VP Welfare Adam McGibbon and MLA Anna Lo have spoken out about the latest alleged sex attack in the University area. Police are investigating an alleged rape which took place on Saturday morning. It was reported that a woman was viciously attacked by two men in an alleyway between Cromwell Road and Ireton Street between 12:30am and 1:30am. PSNI are currently appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward.

BY KERRI-ANNE CAMPBELL

Anna Lo has urged women to be extra vigilant when going home at night in the university area, and has also called for PSNI to step up patrols at night.

She also stressed that the area is currently very quiet as most students have left for the summer holidays and this could make young women even more vulnerable to attack.

Sexual assault in the university area of South Belfast has been a continuing issue. VP Welfare and chairperson of the South Belfast Green Party, Adam McGibbon said, “It is a big concern. The university area is becoming more and more of a dangerous place.”

McGibbon stated that he is currently planning a number of campaigns in order to combat the problem and is hoping to work alongside Belfast City Council. As part of the campaign, it is hoped that in the near future, students will be able to use their student card in order to pay their taxi fee at a later date if they do not have the money at the time. If the campaign is successful, this would certainly ensure that every student has a safe way of getting home. McGibbon also encourages students to use the personal safety alarms which are available in the Students’ Union.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, last year 1,943 incidents of sexual assault were reported to the PSNI, of which 381 were alleged rapes. However, a report published earlier this month has revealed that only one in fifteen alleged rapes reported in Northern Ireland ends with a criminal conviction. As a result of this many rape victims refuse to report to the police.

Please click on the link below and fill out the short survey- it’s perfect if your in the mood for procrastination:

The Gown website survey: Have your say on your student news website.

http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=KMDNJH_68ddc679

BY BEN FINCH
In the Ardoyne area, a policewoman was injured when a block of masonry was thrown from the roof of a shop onto her head. Three officers were shot in the area and petrol and blast bombs were thrown at police. Over eighty officers were injured in the riots and millions of pounds worth of damage done to buildings in the community.

Father Gary Donegan of Holy Cross Church on the Crumlin Road has described the violence as “recreational rioting” and likened it to a theme park due to the age of many involved. It has been claimed that there were some rioters as young as eight years old involved in the disturbances.

So far, most attention has focused on the violence and consequences of the trouble. Very little has been paid to the underlying cause. If at all, it has been decried as dissident republicans hoping to scupper the peace process. Without making excuses for any of those taking part in the riots, if the Orange Order had been told they were not to pass through such areas as the Ardoyne by the Parades Commission, chances are that the high level of violence witnessed would not have happened. For years Orange parades have caused widespread rioting by both sides of the community, often in areas not directly affected by the marching. In any other part of the UK marches such as this would be treated as incitement to religious violence.

Plenty of comments made by students, over Facebook or otherwise, have been made along the lines of “If rioters want to throw petrol bombs and fire a few rounds of a shotgun at the police then the police should be allowed to fire a few rounds or a few petrol bombs back. See if they like it…Get off the streets, stop sponging off the government you don’t even recognise and get a job”. Again, this simply focuses on the effects, ignoring the current difficulty of finding and maintaining work, especially for those brought up in under-privileged areas, where young people are less likely to engage in education, thus seriously reducing their chances of gaining qualifications. A lack of engagement with education does not reflect a lack of desire to work. Also, similar comments do not take into consideration the fact that similar acts of violence and the blatant entrenchment of views were among the major reasons why Northern Ireland needed a peace process in the first place.

Comments such as these may represent a large part of the unionist community in Northern Ireland, but not everyone feels the same way. I have been speaking to students who have said that if the protests were peaceful then they’d join them, and others who have called for the outright banning of the Orange Order. These people did not want to be named. This is the crux of the matter. While the violence may be organised by dissident republicans taking advantage of ill-informed youths, the opportunity was handed to them by the Orange Order marching through areas where, as they very well know, they are not at all welcome.

Trouble also occurred in other areas during the twelfth; cars were set alight in Armagh, in Lurgan the Dublin-bound Enterprise suffered an attempted hijack and police officers were attacked in the Bogside area of Derry. All such incidents occurred in specific areas where parades did not take place. Such acts of violence can only be tenuously linked to the marches and should be condemned as Orange Lodges in these areas respectfully diverted their parades away from hostile areas. This approach needs to be followed in the few places where twelfth celebrations are still contentious.

It is constantly hammered into those studying medicine to treat the underlying cause of an illness rather than the symptoms, otherwise the treatment has no effect. Civil disobedience and uncivil disruption happens for a reason, not for the sake of it. Now that the disturbances have ended and a relatively stable situation has at last developed in the Ardoyne area, rather than concentrating solely on the violence, the cause of the riots needs to be examined and dealt with by both sides.

BY EMMA GALLEN

This proposal is likely to soothe tensions within Cable’s party over the looming threat of higher fees, especially after the last autumn’s Browne review. The Liberal Democrats pledged to phase out the fees system in their election manifesto, but have been accused of betraying students (and their many student voters) after abandoning this position in the coalition agreement.

While the student unions are broadly receptive to Cable’s proposal, student support is not universal. Many see a lifelong tax to be more unfair than fees; others may see university as an investment, with higher debt at a prestigious university worth the risk for a better potential career.

QUBSU VP Welfare Adam McGibbon thinks this mindset values university for the wrong reasons. “University is about learning about life and meeting people as well as gaining a qualification.” For McGibbon, Cable’s other proposals regarding university disregard some of the major benefits of campus life. The VP’s view is that encouraging more students to stay at home to study overlooks the importance of gaining independence.

Cable also dismisses classes with low contact time, claiming that there is “no need for seven hour weeks” and arguing they could be taught in two years instead of three. This proposal undermines the value of most Arts degrees where class time is minimal in order to allow more time for student reading and staff research.

VP Education Nathan Anderson stressed that students must be cautious in their readings of Cable’s proposal, highlighting that the majority of Cable’s cabinet are ideologically opposed to a “tax on the affluent.” He was also keen to make it known that Queen’s will not necessarily be affected by Cable’s proposals as Northern Ireland regulates its own universities and are have to carry out their own review.  However, he does warn that the Browne review will set a precedent that Northern Ireland’s Department of Education and Learning will follow.

NUS-USI Deputy President Lorcan Mullen thinks that the proposals are an overall positive:

“While this is only a proposal, and a proposal facing likely opposition from the vice-chancellors and senior Tories (including ministers in Cable’s department), it is encouraging news. It is my firm view that any settlement that makes education free at the point of access, and brings proportionate post-degree contributions will be fairer.

Of course, the various student unions will make a proper assessment of Cable’s plans when more details are available. However, this should not distract students from the dangers of a zealously pro-market, pro-cuts government seeking to concurrently slash spending in our system.”

Seamus Heaney officially opened the McClay Library on Tuesday 6^th July during a black tie ceremony attended by various dignitaries associated with Queen’s University. The new library has been named after late benefactor Sir Allen McClay, and has been described by Lady McClay as an appropriate way to remember Sir Allen. In December 2009, The Gown reported on QUB’s failure to notify Heaney that the library in his name was no longer open.

BY BEN FINCH

“This is a beautiful place which is bound to give people a sense of self-worth that will enhance them,” Heaney said before the ceremony. In a speech full of his usual pastoral metaphors, he also described it as a “star-ship for our scholars” when discussing the IT facilities.
Peter Gregson said it was a historic night for Queen’s and for the students, current and future, who shall benefit. In his speech he said that it had been fifty years since Seamus Heaney had graduated from Queen’s University. However, Heaney contradicted this, subtly pointing out that he graduated in 1961.

The ceremony was purposely set to coincide with the graduations. The McClay Library has already been open for a year, and John Gormley of the Information Services Directorate Office said that they “had been keen to open the library as soon as possible so students can use it and I would like to think it has played a part in some of these graduations”.

He added, “We have been very lucky indeed. If we had started any later then it may not have been possible due to economic conditions. We are indebted to Allen McClay who has been very generous.”

A new wall has been constructed beside the Short Loan Section of the library which names the benefactors who contributed to the building. Gormley also said that there is always a danger of overlooking people such as Anthony O’Reilly, whose name is prominently placed on the wall. The library was originally to be named ‘The Sir Anthony O’Reilly Library’ .

Speaking to The Gown earlier this year, Norma Sinte, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, said that there is now a protocol in place regarding the naming of buildings, and all universities adhere to this. Under this protocol, a building can only be named after a benefactor. A building cannot be named after a VIP, academic, vice chancellor or alumnus who hasn’t donated money.

