability and continuing success of this paper was preserved. And most importantly, I would like to thank all the loyal readers for your consistent expressions of support throughout recent proceedings.

Over the course of my five years working for The University Observer, I have occasionally heard the quip that “it’s only a student paper”. Recent weeks have once again proven that it’s so much more than that.

Quotes of the fortnight

[Cheating] is indefensible and it’s a bit like trying to defend somebody who put their hands up and said ‘yeah, I killed ten people’.

SU education officer James Williamson offers a unique analogy for students who cheat.

If you left a stack of exam notes for the wrong subject hidden…[so] you could just wander in, go to that particular stall, pick them (exam notes) out, have a quick read, flush them down the toilet and come back outside.

A UCD invigilator provides a hypothetical scenario outlining the lengths which students will go to in order to get away with cheating.

UCD claim in the press that they’re this organisation who are bridging gaps between Ireland and China. To turn around and do something like to this to the tune of €24,000 a year is actually just mean.

 Senior lecturer in Medicine Dr Jack Lambert expresses his outrage at UCD’s decision to discontinue their policy of allowing Chinese Language students to use classrooms in the Quinn School free of charge.

As I write this article the count is underway. The exit polls are further evidence of what we’ve all come to expect for a long time now: the next government will be Fine Gael led.

What does it mean for us as students? From my point of view, notwithstanding a collapse of government, this government will be in place for the rest of my undergraduate career so this is of some importance to me. After perusing Fine Gael’s five-point plan and their website, this is the impression I got of the future.

The main issue in this election has been the economy. At a domestic level, Fine Gael has decided to cut spending in a greater proportion to raising taxes. While specific plans for the cuts in each department have not been outlined, the general theme of the five-point plan has been ‘cut down on the red tape’.

Fine Gael say they will require all regulation-setting bodies to publish a plan for achieving a reduction of 10 per cent by the end of 2011 and 25 per cent by the end of 2012. They want to abolish 145 quangos and 20 state bodies. They also want to reduce the public service by 10 per cent, in other words try to get 30,000 voluntary redundancies ‘without undermining key frontline services’. It remains to be seen whether this indiscriminate cutting of state agencies will be a stroke of brilliance, or if it will materially affect people, not just those losing jobs but also those relying on the services.

The next government will need to try and renegotiate the EU/IMF deal in order to lower the interest rate. If, as is predicted, Fine Gael will attempt to build a coalition with Labour then this will likely be a key issue of the negotiations. Labour wants to extend the deadline to meet the IMF requirements to 2016, saying that 2014 date will only serve to depress the economy by forcing the government to put in place further austerity measures. Fine Gael, on the other hand, are firmly set on keeping the specified deadline saying that Labour’s date will require more borrowing and that debt is not the answer to debt. The two plans would have very different effects on the economic landscape.

The important issue for students was the cost of university and whether they will have to emigrate after graduating due to a lack of jobs.  The party proposes a “graduate contribution” of roughly one third of the cost of their course, to be paid once graduates reach a defined income threshold. This would be about €11,000 for an arts degree.

Dental students would face massive debts of around €64,000 when they graduate and other courses such as medicine and veterinary would cost more than the average. This is compared to the average cost for a four-year course currently which is around €6,000, going by last year’s registration fees. However, this could fall by the wayside in negotiations with Labour as it looks like a deal-breaker for them.

The plans for graduate jobs include 45,000 training places and new work placements such as classroom and nursing assistant positions and other placements in the private and public sectors. IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland will be explicitly mandated to develop 5,000 work experience placements in the companies that they support. However, if you are on the dole and under 25 you will be expected to keep a jobs diary with sanctions for unreasonable rejections of training and job opportunities.

Fine Gael’s main platform has been “time for change”. A positive aspect of Fine Gael’s planned time for government is tackling perceived forms of cronyism. They want to replace all non-executive bank directors who sat on boards of banks before September 2008. They also plan on closing tax loopholes for the rich, registering all lobbyists and banning corporate donations. Legislation to strengthen the Freedom of Information is planned and Fine Gael want to enact a bill to ensure CEOs appointed to state boards are approved by the Oireachtas.

The political landscape looks like it will change significantly. They want to extend Dáil sitting times and vouch all expenses. Ministers of State will have a car-pooling system. Fine Gael also plans to cut the number of national politicians by 35 per cent by reducing the number of TDs by 20 and abolishing the Seanad.  However both initiatives would need a referendum, as they require a change in the constitution. When the time comes I’m not sure that the country will vote for less representation but that remains to be seen.

At time of writing, Fianna Fáil look set to fall from 41 per cent in 2007 to just 16 per cent. The public have spoken. It’s time for change. Ireland under Fine Gael has an ambiguous future, which could be mostly out of our hands thanks to the EU and the IMF. However, this fatigued country needs a jolt awake and if Fine Gael sticks to its word, working for day one, then hopefully we’ll get just what the doctor ordered.

