Irish Student Newspaper of the Year 2008
NEVER ARE WE FORGET ALONE? Tourism has seriously damaged T Thailand’s elephant po population TRAVEL 20 T Tuesday 24 Februar February ary 2 ar 20 2009 009
BAD SEX AWARDS
Astrobiology attempts some of science’s biggest questions
The worst passages from literature’s best contributors
SCIENCE 19
FEATURES 8 www.trinitynews.ie
Issue 9, Volume 55
USI occupy Gov’t office for 5 hours
Vitalic back for Trinity Ball By Deirdre Robertson College News Editor
» USI and Trinity SU take part in sit-in » Gardaí block exits and access to toilets » Chair of Young Greens accuses student protesters of “pulling stunts” » Meeting already arranged with Minister By Deirdre Robertson College News Editor THE YOUNG Green Party have accused USI, the Trinity Students’ Union and other unions across Dublin of “pulling stunts” following a protest on Monday 16th February. The Trinity Students Union was part of a small group of students who barricaded themselves into the lobby of the Department of the Environment as part of the ongoing protest against the reintroduction of third level fees. The protest was organised by the Union of Students Ireland, Deputy President and Campaigns Officer Dave Curran. 18 to 19 students - including Trinity SU President Cathal Reilly, Welfare Officer Orlaith Foley and Ents Officer Nick Longworth – walked into the lobby
of the Department of the Environment in the Custom House at midday and refused to leave. Security called the Gardaí who enclosed the area where the students sat and blocked access to all bathroom facilities. The aim of the protest appeared “The USI should should stop pulling stunts” Barra Roantree, Young Greens to be to attract the attention of TD John Gormley, head of the Green Party as USI President Shane Kelly commented, “John Gormley and the Green Party got elected to this Government on the platform that they were opposed to the continued on page 2
Bartley Rock (centre) outside the office of the Department of the Environment before their fivehour sit-in in the lobby in advance of their meeting with Minister John Gormley. The meeting had already been agreed. Photo: Jessica Pakenham-Money
THE FULL line-up of dance acts of the 2009 Trinity Ball have been released this week. Trinity Students Union Ents Officer Nick Longworth confirmed that French dance act Vitalic (right) will be returning this year alongside Popof, The Glimmers, Streetlife DJ’s, Brodinski and Vicarious Bliss. Longworth expressed his excitement at seeing Vitalic returning this year saying, “There was a huge buzz about him last year before the ball and this year will definitely be the same.” Vitalic has been on the music seen since 1996/7 but only released his debut album, OK Cowboy in 2005. Speaking about the other acts, Longworth described them as “up and coming”. Popof - another French techno act is best known for their mix “Alcoolic”. According to Longworth the act is “set to be the new Justice” while, “The Glimmers were amazing at White Sensation in Amsterdam.” Street Life DJs are a popular London act. The headliner for this year’s Trinity Ball has yet to be announced with Longworth remaining tightlipped over the many speculative rumours. Earlier last week, Scottish electroclash act, Calvin Harris posted on his myspace that he would be playing at the Trinity Ball before the information could be officially released. The artist has previously recorded with Kylie Minogue and released his debut album I Created Disco in 2007. Other acts that have been confirmed include Ladyhawke and Fight Like Apes. The Ball will take place on Friday 8th May this year and a theme for the night has yet to be announced. Last year, ticket sales sold out in a record 4 and a half days with 1,000 applications being received in the first 10minutes of going on sale.