Edna and Michael Longley were in attendance at the ceremony. Edna Longley is a member of staff in the Seamus Heaney Centre and is currently working on a book on Yeats, so often uses special collections. “It is a pleasant and excellent centre to work in,” she said. While Michael Longley, Ireland Professor of Poetry, described libraries as “the most wonderful places in the world”.

Few students were at the black tie event. Among those enjoying a glass of wine were the new sabbatical officers of the Students’ Union. “The library is a remarkable opportunity for students but if students have any problems with Information Services they should contact the Union,” said new SU President Gareth McGreevy. He also commented on the poignancy of having an alumnus in Seamus Heaney opening the McClay Library.

On 22^nd June, QUB Vice Chancellor Peter Gregson provided a brief summary to Senate on the Russell Group submission to the Browne Review. However, Shane Brogan, Students’ Union President at the time, believes that the summary failed to adequately describe what their proposals would mean for students.

BY KERRI-ANNE CAMPBELL

Due to the recent emergency budget, it is inevitable that there will be substantial reductions in university funding from government sources. Shane Brogan stated that Queen’s Students’ Union understands this but he believes the report to be a “systematic attempt to remove the shallow façade of fairness in the current fees system”.

If implemented, the report would see graduates being forced to pay back student loans earlier, the removal of any form of government support for student loans, and students bearing most of the costs of their degree, which the Russell Group set at being between £7,000 and £14,000 depending on the subject.

It would also mean that the protection of the ability to access higher education would be eroded through the abolition of the cap on fees, allowing the most elite and highest quality universities to charge unprecedented fees that put them beyond the reach of many students. This would mean that Queen’s would become like the Ivy League Universities of America.

The report also proposes a number of unfair models to finance student debt involving the Private Sector, many of which transfer substantial risks to students, and again reduce fairness and equality within the higher education sector.

“The proposals are a complete abdication of a university’s responsibility to work in the best interests of its students, and are blatant attempts to channel government money that currently support the poorest and most disadvantaged students, away from them and into university funds,”said Brogan.

He raised a number of comments relating to student fees during Gregson’s report. The university and Russell Group propose a model that is “free at the point of entry”, and where this is technically true in terms of fees, it fails to acknowledge the hidden costs that the university applies throughout a degree.

According to Brogan, the report also failed to address the fact that the average student who started at a NI university in September 2008-2009 can expect to graduate with an average debt of £13,299, a 30% increase on the previous year. This figure is predicted to be more than £15,000 by the time QUB students who started in September 2009 have graduated.

To help pay for the substantial cost of higher education, students in Belfast have one of the highest part-time employment rates during term time of any UK university town.

Russell Group is currently lobbying for a move away from the cap on fees, while at the same time acknowledging the fact that an increase in student fees would inevitably make students reconsider enrolling in university. The Vice Chancellor’s report quotes the initial findings of the Browne Review, which found that students are often deterred by fees.

Vice Chancellor Gregson claimed that a substantial portion of the population supports those that currently benefit from Higher Education and are responsible for contributing. This is recognised by those involved in higher education. However, over the past year all parties, bar that of the relevant minister, have refused to endorse an increase in fees, with both Sinn Fein and SDLP actively committed to their removal.

Brogan said, “The Student’s Union is disappointed that the Report has failed to acknowledge the only fully evaluated proposal put forward to the review by the National Union of Students. The National Union of Students propose a progressive and fairer way of funding student and graduate contributions and protects students from grossly unfair and inevitable debts, by providing a tax on graduates, meaning that the students who benefit most from Higher Education and good quality teaching contribute more over their career. It also proposes a fairer system of students support and ensures that all income streams are fully exploited.”

Brogan went on to say, “It is in no uncertain terms that the proposals of the Russell Group are strongly rejected by the SU and the wider student body at Queen’s, with a record 1,242 voting in a referendum on the issue on 27 May. 1,193, or 96% of them voted against the proposal.”

As students graduate from QUB this week, a dark cloud has emerged above them as The Guardian reported today that graduates will be up against an average of 70 other applicants for any job they go for. Not only will they be up against the class of 2010, but they will also face opposition from graduates of 2009 who are still seeking to land that dream job. This is all made even worse by the fact that vacancies are set to fall by 7%, with 78% of employers are insisting on a 2.1 degree.

BY EMMA GALLEN

Summer graduation at Queen’s takes place this week, with up to three ceremonies per day.  Monday’s opening graduation ceremony was held for the students of the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences and the week’s events will end with the graduation of those belonging to the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering.

Despite the gloomy economic outlook graduates will continue to celebrate their success. Looking towards summer graduation, History and Politics student Roisin Murray said, “I’m quite excited and it’s nice to feel that I’ve achieved something.”

Each of this year’s summer graduation events are to be streamed live on the Queen’s University website, inviting relatives and friends of graduates to take part in “a treasured moment”. Full recordings of all the ceremonies will also be available online afterwards, as well as photographs taken throughout the week.

Those receiving honorary doctorates this term Jamaican Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt. Former police ombudsman Baroness Nuala O’Loan will receive an LLD for distinction in public service and Dame Kelly Holmes for distinction in sport and public services.

Recalling last year’s events, Queen’s summer 2009 graduate Laura Gray explained that the most overwhelming feeling of the day was relief. “After three years work, I was now a graduate”, she said. However, for many of last year’s graduates the sense of relief soon gave way to anxiety as Laura and her peers found themselves in a declining job market with scarce opportunities.

According to The Guardian, “The class of 2010 have been told to consider flipping burgers or stacking shelves when they leave university as leading firms in investment banking, law and IT are due to cut graduate jobs this year.”

Former Gown editor and 2010 graduand Catherine Wylie is glad that she has yet to join the graduate job rat race but fears that things may not have improved in a year’s time. “I’m glad that I have secured plans to go on to further study, as I know that otherwise I would be on job seeker’s allowance or getting a job in retail or catering. So many careers, and definitely journalism which is my career of choice, require an abundance of volunteering and experience, and I just hope that after I complete my studies next year that I will have enough that makes me stand above other graduates. It really is a dog-eat-dog process,” she said.

BY KERRI-ANNE CAMPBELL

The correct academic costume is compulsory for all students who wish to graduate at Queen’s. Any graduate who is not appropriately dressed, or who is not wearing the hood in the approved manner, is not permitted to take part in the ceremony. Gowns must be returned by a specific time and late returns will be cost an additional fee of £150. Any student who fails to return their gown or hood will be charged a fee of £300.

A concerned parent of a final year student said:

“I just presumed that there was no cost. Cost didn’t even enter my head. When I think of the amount of money I have paid Queen’s in the last four years, and now we have to pay them to graduate? It’s scandalous. An absolute disgrace. As if Queen’s couldn’t afford to hold graduation ceremonies and provide gowns, etc. for students who have paid them up to fourteen grand on fees. I’m glad this is being publicised.”

Another parent commented in disbelief, “You’d think that at that price a three course meal would be on offer!”

Most students are not notified of these fees until just a few weeks before graduation. Final year students at Queen’s have expressed their concerns.

One final year English student commented: “I couldn’t believe it costs £55 to graduate at Queen’s. And you don’t even get to keep your gown. I have had to ask my parents for the money because I can’t afford it. It is ridiculous. You would think that Queen’s would have the decency to supply the funds, especially since students pay thousands for fees, books etc… What is even more ridiculous is that we have to pay £5 to receive our degree transcripts. It is a disgrace!”

Another final year student said, “It is unbelievable that students at Queen’s have to pay to attend their own graduation. What about those who can’t afford it? They just aren’t allowed to graduate.”

The first graduation ceremony will take place on Monday 5th July. Queen’s urge that “cheques should be made payable to Queen’s University and prompt payment is appreciated”. Graduates are instructed to pay online, in person or by post. It seems clear that Queen’s are using student graduations as a money making opportunity. When asked to comment on the substantial fees, the QUB alumni office, the organisers of the event, failed to respond.

BY BEN FINCH

Following the announcement, Tim Cooke, Director of National Museums NI, commented, “We are delighted on Northern Ireland’s behalf. This is the first time in Northern Ireland’s history that a prestigious cultural prize of this nature has been awarded to an institution in the region. This prize will encourage us as we endeavour to play a meaningful role at the heart of our changing society.”

The Art Fund Prize Bowl, created by Vladimir Bohm, will be on display in the museum for the next year and Les McLean, Head of Operations at the museum, has already stated that the £100,000 prize will be spent on “something lasting.”

