RAG Week Supplement

SUPPLEMENT

Rag Week

Raising & Giving: Not Just a Week-long Phenomenon

ILLUSTRATION BY ALICIA MITCHELL FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

Tuesday 21 January, 2014

Hannah Boles & Leanna Byrne

There’s a long history of giving in Trinity.

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ith all the hype about rethinking the approach to RAG Week to make it more obvious that this week is about fundraising for worthy causes and not anything to do with a dirty towel, you might come to the conclusion that raising and giving is something hard to get us Trinity folk to do. Surely you would be more likely to find a Trinity student glued to their computer screen at a desk that faces away from the Pav in the Ussher tower than to find them out shaking a bucket on Grafton Street.

The reality is that raising and giving in Trinity is by no means a week long phenomenon. RAG Week is only a very recent development for a university that has a rich history in giving. Taking to the streets in a t-shirt is only a fraction of how much students have been giving back over the years. Money raised has not only gone to charity, but to make things better for students in our own university. In fact, you might be surprised at how much gifts and donations from past have enriched campus life.

From the chambers in the GMB to the seats that look like they came straight from a nightclub in the BLU, giving back and the Trinity community spirit is all around us if you bother to look for it.

A History of Giving No account of the history of giving in Trinity is complete without pointing out that the college itself was a gift from continued on page 6

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The University Times Supplement | Tuesday 19th November 2013

2 Rag Week

What Charity Means to me and my World Why the belief that you’re making a difference in the world puts a smile on your face Billy Shanahan Contributing Writer

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think the self-serving nature of charity is undervalued. I went to “Intro Night” in second year because my mother told me to do charity work.

I chose My World Kids’ Club because it suited my timetable … and a hot blonde girl gave the presentation. That’s not even the selfish part. I volunteer because it just makes me very happy. I didn’t even realise it would. I started out as a result of some ill-considered, crudely held obligation to do charitable work. I continued because I’m addicted to the smile on my face.

The real question is: why does it make me so happy? The answer is the same one everyone else who volunteers will give you – the people, the craic and the belief that we’re actually making a little difference in the world.

The people you meet (and will meet, hopefully) while volunteering are nothing short of extraordinary. The VDP members of Trinity are the most inviting group of people I’ve ever come across.

In “My World” we have a team of committed do-gooders from Trinity who give up their time on an almost weekly basis. Whether it’s my place or not to thank them for the work they do I’m not sure but I can

RAG WEEK

Events

only say they are great. I welcome anyone to come along and bask in their halos! “My World” is perhaps a little bit different to most of the other VDP activities in that it’s not solely run by Trinity volunteers. In fact I would say we are merely accessories to its functioning. There are four women: two volunteers and two teachers who keep the show on the road. The children in “My World” may look to us as role models but for us, these ladies are the true heroes. One, has five kids of her own to look after, another barely escapes the office by seven every night and the teachers dedicate their skills and affection like the children are their own. Without the time, care and attention invested by these women there would be no club!

Despite the depressing and difficult nature of the many situations of those needful of charity, it’s surprisingly fun. And I’m not even referring to VDP speed dating, InsMot or this week’s 90’s themed night out (although all rank highly on the ladder of craic). I’m talking about the Saturday mornings where twenty odd or so children from Cuffe Street, York Street and elsewhere around St Stephen’s Green gather at Áras Treasa to paint, mess and talk with Trinity volunteers and a few inspiring women. They’ll tell you if they don’t like your new haircut, ask you if they need help with their sums and infect you with a free living spirit that only they can. I think

I nearly have more fun there than the young people do sometimes!

The belief that we might actually be making a difference to the lives of these children is the most noble of all the reasons we volunteer. For them, the club is a chance to express themselves, to be in a stress free environment and to hopefully gain the self-belief and confidence to overcome the many obstacles they’ll face – more than most of us did I can assure you. If their unwavering attendance wasn’t enough to convince us of how much the club means to them the story of how it was named surely suffices.

While preparing for parents day several years ago one little boy was asked what the club meant to him.

He simply replied “It’s my world”.

I urge anyone who isn’t involved in some form of volunteering to give it a chance. You’ll be surprised by how much you’ll enjoy it. As the Dalai Lama said: “If you want others to be happy, practise compassion. If you want to be happy, practise compassion”.

Rag Week Bucket Collection

more details!

Keep an eye out for the individual fundraisers, dreamt up and organised by individual students and which are inevitably the backbone of the week. These events raise sums both big and small, forming a significant part of the money raised.

The events are vast ranging from students dying their hair to a 24hour continuous DJ set!

On Wednesday, Trinity students will be hitting the streets of Dublin for the RAG Week Bucket Collection Day. Any student can turn up.

You will be given a bucket and a RAG Week T-shirt, assigned a team leader and will then be told where to go to shake your buckets and raise much needed money for the RAG Week charities. For anyone who hasn’t thought of an extravagant activity of their own but still wants to get involved, this is a fantastic way to contribute to RAG Week. You can check out the Facebook event for

My World Kids’ Club is a workshop for primary school aged children living in the St. Stephen’s Green area.

It uses a Montessori style of teaching where the children learn by doing in a relatively self-directed manner. It runs on Saturday mornings from 10am to approximately 1.30 pm. If you would like more information or to get involved please don’t hesitate to contact Billy on myworld@trinityvdp.com.

Rag Week Quidditch Tournament Competing societies, classes and friends will battle it out on the Cricket Pitch as part of the RAG Week

Photo BY PATRICK PURTILL , PRO VDP

Quidditch Tournament. Like its sister sport from the wizard world, muggle Quidditch teams consist of a Keeper, 3 Chasers, 2 Beaters, and a Seeker. While Mr. Quirrell may not be there to jinx one of the Sneaker’s brooms, there’s sure to be plenty of foul play, as Beaters attempt to use Bludgers (Dodgeballs) to prevent the Chasers scoring points with the quaffle (volleyball). Each match will end when a snitch, a ball attached to a neutral snitch runner (usually a familiar face from around College), is captured by one of the Seekers.

All details can be found on the Facebook event!

Patrick Lavelle

RAG Week 2013 Quidditch

The University Times Supplement | Tuesday 19th November 2013

4 Rag Week

The Best Event of the Year is Back

Katie Rice and Conor Cadden are tipped to be this year’s Trinity Come Dancing winners

Emer Gerrard Staff Writer

DU Dance hosts Trinity Come Dancing in the Academy during RAG Week

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fter taking home the gong for ‘Best Event of the Year’ at the Society of the Year Awards last year, DU Dance are back this RAG Week with ‘Trinity Come Dancing’. The society have again paired up their most talented and experienced dancers with some of the most well-known faces around campus. Trinity “celebrities” battling it out for the all-important glitter ball trophy include Phil President Rosalind Ní Shuilleabháin, S2S President Ian Mooney and SU President Tom Lenihan.

