P R E V I O U S LY AT THE PHIL... JOE BIDEN
L A DY H A L E
MARTIN SCORSESe
PIXIES
M A RY B E R RY
JUDITH BUTLER
100 GECS
P E G GY G O U
S T E P H E N F RY
YUNG LEAN
THE CRANBERRIES
WHOOPI GOLDBERG
S l av o j Ž i ž e k
CHILE EBOE-OSUJI
AND MANY MORE ...
cOMING TO THE PHIL THIS YEAR... BIMINI BON BOULASH
R I N A S AWAYA M A
P h i lo s o p h y T u b e
S Y LVA N I A N D R A M A S
MITSKI
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS G’day g’day g’day! Congratulations on your entry into The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin. And welcome to The Phil! We’re delighted to have you. The purpose of this address is to introduce you to The Phil. After all, when it comes to Trinity’s oldest and largest student society, well, as the late, great Karl Marx once said: ‘You know my name, not my story xx.’
Discourse We are straight up always doing discourse. The biggest issues of our time are debated every Thursday night at 7:30 in the beautiful, historic, and sexy Debating Chamber of the Graduates’ Memorial Building. Politics, religion, capitalism, feminism and just about everything else get funny, inspirational, and occasionally thoughtful takes from our members. Phil Chamber debates are iconic, and not to be missed. They are followed up by FREE post-debate receptions and a night out, where, presumably, you will continue having Big Thoughts about what you have just heard. Famous Faces Every year, we play host to ‘Honorary Patrons’ or Hon Pats - people who have made outstanding contributions to their field.
Past guests have included Martin Scorsese, President Joe Biden, Whoopi Goldberg, Slavoj Žižek and The Cranberries. If you want a chance to hear from more incredible speakers like this, The Phil is the very best place to do it. And, just between you and me, this year we are in talks to host Bimini Bon Boulash, Rina Sawayama, Abigail Thorn (AKA PhilosophyTube), Sylvanian Dramas, and Mitski. Competitive Debating If you get absolutely feral for critical thinking, then competitive debating might be for you! No experience is necessary; we can train you, send you to competitions in Ireland and abroad, and provide unlimited supplies of hype. Beginners’ Debate training happens every Tuesday at 6:30 in the GMB.
Eleanor Moreland
Membership Phil members are entitled to a bunch of wonderful perks. For only 6 euro, you can gain FREE entry to guest speakers, Thursday night Chamber debates, and post-debate receptions for the entire duration of your degree. You can also use The Phil Conversation Room on the bottom floor of the Graduates’ Memorial Building whenever you just need somewhere to hang out. Party time !! As the largest student society at Trinity, we have a deeply held sense of duty to provide a good time. From Phil Ball, to Netflix & Phil, and just about everything in-between, The Phil’s social events are the best on campus. There’s plenty on during REfreshers week, and I reckon you should bop along jk.. Ahaha.. Unless??
President
Professional gamer and lover of discourse, Eleanor is supreme leader of the 337th session of the University Sillysophical Society. Wearing the presidential medal with utter drippage, Eleanor is cooking up a philthy year for the oldest college society in the world. Your president from whatever country you’re from may do all that boring political stuff, but my president is playing gennis with never before seen skill and whacking on some robot wars at 3am to bring the afters back to life. Godspeed Eleanor godspeed.
H I S TO RY O F T H E P H I L ( c o n t r av e r s i e s s e c t i o n o f o u r w i k i p e d i a pag e ) The University Philosophical Society was founded in 1683 by William Molyneux, but back then it was called the Dublin Philosophical Society. It was founded initially as a paper reading society, but nowadays we have expanded to reading all forms of recyclable materials. Sidenote, I am required to say that Greta Thunberg isn’t holding me at gunpoint to make sure I include the previous sentence I swear. Speaking of guns, the Phil was actually banned from Trinity in 1731 after shooting the Junior Dean. For the next century or so, we resided in the RDS until we were finally accepted back at the college in 1842. From there we went on to try revolutionise our image after the whole murder thing, with our name officially being changed to the University Philosophical Society in 1860.
In 1904, Trinity began admitting women to the university. The following year, the Elizabethan Society (or as the cool kids say, “the Eliz”) was founded and served as an all womens debating society. Eventually the Phil began admitting women to the society in 1957, with the two societies merging in 1981. Delving into the history of an old society is always a really fun way to find out about all the old skeletons they have in their closet. Please don’t look at the “Controversies” section of our wikipedia page, pretty please.
Peter O’Brien
Over the years we have had numerous notable figures serve as members of the society during their time at Trinity, such as Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, Udo Udoma, Samuel Beckett, Mary Robinson & many more. On top of this, we have also hosted a number of renowned figures to come speak to our members, such as current US President Joe Biden, Angela Merkel, Al Pacino, Martin Scorcese, Mary Berry, Desmond Tutu, Stephen Fry, Helen Mirren and 100 Gecs.
REgistrar
As part of his duties as registrar, Peter has to write the bios of all council members for the Philander. This means that Peter is currently writing about himself in the third person. While this opens up the opportunity to write about how class he is, Peter is finding it quite awkward as to how to approach this without sounding like an absolute plonker. He is also the only receiver of all Nobel prizes and the current Pope.
The Gmb G r a d u at e s m e m o r i a l b u i l d i n g The Graduates Memorial Building was constructed on campus in 1902. It was designed by Sir Thomas Drew in the Neo Gothic Victorian architectural style, which sounds more like a weird Tiktok pseudo subculture than an actual style of architecture. On the site of the GMB there used to be a number of student houses known as “rot ten row” due to their extremely unsanitary conditions. It is assumed that STEM students lived there as they are historically known for stewing in their bodily odours. The outside of the GMB is extremely impressive. When walking through front square your eyes are immediately drawn to it. The building is host to the Phil, the Hist and the Theological society, as well as serving as accommodation for a number of students. In there you can find the debating chamber, the Phil convo room and council
GROUND FLOOR Phil Conversation Room Debating chamber Phil Council room
first FLOOR Hist Conversation Room Hist Committee Room
SECOND FLOOR Pool Rooms Bram Stoker Room
third FLOOR Resource Room Computer Room
Ellen MCKIMM
VICE-PRESIDENT
As Vice President, Ellen has already done a stellar job so far for the 337th session. We had an extremely successful Maidens debating competition last term and are at the edge of our seats waiting so see what she has lined up next for all our phreshers. On top of all this, Ellen has unbelievably found the time to figure out which Taylor Swift songs correspond with each Phil council member. That sort of girlbossery is what experts have described as being impossible, yet somehow Ellen pulls it off.