BY KERRI-ANNE CAMPBELL
Labour interim leader Harriet Harman responded for the opposition by calling it a ‘Tory Budget’ and predicting that it would increase unemployment and stifle growth. However, Mr Osborne has defended his drastic budget, which is clearly dominated by spending cuts and tax increases, as “unavoidable” and “tough but fair”. The Coalition has promised that the burden will fall on the richest and the poor will be protected. However, researchers claim that the chancellor’s slew of tax rises and massive benefit cuts will hit the poorest hardest.

The new budget will take 880,000 people out of the tax system and give basic rate taxpayers a tax cut of £200 per year. However, this may seem less significant considering that VAT will rise to 20% on 4^th January of next year; a change that will definitely impact day to day student life. There will be no increase in duties on cigarettes, alcohol and fuel; something that many students may appreciate.

As a result of the budget there will also be a two year public sector pay freeze on staff earning more than £21,000. People earning less than £21,000 will each receive a flat pay rise worth £250 in each of the two years. Weekly columnist and former editor-in-chief of The Observer, Will Hutton, has been appointed by the Government  to draw up plans for fairer pay across the public sector so that those at the top of organisations are paid no more than 20 times the salaries of those at the bottom.

Chancellor Osborne stated that he will publish a paper on rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy later this year. What is certain is that from 2013 the large number of Disability Living Allowance claimants in Northern Ireland will face a new medical assessment.

The impact upon university funding still remains unclear. Chancellor Osborne has suggested that there could be cuts of up to 25 per cent of its expenditure. It is feared that universities across the UK will be forced to reduce undergraduate numbers and slash thousands of jobs in order to service the national debt. There are growing concerns that cuts will increase the chances of an increase in tuition fees as the government turns to students to plug a hole in university budgets.

UCU (University and College Union) general secretary, Sally Hunt, said, “Starving education of funds and making families pay more to access a university education, while authorising billions in tax giveaways to big business would be a disaster for the UK. The Corporation Tax cut could have funded university places for all students forced to cough up for university fees.”

Queen’s is a member of the Russell Group which is a collaboration of twenty UK universities that together receive two-thirds of research grant and contract funding in the United Kingdom. In response to the Emergency Budget, Dr. Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities, said, “We sincerely hope that this Government recognises the vital role that leading research-intensive universities play in boosting the economy and improving quality of life and does not subject higher education to cuts of the truly alarming magnitude of 25%… Further cuts would be hugely damaging, threatening the UK’s status as home to world-leading universities.”

Student leaders at Queen’s have already set out plans to oppose any scheme to raise admission fees and opposition will take the form of political pressure on the Stormont Executive.

BY BEN FINCH

Following the NUS Town Takeover model, plans include giving parents mock degree scripts, in the form of invoices, during the opening weeks of the next academic year. This will advertise the amount their child will owe following his or her stay in third level education. The average student debt following graduation is £22,000. The Union is also looking to promote the value of graduates and highlight their career successes in an effort to counter the “layabout” image of students in recent times.

The Union supports the NUS Blueprint, a plan to fund universities using graduate contributions, as opposed to top-up fees. 96% of Queen’s students who voted in a referendum on 27 May this year opposed the Russell Group proposals.

Queen’s University declined to comment on their plans to increase fees and also on the university’s drop in the recent Guardian rankings, but stated, “Financial support arrangements for students in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly”.

BY THE HOOD

Sex, drugs and rock’n’roll are simply everywhere on campus. The dark underbelly of QUB and QUBSU life remains unseen to most but thankfully I have my spies and touts. I’m currently residing in the Snack Bar on the 2nd floor before it gets turned into a state of the art events venue that nobody will go to because they’ll all be in the Bot listening to a the 5ive mega mix instead. And if the Union puppeteers (watch those strings don’t choke McGrizzle) don’t get a new Ents Manager sharpish then they won’t have any bands to put in the new venue. What a shambles it all is.

If QUB is the entrepreneurial university of the year then I suggest they send over some lads (…too sexist to say twice?) to sort the Union. Although, they might be running low on entrepreneurial students because they went and dumped that MA which probably won them the entrepreneurial award in the first place. I want to know why the MA was scrapped. Well, apart from the fact that having an MA based on entrepreneurship is quite the contradiction in itself. But then that’s QUB all over isn’t it? A couple of years ago Peter Gregson was quoted in the Irish News saying that he wanted to do all he could to help students. But, then he goes and wastes money on Gentleman’s Club fees (this isn’t mentioned enough), he fails to take a pay cut despite the VC of University of Ulster taking one, and he’s happy to stand by and allow the fees cap to be raised/removed. Queen’s – Probably the only center of education in the world where the student VP Education will ask for help in spelling ‘enrol’.

BY BEN FINCH

Students’ Union President Shane Brogan, however, explains that the loss in income should not affect the viability of the Union due to the profits from previous years having been stored within a “sinking fund”. This fund currently holds a total of around £700,000, and the deficit will be funded through this. The Union also stands to run a surplus throughout the next year, through rent from the various shops and the Santander bank located on the premises, as well as the yearly grant from the University.

Brogan maintains that through “good management” the Students’ Union is in a superior position than that of many others throughout the UK, which are shutting bars and obtaining grants to stay afloat. Wages paid to Union staff have been reduced by approximately £60,000, through changes in shift patterns, rather than job losses, and plans for bars that are not essential have been frozen. The first semester attendance at some events was 30% off target. This improved during the second semester, but targets were still missed by 14%.

According to Brogan the Union has “never seen anything quite as bad” as the past year, and admitted the option of closing bars had been considered during the year. There is currently a re-think into what the Union offers students.

BY EMMA GALLEN

The latest rankings leave Queen’s in 56th place in the UK, and deem Queen’s University the lowest ranked of all Russell Group universities. SU President, Shane Brogan admitted that the results are “damaging” and highlighted that the issue with feedback was QUB’s downfall. Feedback, Brogan explains, is one of the problems that he has brought to the attention of university staff before and he maintains the problem is being addressed. “You want to be in the Top 50”, stated Brogan, and not being there is worrying from a student’s perspective.

Despite recent efforts to improve the university, Queen’s position has fallen. In 56^th place, Queen’s latest position does not bode well for the university’s aspirations of a top 100 position worldwide within the next five years. The Guardian did cite improvements to the staff to student ratio and also in terms of money spent per student. Queen’s spending per student however remains among the lowest of the Russell Group universities.

Rod Martin resigned as Entertainments Manager of the Union on Friday.  This follows a year where targets for club nights have been missed by a considerable amount.  On Saturday Shine was forced to move to the Stiff Kitten as only three hundred tickets were sold.  This was not enough to fill the Mandela Hall even if parts had been cordoned off.   Union Director Andrew Dodge said that this was because of the recession and stated that attendance at events this year had been “atrocious” due to a “lack of cash”.

BY BEN FINCH

Rod Martin’s post will be covered by current members of staff until the vacancy is filled.  Dodge claimed that this is an “opportune time” for a rethink in what the Union offers and is a chance for students to “be given what they want, rather than being told”.  The Union will be looking to diversify the entertainment already in place and defend Monday and Thursday Nights from competitors in the area. Rod Martin wasn’t available for comment.

BY BEN FINCH

Despite failing to achieve either, the flotilla has been more successful at achieving its political goals. Israel’s reaction has been condemned by all of their allies. It has massively increased tension with Turkey, their only Muslim ally. The Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, raged, “It is no longer possible to cover up or ignore Israel’s lawlessness. This bloody massacre by Israel on ships that were taking humanitarian aid to Gaza deserves every kind of curse.” Israel’s closest friend in Europe, Italy, “deplored” the violence and the only nation not to call for the blockade to stop was the US.

Israel’s silent partner in the blockade of Gaza, Egypt, immediately opened the border crossing, with Gaza and Israeli newspapers, while showing support for the IDF’s intentions, called the assault a “fiasco”. The IDF’s tactics have been criticised and they were either naive not to expect resistance or trying to use the operation for their own political ends. Following the events, the incredibly efficient Israeli PR machine leaped into action, and footage was released that showed activists attacking the boarders but none of the fatal firefights.

The assault took place in international waters, where the law onboard a ship is that of the flag it flies. This also means that it is illegal to take prisoners. While over six hundred activists detained have now been deported, Israel’s actions are in clear defiance of International Law, which they hold very little respect for. The activists were forced to accept they had entered Israel illegally, despite their transport from international waters by the IDF. In theory, the perpetrators of the deaths may be open to prosecution under Turkish law as the Mavi Marmara, on which the deaths occurred, was flying the Turkish flag.

