VOLUME xViI ISSUE 1
Ne quid false dicere audeat ne quid veri non audeat
IRELAND’S AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER
21st September 2010
FEATURES Are Celtic Tiger cubs too lazy to find employment?
COMMENT IS TWITTER RELEVENT IN ANALYSING THE MISTAKES OF POLITICIANS?
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Students left confused by changes in residence administration AMY BRACKEN Students who were booked in accommodation in Roebuck Halls were informed upon arrival that their accommodation was unavailable and they would need to seek temporary accommodation. The University Observer understands that students who booked accommodation in phases one and two of Roebuck were not accommodated, as students who had booked rooms in the unfinished phase three were accommodated in phases one and two. Phase three is scheduled to be ready in the third week of term. A student living on campus told The University Observer that the students affected, many of them first years, were informed of the situation by email. “Their Licence to Reside says the 6th, so you can see why they were confused,” the student said. It has also come to the attention of The University Observer that students who rejected rooms, but then changed their minds, have been able to reclaim their rooms, despite the fact that it may have already been allocated to someone else. The student went on to say: “I think that there were really big issues with the SIS, that it was live the whole time. Someone was getting a room, and then someone else was picking the same room.” UCDSU Welfare Vice-President Scott Ahearn described the situation as “a massive mistake on Residences part,” and cited lack of communication as the reason. This year a former convent at Muckross, near Donnybrook, was added as a UCD residence. “There’s no photos online, it’s a convent,” Ahearn said, adding that the rooms at
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SCIENCE The truth behind the popular zombie myth Page 15
SU slam university’s decision to offer extra points for maths AMY BRACKEN
U
CD Students’ Union have slammed the university’s decision to start awarding extra points for Leaving Certificate higher level maths, starting in 2012 on a four-year trial basis. The university is to consult with other universities in the coming weeks before deciding upon the appropriate couse of action. The move has been welcomed by UCD Registrar, Dr Philip Nolan, who believes that this will boost the uptake of higher level maths. He stated that the university felt “that increasing mathematics attainment at second and third level is essential and that bonus points is likely to increase the uptake of higher mathematics”. He went on to say that the initiative “will only be successful if it is part of a suite of measures to interest students in mathematics, to ensure the best possible teaching and to support student learning,” and that the onus is on the government to “ensure that all students have equal access to higher mathematics and that it is available in all schools”. However, UCDSU have not given their support to the decision, stating that it is “merely putting a band aid over a gaping wound”. UCDSU President Paul Lynam acknowledged that there are issues with the current higher level mathematics curriculum, but says bonus points are not the answer: “The introduction of bonus points will give students an unfair advantage in accessing courses where Maths is irrelevant such as Law and Medicine.
Students queue for the SU bookshop on its opening day Photo: Bridget Fitzsimons Students will put an unbalanced amount of time trying to achieve high grades in honours Maths and in doing so, neglect other subjects.” The university has acknowledged that problems, such as a shift in the points race as well as a lack of higher level teaching facilities in some rural areas, may lead to more and more students being denied the chance to enter university, and thus the scheme is to be initially implemented on a trial basis. Minister for Education Mary Coughlan has welcomed the move and hopes that it
will encourage the other six universities in the country to follow suit. Lynam said that the initiative “is a shortsighted and temporary attempt at a solution, but not a realistic or viable option. The government needs a long-term maths strategy to put resources into second-level education and to cater for students struggling at both honours and ordinary level.” Higher level maths has been criticised on the basis of a low uptake rate and the fact that less than half of the country’s mathematics teachers are fully qualified to teach
the subject. Lynam expressed his belief that the initiative will have little impact on the uptake of science subjects at third level. “There is no evidence supporting the theory that awarding bonus points for maths will result in more students choosing to study science, engineering and similar subjects. A study by the Irish Universities Association in 2008 discovered that 61% of students with honours Maths chose a field of study other than science, engineering or technology.”
Britvic sign exclusivity deal with university KATIE HUGHES
U
CD has negotiated a deal with Britvic Ireland that entitles them to exclusively sell the products across campus in an effort to secure funding. The deal ensures that Coca-Cola company products including Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite will no longer be stocked in any shops, restaurants or vending machines on campus. The deal ensures that no outlet on campus will sell any non-Britvic product. Britvic products include Ballygowan, Club Orange and Pepsi. A university spokesperson stated that a decision was made to put the vending out to tender in an effort to “improve cost effectiveness and service”.
The deal is expected to go ahead despite 52% percent of UCD students voting to overturn the UCDSU Coca-Cola boycott last year. The ban was initiated in 2003 by UCDSU and put to the student body to vote on as a sign of opposition to the murder of several of its unionised employees in Columbia. In September 2006, the UCD Federal Court proclaimed that Coca-Cola was not found to be in violation of any human rights, a statement reaffirmed by the US Court of Appeals in 2009. The University Observer is not aware if the ban overturn was taken into consideration in the UCD-Britvic negotiations. UCDSU President Paul Lynam believes that “the college must take financial decisions in the best interests of the institution,’’ while acknowledging that students must be given the widest choice possible.
“In an ideal world, we wouldn’t have to make such decisions, but we must be realistic and explore options that offer more
funding for UCD and its students.” Lynam has said that he feels that it is difficult for the SU to oppose such a deal when
they are lobbying against funding cuts, despite holding a referendum to overturn the Coca-Cola boycott. He stated that that they will “explore any initiative that allows UCD to continue to provide the highest standards of education for its students”. Exclusivity deals, such as the one entered into by UCD, are more common in American universities with Pennsylvania State University being the first to sign a $14 million contract with Pepsi-Cola to exclusively sell their products for ten years in 1992. Many American universities have since followed suit, including the University of Maryland, the University of Oregon and the University of Cincinnati. It is thought that UCD will be a test run for such business deals occurring in Europe and that other universities may also enter into deals with drinks companies.