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the 30 March 2010
Vol. XI Issue IX
college view STUDENTS' UNION ELECTIONS SPECIAL » PAGE 10
Full profiles on all the important candidates, a guide to the important dates, and all the information you need for polling day in our four page special
One step closer to USI vote Reaffiliation debate to occur after USI accused Keegan of refusing discussion By Samuel Hamilton and Niall O’Connor News Reporters DCU is one step closer to having a referendum on USI – after it is set to have a public debate in two weeks time on whether the university should be a member of the Union of Students of Ireland (USI). Both sides of the debate will be represented – with a member of USI being invited on campus for this first time this year. However, according to the
Students’ Union education and welfare officer John Murphy it “wouldn’t be realistic” to have a referendum this year and that it would be the “onus of next year’s team to push this forward.” At Union Council last week, former SU president Niall McClave asked whether, in the wake of NUI Maynooth reaffiliating to the national students’ union it was worth, “starting a discussion on USI and asking what our position should be.” SU president Alan Keegan told the meeting that he feels DCU does
belong in USI, “just not in the current state it’s in.” He said that before the university should come back, there is a need for officers to be stripped back and that, “one of the main reasons why DCU hasn’t come back in is because no one has made an attempt to contact us despite what you may read in the College View.” John Murphy told Union Council that because of changes in the economy he felt the university needed to “look at” reaffiliation. He said that the €5 fee it would
ANGELIC: THE FASHION SHOW HEATS UP - FULL STORY PAGE 6
cost each student to join would pay itself back in the material that DCU would receive from the national students’ union and that he, “could do an incredibly better job” and “offer better support to students” if DCU was a member of USI. This unexpected development came after the USI had accused Students’ Union president Alan Keegan of refusing to allow DCU students the opportunity to consider a referendum on reaffiliating with USI. continued on page 7 •• By Jass Foley
IN THE PAPER SPC and SCC hit back at lack of transparency Members of both the SPC and SCC have hit back at claims of a lack of transparency in them judging a number of categories of the Clubs and Socs Awards – page 3
E&S disbanded after meeting of SPC The Entrepreneurial and Social Society (E&S) has been disbanded after a EGM held by the Societies and Publications committee earlier this month – page 5
Only 18 DCU students punished for plagiarism Only 18 DCU students have been dealt with by the University Disciplinary Committee on plagiarism over the past three years – page 4
INSIDE 30/03/10 | Issue 9 | Vol 1 Editor and layout: Sean McTierna n
+ Tolkien Copyists
FLUX
Paedogeddon Achewood Hoarseboxing Clever
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Rory Bonass talks Mark Hamilton, to the bassist in Ash, the alphabet, about Aston Villa and the final frontier
s conversatio ns in pubs are wont under the spotlight for a couple of to, the one with weeks, the chances of every single one out of fifty Mark two songs being Hamil- up to the kind of ton quality that we invariably turned to foot- want to maintain wasn’t realistic. ball. As a Villa We’ll still be fan he’s still a using the songs little sore about as the Carling Cup bonus tracks. We’ve started giving final (“Vidic shouldn’t have out free bonus tracks with been on that every other single, pitch”), but it’s and we’ll be his doing admiration for Roy Hodgson’s compilations as well; they’ll Fulham that’s all get used. the “What he’s done most telling. Committing to releasing money is amazing.with so little single a a fortnight for It’s a really an entire incredible achieveme year looks, on the surface, to nt.” Operating on a be reduced budget insane, do you regret any of it? with none of Logistically, the big money there’s a lot help others involved, especially around them if you’re are getting, it’s easy to see parallels trying to release a physical 7’’ between Ash and the Cottagers. every single. We’re effectivelywith Abandoning our the rigid structure own independent label now. We of major labour finished a six album deal with Ash now operate album deals, Warners and whenever we talked label and have on their own to anyone, been a singles any of the record only band since October, when companies about what we wanted they committed to do, it was crazy. to There was no single a fortnight releasing a way we could make it financially for an entire year. Yup; 26 singles. Consecu- work. So we just thought tively. Ambition, that taken we’d have to to radio, made do it ourselves. invention and videos for, foresight, the We don’t have the Major record parallels are budgets we used but you just can’t make companies are well to, but drawn. videos and take every the whole aim is to make is song to radio. fraction the size they used a You’re just It just costs too to about halfway sustainable. So far, so good. much. Still, the be because they can’t through your sustain Does shackling songs inbetween themselves. A-Z undertakin yourselves to we