The final ship of the flotilla, the MV Rachel Corrie, is currently approaching the area of Israel’s disastrous raid on Monday. It is named after an American peace activist killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. Turkey has said that the ship will have a military escort and many other governments have called for the ship to be allowed to land in Gaza. The Rachel Corrie is out of Dundalk, flies the Irish Flag and is carrying Mairead Maguire, a Nobel Peace Prize winner for her efforts in Ireland.

Following the widespread condemnation of the first attack, Israel’s hands are surely well and truly tied. They will have to let the ship land or risk turning a crisis into international war. The problem is that Israel tends to take the most offensive course of action and their current, unrelenting stance indicates that this will be the case. While they may not expect much resistance from a 66 year old woman and four other crew, if there is a military escort the results will surely be even more disastrous than Monday.

Editor – Connor Daly

News editor – Kerri-Anne Campbell
Arts editor – Ben Finch
Features editor – Emma Gallen
Sport editor – Damien Edgar

Photographic editor – Claire Wright

Design editors  – Niall Mooney and Rose Kelly

Business managers – Niall Crozier and Richard Burns

The referendum is an opportunity for students to register their opposition to the proposals put forward recently by the Russell Group (of which Queen’s is a member and subscriber) – specifically, a removal of the cap on fees, with the eventual aim of a US-style market in education and the lowering of the wage threshold at which graduates are forced to repay their loan.

Union President Shane Brogan told students in today’s all-student email:

“The proposal, if implemented by Westminster, would see dramatic changes to student fees such as expecting students to take on private debt to fund more of the costs of teaching a student for a year (around £7,000 per year for an Arts student), it would also mean that students pay their student loans back when they are earning less money, by reducing the current threshold from £15,000, and substantial increases to the interest students pay on their current student loans.”

Students are also faced with two small technical changes to the Union’s constitution that could not be approved at Council due to problems with members’ attendance and consequent instances of quorate.

Ratification 2 is especially important, as it is intended to boost turnout in referenda through a longer voting period. Ratification 1 would formalise the current practice of referring to Andrew Dodge as the Director of the Union.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4131653&id=507521051#!/group.php?gid=117162111657422

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4131653&id=507521051

Dear readers,

I am a student nurse at Queen’s. I lost my engagement ring on the way to university on Wednesday 12th May. I was parked in Ulsterville Avenue and between there and arriving at MBC it fell off as I was in a rush. I walked through Ulsterville Drive up through Dunluce Avenue. It doesn’t look very expensive but it meant a lot to me. I am giving a substantial money reward to anybody that finds this ring.

Thanks,

BY BEN FINCH

This is because of Cameron’s ill advised statement on the Northern Ireland public sector and how it needs to be reduced. The public sector in Northern Ireland has reduced the effects of the recession here and has kept thousands of people in employment throughout the Troubles. While a reduction in the Civil Service may be necessary, it should be slow, controlled and not affect frontline services. It should also be met with an increased investment in the local economy, rather than trying to lure big business from overseas. However the vampiric George Osborne has been preparing for “Slash and Burn” all over the UK and it is very worrying that Northern Ireland is top of the hitlist.

In the regions of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales there has been a clear rejection of Conservatism. Only 8 Tory MPs, out of 117, were elected from these areas, seven from Wales and one from Scotland, with 9 Lib Dems in total from the regions, if Naomi Long is ignored. This means that Northern Ireland is essentially being ruled by England, by a government that the electorate has shown they don’t want by removing the two UUP seats held. While the DUP has traditionally voted with the Conservatives (about 90% of the time) they took the decision to support a possible Labour Government to protect Northern Ireland’s interests.

On top of all this the Conservatives show stronger support for the Union than Labour have done and are likely to take a harder line on Nationalism, which will push its supporters further away from the government. The result seems to have led to an increased unity among politicians from the province, as the SDLP, Alliance, DUP and Sylvia Hermon all decided to join the potential rainbow alliance in order to oppose cuts in the public sector and the block grant. It also appears that, along with Scotland and Wales, there has been an increase in Nationalism as people would prefer to rule themselves due to fears about the state of local economies as the Conservatives tend to ignore and underfund the regions. This can only lead to further tensions between regional government and Parliament.

Universities are likely to see a decrease in funding from the Government, which will only see them wanting to increase the already unfair tuition fees, which are a premium on education and discourage many people from furthering their knowledge. As students we have to be prepared to resist this and anything that we see to be bad for our regional economy, where we expect to be employed soon and a double dip recession could destroy.

The Lib Dems appear to have pulled the Tories to the left but it remains to be seen just what has gained their support and just how far right they have allowed themselves to go in order to get bums on government seats. Hopefully they can temper the excesses of a generation that has grown up with Thatcherism. But in deciding to take the Tory whip they may not be able to without bringing down the government.

The Tories will have to affect a central stance in relation to Northern Ireland and treat the electorate fairly or else a situation, slowly becoming more dangerous and only supported by a few, could explode. Cuts to public services, such as education and healthcare, could destroy the increasingly fair and harmonious society we live in. We have already used our democratic voice to oppose these cuts and we will have to continue to use it over the next few years to ensure society remains.

Union vice-presidents Barry Duffy and Paul Lilly have survived no-confidence motions brought before last night’s special meeting of the student representative council. The Space played host to a vigorous debate over the efficacy of the sabbatical officers, with councillors Damien Corridan and Anne Pauli presenting well-reasoned, well-researched critiques of the work of the ‘Chuckle Brothers’.

BY LORCAN MULLEN AND CONNOR DALY

NOTICE: The comment thread on this post is now closed and no more comments will be moderated.

While a majority of councillors voted in favour of the no-confidence motions, the constitutional threshold of three-quarters was not met. Duffy and Lilly, in conjunction with familiar faces Martin Lilly and Seamus Óg MacGiolla Cheara successfully marshalled the support of their Law/GAA power base, with an unusually large delegation in attendance. Speaker Alex Redpath quipped to councillors, “some of you I’m meeting for the first time.”

Redpath relinquished the chair, alluding to earlier accusations of partisan support for Duffy and Lilly during the performance related pay saga. These allegations led to a similar failed no-confidence vote in Redpath earlier this year. Ryan Cushley took his place, in an effort to avoid the intrusion of “vested interests.”

The VP Education’s hearing came first. Cllr. Pauli opened the debate, citing the behaviour of officers like Duffy as a reason for student political apathy. She stated that Duffy was “taking the mick out of this institution”, deeming his prospective dismissal “no loss to us.” In support, Cllr. Corridan made a powerful case for the council’s duty as a scrutinising body:

“…when the Union is failing its members, council has a duty to step in and do what is morally just…personality alone cannot stop us from discharging our responsibilities.”

Corridan explained that examination of Duffy’s officer reports showed scant evidence of effort; in totting up his claimed hours, the Union Senator could find only 3.6 months of work, at a rough estimate, out of 10 in the job so far.

In response, a pharmacy student defended Duffy, describing him as “professional and diligent” when he needed urgent help over academic hearings. The student also cast Duffy’s response to his troubles in a very positive light compared with last year’s VP Education, Kevin Kelly.

Corridan summed up Duffy’s hearing, urging councillors to “stand up for a strong union, [to] fight for a strong union.”

Lilly’s turn in the firing line came next, and the debate followed along almost identical lines. Lilly, like Duffy, opted to conduct his defence with a bland, endlessly platitudinous reading from a pre-prepared power point presentation. He told councillors that he, like Duffy “had always given my level best.”

In a dramatic moment, a visibly reluctant Laura Hawthorne (VP Community) took to the floor, speaking for the motion. Hawthorne stressed that her stance was not personal, and that “no officer is perfect, but there is a standard to be set.” Hawthorne cited her “inordinate amount of time” working on the International Student Society, apparently Lilly’s biggest achievement of the year, as an example of officers being forced to fill in for the habitually lazy or inept duo. Hawthorne told the council that “you are not asked politely to scrutinise, you are required to scrutinise.”

A secret ballot was then taken, and the results were soon announced, leading to a raucous bout of triumphant clapping from the assembled Law/GAA contingent. These members then walked out en masse, completely uninterested in dealing with the subsequent business of the council. Incoming VP Campaigns Fiona Kidd visibly lost her temper, shouting to the sneering departing councillors: “That says it all!”