DU Football Club get the Blues Mystery tour in mischief By Thomas Raftery
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY Central Athletics Committee (DUCAC) is said to be holding an inquiry into how the French Rugby team got permission to train on Trinity’s cricket pitch last week. Some members of Trinity sports clubs have expressed dismay over the condition of the pitch amid fears that it would not recover before the summer season. The French team, due to a delayed flight, elected to train at Trinity on the eve of their opening 6 Nations game
By Lisa Byrne
“It’s fair to say we shouldn’t have invited them” said Tony Smeeth against Ireland two weeks ago. This is the third time the French have come to Trinity in the last decade, their manager maintaining a friendship with one of the Dublin University Football Club coaches. However, Les Bleus found the pitch unplayable and moved to the cricket pitch which they had been refused permission to play on. Tony Smeeth, Director of rugby at Trinity, conceded that “the [rugby] pitch is the worst I have ever seen it”. 25 enormous Gallic men poured out of the team bus - like something from an “Asterix and Obelix” cartoon – signing autographs en route to the pitch. As the superstars amassed on the touchline of Trinity’s grassless rugby pitch it was clear, even to the non-French speaker, that their pursed lips and extravagant hand gestures were a sign that they were less than pleased with the facilities.
Scenes from the French team’s training session on the soccer pitch two weeks ago. Photos: Jessica Pakenham-Money There followed a hushed conversation between French players and coaching staff, to which Chabal contributed a series of aggressive grunts foreign even to the native speakers, and the whole party moved to the cricket pitch. One source close to the Dublin University Association Football Club says that the French team contacted Terry McAuley, manager of the men’s football team and Director of Sport, to ask permission to play on the cricket pitch about a week ago but were refused. The French team then contacted the rugby club and were given permission to play on the rugby pitch. McAuley and the football club had gone to a tournament in Limerick and were
not around to object when the French moved onto the cricket pitch. Despite the relatively short period of time the team spent on the surface, it was left looking much like the neighbouring rugby pitch despite DUFC’s assertions that they “did not wreck the pitch”. The state of the surface has been the cause of much dismay for Trinity’s Cricket, Soccer and GAA clubs, all of whom share the pitch. Smeeth insists that he did not give them permission to train on the cricket pitch, but felt unwilling to offer any opposition once they had moved off the rugby pitch where they had been supposed to train. Several sources believe DUCAC are inquiring into the event as they alone
hold the authority to allow parties outside of Trinity to train on the cricket pitch, which if ruined now, will not be able to recover fully in time for the summer. Smeeth has admitted that “in those conditions, it would be fair to say that we should not have invited them, it was not really fair on any of the parties concerned”. Regardless of the difficulties, the French team were reported to be “delighted” with how the session went, noting the atmosphere of College Park as especially pleasing. Despite the obvious annoyance for Trinity’s sports clubs who depend on that surface, the result the next day left most people smiling.
15 MISSING persons and one arrest: the 2009 Mystery Tour created the usual chaos attributed to the annual SU Tour. The group, which headed West towards the Midlands met various challenges along the way - many self-created and all alcohol related. Members of the Tour partook in a series of Gumball challenges including mooning people from the bus, doing a lap dance and eating your own vomit. 15 party goers disappeared in Mullingar and were feared missing. They never managed to make it back to the bus but luckily it was ascertained that they were not lost but had found a house party and never left. Many feared that the Tour would see a repeat of the 2007 Tour which saw the group forget a girl who had fallen asleep in a nearby field. Fortunately the girl woke up and managed to get a lift back to Dublin with another Tour Group some hours later. The Palace nightclub played host to the group for the final event of the night. In accordance with one of the gumball challenges, many students were over heard telling fairy tales to the bouncers who, to the students credit, appeared rather amused. The night’s events did not end in Navan however. Upon return to the Capital, an unnamed member of the group was arrested following a runin with a milkman. Run-ins with the
Revellers around the Pav before the 2009 Mystery Tour departs. law are not uncommon on the Tour. In 2008, two students were cautioned by gardai after attempting to break into a hotel while intoxicated. Fortunately, this year saw no members of the group hospitalised as in previous years. During the 2008 Mystery Tour, two members of the group were admitted to St. Luke’s General Hospital for alcohol poisioning. Asked about the apparent improvement in behaviour compared to previous years, Ents Officer Nick Longworth attributed it to the help that was on hand. “The additional marshalls really helped and many thanks to all of them.” Longworth was quick to add however “It did get messy though!”