The dancing showcased on the night is bound to be another eclectic mix of styles, cultures and rhythms with the professional dancers coming from disciplines as varied as contemporary to burlesque and hip-hop to ballet. Last year’s winners, who danced what they called ‘the Irish’, will be a hard

Emilie Lucille and Tom Lenihan

Photo by Max Grimmeiss

The University Times Supplement | Tuesday 19th November 2013

Rag Week 5 Rag Week Fundraisers to Watch

UT vs. TN Grudge Match FRIDAY 24, BOTANY BAY

Line of Coins

The ultimate rivalry takes to the mean streets of Botany Bay. This won’t be a pretty site with Sports Editors Conor Bates (UT) and Cal Gray (TN) taking bets who will be the first to get knocked out. Expect no sportsmanly-like behaviour at this one.

January 20, Front Square

This idea was “coined up” two years ago by two law students.

The tradition has carried on and the line of coins will be another staple in the RAG Week calendar again this year.

“The Floor is Lava” TBD

Damien McClean is taking us back to our childhood antics by organising a game of “the floor is lava” from the sports centre to front square. The game is complete with very strict rules such as no piggy-backing, so you’ll have to be as creative as possible.

S2S Smackdown January 22, 23, 24, PHYICS GARDEN

S2S are sick of their wholesome image, so they’ve decided to shake things up by doing some sumo wrestling, crocker smashing and playing Gladiators in the the Physics Garden.

DU Amnesty Game of Zombies TBD

As far as we’re aware this one is as straightforward as, well, a game of zombies. We hope there will be as many Shaun of the Dead references as possible.

24 Hour Yoga with Yoga Soc TBD

Need a break from the tough world of shaking buckets and being a socially-conscious student? Yoga Soc have the answer with their 24 hour yoga. Be sure not to miss out!

Iron Stomach January 21, Front Square

Photo by Max Grimmeiss

act to follow for this year’s Irish dancing act led by Conor O’Brien with his celebrity partner Oilbhe Cahill Reid. After the modern twist of last year’s act, who danced their jig to Goldfish’s Get Busy Living, it will be interesting this pair come up with.

Some have tipped Conor Cadden and Katie Rice to come out on top on the night. Conor has been partnered with London dancer Katie who has years’ experience and a very impressive résumé of both Grade 8 ISTD in Jazz and RAD Advanced 2 in Ballet. Another pair to watch are Grace Healy and Max Grimmeiss. While German born Max is the professional, Grace is no stranger to performance. The Drama and Theatre student has been both an active member of Players’ as well as having modelling experience. Dancing the tango, this couple are sure to own the stage!

Of course, being a RAG Week event, Trinity Come Dancing hopes

to raise as much money as possible for well-deserving charities.

This year Pieta House will be the benefactor of the event’s earnings, taking the place of Cancer Soc, which received last year’s profits.

Pieta House offers support to those struggling with self-harm and works to prevent suicide. In 2012 alone, more than 3,000 people availed of their services.

Trinity Come Dancing will be held in the Academy this Thursday from 7pm. The interval show will consist of performances from the DU Dance Hip-Hop and Contemporary teams, Trinitones, Trinity College Singers and Morgan MacIntyre Music. The winner will be decided by the joint vote of a panel of judges and the audience.

Trinity Come Dancing is set to be an exciting, hilarious and entertaining event, with all monies raised going to a very worthy cause. No doubt it will once again be a highlight of RAG Week!

For some this might be the one not to watch. We won’t lie, Iron Stomach is not an event for the faint hearted. Watching students swallow sticks of butter like nobody’s business isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s all for a good cause. If you’re passing by Front Square drop a quid in the bucket and quickly run along.

The Hist Comedy Debate January 22, GMB

GSU RAG Week Dodgeball Tournament

The Hist are teaming up with Comedy Soc to host a comedy debate on Wednesday in the GMB. What’s the motion?

Well we’re not too sure, but it’s something to do with the top comedians from Comedy Soc pleading for their lives. There’s a cat on the poster so it’s sure to be good.

Pie of the Sabbats

January 22, SPORTS CENTRE

TBD

Showing off your ability to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and ... dodge, you’ll be raising money for the Postgrad Hardship Fund. Oh, and it’s fancy dress.

Remember that guy or girl you voted for last February that seemed so lovely? Guess what – they were only nice to get your vote. Get even with cream-filled revenge.

Seán Reynolds: Hairy to Hairless January 22, GMB

Bearded wonder and Ents spectacular Seán Reynolds will be waxing/shaving his entire body. Yes, you heard right, his entire body. We expect photos.

VDP RAG Week Challenges ALL WEEK

VDP have challenged the students to sport a onesie on Monday, odd shoes on Tuesday, ARK on Wednesday (Ed note: No idea what this is.

Is it the rainy season?), live on less than €1 on Thursday and fast for 24 hours on Friday.

The University Times Supplement | Tuesday 19th November 2013

6 Rag Week « continued FROM page 1

A History of Giving in Trinity

our friend Liz. Trinity College was founded in 1592. Under the auspices of Dublin Corporation the land that the university still stands on today was given to the people of Dublin by Queen Elizabeth I for the purpose of education. Appeals were then made to the wealthy of every county in Ireland and £2,047 was raised to fund the building and furnishing of Ireland’s first university.

Trinity was given to Dublin by Elizabeth I’s charter. It hardly made up for the antics in Munster ten years previously, but it was the beginning of a number of generous donations.

Fast forward to the 1660s and the Archbishop of Armagh, James Ussher, a Fellow and alumnus of Trinity, bequeathed his library to the college. This contained roughly 10,000 volumes of manuscripts and printed books. Henry Jones, the Bishop of Meath, similarly donated the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow - to this day two of Trinity’s most valuable possessions. In fact, right up to the contemporary day, past students and faculty members have donated their private library collections.

Mary Pollard, a former Keeper of Early Printed Books, bequest her collection of over 10,000 works of children’s literature, dating from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century, to Trinity following her death in 2005. This donation has left Trinity as the foremost library of children’s literature in the country, thus following in the footstep of Henry Jones and his invaluable donations.