PHIL PHRESHERS Heyyyyy besties, You probably recognise my name from spamming your inboxes earlier this year by if not my name is Ellen McKimm and I’m Vice-President of the Phil this year. Literally go crazy get stupid! This is a little page to provide freshers with some updates of the term ahead and a bit of maidens reminiscing :)) Maidens This year we had over 250 signups for maidens, multiple out rounds, Quarterfinal, Semi-Final, Wild Card Final and, of course, the Grand Final!! The vibes were immaculate. The themes covered across maidens varied week on week. Themes included feminism, environmentalism, race, diversity, and inclusion as well as religion and super spicy hot takes. The Eamon O’Coinne Memorial final motion read “This House Believes ‘there is only one thing worse than being talked about and that’s not being talked about”- Oscar Wilde. The phabulous Phil Phinalists 2021 were Lou Lou McHale, Amhra Carey, Donncha Murphy, Pierce Comerford, Jonathan Kelly, Kurt Scott, Siofra O’Reilly and Connal O’Briain. The winner was Lou Lou McHale. We also had a very iconic Kate Maher Memorial Wildcard Final, which was possibly the most unhinged moment of Michaelmas. There was a murder in the GMB, Peter O’Brien was the Spanish teacher accused of the murder of Kate Maher and shots were very much fired (metaphorically ish??!!). Anyways … thank you to everyone who competed in one of the biggest freshers Michaelmas competitions on campus. It was so much fun, and we can’t wait to continue the vibes next semester.
The Exec Speaking of which we have the Exec on the 14th of April. It’s a chance for all new members of the society to take over the Thursday night chamber debate and run your one! There will be lots more information in the coming weeks and everyone who signs up will be divided up into teams of their choice to organise it. It’s a great way to meet new people and see a different side of the society. Thursday night Chamber This semester we will also be having receptions for all new members and freshers before the chamber debates in Phil convo. This will be a chance for you guys to get to know each other better and see some great speeches. The motions are always very topical, and the speeches are always very engaging for I’d recommend bopping along if you didn’t make it to one last semester. You can also sign-up to speak via the link in the tcdphil bio. After the chamber debates, the Phil heads out to some of Dublin’s most illustrious venues aka Bar Rua. That’s everything from me, but feel free to reach out if you have any questions!! Can’t wait to see you soon. Byeeee legends xoxo
If you want to stay up to date with all the Phil events for new members you can follow us on insta @philmaidens - or email me with questions you might have about upcoming events or if you would like to be added to the group chat, my email is vp@tcdphil.com <3
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PHILspeaks Team schools, for those of you who don’t know yet, is the department of the Phil responsible for working with secondary school students as part of our debating and public speaking initiative, PhilSpeaks. We work with hundreds of schools around the country to bring the benefits of public speaking and debating to as many young people as we can, all made possible by our wonderful university volunteers - like you! And if that’s not you yet, it can be you! We’d love for you to get involved! Please get involved! In Michaelmas term, we kicked off with a desperate attempt to compete with @ tcdphil by reviving our instagram @tcdphilspeaks. Go follow it now. Don’t read the rest of this until you go follow it. I’ll wait.
Have you done it yet? You have? Okay good. Thanks :) We announced our inaugural public speaking competition for young women and gender minorities, the Kate Maher Cup! Students from around the country are hard at work on their speeches and we’re really excited to watch all of them and select a winner after the winter break. We also ran our first day long zoom workshop event in place of our usual PhilSpeaks Pro-Am. Covid times call for, uhh, covid measures, I guess. This event let us work with more students than the Pro-Am normally allows for as well as giving us lots of ideas for future events and workshops.
@ tc d p h i l s p e a ks MEGAN O’DRISCOLL
What’s happening next term, you ask? Get excited, because Hillary term is a big one for PhilSpeaks. We’re going to be running our PhilSpeaks Competitive Weekend, where we’ll need lots of university volunteers to help us judge debates and coordinate the event and the mountains of pizza we’ll be ordering. Over reading week, we’ll be running our absolutely phantastic PhilSpeaks TAP Week with the Trinity Access Program, where there’ll be loads of opportunities for you to get involved, whether you’re into the whole debating thing or not - TAP week has something for everyone! We’re so proud of all the work we’ve done this term and so grateful for everyone who has pitched in and made it possible. You guys rock! Can’t wait to see what we accomplish next term, but we can all go into our holidays knowing that the kids are, in fact, alright.
SCHOOLS CONVENOR
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT, the kids are okay. Under the fun and sill y yet responsible care of Megan, Team Schools is making shapes to be one of the most successful iterations of it yet . Hate to say it but there is also another public ser vice announcement , if anyone sees a small black lid for a bottle in the queue to the George please post it to Megan. It is badl y needed.
DYLAN MCCARTHY
DEBATES CONVENOR
Do you think you are an expert in obscure pop culture references? Well prepare to have your ego destroyed as Dylan is the master. Some may consider this level of knowledge to be useless, but don’t you worry that is exactly what you need for debating. Dedicating yourself to getting up early every weekend to debate random shams around the world requires a serious love for the art of argumentative rhetoric, which makes Dylan perfect for being Debates Convenor.