Sir,

To be perfectly honest and disdainfully atavistic, it is my opinion that print media is a social catalyst charged with dangerous nostalgia and tickling ambition, ever weaning itself on and off various stories and trends. The fuel that turns the pages of this glorious publication is the fuel that charges the debates in The University Observer’s office. It’s the very same fuel that salvages some people’s college careers.

While on the brink of throwing in the academic towel and dropping out of this experimental procedure, a friend convinced me to write a couple of words for a college paper. After having being vehemently ignored by one, I turned to this Union-sanctioned news and opinions outlet. Blasphemy! To work for the establishment? Never.

However, I conceded my grand and overtly warped ideas about Marx and all that other good stuff and gave this typing thing a whirl…and godamnit I enjoyed it. I loved seeing my name in type (which I’m sure many of my colleagues and friends can empathise with). I worshipped my own misanthropy in the form of typeface, and I hated being told that something I’d written could not be printed.

Sentimentally, this paper gave me a form of confidence that I previously did not warrant or care about. In that cramped and often questionably fragranced office space, one is goaded, poked and prodded to the point of veritable frustration, and yet is sanctimoniously satisfied therein. The support and mockery of and by the individuals around you gave one a keen sense of the communal: this then is a true space where individuals who excel at being just so can come together to be something for the ethical good. Support, nurturing, anger, debate, bitterness all focused onto a previously blank sheet of paper.

This fine product is attached to the Student’s Union in much the same way as I was, and hope I still am, attached to it. In addition, the vast array of miserable and jovial contributors that spew their filth and brilliance all over the pages of this obtrusive rag are volunteers; people willing to set aside hours of their days and weeks to write something in the hope that just one bored student will pick up a conveniently placed copy and catch a glimpse of a name that otherwise would mean nothing to them or at all.

To summarise: yes I am vain in this fashion, and yes, some of the things I have written here are cheesy and potentially lame. Well..I don’t really give a damn about that. If I feel like saying or writing something, then I will and it’s because I can. To allow this paper to creep out of UCD life would have incurred shame of limitless proportions. To disallow me a space to potentially crash-land and pillage anything I feel like…well, that’s just criminal!

I love this paper and it has done nothing but good for me, but I cannot say the same for the reverse of that relationship. It has allowed me to decide on what I want to do with the rest of my life, whether I succeed at it or not, at least I know.

Yours Begrudgingly, Disdainfully, Jovially, Atavistically, Ideologically, Sarcastically, Sincerely, Fantastically, Fashionably, Filmically, Belligerently, Nonsensically, and all of the above, etc.

Jake B. B. O’Brien

~

Dear Sir,

Am I the only person who feels that this general election will bring us the same end result regardless of who’s in government next week.

Watching the general election debates on RTÉ this week where Michael Martin, Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore were discussing and arguing policies and plans, I turned my tv off halfway through it, disillusioned by what I saw and another blow being delt to my hopes for the future.

My confidence in any of the main parties for renegotiating the IMF deal, creating jobs or fulfilling whatever far-fetched and exaggerated promises they made is at a low. Not one of the leaders on show demonstrated any qualities that would see this country through one of its darkest periods economically.

Even just to give the country a small lift, even a brief superficial one, are qualities that seem to escape not only these men but also their parties. The parties that were created during the foundation of this state are outdated in a world that’s evolved past petty squabbles.

They are the same old faces, saying the same old things as their predecessors but focusing more on what we want to hear to come across as they’ve changed. And the parties are the same too, there’s very little to differentiate them except the color of their manifestos and party

Each party talks about change and how they will be the ones to solve the problems we face yet how much of these parties has changed over the last six months or year.

We hear that young people and students have become more active in politics or expressing an interest but there’s no end product. Nobody seems to truly think that the problem with the parties is that their changes are purely cosmetic, the older members are still the figureheads for these campaigns while the younger candidates are treated as if they are fulfilling a under 25 quota that Dáil Eireann secretly enforces.

The tired ideas and self-centred mentality of those who led or kept silent as the country stumbled into the abyss are the ones still promoting change and promising that this time will be different. This country is in a state of depression, while there are younger candidates coming through the ranks and throwing their hats into the ring, it feels as if it’s too little, too late.

While this election won’t bring about a major change in these ideas, I can only hope that will be the start of change or progression to new ideals and principals among politics. Unfortunately for most young Irish people, if it does happen, they, like myself in a couple of months time, will be looking at this change from afar after emigrating to make a living. The next Dáil could be completely different come next week but I for one won’t be found holding my breath.

Yours etc,

James McDermot

3rd Arts