Books and land have not been the only donations. In 1853 the Campanile itself was donated by another Archbishop of Armagh, Lord Beresford. This is arguably the most iconic part of Trinity. And, as the myth goes, students know better than to walk under this particular donation when the bell is ringing for fear you might fail your exams.

Forty odd years later the Graduate Memorial Building, or the GMB as we fondly refer to it, began construction following the donation of £7,500 by past graduates for a building to house the student societies of college. That figure might seem like a steal today, especially with housing prices on the rise again, but the value has certainly translated over the years for students as the two biggest societies in Trinity, the Phil and the Hist, are closely associated with the building.

Indeed in 1908 the Lord Chancellor, Lord Iveagh, and Frederick Purser established a hall of residence for women in Dartry, which we all now know as Trinity Halls.

The University Times Supplement | Tuesday 19th November 2013

Rag Week 7

Front Cover: Oldham House in Trinity Hall Left: Campanile in Front Square Above left: Graduate Memorial Building, Front Square Above right: The Pav ILLUSTRATIONS by ALICIA MITCHELL for the university times

Therefore, although we are largely unaware of it, a lot of what we see and experience today in college has come from the generosity of one person or another.

were asked to donate a small sum to run a preservation project in the Old Library. Sometimes a little from a lot of people goes a long way.

Programmes that Give Back The culture of giving in Trinity extends beyond the old buildings bought by the various patrons of the university. Giving back by funding programmes such as the Trinity Access Programme (TAP) or LaunchBox impacts directly on the student experience.

TAP is probably the most wellknown of these programmes as it opens Trinity’s doors and widens access for higher education. TAP have recently celebrated their 20th birthday and have enjoyed significant growth as 1300 students (600 graduates and 700 undergraduates) have come through the programme in the 2003 - 2013 period.

They are now aiming for 2020 TAP graduates by 2020 with the help and support of the college community.

LaunchBox is a student start-up incubator programme funded by Trinity alumni, or the “Trinity Angels” as they are often referred to.

This helped inspirational projects such as FoodCloud, a social enterprise which reduces food waste in the commercial sector by connecting retailers with charities, get off the ground and generate positivity in their community.

All that said, you don’t have to be a “Trinity Angel” or a major benefactor to make a difference through giving back. John Dillon from the Alumni Office reminds us that one of the most successful initiatives was “Save the Treasures of the Long Room”, where alumni

Students and Staff The principle that a little goes a long way is the core message of this week. RAG Week is not just a recurring week on the calendar in Trinity, but for colleges across the country. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, which defines ‘rag’ as ‘a program of stunts, parades, and other entertainments organised by students to raise money for charity’, it is a term that has been around since the 18th Century. RAG has a certain reputation across Ireland as an affair primarily centred on drinking and general mischief. Unfortunately the Trinity RAG Week is no exception.

Since the 1930s Trinity RAG week has been causing a stir in the media. In 1933 it was reported that fifty student RAG participants broke into the Shelbourne, while others ‘presented scenes representing a mock wedding, Gandhi and a goat, Spanish visitors at the senate and Mussolini on a donkey.

Several were dressed to represent Herr Hitler’s followers.’ RAG week 1933 admittedly was not one of our finer moments in history!

In recent years, RAG week has marked a swift move towards a greater emphasis on the giving aspect of the week. It has not always made large sums of money and it wasn’t until 2011 that RAG Week saw a surge in participation across College. Then Ents Officer, Darragh Genockey, introduced the concept of personal fundraisers. This al-

“

In 1933 it was reported that fifty student RAG participants broke into the Shelbourne, while others ‘presented scenes representing a mock wedding, Gandhi and a goat, Spanish visitors at the senate and Mussolini on a donkey.

lows individuals to take it upon themselves to personally raise money for the RAG Week fund. As a result, €12,000 was raised in 2011, 300% more than the previous year.

However, it’s not just the students who are actively fundraising.

A couple of years previous, in 2009, the staff and alumni of the college started an event known as Trinity Takes To The Streets. Through their hard work they managed to raise €110,000 which was donated to TAP, the Student Hardship Fund and the National Institute for Disabilities (NCID). Their trojan efforts demonstrated the capability of the community within Trinity to actively raise money which could then be donated to charity.

The premise of RAG Week rests on this concept. Over the course of this week the staff and students of Trinity College will be running a series of events in a bid to raise €20,000. These events vary from faculty coffee mornings, to bucket collections around the city, to more juvenile activities such as ‘pie your sabbats’, as well as the ‘traditional’ RAG Week nights out. The money that these activities, along with that of the personal fundraisers, amass will then be first matched by the Alumni Office, who are keen to continue Trinity’s heritage of giving, and the total will then be distributed among twelve charities within Trinity.

There we have it, over the course of the last 422 years the act of giving has been embedded in the fibres of our university. The buildings around were given to us - yes even the Pav as it is today was a donation dating from 1955! Now it is our turn to give a little and be part of that history.

The University Times Supplement | Tuesday 19th November 2013

8 Rag Week

Rag Week Charity Profiles This year’s RAG Week Committee received letters from all of Trinity College’s charitable societies explaining their role in Trinity and what they do with their donations throughout the year and from their RAG Week events. We have profiled the responses of the nine charities and encourage all students to take a look at the hard work carried out by students across campus.

DU Amnesty DU Amnesty International is Ireland’s largest student Amnesty group and a recognised society group of Amnesty Ireland. The main aim of the society is to raise funds and awareness for the work and campaigns of Amnesty International. Amnesty International works to promote human rights in Ireland and across the globe.

Internationally, they appeal to governments to free prisoners of conscience and to end the death penalty. In Ireland they promote campaigns on mental health rights and socio-economic rights. Our society helps them in these campaigns by having petition drives and letter writing as well as raising funds to support the charity. We promote discussion and engagement with these issues by having guest speakers give talks on topics ranging from North Korea, women’s rights and femal genital mutilation.

The money that is donated to our society is either put towards Amnesty Ireland, where the funds are assorted into the various campaigns that they run, such as Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Ireland or ending LGBT discrimination throughout the world, focusing on Uganda and Russia. Alternatively the money gets put towards DU Amnesty, where we use the funds to promote awareness throughout Trinity and Ireland. Specifically, the funding goes towards paying for guest speakers, like the famous Ifrah Ahmed, who is a survivor of and activist for FGM. We also use the funds to organise and promote events, such as the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party - where we raised awareness for mental health through discussion groups, a screening of Alice in Wonderland and small workshops. We also use donations to promote students’ human rights and make them aware of their rights as students in Ireland today.