COMPETITIVE D E B AT I N G Hiya! Dylan here, we’ve had a great term so far with the Phil! It was really great seeing everyone perform so well at UCD LawSoc and at Wolfe-Tones; the future is bright! We’ve also had success at bigger competitions like the Yale IV and Oxford IV, winning Strathclyde President’s Cup, and are looking forward to more good things to come! What are we getting up to next term? We have a lot of cool stuff coming up! Irish competitions (Covid permitting) in Maynooth, UCD, and potentially Galway and Queens look like they’ll be happening! These are great weekends, where we go down on Friday, stay in a hostel for a weekend, debate during the day and hang out during the evening! It’s a great way to meet new people from within Trinity and across Ireland, and a great experience to get! We will also be running our own competitions: the Trinity IV early this term sadly has had to go online, but the Trinity Open this summer should be in real life! We will also be running Trinity WGM, a competition for women and gender minorities, which should be fantastic!
Internationals! The World Championships were meant to be held in Belgrade this year, but sadly it has now gone online (sad_face.jpeg) but the European Championships in Zagreb this Summer looks like it will be going ahead in-person! Trials for both of these will be held some time in the Spring. There are specific developmental spots reserved for freshers and novices for these competitions, so if you keep coming to training and competitions and improving you will absolutely be in with a shot, and I would highly recommend trying out for it this spring! Even if you would prefer not to speak, there’s also plenty of spots for judges to come also.
I think a nice week’s holiday in Zagreb this summer might be pretty pretty sweet. To prepare for these competitions we will also be sending these teams and judges to competitions in Edinburgh, Bristol, and London and maybe more! Training! As always, we will be doing training at 6:30 every Tuesday! Especially in the run-up to trials and competitions this term, I would highly recommend coming to training! We have a lot of fun and cool ideas for new and different ways to practice. We will also begin running advanced training this year, for people interested in doing International competitions this Summer!
We have a lot of cool stuff coming up, and we can’t wait to see you there!
D D EE BB A A TT EE D D II G G EE SS TT WEEK 1 THB Political Correctness is Gay
Our first debate back in person (on a Tuesday), YEOW! What was described as an “alleged” comedy debate turned into a truly magical evening. We met with some fabulously talented ex-Phil heads, not to mention our very own PRESIDENTE, Ms Smell-eanor Moreland. The motion did in fact phall - did someone say debaters are snowflakes?
THw DISMANTLE ALL IRISH POLITICAL PARTIES AND START AGAIN
For this debate we had a range of political youth wing reps, god love them. A rampant proposition essentially criticised each and every political party on the island, while the opposition claimed something along the lines of “sure look, it could be a lot worse”. Very little talk of establishing a benign dictator in the form of the only person fit to do it, Eleanor Moreland, so we were left disappointed by the conclusion but as always entertained by a great debate. A notable absence from the debate was the head of Young Fine Gael, despite handing out a litany of condoms before the debate. Take from that what you will.
WEEK 2 THW CHOOSE POLYGAMY OVer MONOGAMY
The spicy collab that no one was prepared for. Phil teamed up with the Christian Union to hash out whether lots of husbands at once was the way forward for humanity. With some blinding performances (shoutout to Salma, our fresher queen who did not realise she had signed up to do Chamber), the opposition ultimately prevailed. Meaning - now is apparently not the time to discuss adding your side piece to the marriage.
WEEK 3 Panel - LGBTQ+ IReland: COME SO FAR SO FAR TO GO
An eclectic mix of guests provided an amazing and thought-provoking discussion on their personal experiences and thoughts on the topic. We were fortunate enough to have the Minister for Equality Roderic O’Gorman in to speak with us and blessed to have Stephen Donnan-Dalzell and Davina Devine attend. Controversially Roderic O’Gorman revealed his love for Jake Gyllenhall, which left many a Taylor Swift fan immediately shifting their loyalty away from the Greens and onto their biggest rivals - oil companies. Irrespective we continued on with what was an informative and engaging panel discussion, with notable speakers Eoin Tennyson and Laura Harmon also giving their insightful and eye-opening contributions.
WEEK 4 THW EXPEL THE ISRAELI AMBASSADOR
Undeniably the highlight of this debate was a direct call out from across the bench. We love call-outs and encourage all speakers to really, really search deep for any personal grievances you may have with those sitting across from you. Bring them up the podium, or release them as stabbing POIs. I live for hearing the drama outside of the debating motion. In fact, sometimes I prefer if you ignore it entirely. I love this game. The debate happened around this pivotal event and aspects of Irish diplomacy were discussed as well as the principles of ambassadorship (yes, that is a word).
WEEK 5 THB FEMINISM IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH CAPITALISM
A historian, a Fine Gael TD and Keelin Moncrieff walk into a bar to discuss capitalism - except substitute bar for Carluccio’s and capitalism for- I’m not quite sure what. Suffice to say, it turns out that a system requiring women to carry out unpaid labour in the home does NOT complement feminism. Huh! Who would have thought?
WEEK 6 Panel - Conversation on Refugee and Migrant Rights
We were honored to have reps from the incredible MASI organisation as well as esteemed refugee rights activists and academics. We were able to host this incredibly informative panel discussion with the help of DU amnesty and Trinity VDP. A moving description of the dire treatment of refugees across the world and on Irish soil was followed by an analysis of the required steps to ameliorate these conditions. We had some amazing engagement from the audience following the general discussion by the speakers. Many of the questions asked show a deep level of critical thinking and engagement with the subject matter. I could make a joke about how I do not critically think about my course material here. And I will. I do not engage with my lecture material as well as many audience members did with this panel. Are you happy now? Did you laugh? My degree is tough lads.