After this exodus, council once again slid inexorably into quorate, meaning a number of constitutional amendments could not be properly dealt with.

A visibly tiring council then voted through the officer reports, an impressive policy on the environment and sustainability in the Union, and, after much confused debate, affirmed the President’s reading of the Constitution on the subject of constituencies for the next council elections. Schools will now have a specific seat, in addition to open faculty constituencies. Council also passed a motion condemning the Draft Public Assemblies Bill which attempts, for no apparent reason, to restrict citizens’ rights of assembly with an inordinate amount of prior consultation and permission.

Ever the loyal apprentice, Martin Lilly, brother of Paul, took to the walls of Facebook last night, saying in a number of places, very simply, “we won.”

Students may ask themselves whether they fall under Lilly’s definition of “we”.

Photos from the council meeting can be found at The Gown’s Facebook page.

- NEWS: Hot air rises to fever pitch as Council gets testy

BY BRENDAN HUGHES

Following the absence of VPs Paul Lilly and Barry Duffy from last fortnight’s Student Council meeting, disgruntled councillors signed a petition, scheduling an extraordinary meeting and votes of no-confidence against the two VPs.

In a further signal of discontent amongst the Sabbatical officers, the petition was also signed by current SU officers – President Shane Brogan and VP Laura Hawthorne – as well as incoming VPs Jay Downs, Fiona Kidd and Nathan Anderson.

The forthcoming meeting marks the second and third votes of no confidence to take place this year, as Council Speaker Alex Redpath faced a similar challenge some months ago.

The no-confidence motions require three quarters of the Council members to be upheld.

The motions will take place under a secret ballot, in accordance with the Union’s constitution, increasing the potential of public supporters of Duff-Lilly to disown them. If the motion is passed, the student officers will have the right to appeal to the Standing Committee of the University Senate.

Councillors have frequently expressed concerns about the attitude and work ethic of the two VPs. The officers however remain popular on the ground, providing what many students see as a personable image to the Union, acting as a foil to the reclusive Brogan.

SU Deputy General Manager, Dominic Doherty, highlighted the unique nature of the event, saying, “I don’t recall a meeting for this purpose having ever taken place.” Doherty met speaker Redpath this week to discuss the format of the proceedings. Doherty previously expressed his eagerness to allow the VPs to have a chance to summarise their positions, giving added opportunity to respond to allegations made against them.

File notes from last week’s Executive Management Committee meeting suggest that VP Lilly challenged President Brogan on signing the petition against him. Alex Redpath, who was also present at the meeting, expressed a view that it reflected poorly on EMC members to be signing such petitions against their colleagues.

VPs Barry Duffy and Paul Lilly remain tight-lipped ahead of this evening’s potential exile from office. It is expected however that the duo’s law and GAA pals, both councillors and non-councillors, will be out in force to show support, making the required three quarters majority difficult to achieve.

Following the extraordinary meeting, the Annual Business Meeting of Council will take place.

This evening’s meetings will take place tonight from 6pm in The Space, and are open for all to attend. However, if you can’t tear yourself away from the books, The Gown will be tweeting the latest updates on the proceedings as they happen.

The Space in the Students’ Union is the talk of the campus today as it resembles what one can only imagine the Kodak Theatre looks like on Oscars night. The ceremony, which is due to kick off at 8pm, comes after students were asked to nominate themselves or their peers in a number of categories that celebrate media, volunteering, societies and enterprise. The deadline for entries was postponed on two occasions in what is thought to have been a bid to increase the number of entries in each category. It is believed that the total cost of the event is under £3000 and approximately £16 per head.

For a full list of nominees, click ‘Full Story’.

UPDATE: Winners revealed

Student Volunteer Award -

Conall Doherty, Heather Kitt, Melanie Thrush.

WINNER: Heather Kitt

Community Contribution -

SIFE, Conall Doherty, Jay Downs.

WINNER: SIFE

Event of the Year -

SWOT Fashion Show, Athletics 5K, Flashmob, Dragonslayers Q-Con XVI.

WINNER: SWOT Fashion Show

Best Radio Production -

Chris McBride Unsigned Showcase, The Politics Show, The Union News Team.

WINNER: The Politics Show

Best Academic Society -

Scrubs, Law Society, Pharmacy Society.

WINNER: Scrubs

Most improved Society -

Queen’s Radio, AIESEC, Dance society.

WINNER: Dance Society

Best New Society -

Dance Society, Chinese Lion Dance Society, Busniess Club.

WINNER: Chinese Lion Dance Society

Contribution to Students’ Union Media -

Law Society’s The Verdict, Queen’s Radio, SU Magazine Team.

WINNER: Queen’s Radio

Best Contribution to the Students’ Union -

Greens, Jay Downs, Dragonslayers.

WINNER: Dragonslayers

Student Journalist of the Year -

Latifa Akay, Damien Edgar, Ethan Loughrey, Chris Andrews.

WINNER: Latifa Akay

Entrepreneurial Student of the Year -

Vincent Murray, Dance Society, Anis Zafirah Sipal Anuwar.

WINNER: Vincent Murray

Society of the Year -

SWOT, SIFE, AIESEC, Scrubs, Dragonslayers.

WINNER: SIFE

For more photos from the evening, go to The Gown’s Facebook page.

Rumours that star of Cold Feet, Five Minutes of Heaven and the old BT adverts, Jimmy Nesbitt, had been spotted at Queen’s on Tuesday have been confirmed by Dr. Jim Campbell of the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work.

BY BEN FINCH

Nesbitt was attending an event run by the WAVE Trauma Centre, an organisation that works with victims of the Troubles, which he is patron of. This is an area which the school has received funding from the EU to deliver teaching. Dr. Campbell said that the event was very good, with presentations from Queen’s staff, as well as people working in other related areas.

The Space last night played host to the latest in a series of fractious meetings of the Union’s student representative council. While the prevailing cliché casts students as apolitical layabouts, successive spirited meetings of the body have shown ego clashes and institutional bickering at least to be clearly transcendent of both age and stereotype.

Speaker Alex Redpath addressed councillors’ concerns after the last meeting’s failed vote of no-confidence; votes of no-confidence have been scheduled for VPs Barry Duffy and Paul Lilly at a planned Extraordinary Meeting on May 12th; The Gown’s office suspension was debated and President-Elect Gareth McGreevy’s controversial SUTV plans were reaffirmed.

BY KERRI-ANNE CAMPBELL AND LORCAN MULLEN

Current President Shane Brogan’s extensive overhaul of student-staff consultative committees (SSCCs) and in-school accountability was also passed.

Speaker Redpath told The Gown: “It was a disappointing night… I don’t think anyone would claim that this was an easy Council meeting to chair.”

Redpath faced strong criticism from the floor at the beginning of the night, defending his decision to remain despite a majority Council vote to strip him of the post prior to March’s sabbatical elections. A two-thirds majority is required to oust the Speaker.

Redpath, a second year law student, countered his critics, claiming “a couple of big wins this year”, making it clear that he is “perfectly happy to stand on”.

“With regards to my own resignation, I have made it clear that I will complete my term until the constitutionally mandated number of councillors remove me from office. I owe this not only to myself, but to my successors in this role. A speaker needs this constitutional protection to make the controversial decisions that are demanded of the chair.”

He went on to say, “Two thirds of the Council are required to remove the speaker, which would mean 51 members out of 77. There has never been a record of this many at a Council Meeting this year.”

A palpable sense of frustration only increased with discussion of the absence of vice-presidents Lilly and Duffy. Duffy did not send his apologies. President Brogan informed Council that Lilly cited illness earlier in the day. A number of councillors were confident that the duo had skipped the meeting to attend last night’s GAA formal. Lilly however spoke to The Gown on Facebook after the Council meeting. Post-formal revellers at the Eg on the other hand told The Gown that Lilly and Duffy were “across the street”. Readers may draw their own conclusions.

Concerns about the attitude and work ethic of the two VPs have been a recurrent theme in QUBSU politics this year, and councillors were not long in moving towards respective motions of no-confidence. President Brogan spoke out in unusually strident terms, stating that “some action needs to be taken here and now.”

Ponderous moves towards a confidence vote, led by Ryan Cushley, were unexpectedly derailed by councillor and management board member Anne Pauli, recurrent bête noire of the “Chuckle Brothers.” Pauli’s alternative proposal, the May 12th meeting of the Council, where Duffy and Lilly will learn their fate was passed instead.

Brogan told The Gown that he was “happy with what came from the floor” and confirmed that he had signed the Pauli petition initiating the Extraordinary Meeting process.