If you are interested in getting involved in DU Amnesty they can be contacted via Facebook at DU Amnesty International Trinity College Dublin, at amnesty@csc.tcd.ie or you can find them on Twitter@duamnesty. – Jack Marks, Events Officer

Trinity Cancer Society Trinity Cancer Society provides awareness to staff and students on campus regarding the dangers and causes of cancer as well as raising vital funds for cancer research.

We are a direct branch of the Irish Cancer Society, though our work is directed to the members of the Trinity College population. We have events almost every week (fundraising and awareness alike) to get all of our members involved in the work that we do. We hold talks (our most recent was from Emma Hannigan, cancer survivor and author, who we presented the Trinity Cancer Society Inspirational Award to), entertainment events such as our annual Pink Party and we are delighted to be a part of the Inaugural Trinity Charity Ball. We have a blog which provides weekly articles about cancer awareness and getting involved with us. We have collection days such as Daffodil Day and Pink Ribbon Day as well as other

hilarious fundraisers like the Naked Calendar. Our awareness campaigns are targeted towards both males and females. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and November becomes Movember with Mo Bros growing moustaches across campus and Mo Sistas providing invaluable support.

We strive to co-ordinate with as many societies as possible each year. They take part in our events, support our fundraising efforts e.g. DUBES for Pink Party - and help us with awareness e.g. Trinitones for Movember. Our ultimate event every year is Relay For Life, a 24 hour event involving classes, groups of friends, societies, clubs, staff and alumni across Trinity College. It will be held on campus this year and we will celebrate those who have beaten cancer, remember those who we have lost and fight back as a team against the disease. Our unofficial motto is “We are the generation to cure

cancer” and we like to live by it with each event we hold.

As previously stated, our work is carried out week after week to benefit the staff and students of Trinity College Dublin. We organise fundraising events to engage with our hundreds of members. We run awareness events, days and months to provide our peers with enough information to help them prevent cancer. We provide an outlet to those who find the thought of cancer scary, or who want to feel proactive in the Fight Back. We maximise integration with our members for every event to allow them the same chance we have to raise money for cancer research (carried out by Trinity students) and vital awareness campaigns (such as anti-smoking campaigns on campus). We reinvest money raised into our society and the work we carry out. Already this year we have increased the amount of

events from last year three times over. We are more engaging with other societies and students outside of our member base. We have also received amazing feedback from students all across campus appreciating the work we do and thanking us for helping them to get involved. We can’t do any of this without fundraising and seeking donations to keep our society afloat. We begin each year with an empty bank account and make excellent use of all investments in our society.

If you would like to get involved with Trinity Cancer Soc you can contact them at cancer@ csc.tcd.ie or on Facebook at Trinity-Cancer Soc. – Daniel McFadden, Cancer Society Awareness Officer & RAG Week Representative

The University Times Supplement | Tuesday 19th November 2013

Rag Week 9

MOVE

Enactus A community of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. We use knowledge honed in Trinity College Dublin to set up businesses or initiatives that tackle social problems in our community. Students come to the Enactus TCD Committee to discuss and brainstorm business ideas of a social entrepreneurship theme. They will work with you, guided by academic advisors and business experts, to make the business idea a reality and not only transforms lives, but help students develop the kind of talent and perspective that are essential to leadership in an ever-more complicated and challenging world.

The money donated to our society is used to train students during Enactus Ireland training days on how to fulfill Enactus criteria, generate ideas and start putting an idea into practice. In addition, as a new society we use it to promote our ideas drives or events on campus and most importantly our funding is used in order to kickstart projects as monitored seed funding.

To get involved with Enactus drop them an email at enactustcd@gmail.com,find them on Twitter at @EnactusTCD or on Facebook at Enactus TCD. – Rosa Langhammer, Enactus Representative

MOVE (Medical Overseas Voluntary Electives) is a charity run by third year medical students in Trinity under the direction of the Dean of Health Sciences and Senior Clinical Staff in St. James’s and Tallaght hospitals. Each summer, students go abroad to volunteer in hospitals, clinics and healthcare projects in some of the world’s poorest and undeveloped countries in Africa, South East Asia and South America. The aim of MOVE is to fundraise for these hospitals and clinics and to help them buy much needed equipment to provide a health service to those who need it most.

Throughout the year we raise money through various events held within the college such as our annual charity ball, mystery tour, ‘Take Me Out’, karaoke, pub quizzes, club nights, candy cane gram, raffles and many more! Anyone can get involved in our society by coming along to our events and have fun in the knowledge that they are helping others at the same time!

All of the money donated to our charity goes directly to the hospitals, healthcare centres and clinics in each of the countries our members visit during the summer. As these healthcare centres are so ill-funded and under-resourced, the funds we bring contribute considerably to each hospital’s annual budget, helping them provide care to the most vulnerable. The financial assistance goes a long way in buying essential equipment ranging from the most basic of medications and bedding, to larger purchases such as ultrasound and ECG machines.

This year, we are hoping to raise €100,000 and with your help we won’t be long in reaching it!

If you would like to get in contact with MOVE you can do so via email, move@tcd.ie, or via Facebook at TCD MOVE Charity. – Sinéad O’Brien, MOVE Committee Member.

SUAS Suas Trinity is a student society which supports quality education at home and abroad. We support the provision of quality education as an instrument for major social change. Join us and you can work with our targeted partner organisations across Dublin central to deliver direct literacy support, explore complex and multi-faceted issues currently facing many developing countries and be inspired to work towards positive change, fundraise for and engage with our partner organisations in India and Kenya.

Children who do not learn to read and write effectively at primary level are more likely to leave school early, be unemployed or in low-skilled jobs, and end up in poverty. One in ten children leave Irish primary

schools with serious literacy difficulties. This figure rises to one in three in disadvantaged communities. Our Literacy Support Programme provides direct learning-support for 8-14 year olds attending DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) schools.

Students are tested before and after an eight week period during which volunteers work with them one-on-one using a specially designed curriculum.

Our Global Issues Course is a seven week evening course which gives students the chance to learn about development issues in a critical, engaging and interactive way.

Topics covered include poverty, education, global health, environmental sustainability and migration. The final session looks for-

ward and challenges participants with the question: ‘what next?’ Participants are supported to take action for positive change in the world.

Each year, Suas Educational Development brings volunteers from Ireland for a ten week teaching placement with their partner organisations in India and Kenya. Volunteers work each day as teaching assistants covering English and some Mathematics. Volunteers also participate in sessions exploring the development issues which they observe first-hand in the target countries although unfortunately the applications for this year’s volunteer programme have now closed.

