Irish Student Newspaper of the Year 2009
MY CHEMICAL ROMANACE
KELLS: GIVE BOOK BACK
SCIENCE, P19
NEWS FEATURES, P9
Tuesday 22 September 2009
A REAL TOUR OF FRANCE TRAVEL, P20
www.trinitynews.ie
Issue 1, Volume 56
JCR bashful after one night stand Lisa Byrne College News Editor THE JUNIOR Common Room committee have dismissed reports that the cancellation of venues during their “3 Night Stand” was as a result of a drinking holiday they took two days before the “Stand” began. The JCR declined to comment on the matter at first, as they felt, according to JCR
Ents Officer Will Courtney, “we’re aware that we’re not going to come out of this very well.” This comes in the wake of promoter Ed O’Riordan blaming the cancellation of events he’d organised, on “incompetence” and “poor communication” among the JCR Officers. Courtney said that he would only comment after he had spoken to the entire committee. Having done this, the committee made a u-turn and
Stokes increases powers
released a brief press release. The press release sent by President Richard Varini read that the Committee had only found out about the price quoted by promoter Ed O’Riordan for the “Stand” on Friday afternoon and it was at this point decided that the price was too high. O’Riordan has since dismissed this allegation and has said “the JCR didn’t tell each other the costs until the day, we
discussed it with them a couple of days until Tuesday, although admitted when before the event”. O’Riordan claims pressed, that it was actually in to have tried to get in contact with fact Wednesday. O’Riordan the committee but says that as they declined to comment were “all away on their free, selfon whether he described “pissup” in Newcastle believed the JCR the week before the residents had done enough arrived” and so they were in preparation for “uncontactable”. The JCR do Freshers’ Week. 3 Nig not dispute the fact that they Varini has claimed hts, 1 were out of the country up that the committee ticke 1
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No room at the inn for Scholars
USI FEES PROTEST
Accommodation Office are left red-faced after withdrawing campus room offers in mix-up Kate Palmer Deputy News Editor
» Junior Dean given increased power over activities of clubs, societies and publications » Student welfare cited as cause for change Lisa Byrne College News Editor THE COLLEGE Board has past an amendment in the College Conduct and Regulations which will increase the Junior Dean’s power to discipline students. The amendment, which was officially past at September 16th’s board meeting, makes an addition to paragraph four of Section Three. The paragraph now includes the ability to discipline: “Actions of students responsible for, or contributing to, the activities of student publications and/ or student societies and/or sports clubs which may be injurious to the health, safety and welfare of any person.” The addition comes less than a year after Trinity News revealed that the Junior Dean, Dr. Emma Stokes, had gone outside of her power to discipline Andrew Booth, the then-Editor of Piranha! magazine. At the time, it was revealed in an email by Dr. Stokes herself that “following a request for legal advice, I understand that, under current arrangements, the Office of the Junior Dean does not have a role in dealing with what you, as
Editor, allow to be published”. Dr. Stokes has now succeeded in her bid to legally increase her ability to discipline, something which is a cause of concern for many students. Luke Maishman, Chairperson of Trinity Publications, feels that this addition will limit the fundamental rights as students. According to Maishman, such a move “represents a creeping censorship that is a blow to our proud tradition of freedom of speech in Trinity College.” Such freedoms, he believes, are the “foundation stones of an enlightened community.” Sally-Anne Fisher of the Communications Office defended the addition, saying that the College has a “duty of care to its staff and students to ensure that the College is a safe environment in which to work and study.” Asked as to the reasons the College felt it was necessary to increase the Junior Dean’s power further, Ms. Fisher replied that it was necessary for the College to “specifically define all students who would come within the remit of the Junior Dean should