Councillor Colin Sloan stated, “It’s good to know that Council has decided to do something about the worst sabb [sabbatical officers] offenders of the year. They seem to be more concerned with working with GAA than the Council.”

Clerk to Council Dominic Doherty stated that this has “impacted upon their status” however, “no apology is not deemed to be a sackable offence”.

Last night, a seemingly stressed Lilly did not wish to make an on-record comment on the proceedings. Brogan confirmed this evening that the VP contacted him regarding his absence from work today, citing a scheduled doctor’s appointment.

In other news:

-A motion proposed by Cllr. Colin Sloan censuring the Union for its actions against The Gown this semester was deferred to the next meeting, pending today’s planned meeting between Brogan, Andrew Dodge and the Gown Trust, led by former Irish Times foreign correspondent Conor O’Clery.

While Sloan and assorted Gownies criticised the SU leadership in emphatic terms, Cllr. Pauli condemned the language of the motion (“an attack on freedom of speech”) as “ridiculous.”

In a separate discussion concerning redevelopment of Union facilities, Brogan told Council that the current Gown office will become a “society storage space”.

-A motion brought by Cathy Corbett and Darren Leckey calling for SUTV’s suspension pending “further research” was defeated.

-VP Paul Courtney dismissed claims from some QUB GAA members, recently aired on a Facebook campaign page, that the current redevelopment of the Dub sporting facilities somehow prejudiced the organisation.

Staff at Queen’s Library are to take action against students who ‘lock’ computers or leave them unattended for long periods of time.

UPDATE: All-student email sent to students.

BY BRENDAN HUGHES

Since library 24-hour opening commenced last week, an increasing number of students are abandoning computers for long periods, leaving books strewn across keyboards and workspace. Many students are also using a locking facility on PCs to prevent other students using them. Once a computer is ‘locked’, students are prevented from logging in until it has been ‘unlocked’ by the original student.

Senior staff members within the library are meeting today to confirm an agreed plan of action on the matter.

“We are meeting shortly to discuss and try to define the “how” to tackle the problem and then the “what to do” where we identify an offender,” Mr Cunningham, Assistant Director of IT Systems & Services confirmed.

In the last few days, library plasma screens have displayed messages encouraging students to refrain from leaving their belongings unattended. A leading library staff member has already tackled some offending students about the issue, according to Cunningham.

On the matter of locking computers, Cunningham was reluctant to remove the facility completely.

“A student may have personal or confidential information on a screen and have to legitimately be absent from the machine for a short while, for example, to get a print, go to the toilets, get a book, etc. It’s just unfortunate that some misuse the tool,” he said.

Once an official line has been agreed, it is believed that an all-student email will be sent across campus, and action will be taken against offending students.

UPDATE: All-student email sent to students.

Dear student

You will be aware that there is great pressure on seats in the Library at this time of the year.  We have received a number of complaints from students that other students are ‘reserving’ seats by leaving their belongings at the seat or by leaving the computer logged in.  We would therefore ask all students to note the following:
- It is not permitted to reserve seats (either with or without computers).
- Reserving seats as described above is unfair to fellow students.
- The Students’ Union fully supports our efforts to ensure that seats are available to students and to stop any reserving of seats.
- Library policy is that students may leave their seats for a short period – for example, to get a book from the shelves – but the seat should not be left unoccupied for more than 20 minutes.  Please note that it is your responsibility to close/save your files and to protect your work and belongings should you leave your seat for any period.

We hope that students will co-operate with us, and respect the views of fellow students, by following the policies above.

If these policies are not followed, then we will have no alternative but to start clearing desk areas of belongings and logging out any computer in use.  We would prefer not to get to that situation and hope you will work with us to make such actions unnecessary.

Regards

Elizabeth Traynor

Queen’s Students’ Union have won in two categories at the 2010 Smedia Awards. VP Gareth McGreevy picked up the ‘Website of the Year’ award for the QUBSU website, and ‘Society Publication of the Year’ for the Student Handbook.

BY BRENDAN HUGHES

The 10th annual Oxygen.ie National Student Media Awards took place in the Mansion House in Dublin last night. The awards were dominated by Dublin-based student media, with Dublin City University emerging as the biggest winners, claiming 10 prizes.

President-elect McGreevy missed out on winning ‘Editor of the Year’ for his SU Mag work. The award instead went to University College Dublin.

Other QUB nominees failed to win awards: Cillian de Búrca lost out on ‘Radio DJ of the Year’, and Law Society publication, The Verdict, failed to garner enough public support to win the ‘People’s Choice’ category. McGreevy’s win for the Student Handbook also came at the expense of both SU Mag and The Verdict, being nominated in the same category.

It is reported that some students attending the awards expressed confusion at the final nominations tally. In some instances, students became nominees for categories they hadn’t entered, such as SU Mag’s nomination for ‘Society Publication of the Year’.

A full list of the nominees and winners can be found at the Oxigen.ie website.

A young woman has been left shaken after a physical and verbal confronation in the PFC. The attacker, also a young woman, attacked a number of people in the car park behind the Admin building afterwards.

UPDATE: Police description of the assailant.

BY CATHERINE WYLIE AND BRENDAN HUGHES

The disturbance took place in the PFC at around 4:45pm. Students in the vicinity looked on in disbelief as the incident occurred. One onlooker said, “It was hard to tell if she was a student.”

It is believed that the attacker physically shook the female, shouting, “Tell me!” The girl told The Gown she was held up against the wall and kicked at least seven or eight times.  Before running off, the alleged attacker shouted, “Are you gonna report me then?”

A QUB lecturer who happened upon the attacker said that she had “obviously been drinking”.  Prior to the attack the lecturer saw the female in Cafe Krem. The female told the lecturer, “Ever since I’ve come back [to Belfast], people have wanted to put me down.” The female who suffered the attack recalled her saying, “I’m sorry, I have Asperger’s.”

While making her escape, the attacker ripped off her orange beaded necklace leaving beads strewn across the ground.

The police later came to the PFC to record statements from the victim and witnesses.

UPDATE: Police description of the assailant.

Shock independent candidate in North Belfast, Martin McAuley, is yet another Queen’s student hoping to get the voices of students and young people heard in Westminster. McAuley is a nineteen year old first year law student, seeking to represent his local community at a higher level.

BY EMMA GALLEN

Standing in his home constituency, he faces stiff competition from the four main political parties, including the incumbent Nigel Dodds as well as nationalist political heavyweights Alban Maginness (SDLP) and Gerry Kelly (Sinn Fein).  McAuley states that he wants to be a “secular” option in his constituency but whether he will appear to the electorate as a real voice for change or simply a so-called Alliance party dissident will be determined over the next couple of weeks.  When asked how he feels about the challenge of his opponents he said, “It’s exciting to be honest.  These are the people you see talking about local issues all the time.”  He says that he is looking forward to debating with what he calls “the best in the business” and as a former winner of the Best Speaker prize in the Northern Ireland Schools Debating Competition it goes without saying that McAuley will not shirk away from a contentious argument.

Youth doesn’t necessarily mean he has a lack of experience.  McAuley is an executive member of the Northern Ireland Youth Forum, having participated in the research into how the youth of NI view the post-primary education situation, and as well with the “What We Want” campaign where young people were asked to list what was most important to their community.  It’s with his knowledge gained here that he says that the old party division based on tribal politics and sectarianism are of decreasing importance to the younger generation. McAuley was also secretary to Belfast City Council Youth Forum and has campaigned for mental health awareness.

Despite his obviously admirable objectives, the young candidate’s motives must be called into question.  McAuley hasn’t been active in student politics and is running by himself for Westminster where Dodds last won with 13935 votes, a majority of over 5000. Indeed, in the last one hundred years only one non-unionist candidate has ever been elected in the constituency (when Stratton Mills successfully defended his seat in 1973 after defecting to Alliance).  This overly ambitious election campaign comes before Stormont is due to hold another election, and some believe McAuley could just be using this to build up his profile.

He says in his manifesto that the current Minister of Education, Catriona Ruane, has made the wrong decisions for the wrong reasons and that she is running a “personal crusade against academia”.  As a former student of a grammar school, his bias on this issue may be expected, yet his personal background makes this a tad more surprising.  McAuley, as a student, also takes issue with the ever increasing university fees, saying that student fees are being used as “an economic get out of jail free card” which he feels has to end. He proposes a cap on tuition fees for the immediate future with an eventual removal of fees when it is economically feasible.