If you’re interested in volunteering as a mentor or getting involved you can visit the Suas website at www.suas.ie, send them an email at suas@ csc.tcd.ie or find them on Facebook at Suas Trinity. – Cathal Meehan & Brian Cusack, Suas Committee.

The University Times Supplement | Tuesday 19th November 2013

10 Rag Week Volunteer Tuition Program

Student Assistance Fund

The Voluntary Tuition Programme provides over 200 secondary school students, 100 primary school students and 30 special needs students with free homework clubs, grinds and support. We also provide primary school students with after school activities such as art, drama and sports clubs. This year, having noticed a difficulty among students with Irish, VTP has set up a specific activities club dedicated to teaching Irish. VTP also provide mentoring and third level information to our secondary school students. We also this year have begun a maths and leadership programme called SLAM, whereby college students teach maths to transition year students, who in turn teach younger years in their school. We also run competitions for the students such in art, writing and debating. The overall outcome of this is that students on the programme get the support they need but cannot afford and receive encouragement to stay engaged in education and consider continuing on to third level. The positive outcomes for third level students who volunteer with VTP as tutors are that they take on responsibility in a mentoring role and learn about the community surrounding them. This year we have seen former school students who have been accepted into Trinity College come back to the programme as tutors. VTP offers students who live on Trinity’s doorstep a chance to meaningfully engage with the University and provides students with a much needed mentor who has reached third level education. Trinity students can get involved as tutors at primary or secondary level, or also in our art, drama, sports, Irish and maths clubs. We pair every tutor with one child whom they work with on a one-to-one basis all year.

All money donated to VTP goes directly to the students involved.

Funds are allocated amongst the primary, special needs and secondary school students. Money goes towards books and resources such as maths tables and exam booklets. Donations also go towards the running of the art, drama and sports clubs. Art supplies for the art club are a particular expense. We run art and writing competitions each term and with the help of donations are able to offer the winning students book vouchers. We also bring students on a trip at the end of the year to say thank you and well done for working hard all year and to incentivise them to stay with the programme, which is only possible by fundraising. We also spend money on ordinary society costs, Freshers’ Week stand, t-shirts, publications, social events etc. As a free-to-join society we do not receive a grant from CSC at all.

The Student Assistance Fund provides financial assistance for fulltime higher education students who are experiencing financial difficulties whilst attending college.

Students can apply for Student Assistance to help them with either temporary or ongoing financial difficulties. The Student Assistance Fund provides a further source of funding for higher education students in addition to the Student Grant.

Each year, the State allocates a certain amount of Student Assis-

For more information on VTP and to get involved visit VTP – Voluntary Tuition Programme on Facebook or email vtp@csc.tcd.ie. – Katie Latchford, VTP Committee.

tance funding to all publicly funded higher education colleges based on the size of the college’s full-time student population. Students in need of financial support can then make application in the college for assistance under the Fund.

The Student Assistance Fund typically provides financial assistance to students who are having difficulty covering the following kinds of expenses: books, class materials, rent, heating/lighting bills, food, travel of an urgent or essential nature, and medical expenses,

Free Legal Advice Centre We are Trinity’s branch of the Free Legal Advice Centre, a human rights charity dedicated to promoting access to justice for all. We run clinics every Tuesday at 7pm in Room 4 of the Atrium. Students are free to come and avail of this service from our qualified solicitor and barrister. A number of Freshman Law students are also partaking in the shadowing programme, attending clinics with the consent of the client and experiencing legal practice first hand.

We also run campaigns on issues of social justice and human rights. This year we are focusing our campaigns specifically on the rights of prisoners, asylum seekers, the homeless, children with learning difficulties and transgender people. People are free to contact us on any other issue they wish to be raised. Members of the student body are instrumental in our campaigns as volunteers and researchers, and their support and interest is invaluable to our society.

FLAC is open to all students and our ultimate goal is legal education and empowerment of the community both in Trinity and more broadly. To this end, we pro-

duce Know Your Rights booklets on student-relevant issues, such as tenant rights, rights on a night out and rights online. We are also hosting a series of Know Your Rights seminars throughout the year. Our first, on the issue of privacy and data retention online, was hosted on the 20 November. There will be more to come in Hilary Term.

The money donated to FLAC goes directly into our campaigns and research. We utilise our budget to raise awareness of issues by bringing speakers and experts on rights issues to the student body and hosting events and seminars.

We also use our funding to create the Know Your Rights booklets and other publications to benefit students. We also engage in fundraising activities to support our partner charities who deal substantively with the issues we campaign and research on.

For more information on FLAC you can visit their website at trinityflac. wordpress.com or you can send FLAC an email at flac@csc.tcd.ie or contact them via their Facebook group at Trinity FLAC. – Joseph Williams, FLAC Representative.

i.e. doctor or dental visits.

All colleges have an application form which must be completed by students wishing to apply for Student Assistance.

Applicants may be required to attend a meeting with a member of the college staff to discuss the application. Applicants may also be required to provide documentation to verify details of the income and outgoings provided in the application.

TAP Since 1993, the Trinity Access Programmes (TAP) have formed a central part of Trinity’s plan to encourage young adults, adults and ethnic minority students who come from socio-economic groups under-represented in higher education, to go to university.

TAP provides a range of supports to students, families and communities.

The TAP programmes are School and Community Outreach Links (SCOL), The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR), University Access Courses (including the TAP Foundation Course for Higher Education and the University Access Partnership Courses) and the Post-Entry Progression Programme. TAP offers two access routes into Trinity College for non-traditional students – the University Access Courses and the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) for young adults only.

In 2007/08, TAP received €583,000 from the core grant.

TAP has been successful in securing philanthropic funding of approximately €3.5 million over the last three years from business sources. TAP is currently supporting 452 undergraduate students and 50 foundation course students through the provision of financial assistance.

The University Times Supplement | Tuesday 19th November 2013

Rag Week 11 S2S S2S offers Peer Mentors to every incoming undergraduate honours degree student and visiting student in the College. These mentors make are here to help settle first year students into college whilst being a welcoming source of information regarding their course having been through it themselves and also to make sure that first year is as enjoyable as possible.

S2S offers trained Peer Supporters if you want to talk confidentially to another student or just meet a friendly face for a coffee and a chat.

Peer Supporters are there to assist with everything from giving you the space to talk about things, to helping you access resources and services in the College. There is also a Peer Support drop-in every Wednesday during term time from 11:00am-2:00pm, where two fully trained S2S Peer Supporters will be available to any students seeking information or support in completely confidential settings.