WEEK 8 THR THE RISE OF INFLUENCERS
Our most student-subscribed debate really had it all. A fitness influencer, a TikTok star who was also a Trinity alumnus (the two clearly go hand in hand), and a face reveal of @tcdphil. We were so blown away by this week’s debate that we can’t actually remember what happened, LOL! (But follow @tcdphil)(seriously)
WEEK 9 AS A RESULT OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS THW cHOOSE TO NOT HAVE CHILDRen
My god lads, we are all in the dirt when it comes to this whole climate craic. I am sitting here, with the window open, in December. Anyone else remember the big freeze circa 2008? Now that was the buzz. Dylan McCarthy interrupted what was otherwise a very serious debate to give an incredibly neurotic philosophical rambling, that to this day, wakes me up at night because I do not understand. How he got past the guards I will never know. Irrespective this debate was a mix between the opposition describing the steps we can take now to avoid doom in the future, and the proposition claiming they wouldn’t want to subject hypothetical children to (hopefully) hypothetical doom. The real doom for my children will be my fatherhood. Every Sunday they shall royal rumble for my love.
WEEK 10 THB THE ISLAND OF IRELAND IS READY FOR A BORDER POLL
You walk into a bar filled with the greatest events in Irish history. The 94 all Ireland final offers to buy you a drink, you shrug them off, you’re worth more than that. You take a seat and are suddenly approached by that video of “fuck you deputy stag”. You flirt for a bit but then get bored, and move on to the next potential suitor. A few toy shows walk past but you keep walking. You know who you want at this stage. You make eye contact from across the crowded tavern and hold it like a laser. The crowds part like the red sea and they approach, dazzling. You are immediately swept off your feet, the fireworks explode with every exchange. The single greatest event in Irish history. One thing leads to another and you grow closer and closer every day, love blossoms like a dandelion in spring. Eventually, you marry and have an amazing life together. The Phil’s border poll debate in 2021.
LOTS OF LOVE, TOM and LOUISE xo
HH II LL AA RR YY WEEK 1 - REFRESHERS THR THEIR CAO CHOICE - COMEDY Debate - 25/1
Law, Business, English, Astrophysics... Sometimes the subject you choose to study at the age of 18 doesnt turn out to be what you want to be doing for 4 years of your life. To kick off Refreshers week we will be welcoming some students from UCD in to share the peaks and pits of the college courses of their choices.
THB that COVID-19 has marked a change in higher level education - 27/1
Over the past 3 years COVID-19 has upturned everything in our lives, but one thing specifically has been made very evident to 3rd level students, the faults in our higher education system. From greater leniency with deadlines to the recordings of lectures, the list of possible benefits to University after COVID go on but will we see a change?
WEEK 2 THE SER DEBATE - 3/2
Every year the Phil and the Student Economic Review team up to host a team of debaters from either Oxford or Cambridge for a mighty clash of the titans style debate. This year, a team from Oxford are jetting here to Dublin to take on a team of specially selected debaters from Trinity to see who can win this years debate.
WEEK 3 UDOMA SPEECH WRITING COMPETITION - 10/2
WEEK 4 THB that the future of art is tragic - 17/2
What ever happened to the greats, Like Silverstein and Monet ?! I hate this new fangled generation of art with its LEDs and tote bags. Back in my day art was homo-erotic depictions of just guys being dudes and now all we have are polaroid pictures of front-square. The future of art is tragic.
WEEK 5 TH has lost faith in SU Politics - 24/2
Being a University student through a global pandemic can quickly make you disillusioned by the system but at least you have your Student Union to support you... right? TCDSU has done great things for their students but we think it is justified that some students might feel that their work isn’t enough. Join us this week as we get staff, students and SU Sabbats in to debate this topic.
TOM HEGARTY
SECRETARY
If anyone reading this is familiar with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then you must be aware of Ironman’s AI assistant called Jarvis in his suit who helps him fight all the CGI alien baddies. As an MCU ultra fan, Tom seems to have taken inspiration from Jarvis and is running Team Sec from afar in Paris. Consistently orchestrating outstanding exhibitions of discourse, Tom is running the Team Sec like a well oiled Ironman suit, even while not being physically around the GMB.
TT EE RR M MC C AA RR DD WEEK 6 Creideann an teach seo nach féidir an seanfhocal a shárú THB that no proverb can be refuted - 3/3
Is breá le gach duine seanfhocail, agus is féidir linn a lán a fhoghlaim uathu. Beidh ár n-aíonna ag díospóireacht na cinn is féidir nó nach féidir a bhréagnú. Mura bhfuil Gaeilge agat ar chor ar bith, nó má tá tú líofa, bígí linn dár gcéad díospóireacht trí mhéan na Gaeilge!! Amharc ormsa ag ligean orm go dtuigim gach rud atá á rá. Everyone loves a good proverb and we can learn a lot from them. This week our guests will be debating what they think of them and which ones may be contradictory. Whether you speak Irish or not come join us for this debate which will be entirely through Irish. Look at me pretending I understand everything being said!
WEEK 7 - READING WEEk WEEK 8 THW JUST PRINT MORE MONEY - 10/3
Ah, the age-old question. Why can’t we just print more money? Housing, education, immigration... Surely we could fix all of these issues if we just had some more money? So why don’t we just make more? I find it hard to think of any possible problems with this idea.
WEEK 9 PANEL - TRAVELLER IDENTITY AND CULTURE - 24/3
The Travelling Community is an Irish ethnic minority group who often face intense discrimination. This panel discussion will aim to get some members of the traveller community into the Phil to help educate the wider Phil community on Traveller Identity and Culture.
WEEK 10 HONORARY MEMBERS DEBATE - 31/3
This debate is where we welcome back some of the old Phil members who have been long gone from the College. We welcome them back to reminisce on their time in the Phil and debate over what has happened to the society since they have left.
WEEK 11 THB THE UN IS IN NEED OF RADICAL REFORM - 7/4
The UN has now been around for over 75 years and many believe that because of this it has become nothing more than a remnant of an older time. It is undoubtedly an international organisation that has done a lot for the global community as a whole but is it now time that we look for radical reform to reflect a more modern world.
WEEK 12 THe EXEC - 14/4
A yearly tradition in the Phil where our Phreshers get to take over for the night. The President, the Registrar, all the speakers and every other role in our Thursday night debates will be run by our Phil Phreshers. Get ready for a night of fun and laughter as our Phreshers get a chance to show us how things should be done.
