Irish Student Newspaper of the Year 2008
MIND PENNY PINCHING A BODY OF CONTROL Revealed: the secret INFORMATION
Do drugs like Ritalin have a place in Irish universities?
FEATURES 10 Tuesday 27 January 2009
of shaving your airfare down to the last
Dublin’s latest test exhibit is anything but lively
TRAVEL 20
SCIENCE 19 www.trinitynews.ie
Issue 7, Volume 55
Student Centre setback » » » »
Pubs investigate Piranha By Deirdre Robertson College News Editor
Plans taken back to the drawing board Location of centre yet to be decided New survey to determine student needs Still aims to be completed by 2010
By Brian Barry & Deirdre Robertson PROPOSED PLANS for the new Student Centre have been taken “back to starting point” according to Students’ Union President Cathal Reilly following discussions with Chief Operating Officer Christopher Lyons. The development has been put on ice following a review of plans for the new centre in Luce Hall. Trinity News has learned that a definite location for the student centre has yet to be determined and a final decision on funding for the development of the centre is imminent. Mr Reilly explained that Mr Lyons had taken the project back to the drawing board because “it was better to decide what exactly is needed and how much space it will take up before looking at drawing plans.” However, former SU President Andrew Byrne told Trinity News in May 2008 that a planning application had been sent to Dublin City Council. Initial plans for a Student Centre emerged in 2001. The plan for an imminent start on the centre was cited again in an interview to Trinity News in 2003 by the then recently elected
Provost John Hegarty. However, the development has been delayed by issues over funding, location and management structure. Mr. Byrne previously discussed the implementation of a student levy on top of the registration fee to pay the cost however Mr Reilly said this would be subject to a student referendum and will be discussed in February. “It was better to decide what exactly is needed before looking at plans” – Reilly One major decision is the location of the centre itself. Last year, detailed architectural plans were drawn up for a student centre in Luce Hall. Mr Reilly says he is still considering the suitability of a number of locations on and off campus for the proposed centre. Previously proposed locations include Foster Place off College Green, Oisin House, off Pearse Street and Luce Hall. Luce Hall had originally been designated as the site for the new continued from page 1
Participants at Trinity’s Next Top Model had their feet on the ground this time round; last year, Dining Hall tables were pushed together to provide a catwalk that this year was deemed a health and safety risk. Trinity Models on top of the tables no more: page 3. Photo: Caroline O’Leary
THE SENIOR Dean has called for satirical magazine Piranha!’s funding to be cut following the publication of an article that College authorities have described as “distasteful”. Editor Andrew Booth refused to attend formal meetings with the Junior Dean. Following this, the Senior Dean, Professor Mike Jones, called members of the Publications Committee Executive to a meeting about the magazine on Friday 16th January. On Tuesday 20th January, at a meeting of the Capitations Committee, which Prof Jones chairs, a motion was passed requesting Publications cut Piranha!’s funding – a grant amounting to €1,500 – for the rest of the year. In a formal complaint to the Publications Committee, Professor Jones said he considered it “highly irresponsible...to publish this information firstly because it is distasteful but, more importantly, because there is evidence that this type of publication can trigger a ‘copy cat’ response from vulnerable individuals.” He continued, “I take this...so seriously that I am calling on the Publications Committee to impose sanctions on Piranha! which are sufficiently severe to make it clear that this type of article should not be published in a student magazine. “It is my view that any remaining funding for this academic year should be withdrawn as an indication of the seriousness with which these actions are taken.” Publications have agreed to launch an investigation. Speaking about the matter, Treasurer Conor Sullivan said, “As far as I am aware, the Capitation Committee cannot force Publications to withdraw funding from a particular publication.” However, he commented that this proposed action will be discussed at a Publications Committee meeting during this week.
Balls up at Players fundraiser Law students petition gov’t By Deirdre Robertson College News Editor
“GIVE MOLLY Malone a lapdance”, “Drink your own piss”, and “Eat a Euro coin” were instructions that caused chaos in the Pav on Friday night when a DU Players fundraiser got out of hand causing College security, the Junior Dean and the Provost to intervene. The event titled “Gumball Challenge” on Friday 23rd January was intended to raise funds for the upcoming musical “Little Shop of Horrors” directed by Barry McStay and Jayne Stynes. A list of fifty challenges were handed out to the numerous participants including “pee your pants”, “strip on any form of public transport” and “collect a bra”. The instruction list included a disclaimer removing DU Players from any responsibility of the “illegal or inappropriate behaviour undertaken” by the participants. However one member of Players said that participants took this to mean that Players had told them to do anything they wanted. The Players committee held an emergency meeting following the disasters in the Pav. In the press release that followed, the committee apologised to “members of College Security, DUCAC and the staff of the Pavilion Bar, The Provost, The Junior Dean and other members of the public who may
Kasia Mychajlowycz International News Editor
Gumball challenges, clockwise from above: 8. Hide inside a bin. 33. Streak across the cricket pitch. 28. Get naked in a phonebox. 31. Three-way kiss. have been offended by participants in the Gumball challenge.” The producers of “Little Shop of Horrors” have been restricted from the production and direction of any show for the remainder of the year and have been told to write formal apologies to the offended parties. The Chairman of Players and representatives from the production will be meeting with the
Junior Dean to discuss the events which led to numerous people being fined for streaking across the cricket pitch. The Pavilion Bar was also damaged during the event to such an extent that all funds raised from the ‘Gumball Challenge’ will be given to the Pav to pay for damages and also to any charity suggested by members of security involved in Friday night.
Possibly the most unfortunate incident of the night was the first year who drunkenly partook of the “get a tattoo” challenge. He paid €80 for a flaming gumball to be imprinted on his rear end. Naturally, his was the only team to successfully complete all fifty of the challenges laid out. “Little Shop of Horrors” will be performed in week 7 this term.
OVER 500 signatures have been collected for a petition urging the Minister of the Environment John Gormley to make the installation of carbon monoxide detectors compulsory in all homes in Ireland. The petition will be given to Cathal Hughes, father of third year law student Padraig Hughes, who passed away in his home on Christmas day as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. “His dad had mentioned that he was going to try to get a meeting with the Minister of the Environment,” Alison Keane, a third year Law student and one of the drafters of the petition explained, “It wasn’t meant to turn into any kind of big thing. It was just to have something to back him up with in his meeting.” Mr. Hughes had also told the Irish Times of his plans to urge Minister Gormley to make carbon monoxide detectors in all Irish homes the law, citing the lack of publicity about this potentially fatally danger in the home. Keane drafted the petition with the help of Professor William Binchy of the
School of Law, and there will be copies available to sign at UCD and DIT next week. The petition will be available to sign this week in the School of Law, located in House 39. Mr. Hughes told the Irish Times, “These alarms are available for about €150 – a small price to pay for saving something so precious as a life.” However, in comparison with smoke detectors, which can cost as little as €5, a carbon monoxide detector may seem too expensive for a danger that is not well publicized. Carbon monoxide is an odourless, colourless gas that can leak from any appliance that burns gas, coal or oil, such a water boiler or a furnace. A 2003 statistic from the National Poisons Council of Ireland stated that up to 40 deaths a year in Ireland are attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning. If an appliance is not properly ventilated, the gas can build up and travel to other rooms, particularly any room directly above the appliance, as was the case with Padraig’s bedroom. A memorial Mass for Padraig was held on Monday afternoon in the Trinity Chapel.