S2S can be seen as a society that promotes positive well-being in students. Throughout the year several campaigns and events are run to help encourage students to discuss any problems they may face personally and to open eyes to the difficulties their peers may experience. These problems can range from personal, mental and physical health situations to equality for all students from any background.

But we also like to have fun too!

Money donated would be used for several things. First of all, it would go towards the promotion and running of the campaigns that we organise. Next semester we plan to completely re-launch the peer support service with a brand new campaign to really promote the service to students across the college. As noted above the service is available to all students who need anything from personal or academic advice to anyone who just needs to sit and have a chat with a friendly face. In

the past our service has failed to become very well known in the college community, but despite this it has received incredible praise and feedback. At the moment it is something that only a small number of students avail of but it’s the kind of thing that even if it helps just one person, then it’s worth it.

This is just one campaign that we hope to run during the year. We

also organise weekly group meetups for students who are new to Dublin, and for off-books students.

We often run a series of events called Speak Your Mind in which a group of speakers, both students and people from outside of college, come in to talk about their experiences with things like mental health, being part of the LGBTQ community, disabilities, being

an international student and being a mature student. Constantly running events such as these is extremely costly and despite the fact that S2S are affiliated with a college body (Student Counselling Service and Student Learning and Development), excluding staff costs, all S2S activity and promotion relies entirely on donations, goodwill and the CSC when they’re

feeling generous.

So, to sum up, we’d use the money to help students, but more importantly, to encourage students to help themselves.

Conor McGuiness, S2S Committee.

For all enquiries contact S2S on Facebook - Student2Student (TCD Peer Mentoring and Peer Support) or via email at student2student@ tcd.ie.

Trinity St Vincent De Paul Trinity VDP is a society that endeavours to promote charity and alleviate social injustice. Its aims are to create activities which help those who are in socially secluded and disadvantaged areas of life through interaction with the members of the society, raise awareness of socially important issues and to fundraise to support these activities and other charitable organisations with similar aims.

The activities, which include homework clubs, flat decorating and soup runs, work with individuals and groups, striving to provide assistance for them in areas of life where they are overlooked and/or challenged by.

Along with over twenty activities, the VDP also stages awareness and fundraising events such as Jailbreak and the Charity Ball. If you are a student or a member of staff and wish to get involved and meet new people, then Trinity VDP is for you. With volunteers from a varied background, our diverse selection of activities and many fundraising events, the society gives everyone the opportunity to get involved. Our hope is that by working together in a way that is fun and enjoyable for everybody, we can really make a difference in the lives of people who are sometimes excluded. Vincent de Paul aims to promote charity by working through a person-toperson contact, encompassing every form of aid that alleviates suffering and promotes the dignity and integrity of humankind.

Money that is donated to us goes towards funding the activities mentioned to benefit the people that we strive to help. We hold yearly events for them with trips away to adventure centres and to Sunshine House in Balbriggan for the children. We also host a pantomime that brings kids from different homework together and allows them to perform on stage and have a moment in the spotlight whilst making friends amongst each other and with the volunteers.

The people, who we facilitate these activities for, as well as the volunteers who attend them, undergo mutual growth through giving and receiving. These activities are so important to them and to us; they need funding to be able to carry on and to continue to relieve any hardships that the people we work with face.

If you’d like to sign up then you can visit our website www.trinityvdp.com or get in contact with our president at president@trinityvdp.com – John Lorigan, VDP Representative.

The University Times Supplement | Tuesday 19th November 2013

12 Rag Week

More Harm Than Good

Leanna Byrne Editor

D

onegal Tuesday.

Burnt out cars.

Couches being thrown out of windows in Corrib Village. Topless students climbing on lampposts. Olé olés being chanted in a sea of mayhem in Supermacs. Welcome to the Irish RAG Week.

We’ve all seen the shakey five minute video of RAG Week in Galway two years ago where students sieged Supermacs on Eyre Square.

Tables were taken over as crowds, while stomping the ground, pushed hard enough to spill over the counter to the horror of the staff. The manager makes various appearances during the video trying to swat away students in his immediate path. However, the man is way out of his depth as he is outnumbered by hundreds to one.

For the past few years, RAG Week has become a particular concern for university cities and towns as residents have the pleasure

of an entire week dedicated to rowdy and drunken behaviour. Even Cork’s Lord Mayor, John Buttimer, had to take a stand in 2012 by calling for the expulsion of students engaged in antisocial behaviour.

Students’ Unions across the country have been blamed for promoting this drinking culture and have had to take measures to ensure their head isn’t on the media chopping block every February. Last year, students at University College Cork (UCC) were asked to sign a “pledge of honour” in a bid to crack down down on antisocial behaviour. Hardly that binding, but the move was coupled with an initiative called “Student Community Support”, which consists of students patrolling the local streets at night to pick up any rubbish and to keep their peers quiet. First years were also given a survey that asked them to consider their drinking habits.

The antics of Galway’s RAG Week in 2011 led NUI Galway to vote to scrap the week entirely. A motion replacing the week was voted through by the Students’ Union by 107 votes to 7 in exchange for university support for a one-day concert or festival similar to their other college balls. On top of that, NUIG President Dr James Browne promised to contribute €60,000 to the Student Assistance Fund, which

is used to help students who are struggling with financial hardship while in university, a guarantee from the President not to introduce charges at the Student Health Unit and the abolition of membership fees for the campus gym. Yet none of that helped the situation of anti-social behaviour in Galway - it just moved the controversy away from NUIG. Last year, Gardaí arrested groups of students overnight in connection with public order offences in Eyre Square as the spirit RAG Week lives on unofficially. The students were arrested in the early hours of the morning; however, last year’s NUIG SU’s President Paul Curley claimed that those people were just “piggybacking on celebrations”.

NUIG students themselves would voice their annoyance about bus loads of people coming from neighbouring counties just to mark the date.

Already planning for more unofficial celebrations are circulating for RAG Week 2014 through social media.

Of course, Galway Gardaí have no way of policing this and can only issue a warning of zero tolerance.

So how did colleges across the country come to have a week that seems to be entirely dedicated to heavy drinking and chaos when the mission is to raise money for charity? Disap-

Above: Gort na Corribe after Rag Week in NUIG 2011 Right: Gort na Corribe after Rag Week in NUIG 2012

The University Times Supplement | Tuesday 19th November 2013

Rag Week 13 RAG WEEK

Events

“

Disappointingly, evidence shows that when the concept for ‘Raise and Give’ Week was brought to Ireland from the UK, its purpose to become the focal point of student fundraising was completely lost.