( R E A L )
RR EE FF RR EE SS HH EE RR SS MONDAY AM - Official opening of new subcommittee: ‘THE BRAD’
There’s been a whispering in the corridors of the GMB for many years. And Team Stew have good news: we hear you. The whispers are right – it’s about time that the world’s oldest debating society gave dudes and bros a space to engage in all this discourse that the Eliz has been hoarding. Finally, young kings will be given a platform to take the floor and talk about issues affecting the average bro. “The Brad” will host weekly bro meet ups, exclusively for fellas, or anyone who just wants to kick back, go fishing, and share a few hot takes on theoretical perspectives with their day ones. To join, simply visit the GMB on Monday morning and show us how many push ups you can do.
PM - PHIGHT NIGHT
History’s most prominent debaters have all shared three key skills: bravery in the face of adversity, the ability to think on their feet, and a mastery of trash talk. These skills will be put to the test when the councils of the Phil and the Hist forget about all this peaceful discourse nonsense for a minute, tape up their wrists and throw down in a no holds barred, Hell in a Cell match. There will be bloodshed. There will be bones broken. There will be inexplicable references to the work of Michel Foucault. And all for just €19.99 on Pay per View.
TUESDAY AM - DC Workshop: Teaching cattle the importance of Intellectual discourse w/ AGSOc You will be mooved to tears when Betsy, hailing from a farm in Ballycannon, County Kilkenny, delivers a rambling, semi-incomprehensible, yet surprisingly insightful seven-minute speech on the thorny issue of immigration, before leaving for an equity meeting with Senior Member of Council, Aidan Desjardins. Truly heart-warming stuff, if you can ignore the smell. Oh the bovinity!
PM - Panel Discussion: “Why taxes low key suck” w/SMF The overwhelming appetite for a discussion on how overall embarrassing taxes are, that has echoing around the Business building since freshers started Introduction to Economics, will finally be sated on Tuesday night. Questions that have troubled the minds of people who live in houses with names like “The Hollow” will finally be asked: “surely daddy could just spend that money on employing more grunts in his accounting firm?” and “where does it even go anyway? The potholes on Temple Road haven’t been fixed in weeks!” Questions? Definitely. Answers? Maybe. Taxes? Never!!!
THE HONORARY PATRONAGE OF KARL MARX
MICHAEL GORMLEY
CO-STEWARD
Everyone has their own little happy place. Somewhere where you can get away from all the toils of life. Someplace where everyone knows your name. For Michael, that place is Bar Rua. If you attend a Phil chamber debate, odds are, you are going to end up at Bar Rua afterwards. Through his dulcet West Belfast tones, he will whisper sweet nothings into your ear, which people have reported to be something along the lines of “Coming Bar Rua yeah?”.
( R E A L )
TT II M M EE TT AA BB LL EE WEDNESDAY AM - Walking tour of portraits of white men in the GMB w/DU History. Sometimes the cold stares of Reginald T. Hawksworth et al can seem intimidating, seeming to follow and watch you wherever you go. But, as our friends at DU History will explain, these old white men are not as different from us as we think. Yes, they are hundreds of years old, and yes they have strange titles before their names, but if you can ignore their yee-yee ass haircuts, you will see that they’re interesting and inspiring in their own rights. Just don’t ask what they thought about women or people of colour.
PM - Obscene Hazing of PHreshers For legal reasons (and every other reason) this is a JOKE.
THURSDAY AM - Post hazing brunch and group therapy for phreshers After a riotous night out ( joke), beatings ( joke) and social humiliation on an outrageous scale (not a joke), what better way to unwind than to join the Phil council for a good old-fashioned brunch. Fear not – trained therapists will be on site to work through any and all long-term trauma that we have subjected you to ( joke), a pleasant dessert to wash down the avocado and brown toast. All in the very room where the horrors of the previous night occurred, after a deep chemical clean of all surfaces ( joke, we will not be cleaning).
PM - Chamber Debate: THB I could (and would) beat your father in a fight. ‘Nuff said. I saw him coming out of the bookies on Abbey Street, chased him through Penney’s and lost him around the Ha’penny Bridge. For a balding, overweight 54- year-old in khaki shorts and Chelsea boots, he moves like a gazelle. Haven’t seen him since, and he won’t respond to any of my DM’s. Once and for all, public discourse in Ireland’s oldest university must reflect that it is on sight, big fella. Reason for the beef? Ask your dad what happened in Stoke in ’09. Diplomatic immunity can’t protect you forever wee man.
FRIDAY AM - ́ GMB Sacrifice w/Pagan Soc.