McAuley has turned heads with a viral campaign. His use of posters featuring internet memes and statements built to shock (such as “Tough on crime, tougher on women drivers”) have been criticised in some quarters, but his press team seem to be following the maxim that all publicity is good publicity.

When asked about how Westminster would affect his studies , he says, “If Dodds can handle Stormont, City Hall and Westminster I am sure I can handle Queen’s and Westminster.”  McAuley believes that he can balance the university lifestyle with being an MP, and the expenses and wage would undoubtedly help the student budget.

The North Belfast boy’s election hopes have already received recognition on Slugger O’Toole, where McAuley openly responded to the questions and comments from readers.  One comment went so far as to say he is “the Nick Clegg of Ulster politics”. Despite the Lib Dem leader’s growing number of fans it remains difficult to tell whether this is a thinly veiled insult or a genuine compliment.

If you are interested in helping Martin’s campaign, join the Facebook group, “Vote Martin McAuley on May 6^th, No Seriously.” http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=110459348988692&ref=ts

And visit the website www.votemcauley.co.uk

The Gown student newspaper is currently on the lookout for the next team of intrepid writers and contributors to take up the reigns. We’ve had a very successful term, but with several members leaving the fold next year, it is crucial that we assemble a team of skilled, enthusiastic, and dedicated students who can continue and build upon these successes.

To find out more information about the editorial positions available and to access the online application form, please click here.

The deadline is THIS FRIDAY 16th April, at 5:00pm. Good luck!

http://indieweek.com

Auntie Annie’s

44 Dublin Road

Doors: 8pm

The Varionis

Here Comes the Landed Gentry:

Froud:

Brazen Angelz

Darlings of Chelsea

Sixteen Layers

Queen’s Canoe Club was suspended on 17^th November 2009 for the remainder of the academic year due to a number of complaints that were made about the club. As a result of the suspension, the club are not allowed access to either Queen’s Sport or the Students’ Union and their account has been frozen.

BY KERRI-ANNE CAMPBELL

The club’s only two coaches have been banned for a period of three years. However, one coach is currently appealing the decision. They have also been banned from the Students’ Union and are therefore unable to socialise with their fellow club members who still meet for drinks every Tuesday night in the SU as friends.

According to President of the club, Dave Gowdy, “It all started last year when a member of the club made a complaint about us.”

The club organised a trip to France last year, and one club member failed to fulfil the necessary criteria due to injuries she had sustained in a serious accident. Failing to fulfil the criteria meant that she was unable to go on the trip. She was later removed from the Canoe Club Committee for not adhering to the Constitution the club has in place, stating that if you are unable to attend meetings you must inform the committee in advance with apologies. As a result, she then made a complaint that members of the club were discriminating against her.

Student Plus carried out an investigation in to the matter and the club was then later suspended.  Gowdy said, “We needed to accept the suspension so we could just move on and look forward to next year. However, the entire handling of the situation was strange and bias. Also, the investigation took months which wasn’t necessary. A barrister even told me the investigation was carried out illegally.”

Gowdy said, “I had to direct all questions I received from club members to Shane Brogan. I couldn’t answer them myself because it was thought that I could be putting myself at risk.”

Gowdy and his fellow committee members maintain that they did not discriminate against another member of the club.

Complaints have been made continually over the past four years and certain club members believe it is by the same group of people who would like to see the club abolished. Gowdy claims that he was even mentioned in a particular complaint even though he was not involved.

Gowdy feels that conditions of the club have deteriorated as a result of the suspension. “The club has changed. We all feel disheartened by the entire situation. Freshers who joined this year have all drifted away and some of our international students have emailed me telling me how much they miss the club. The Varsity Committee even told me that we were missed this year,” he said.

Gowdy refuses to remain as President of the club next year because he feels totally discouraged by the situation. “It was very stressful and just too much hassle.”

Gowdy asserts that SU President, Shane Brogan and VP Clubs and Societies, Paul Courtney were very helpful in sorting everything out.

In a letter that was sent to every club member, Brogan stated, “It is hoped that arrangements may be put in place to revive the club at the end of this suspension, provided the conditions agreed in September are met.”

There are now new regulations and more training for Queen’s clubs and societies as a result of the Canoe Club’s suspension. When asked, Brogan and Courtney refused to comment as it is a “sensitive issue at present”.

According to Gowdy, “It’s still all up in the air at the moment. If we are allowed to come back next year we need to be very careful. We feel like we have to tip-toe on egg shells.”

The club are fortunately able to recruit new coaches for the next academic year. Gowdy said, “We are a small, close knit club. We are laid back and not very formal. We are all friends and we just love getting outside and experiencing the adrenalin rush we get from being on the water… We hope that everything will continue as normal next year.”

Nestling in the heart of Armagh is the Ancestral Home of Dan Winter, one of the founders of the Orange Order. It was from this location that the Orange Order was born on 21^st September 1795. From these humble beginnings the order has grown into an international organization with lodges in locations from Ireland, Scotland and England to as far away as Australia, Canada , New Zealand, the United States, Togo and Ghana.

QUB orange society is proud to host this cultural visit and has a number of places open to guests who wish to attend

So why not join us and find out more?

For more information please contact us on

quborangesociety@hotmail.co.uk

A Facebook group has been set up, opposing plans to spend almost £30,000 on SUTV.

Link to Facebook Group

OPINION: SUTV just doesn’t add up

BY BRENDAN HUGHES

The Facebook group, called “QUB SUTV why waste £30,000?”, created by Niall Corry, has gathered a strong following of both supporters and some detractors in its short few days of existence.

SUTV (Students’ Union Television) is the much-mooted communication tool being proposed by the Student’s Union. The project aims to provide students with a high quality filming and editing suite in the Union building from which students may gain broadcasting experience.

However, scepticism of SUTV has been mounting, with the revelation that the plan would cost almost £30,000 to complete. Queen’s Annual Fund, a student contact centre which gives graduate donations towards student projects, have pledged £20,000. The remainder will be directly funded by the Students’ Union if other sources cannot be found.

Early last week, an opinion piece heavily criticising SUTV was published on The Gown website, sparking a surge of debate on the issue. VP Campaigns and President-elect, Gareth McGreevy, who has spear-headed the development of the scheme, expressed a knee-jerk aggravation to the criticisms via his Facebook page.

“Gareth McGreevy thinks you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t but maybe are better not doing and therefore just get an easy ride! On the other hand looking forward to writing a response piece and showing some people up!” He said.

McGreevy has not submitted a response to the criticisms but, in a slight change of tact, has instead welcomed students to speak to him privately about the issue.

Creator of the Facebook group, Niall Corry, a prominent member of the Queen’s Fencing Club, has encouraged discussion on the topic.

One person said, “Some of the money for the project is being taken from a trust fund I believe donated by former graduates…however even they can’t reach the £30,000 figure then the rest is going to come from student pockets!”

VP Paul Lilly questioned the ethics of the group members.

“Seems like some Raggies can’t handle the fact that SUTV made a successful bid to the Annual Fund. Honestly,” he said.

Another student said, “Queen’s Radio, the SU-Mag, the Verdict and the RAG magazine are all highly undersubscribed…Is the evidence really there to suggest SUTV wouldn’t follow in the same footsteps?”

“By creating SUTV (at huge expense), you are just spreading existing information around more thinly,” he added.

Link to Facebook Group

OPINION: SUTV just doesn’t add up

BY MARK DAVENCOURT

UPDATE: April Fool.

The release of Ed Moloney’s book has heaped more pressure on Adams, with further evidence which suggests that he was indeed an influential member of the IRA. It is thought that Redpath’s recent affiliation with the GAA is what prompted Adams to invite him to be a collaborator. Sources close to the pair say that they have been attending hurling matches together in West Belfast. Senior Sinn Féin members are worried that this alliance is a sham on which Redpath is using to simply build his political profile. The pair were last seen standing on the sidelines in Casement Park waiting for a helicopter to bring them to Dublin for secret talks.

In related news, The Gown’s own Brendan Hughes has put an end to week-long speculation that he is a former IRA commander, stating, “Sure, I may have played Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, but that’s the closest I’ve ever come to rebelling against the crown.”

BY RUPERT FURCOCH

UPDATE: April Fool

“This is it – this is finally it,” declared Brogan from his rarely-used ceremonial office throne. “Lilly’s locked in a cupboard, Duffy’s occupied with crayons, Laura has been sedated, Gareth’s at the UHC having his bedwetting seen to, Susan’s out of the picture and Paul is…somewhere, possibly.”