Trinity VDP Rag Week ‘90s Night Trinity VDP will be hosting The Ultimate RAG Week ’90s Night on Tuesday 21 January in 4 Dame Lane.

If your childhood was infused with denim-clad boy bands, infiltrated

by Nintendo game consoles and inspired by Disney’s cult classic The Lion King, then this event is bound to ignite the nostalgia within. This throwback Tuesday is the ultimate opportunity to relive the bygone decade. Feel free to dress like an extra from Saved by the Bell - there will even be prizes for the best costumes. Rummage through parents’ wardrobes for vintage pieces or sur-

pointingly, evidence shows that when the concept for ‘Raise and Give’ Week was brought to Ireland from the UK, its purpose to become the focal point of student fundraising was completely lost. Reports that stem back as far as the 1950s are similar to students’ behaviour today. University College Dublin (UCD) authorities were the first to ban the week after a number of high profile pranks including the “kidnapping of sales girls from Clerys”. Trinity College Dublin (TCD) students were no angels in comparison as they carried out a number of pranks complete with Nazi references.

With the media being able to point to this particular week in the student calendar in a bid to label students as being in a constant state of drunken rowdiness, RAG Week seems to do more harm than good for our image. It’s a shame, because the ironic thing is that students are busy volunteering and contributing to the good of society during the rest of the year, while this week seems to overshadow all of that to our own detriment.

At this rate the only thing Students’ Unions can do is damage control. Especially for colleges outside of the Pale, rebranding this week has proved to be a bit of a failure. The only option is to cut all ties and assume no responsibility.

render your month’s savings to Topshop to nail that ‘authentic’ ‘90s look – your choice. With a suitably retro soundtrack to remind you of your first dance routine, we can expect Oasis, Blur and Hanson to complement the night. Tickets are just €5 - a sheer pittance for hours of reminiscent reverie.

The 2014 Rag Week Ball Trinity Ents have striven to bring us one of the biggest nights of the year – The RAG Ball 2014 on Wednesday 22 January in The Academy. French

House maestro FAUL, perhaps best known for his incredibly mellow tune Happy Endings, will be headlining the event. FAUL will be joined by fellow Frenchman DJ Wad Ad and the collaboration includes a DJ set from Dublin-based indie act Le Galaxie and support from Sense Dublin DJs including Trinity students Thilo Becker and Tom Crampton. Tickets are available online for €12. We can delight in the fact that all profits from the night will go to the designated RAG Week charities. Trinity Alumni have vowed to match all student contributions to the RAG Week fund with Alumni donations.

Emma McDonnell

RAG WEEK IN NUMBERS

€20,000 Collection Target

16,000 Students

€3,500 Money Raised by Trinity Come Dancing

£2,047 Money raised in the 1590s to build Trinity College

11 Charities

1 Goal. To raise money for worthy charities.

The University Times Supplement | Tuesday 19th November 2013

14 Rag Week

#Jailbreak

Paul Glynn Staff Writer

G

oing the extra mile is a good way of describing Trinity’s tradition of involvement in charity fundraising. RAG week is special here in that those who put their time into this week truly go the extra mile to raise money and awareness for good causes. During the week, eyebrows are shaven off, heads are dyed, and friends handcuff themselves to each other for a day, with a good measure of sporadic onesie-donning among other admirable feats.

However, going the extra mile for charity hardly stops at RAG Week. Indeed, for all of our enthusiasm for raising-and-giving, whatever the time of year, one event stands out on the Trinity calendar as being exceptionally notorious. It is an exciting and rewarding experience for all. Whether taking part in it or following its progress, and this year’s instalment, bigger and perhaps set to be more challenging than last year’s, is just around the corner: enter the Jailbreak.

The aim of the Jailbreak challenge is attractively audacious: students pair up into teams of two and their mission is to get as far away from campus as possible within thirty-six hours without spending a cent of their own money. With this limitation, getting out of dodge requires shameless blagging, donations, sponsorships, and a pinch of good luck. The winners of 2013’s Jailbreak, medicine students Matthew Hainbach and Claire Cullen, managed to travel 7,020 miles and reach the town of Miramar in central Argentina within the day-and-ahalf time limit. They raised €2,120 for the

charity fund and narrowly beat by just thirty-six kilometres runners-up Brian Cusack and Siona Wu-Murphy who had made it to the island of Bintan in Indonesia, a ferrytrip away from Singapore.

A few famous faces appeared along the way to contribute to the cause. Brian and Siona had a chance run-in with Nicky Byrne from Westlife in Dublin Airport, who helped them get on a flight to Dubai, while Chris de Burgh, who was born in Argentina, paid for flights home for champions Matthew and Claire.

Apart from the winners and runners-up, two other teams had gone to particularly impressive lengths on their Jailbreak adventure, but were unable to register their final location by the 9PM deadline due to being mid-flight. Jack Cantillon and Tommy Browne were bound for Sydney, while Dave O’Carroll and Eden Hoey were en route to Brunei, on flights sponsored

by Trinity graduate and deputy chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines, Dermot Mannion.

Many teams made it to European locations such as Paris, Bratislava and the Vatican City, not without enduring some travel hiccups such as lost passports, delayed flights and, for teammates Claire Bushell and Anna Barry, shifty-looking trains and hostels in snow-covered Serbia. All but four teams made it off the island, and even the humblest of journeys – that of Jack Marks and Ruairí Roantree to the exotic climes of Wicklow – was welcomed back with admiration. No matter how far Trinity’s brave souls ventured, the travelling paid off, as over €14,000 was raised by all involved, well over the original goal of raising €4,000.

Several national media sources, including RTÉ, Thejournal.ie, The Irish Times and an abundance of radio stations, tipped their hats to the endeavours of the students

by covering the story. The hashtag #TCDJAILBREAK13 became a common fixture in Twitter’s Irish trending topics over the few days. The Jailbreak even received admiration and recognition from abroad – winners Matthew and Claire were interviewed by ‘La Capital’, a newspaper covering the region where they registered their final location, and even Time Magazine ran a story about the event on their website.

This year sees a shake-up in the logistics of the Jailbreak thanks in part to the immense popularity and media attention it received all over the island. No longer just a Trinity staple, other Irish universities including UCC, UCD and NUI Galway are preparing to show how far their students can travel on the thinnest of shoestrings.

Similarly, potential teams have been asked to submit YouTube videos explaining why they should be chosen to run the gauntlet. Without a doubt, the batch of courageous students who put themselves up for this challenge of will have their work cut out for them, whichever university they represent. There’s certainly no easy way to

“

This year sees a shakeup in the logistics of the Jailbreak thanks in part to the immense popularity and media attention.

match the daring expeditions to Brunei, Indonesia and Argentina that last year’s challenge saw, let alone surpass them.