͌̐ ̚ ̏ ͋ ̋̚ ́ ͋ ͂ ́ ̈̎ ͒ ́ ̔̈ ͋̔ ̍ ̃ ̇̈ ͗ ̋̚ ́ ̈ ͌̂͗̊̈̚ ͂̓ ́ ̈ ̽ ͂̆ ̓̒̈ ̀ ͊̈ ̉ ͗ ͂ ̊ ̇ ̌̊̊ ́ ́ ͛ ̿ ̓͆ ̄ ͂̎ ̓ ͂ ́ ͂ ̊͛ ́ ̈ ̄̅ ̉ ͑̆ ̋ ̇ ̊ ̎ ́ ̓̅ ̆̐̚ ̌ ̐̓ ̑̐ ̉ ͋̍ ͛̓̚ ̃̆ ̐ ψ̉ ͒ ̷̴̡̛͉̬͈̂ Ģ̷ ̷̧̳̩̃̐ ͐ ̕ ȑ̵̫͓̳͛e̷͠ ̥̯ ̡̢a̵̪̝̖͐ṯ̸̔ ̢ ̵̢̯̑l̻̔ ̶̦ ö̴́ ̟̪ ̧r̴̻̬̔d̷̉ ̼̦̱ o̵ ̵̲͆ ͔̦̅ f̷̳̻͙ ̈ ̡ ̵̠͘͝ḓ͠ ̈ ̷a̴͙̳͎͂r̷̀ ̯̲̈ ķ̵̭̺͆ ṇ̸͈̘̐ e̴̥͖̓ s̸͝ ͓̖͔̾ s̷̟̔,̵̺͙̺̎̈̔͜ ́ w̷ ̵̼̥̤̈ ́ ͔̙͍̆̍ ȅ̸͠ ̘͕̇̃ͅ ́ o̴ ̴̮̭̈ ̬͙̦͂̚ f̵͆̈ ̣ f̷̡̙ ͙ ̇͛ e̵͝ ̼ ͐ r̷̨͚̰̞̿̈ ͐ ͝ẏ̷̞͚͖̏̾ ̯̘̑ ͐ ò̵ ̶ ̳̝ ų̵̙͎̈ ̡ ̀ ̫͘t̶̻̻̅ ̋͌ ̫͚ ̕ ḫ ̴̥ ͝ ̅ ̷e̸̫̦̹͊̒ ͌ ͂b ̴͙͇͔ ̫̃ ̶o̸͜ ͈̙ ͐ ͘d̹͋ ̶y̶̏͝ ͙͎͛ ̴͖͑͝ạ́͛ ̤ ͆ ̕ ̴̡ņ̸͜ ̹ ͐ ̡d̷̀ ̯̤̜ b̷ ̷͖͎͌ͅ ̬̻̍ l̶͓͎͍̽ ó̵͝ ̱̿ ̢ȯ̵͠ ̰̹̝͂ ḋ̶͉̗̳͂ ͑͛o̷ ̴̠̘ ͚̻͑̅̚ f̴̙ ̅ ̫͂a ̶̢͎̮̆ ̝̩͚ ̓ ̵ń̴ ͍͈͈̈ ́ȉ̴̭̤ ͂̃ ̵̭ n̴̻̆̍͗n̴̥̪̲͘ọ́ ̘̈ ̆ ̵ć̵̣ ̜̬̊̈ ę̵̉ ͎͈̒̈ n̵̳̝̞̾̈ t̶͓̮̬ a̵ ̵̤͕̮̈͆̕ ̖̪̦ ͐ m̵̥̲̙͛ḇ̸͉̟.̷̛̰̒ ̣ D̴ ̴̯̙̎ ̩̹̩ o̸̫͕͍̿ ̢ ̕͝w ̴̪̎ ̟͋ ͝ ̵i̶̻̇͆ ̡ț̷͂ h̶̏ ̜ ͝t̴͚́ ̊ ̶̩ ̠ ̼ ͖ ̱ ̳ ̙ ̠͙ ͇ ̙̠ ̤ ̣ ̫̬̩ ̫ ̝ ̝ ͝ ͆̎ ͍ ͊̚ ̔ ́ ̎̚ ́ ͂ ̬ ̀ ͒ ̖ ͑ ̒ ̉ ̓̄ ̎ ͐ ͛̍ ̊ ̕ ́ ̒ ͆̅ ͓ ͙̖̠ ̼ ̖ ̝ h̶͚͇ẹ̵̹m̸̰̞͇̔̕ ̕͜a ̶̭́ ͕̠͎ ͛ ̴s̶̯̈ ẏ̶̴̹̱̗̄ ̨ ̻ ơ̸ ̢ ̖̎ ͘u͎ ̴ ̸̨̝͌w̰̆ i̵̸̖ ̿ ṡ̸̹h̷̨̹ .̷̟̆ ̵̭̏ψ̷͕͆̕͠ ̹ ̭ ͎̲ ̹̦̅ ̝̘ ͜ ̜ ̖̘ ̬̙ ̛ ͕
PM - Confession and plea for forgiveness w/Christian Union “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). We did know what we were doing, and honestly, we’ve messed up here, big time. If big man upstairs can’t forgive the Phil refreshers week, who knows what UT will be writing. Perhaps summoning the devil with the blood of a phresher was maybe just a step too far for Team Stew?
PHIL PHun Michaelmas 2021 was phacked with tons and tons of phun!!! The Christmas Party of the century, Phrohibition, took place in 4 Dame Lane after some cheeky giggle juice in the GMB where the fairy lights took centre stage and the costumes were Gatsby approved.
Everyone got absolutely philthy and the tunes were blasting (some phab council members whipped out the phlaylists). Food and Drink did what they do best and provided some tasty grub and festive drinks! We loved collaborating with Amnesty and VDP to raise funds for MASI (The Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland), shedding light on the struggles facing refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland as we aimed to advocate for the abolition of Direct Provision. We had a philthy time in the process with Gasworks as an unreal host for our phab phub quiz! Every Thursday, we brought you to another philthy location for a chill afters following some
ANNA CLARKE
intellectually stimulating debates, providing the vibes in Bar Rua and beyond! A ridiculous amount of phun was had last term and there is so much more to come. Club Philth and Phil Ball are on the horizon, the events of the season. RePhreshers Week is coming and Team Stew can guarantee a philthy time will be had, we promise we do more than debate (but to be fair that’s pretty phun too). Thursday night phafters (phil-afters) are to continue in unreal spots like Kennedy’s, Doyles and Bar Rua. Get ready besties, Hilary 2022 is gonna be philthy and phenomenal. We can’t wait for you to join us for more Phil Phun in 2022!
CO-STEWARD
Many historians reckon that the 1920s to 1950s were the golden age of radio. But in actuality, real ones know that the real golden age of radio was the duration of the hit Trinity FM show Humans of Trinity. Anna was the illustrious host, alongside our VP Ellen, providing thought provoking interviews with various students involved in a number of activities and areas of interest. She also hosts a savage afters and takes care of all the shite everyone leaves behind the next morning.