g, a singles how’s it going whatever we wanted felt free to do only format limit so far? Things’ve definitely to do. your It’s the biggest been Do you have a scaled back, but challenge we’ve scope in anyway? favourite? if we can just ride ever had as a band. When you There’s the storm and find something 26 singles we’re It’s not just the don’t approachwrite a song you up that’rethree in a row coming new which can releasing. We’ve it from a concept my favourites keep us afloat recorded over album point of and sustain and 52 songs view, well I know they’re N, O, and P; us then we can Dare to Was it originally in total. we haven’t in continue Dream, Mind the past, so planned to Control and Binary. to do what we love doing be one a week? they always have to and do You’ve it on our own terms. stand up on their been doing this We thought that own merit to Damon make the album some way since 1992, when in single is effectively because each anyway. you were lucky Albarn said that Blur were basically There’ve been going to be just a kid. How in that they existed certain sustain songs we’ve do at a point when interest for 18 highlighted it was acceptable years? and It starts out it was your dream make a bad first album, but to in the first now there’s nothing place. Then like that. every album - when Yeah, there’s we were doing no albums – was artist development. three years of There’s no your willing life. You put one to take a chance a year and a half single beyond into writing two, never mind and recording the two. album thing and a year and a half on the road so It’s tough they of your identity were sections new bands out there. I guess really have to for three years. spend The change to the subscription longer in predevelopment before model, to A-Z, they try to present it themselves to three year cycle. changed that the public. We can dip in and out of touring A huge number and releasing of your or jump in and out of the studio, songs, both here and previously which is much have ‘looked more fluid and to the skies’. Is you entirely don’t have this this metaphorical rigid or are ye a is really restrictive. cycle, which little bit geeky? Russell Lissack, Yeah, there’s a lot of that; who has joined you for this tour, started fascination with the universe. with Bloc Party, It’s who obviously a subject matter Tim can’t came up in seem a very different to move past. There’s certainly environment a geeky element, to ye. Do you the nerd factor. think guess it’s more difficult I it’s a youthful for musicians today or is it every kid’s dream kinda thing; just a question job is to be an of astronaut. adapting? All the money’s Do you try just fallen out hold onto that of the industry. In the 90s it was youthful energy? extortionate amounts I just think we of money haven’t gotten flying around. Just doesn’t exist old and cynical yet. anymore. Do you worry about that Was this a reason happening? for going to a single format? To some degree. I dunno, Well you don’t our fate is in our make own hands any if we screw money off singles. so it up we’ve only But have gone down album sales ourselves got to blame. We can get because everyone’s dramatically cynical then but right now downloading. we’re still making it work.
Flux, with an exclusive interview with Ash
Ban on strobe lighting at events called for By Ceile Varley Deputy News Editor DCU Students' Union equality officer, and the DCU disability officer have called for a ban on strobe lighting on campus to allow epileptic students to attend events. SU equality officer Aisling Fitzgerald spoke about the need for the “implementation of a no strobe light policy and informing epileptic students.” Students with photosensitive epilepsy, which is triggered by
flashing lights, are unable to go to many Students' Union organised events. The LifeWired Festival during Rag week was a recent example of this, where students were not informed ahead of time that strobe lighting would be used. Strobe lighting was in use in the Venue, where the headlining bands were playing. This information was not available on posters, fliers or on any of the pieces advertising the gig in Campus. The first time many students realized that strobe lights would be
used was when they turned up on the day after already buying a ticket. One student told the College View at the time: “There were no warnings that it was there and after paying €25 to get in it was very disappointing not to be able to enjoy the bands.” Fitzgerald says: “This issue has been brought to the attention of our Ents officer and it is an issue that will be seriously considered for all future DCU events.” She added: “In the context of gigs and events at DCU, a ‘no-strobe light’ policy implemented for all union
events would be the best solution. Rather than remembering to inform epileptic students whether or not there is strobe lighting at every event that DCU hosts, it may be more efficient to have a policy in place that ensures that strobe lights are not used. This way, there is not a problem for DCU epileptic students to find out if they can attend a gig or not.” Anne O'Connor, DCU disability officer, described the facilities and services available to students on campus as being “by and large continued on page 7 ••
PLUS
In Features - an exclusive interview with Irish designer Paul Costelloe