COLLEGE TRIBUNE The www.collegetribune.ie
SINCE 1989 - VOLUME 27 - ISSUE 8 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 25 2014
1989
25
Ethics Initative
Rio De Janeiro
Raglans
President Michael D Higgins lauches national campaign in UCD
Thérèse Walsh gives us a different view on the famous Brazilian city
Coiré Mc Crystall catches up with the lads after the UCD Fashion Show
News, page 4.
Travel, page 11.
2014
Inside T+
RETURN OF UCD FASHION SHOW Jonny Baxter Online Editor
The UCD Fashion Show took place on the 19th & 20th of February in the Astra Hall with around 1,000 people in attendance over both nights. Dozens of students participated in the show with a diverse range of both clothing and models who sauntered onto the stage to show off the global styles of London, Paris and New York. Irish designers also played a prominent role with one chapter of the show devoted exclusively to creative designs from the Atlantic Isle. There was entertainment from UCD DanceSoc, who performed two electric pieces, as well as former X Factor winner Matt Cardle and Irish band the Raglans. The Jack Kavanagh Trust was the chosen recipient of any profits from the two-night event with Jack in attendance to watch the successful show.
UCD Academics Sign Pledge to Boycott Israeli Collaboration
been listed as “security” and 13 as “aerospace”. According to AFP these collab144 Irish academics, including orations include academics from a number based in UCD, have Trinity College Dublin working signed a pledge to boycott collabwith Israeli drone manufacturers orations with their Israeli counElbit Security Systems. Further, terparts. The academics are memacademics from University Colber of the organisation Academics lege Cork recently completed for Palestine (AFP), a group that a counter-terrorism project in was officially launched in Dublin conjunction with Israel’s major on the 20th February. The group weapons developer Technion to have stated that Irish universities improve the detection of traces have collaborated with 257 Israeli of improvised explosive devices projects to date, of which 7 have Rachel Carey News Editor
(IEDs). The group have pledged to boycott such collaborations with these IIsraeli institutions until “Palestinian rights are respected.” Dr. Andy Storey, a UCD lecturer in politics and international relations, told the College Tribune that he got involved in the campaign “because Palestinian academics have called for such a boycott…this is an act of solidarity with them - they feel it is a way of putting pressure on the Israeli
state, and the Irish universities that are complicit with it in the occupation of Palestinian land and in discrimination against Palestinians inside Israel.” When asked if he thought the boycott would make a difference to the current situation he added, “We cannot know for sure, but boycotts have made a difference in other situations, such as the sporting and academic boycotts of apartheid South Africa - so there are grounds for optimism.”
However a number of people opposing the boycott have stated that it is “absurd for Irish academics to engage in a boycott of the only country in the region where academia is totally free.” In a letter sent to the Belfast Newsletter, signed by members of the Irish Israel Friendship League and Irish4Israel, amongst others, those opposing the boycott state that “it is wrong to single out Israel for what the supporters of the proposed boycott in their circular Continued on Page Two