MEMBERS of COUNCIL Tom COMER
PRO-SECRETARY
There is an idea of “Tom Comer”, some kind of abstraction, something illusory. You might shake his hand and feel his flesh gripping yours, but he is simply not there . Take the red pill and meet the real person behind the curtain known as Bom Schlomer. Hailing from Newry aka NYC aka the city that sometimes sleeps, Bom is the genius behind our Michaelmas Border Poll debate along with a variety of other motions, which pale in comparison to his previously mentioned magnum opus.
Louise Cullen
PRO-SECRETARY
A “stan” in pop culture is someone who is a dedicated fan of a famous person or band or actor or film or whatever. The reason for the definition is for years I thought people were just talking about Flat Stanley. Anyway, when it comes to Taylor Swift, Louise is most definitely a stan. Ask her anything about T Swizzle and she will educate for hours on the lore and nuance of the pop sensation. If you like K**** W***, consider transferring to UCD for your own safety.
TARA O’SULLIVAN
PRO-DC
According to Wikipedia, Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago at South America’s southernmost tip, shared by Chile and Argentina. According to Philipedia, Tara del Fuego is an absolute ledgebag at the GMB, shared by the Phil and VDP Panto. Fuego means fire in Spanish and whether it be on a grey saturday in Carlingford or a chamber debate, Tara del Fuego stays true to her name and whips up an absolute firestorm.
JACK PALMER
PRO-DC
Everyone knows the actor Tom Selleck has a sexy moustache, but did you know he totally copied Jack when it comes to lip fuzz?!? Trust me, Jack’s moustache is way better, especially when a little bit of foam gets caught in it. People think Jack is a brilliant debater, but in actuality he just wins because his opponents are always too distracted by his sweet stache to come up with a counter argument. Not only can he do this on a drizzly evening in Stoke, but also pulls it off stunningly in 6 inch heels.
FRANCINE IBEH
PRO-DC
One of the most impressive human characteristics is to be willing to put time and dedication into something you care deeply about. Francine is one of those people who is badass enough to pull off such a thing. Despite only being a second year, Francine has already been making waves across college through leading our Udoma subcommittee. On top of that, she somehow manages to help run Team DC, presumably possessing some form of time machine to manage it all.
SEAMUS O’NEILL
PRO-TREASURER
Seamus is the true American Spirit. Despite having the most Irish sounding name in the Phil, Seamus is the human embodiment of a Bruce Springsteen song. Like Springsteen, Seamus hails from the garden state of New Jersey (while also being born in PHILadelphia) and he will plead the 5th if you ask him anything about the Soprano family. This boots and jeans donning king is not afraid to get his hands dirty to hustle for the Phil or DU history as well.
EOIN RYAN
PRO-LIBRARIAN
One of the biggest mysteries discussed during Christmas is how Santy gets to all the houses in one night. If you want the answer ask Eoin as he is responsible for teaching Mr Claus this fine art. Not only is Eoin in charge of crafting our swaggy weekly Phil emails, he is also heavily involved with literally every society in college. God knows where he gets the time to balance all this whilst maintaining his studies of everyone’s favourite course, LawPol.
SCARLET SHORT
PRO-librarian
Film bros beware... Scarlet is the Phil’s enforcer when it comes to film taste. So if you come into freshers week talking about Quentin Tarantino feet shots, get outta town! By the end of first year Scarlet will have you well versed in proper good cinema. We are fortunate to have her on Team Lib, as her proficiency for videography and creative flair is bound to result in some seriously impressive and aesthetically pleasing Phil content being produced.
OISIN BROWNE
PRO-Schools
If you walk through the GMB at 3 in the morning, you might hear the wailing cries of “Mayo for Sam’’. Don’t worry, this isn’t a poltergeist called Sam ordering condiments for their sandwich, it’s actually just Oisin Browne manifesting Mayo finally winning the All Ireland Gaelic Football Final. If Oisin had his way, every single Dublin football player would be powerbombed through a table WWE style. As well, if you ask him which guy is him in his twitter profile pic for the millionth time, you’ll be going through that table too.
JANE MORRIS
PRO-Schools
Throughout history, there are a certain number of individuals who somehow win over the minds and hearts of everyone around them without even trying. For the 21st century, that person is Jane. Whether it be for her love of dogs, sick crocs, or hilarious speeches, Jane is adored by everyone on Phil council. The person writing this could be biased because Jane bought them savage minecraft jammies for Christmas, but that doesn’t matter as the cult of Jane is just an objective fact.
NATHAN MOORE
PRO-STEWARD
Nathan is the Phil’s resident bleach blond bombshell. While most bleach blonds are associated with the art of surfing, Nathan swaps out the waves for his proficiency to deliver TED talks. As much of a prestigious stage that TEDx Dun Laoghaire was, Nathan’s biggest achievement yet has to be featuring on Fashion Soc’s illustrious campus couture instagram post. This public speaking experience paired with the ability to style themselves in such a drippy manner makes him the ideal candidate to throw whopper Phil events.
E Q U I T y + AC C E S S I B I L I T Y Here in the Phil we prioritise making a space that is as accessible and welcoming as possible. My job as Senior Member of Council is to make sure of it! This past term we worked with the Accessibility Co_op to optimise our space so that all members of our community can participate. We’ve worked to incorporate accessibility into all of our events and improved our social media design so that everyone can easily read our posts (thank you team lib!!). We’ve also put in place alternate procedures for additional assistance, such as ISL translators, that can be used upon request. And, because of all this work, we’ve been certified as an Accessible Society! Nonetheless, we’re always taking advice on how to improve and make the Phil the best space possible. If you have any questions or suggestions on what we can do, please do not hesitate to reach out!
Contact at smc@tcdphil.com !
AIDAN DESJARDINS
SMC
Have you ever watched a film such as Forrest Gump and wondered, “Damn, I wish my life story was that interesting but there’s no way that could exist outside of fiction”? Well get rid of those thoughts because Aidan is in fact someone who has that calibre of a tale. Just to give you a little sneak peek so as not to spoil the story, Aidan was born and grew up in a military base in Hawaii. That beats being born in a bog standard hospital any day.