Adding to this pressure is the fact that the success of the Trinity Jailbreak was so enormous in only its first year – despite being a considerable campus tradition over the years for many UK universities, the distance travelled by many of Trinity’s first-ever teams put the quality of the event on a par with those of well-established Jailbreaks such as that of the University of Warwick that have been running a Jailbreak for many years.

The effect Trinity Jailbreak had was greater than could have been imagined. There can be no denying its impact on the college community. Last year, Trinity Jailbreak gripped the campus and tensions were palpable as students tuned in to Trinity FM where radio hosts attempted to make contact with the furthest-travelled teams over shakey phone lines to finally announce the winners.

What Jailbreak did, besides bring incredible gains to deserving charities, was show a greater audience that we students were rearing to go the extra mile for a worthy cause. Despite the pressures of travelling further than anyone last year, as well as an increase in the competition’s size, there is no doubt that whoever chooses to embark on the Jailbreak will have great support from the college community and further afield. It’s hard to turn one’s head away from watching your college classmates undertake such an intrepid and taxing adventure for charity. Whether you make it to New Zealand by plane, or to Naas on your brother’s rusty bike, it’s hard to say you haven’t gone the extra mile to make your efforts for a good cause count.

The University Times Supplement | Tuesday 19th November 2013

Rag Week 15

Breaking Free Daire Power is the winner of the Voluntary Tuition Programme’s Secondary School’s Writing Competition. She is 18 years old and is a sixth year in Sion Hill. VTP is a Trinity society which matches up 300 Trinity Students with 300 local primary and secondary school students from the Pearse Street and Ringsend areas to provide them with free tuition every year, as well as running various activities clubs and events for the local community’s young people.

Fellow classmates, friends and other audience members, my name is Daire Power and the topic of my article is ‘I want to break free’. This is a quote from the band Queen, and from listening to the lyrics I think many different angles could be taken when trying to decide what the song is about.

It could be the face value of a woman who has fallen in love with another man and wants to run away to him, as Freddie Mercury depicts beautifully in the music video, moustache and all. Or to want to break free from your life, to change the course you’re currently following for a new, more exciting path, or to break free from the constraints of society, of groups and gangs.

In the 1980’s this song was an anthem in South Africa while Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. So there is no doubt that this song has a strong message and can mean a lot of different things to different people.

I personally think that the song could be a mixture of all the different meanings I’ve mentioned already, but today I am going to use this quote from Queen in a personal way. I want to break free from something, and that is the constraints of growing older.

At every second of every minute of every day we grow older, and supposedly we are maturing and developing life skills. We are forever pushing forward in our life.

With each breath we take we are moving from childhood to teenage years to adulthood and eventually old age. And generally I guess life is interesting, fun and exciting. Yet it also sends us on strange journeys where the destination can be unclear. These unknown destinations can be the most amazing surprises.

But at an age where we consider ourselves to be most knowledgeable, we can still be afraid of what is in store.

Our leaving certificate is one

of the big monsters hiding in the closet of the unknown, along with decisions to do with colleges, courses and careers are ahead of us. And of course all of the other million things floating around them like friendships, relationships, personal behaviour, interests, body image, what to wear on the night out, etc etc. These are just a few thoughts and concerns of hundreds that pass through our minds on a regular basis.

My point is that today at 17/18 years of age we have become overloaded with concerns and worries that constrain who we really are.

These forever niggling thoughts affect how we act and how we behave around others. Ten years ago, when we were 7 and 8 what concerns did you have? Did they restrain the way you acted, or how you thought about yourself?

Remember when our hardest decision was what game to play at lunchtime? Remember when kisses really did make it better?

Remember when goodbye only meant until tomorrow. Remember when we could play all day and never get tired? Remember when we only had tests, on our times tables or spellings, and they weren’t called exams.

You could say we were young and naïve, and now that we have matured we know the truth, now we can try protect ourselves knowing how hard life can really be.

How cruel this world can be, how awfully people can treat each other and how so many can turn a blind eye to the evils that happen every day.

But I don’t think that’s fair to say. Yes we were naïve, and innocent, but we were free. Free to not care. To not be weighed down by troubles of the world. We were confident in ourselves. We could do what we wanted, we could become whoever we liked before the coils of the poisonous snake began to choke on our dreams. A coil

wrapping around our bodies with each year we gained. Every breath we took the snake of age squeezed us tighter, filling us with dread.

Frightening us further.

We are so afraid of being wrong that many of us would rather not try anything new. A wise woman once said; “Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned here.” Fear is a quality we have all developed as we have gotten older.

Fear of jumping from that tree.

Fear of what the others will say.

Fear of reaching too high. Fear of rejection. Fear of being shot down.

As children we loved freely, and openly. We never thought for one second that love could ever hurt us.

And the largest fear of all, the fear of being wrong. We are so afraid of being wrong, that when someone else is wrong, we are ready to pounce and correct them.

My sister came up to me recently saying “Daire I know why humming bird hums, do you?” I already had a rough idea it had something to do with how fast their wings moved when they flew, but I pretended I didn’t and asked her why. “ It’s because humming bird loves to sing though her friend tortoise said that she wasn’t very good at singing, and told her that she should hum instead and it would be much prettier. So now humming birds hums all the time, wherever she goes”.

Immediately I thought, where did she get this false information from? And I was about to correct her when I stopped myself, and thought, why not let her believe that? It’s much more fun, and maybe she’ll go on and tell her friends and they’ll pass on the story and bring a smile to their parents face.

Because it will be too soon that she will be corrected and penalised for every untrue fact she tells. Right now, it is sweet and innocent and fun, and I think we all could do with more smiles and laughter in our lives.

I do understand that growing up is compulsory, I do understand that there is lots of wonderful things to do in our lives as adults. But I feel that our childhood should not be something of a memory. Instead of learning and growing up and away from it, we should learn from it.

We should never let it go. It should be a part of us, to cherish and use every day.

I think the world would be a better place if we keep the strengths we have as children. Their honesty.

Their fearlessness. Their ability to be wrong, and not let it affect them. Today, we can start to make a difference, and find our inner child again. By little steps we started to walk tall like our elders. By little steps again, we will learn to walk like the children we once were.

I want to break free today, from the snake of aging, the snake that constrains my behaviour. I will break free from those constraints.

And I will do that while listening to the golden laughter of my sister as I take my first baby steps again.

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