IT APPEARS that even Foundation Scholars are facing difficulty finding on-campus accommodation for this year. Many applications were not marked as ‘scholars’ during the Campus application season last Trinity term, thus sacrificing their automatic entitlement to rooms. The issue was not resolved until mid-June, by which time some room offers had been made to other undergraduates, postgraduates and students on sabbatical with entitlements. This occured in conjunction with a number of room-offers being withdrawn by the Accommodation Office. In at least one case a deposit on the offered room had been made, which has yet to be refunded. Executive Accommodation Officer Ms. Caroline Kelly denied any such offer had been withdrawn by College, stating “this would never happen”. TCD have yet to confirm the withdrawal of room offers had anything to do with the Scholars’ accommodation mix-up, on which the Communications Office refused to comment. Room offers were taken away as late as September, leaving newly unsuccessful applicants just days to find a place to live in one of the most expensive places to rent in Ireland Competition for digs or house-shares is indeed fierce in the Dublin City Area, and campus accommodation and Trinity Hall only cater for approximately 10pc of the student population.Accommodation Officer Anthony Dempsey commented on his “regret of the late notice”, whilst confirming the withdrawal of room-offers had taken place under “exceptional circumstances”, contrary to other sources. The Registrar of Chambers Dr. Emma Stokes justified the Accommodation Office’s recent decision to strip Trinity affiliates of their campus rooms, saying “every year the demand for rooms far exceeds the supply.” In this case it was the promise of rooms that far exceeded the supply, much to a few applicants’ misfortune. Protesters outside the Dáil last Tuesday taking part in the USI anti-fees campaign. Estimates put the total number of protesters at approximately 150. Photo: Yuliya Bespala
Provost called to heal by HEA on recruitment ban Kate Palmer Deputy News Editor EVIDENCE SUGGESTS that Trinity College Dublin is not adhering to the Higher Education Authority (HEA)’s restrictions on the recruitment, replacement or promotion of staff at third-level institutions. The government embargo, introduced in March, has received strong opposition from both the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) and the Union of Students in
Ireland (USI). A further Employment Control Framework was issued by the HEA in July, stating that “no public service post, however arising, may be filled by recruitment, promotion, nor payment of an allowance”. The University sector has been instructed to reduce the number of teaching posts by 3pc by December, of which there are currently 4,500 full-time positions. Described by the IFUT as “anti-democratic” and “hugely damaging”, this latest recessionary measure impacting upon higher
“only found out during the afternoon on Friday that we had to pay a figure that we deemed far too much. So we cancelled the club and arranged an alternative venue ourselves”. O’Riordan, however, has since refutted this claim and says the committee “okayed them, then cancelled last minute”. On Friday night, Courtney informed halls students that there’d been a change of plan. According to a student who
education is part of a wider policy to cut the 20 billion Euro public service pay and pensions bill, which accounts for approximately 36% of Government expenditure. It is also understood that the state funding TCD currently receives is contingent on adherence to the Framework, created in coordination with the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Education and Science. Provost John Hegarty has expressed Continued on page 2
Kells bells!
Provost John Hegarty, above, claims the university must manage its own affairs. File photo.
THE TOWNSPEOPLE of Kells, Co. Meath have called on Trinity College to do the “honourable and right thing” and return at least part of the famous Book of Kells to the town it originated from. The Kells Heritage Centre, which has been in operation for the past ten years, has recently closed due to a lack of funding. The Centre had been running at a loss of €88,000 a year and is in need of significant investment and repairs to the building. The book has been in the College since 1661, when the town of Kells sent the book to the College for safe-keeping during the Cromwellian invasion. A source at the Centre has said that “safe it may be, but for all the value it now is to Kells it may as well have been taken
by Cromwell and burned”. Trinity College Librarian, Robin Adams, said he couldn’t comment on a request for the donation as he has not received “any request on these lines”. However, he has said that it is College policy that the manuscript is not loaned elsewhere for exhibition. He has also said that the College is conscious of the responsibility to share the manuscript with the wider community which they do through the exhibition in the Old Library and the production of an electronic facsimile on DVD. Mr. Adams said the College would give due consideration to any request received by it in relation to the loan of the manuscript to Kells, but to date it has received no such request. Meadhbh McHugh