T H E E L I Z S U B CO M M I T T E E ELIZABETHAN Society Women were first admitted to Trinity in 1904 (good), but were not initially admitted to any student societies (bad). The Phil was the first to admit women in 1967(could be better), but before then, The Eliz was formed as a women’s-only debating and paper reading society (good). The Eliz and The Phil merged in 1981, and to this day, the highest-ranking woman or gender-minority officer of The Phil is also the Honorary President of the Eliz, this year Eleanor Moreland. The Eliz is now focused on providing events tailored to women and gender minorities, ranging from chill safe spaces, to parties, to opportunities to expand your enormous brain. Highlights include panel discussions, guest speaker events, public speaking workshops, and the famous Eliz Garden Party, held in Trinity Week. The Eliz is both a vibe that we hope The Phil always upholds, and - get this - an actual subcommittee that you can join. Meetings are held periodically throughout the term, and you are more than welcome to get in touch if you have any suggestions for events or want to learn more about joining! The best place to start is by emailing eliz@tcdphil.com.
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK MILLENIUM WALKWAY | TEMPLE BAR | LIFFEY VALLEY WWW.LEON.CO/IE JOIN US ON SOCIAL: @LEONIREL
The EGBERT UDO
UDOMA SUbcommittee Hey hey! My name is Francine and I’m the Chairperson of The Udoma this year! The Udoma is one of the subcommittees of The Phil and was created in honour of Egbert Udo Udoma who was a former president of The Phil from 1942-43. The subcommittee is a space for POC/ethnic minorities to be heard in the TrinityCollege community and to encourage their contribution to the realms of debating, public speaking and advocacy. Launch & Public Speaking Competition: The Udoma will be having its official launch in the Hilary Term and to commemorate this event, we will be hosting a Public Speaking Competition for POC/ ethnic minorities to compete in, however all students are welcome to attend! The Public Speaking Competition will be centred on prescribed themes set for the competition – from intersectionality to women of colour in the public sphere competitors will have an array of different themes they can choose to speak about. So, if you are a POC/ ethnic minority, and would like to address POC/ethnic minorities issues in oratorical form, I highly recommend you get involved!!
What We Do The Udoma strives to represent the voices of POC/ ethnic minorities from inside of Trinity and further afield. The aim of the subcommittee is to create events organised by and for POC from oratory and debating competitions, to panel discussions and events promoting a constructive conversation on the unique issues faced by POC/ ethnic minorities. Middle Ground: Movie Nights:
What if Debating and Public Speaking is not really your thing but you still want to get involved with the subcommittee? Don’t worry, The Udoma completely understands! That is why next semester we will be showing movies that deal with the unique issues of POC/ ethnic minorities, that did not quite make the cut in getting the recognition they deserve in the realms of theatre and film. So, for those of you who just want to chill yet be inspired by the stories of POC/ ethnic minorities in cinematic form, pop along to our movie nights - all are most welcome!!
This has been an event that has been in the works for over a year now and will be the highlight of The Udoma this year! Inspired by Jubilee’s “Middle Ground” on Youtube, this event will be bringing POC/ ethnic minorities within the Trinity Community together to speak about their experiences both as Trinity Students and POC/ ethnic minority- individuals in wider society. This is a mustsee event for everyone to gain a deeper insight into the unique issues of POC/ ethnic minorities and to understand how we can work towards a more inclusive society both in Trinity and society at large!
SAM CARTHY
TREASURER
After surviving a highly contested election for the Phil’s Master of Coin, Sam is the backbone of our dysfunctional rag tag group of precocious attention seeking debaters. When Trinity professors and staff members come to our sponsorship events to attempt to shut them down, Sam saves the day. When previous treasurers have done a shite job at paying back our long standing debts, Sam saves the day. What would we do without him?
P H U N P H AC T S O F T H E PHWEEK You might remember seeing some of these in our weekly emails ... Don’t recieve the weekly email? Make sure to become a member to stay updated !!! Questions, concerns, anything else (good jokes, discourse etc)? Email librarian@tcdphil.com xo “Some think that ascending to the highest office in the land (president of the Phil) requires a love of discourse. Not true. It requires a little elbow grease and a deep, abiding commitment to getting your toes out in front square” - Eleanor Moreland “ The Good Phriday Agreement was a Triumph” - Tom Comer “Mom, I am a rich man” - Anna Clarke “When Charles Darwin visited the Galápagos Islands to study the wildlife there, he brought a tortoise home with him which he named Harriet. This tortoise lived so long that when she passed away in 2006 at the age of 175, her final caretaker was the famous wildlife expert Steve Irwin” - Peter O’Brien “Why is common sense so uncommon?” - Ellen McKimm “Nominative determinism is the hypothesis that people tend to gravitate towards areas of work that fit their names. Such examples include Storm Field, a weather reporter, Sue Yoo, a lawyer, and Bert Beveridge, distiller of vodka” - Oisin Browne “PHARTITION WAS A DISASTER” - Michael Gormley “Political Science is STEM” - Louise Cullen (Woman in STEM) “When Lily Allen was writing her smash hit, Smile she didn’t know what a ‘middle eight’ was which is why the middle eight of Smile is “La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la La-la-la”” - Tara O’Sullivan “It’s hard being an influencer” - Maya Baum “Maybe the real meaning of Christmas is the Phriends we made along the way” - 337 xo
W H O T F I S P H I L?
@TCDPHIL MAYA BAUM
LIBRARIAN The she/they, the myth, the legend behind @tcdphil, Maya personifies all the qualities of what it means to be a social media master. Not only is Maya our head of publicity, but she is also this year’s GMB squatter. Whether it be hail, rain or shine, 4pm or 4am, if you walk into the building it is guaranteed that you’ll come across Maya keeping an eye on the Phil’s odd bits of string, or sleeping. No one is more deserving of the title of Phil Menace.
Pearse Street
PIZZA
& CHILL *This offer doesn't apply on meal deals