Dismissing The Gown’s concerned glance at the bloodied pulp of esteemed bean-counter-in-chief Andrew Dodge, half-rolled in a reeking ex-Speakeasy carpet, Brogan laughed nervously, yammering, “Some sacrifices must be made for the successful student revolution.”

“Apathy will be tamed. Gregson will be humiliated. The malodorous gurnings of the Socialist Society will be skilfully outflanked from the left. I will lead the students in the vanguard of the dissolution of the Northern Irish bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie that doesn’t study here, I mean.”

As The Gown stepped slowly back from the office (before breaking into a run on the stairs), President Brogan began burning all office papers bearing the words “review”, “committee” and “policy”, giggling all the while.

The Gown’s Brendan Hughes will be live blogging Brogan’s imminent student-led insurrection.

BY FESTUS MCMUCKSAVAGE

UPDATE: April Fool.

“It hurt,” said the man from Strabane, “…It really, really hurt. And it wasn’t just the physical pain. It was the spiritual struggles that came as part of the package. I left one Bot-rotted molar under the pillow, hoping for a pound from the Tooth Fairy.”

“When I woke up, I realised I’d gotten 10p from QSUM instead. Now I don’t know what to believe in.”

At this point, Duffy called a premature end to the interview. “It’s the Minister on the phone – I should probably take this.”

BY WALLY BOLSAK

UPDATE: April Fool.

Russell Group Director of Sterling Harvesting, Liza Lucre, stated today that the annual demand will be “one pound of flesh” extracted over 20 years. The payment method will be restructured, moving from interest-free loans to sharpened teaspoons.

NUS head honcho Wes Streeting condemned the plans, stating, “Students are entitled to their own flesh. The NUS will be lobbying backbench Labour MPs to de-rail this dystopian nonsense.”

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, who has responsibility for higher education policy, was more equivocal. “Students must make some real sacrifices to help achieve institutional excellence in our high-tech, high-fat economy.”
Mandelson denied rumours that his visit to Satan’s Mediterranean yacht would influence any decision, deeming rumours about his inherent evil “wicked and devilish defamation.”

Queen’s Students’ Union is to remove all remaining democratic input of students and re-brand solely as a bars, entertainment and commercial venue, a leaked business plan has revealed.

BY JERRY PAXO

UPDATE: April Fool

The document details a five year plan aiming to transform the Students’ Union into one of the top commercial and entertainment settings in Belfast. As a result of this new focus, Queen’s will phase out unprofitable student activities which are held in the building. The incoming student executive will subsequently be the last student-elected staff in the Students’ Union. SRC will also be disbanded after the 2010-11 academic year.

The confidential business plan is to be officially published at the beginning of the new financial year, in a few days time. The report shows that University management have expressed concern over the profitability of the Union due to falling bars revenue in recent months.

“By focusing the building’s procedures on its commercial and entertainment output, we believe the Union can harvest a much greater capital from the student body than in its current form,” the report asserts.

Since the Union’s QUB-subsidised renovation in 2005, the building has played host to increasing control from Queen’s itself, and a gradual depletion of student-elected sovereignty. This latest development comes as the University prepares to introduce efficiency savings across the campus, and streamline the degree package it offers to prospective students.

In an introductory note to the plans, a senior employee said, “Elected students’ input into our operations has been a rather superficial endeavour for many years now. For the vast majority of students, the building will become something of much greater use, whilst hugely expanding ways in which we can utilize the student market for economic return.”

Current Entertainments Manager, Rod Martin, who has worked in the Union since his late teens, is expected to make moves towards securing the top job ahead of Dodge.

According to the report, over the forthcoming academic year, the SU snack bar will be developed into a gig venue with a crowd capacity to rival St. George’s Market. Clubs and societies currently supported by Queen’s Union will be offered support and advice in order to make their offerings more financially sustainable and of greater commercial interest to the wider student body.

Student demand for other retail services not currently housed in the Union will be evaluated in the coming months. It is believed that recently resigned VP, Susan Kearney, will be consulted on the viability of student massage and relaxation therapy.

The document makes particular reference to SUTV, suggesting that its output will be focused on cheap, high-rating programme genres to maximise advertising revenue. One show suggested was ‘Gareth’s Got Talent’, where President-elect Gareth McGreevy “judges an all-singing, ‘jazz hands at-the-ready’ competition, picking the lucky few who meet Gareth’s high standards to make it through to the next round.” The station will also give constant promotion of SU’s commercial services.

The long standing dispute between The Gown and The

BY WESTON O’CONNOR

UPDATE: April Fool.

In a move similar to Barack Obama’s 2009 ‘Beer Summit’, President Shane Brogan last night invited all parties involved to clear the air in the Speakeasy bar. The invite was met with some scepticism by Gownies, but the offer of a Donegal man picking up the bar tab was, “too good to refuse” according to editor Catherine Wylie.

It began as a cagey affair with Gownies and Sabbs occupying opposite sides of the table with very little eye contact. One onlooker said, “It was like whenever you were wee, and the boys were stood at one side of the disco and the girls at the other.”

The visible tension between both factions became more apparent as Gown reporter Brian Quinn and sabb Barry Duffy engaged each other in an unspoken race to the bottom of their respective pints, Duffy narrowly winning as Quinn choked on the head of his Tennant’s.

After the second round tensions eased and polite conversation flowed openly between both sides. Connor “2 Pint” Daly was seen to scribble a formal apology for his infamous “Students of the Union Unite” article on the back of a beermat and asked for it to be submitted to Andrew Dodge. Wylie, who had been going hard on the double gins, had to be physically restrained from asking a visibly uncomfortable Paul Lilly out to dance.

News editor Lorcan Mullen, as always found cause to complain about the lack of “cool new bands” available on the Union’s jukebox and begrudgingly selected some “bog-standard crowd pleasers”. This proved detrimental to the night’s proceedings as Catherine Wylie and President Elect Gareth McGreevy stood up and launched into an impromptu duet of the Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me Baby?’ All those in attendance watched in amazement as the barrier was finally broken down. From then on it was nothing but hugs and Jäger-bombs for the remainder of the night. Brendan Hughes was spotted beating Paul Courtney at an arm wrestling match while Brogan stunned the crowd with his move for more re-enactments of ‘Thriller’.

After midnight, Dodge joined the reconciled bunch in the bar and presented flowers to editor Wylie, and went on to commend her and her team for their persistent and unrelenting journalism over the past year. He went as far as to say that among the current team that there is surely a Jeremy Paxman or a Moira Stewart in the making. He was only too pleased to have assisted the team this year in their attempts to carve out careers in journalism.

A new memorandum of understanding has been agreed upon which sees The Gown being given a brand new luxury office space (formerly the site of Cloisters) and any unfavourable stories printed about executive members will be followed with “LOL” to detract credibility. However, this declaration was lost later last night in Rain nightclub, and if found The Gown and Union urge you to please contact the Student’s Union at once.

The Director General of a top television station has announced that they will inject £10million into SUTV prior to its launch which is thought to be in September. The announcement came this morning and it appears that the decision was made after seeing the enormous majority in favour of SUTV in a poll on The Gown website. More people voted in this particular poll than have ever voted in a Gown poll before.

BY BOBBY DISK

UPDATE: April Fool

In fact, sources close to the Union believe that the creator of the SUTV dream, which is now worth millions, President elect, Gareth McGreevy, encouraged his peers to vote ‘yes’ in the poll which asked website users whether or not it was justified to spend £30,000 on the project. Some are comparing this to the fraud which took place during the recent student election when the law/GAA ticket was caught texting people requesting QOL sign-in details in a bid to gain votes unfairly.

The Director General criticised The Gown in his announcement today, with particular focus on an opinion piece regarding SUTV a couple of weeks ago. He remarked that it was most unprofessional for an editor to approve a piece which questioned those in authority. “Journalism is about supporting the status quo and ensuring that those people in authority remain unchallenged in all that they do,” he said.

It was clear that the fact that the majority of those involved in SUTV have no previous television training, and that the project has yet to be properly tested, were two of the main attractions. “We believe that donating £10m to a project which hasn’t even been tested out in a minimal scale is a great idea. Why should they have tested the project out? It’s only money. We are in the midst of an economic boom. There is too much money around, and injecting millions into untested projects is the future,” he said.

McGreevy, who is rumoured to be in the running to be the next Director General, is delighted at the huge cash injection, and is busy receiving honorary degrees from American and Asian universities. However, SUTV volunteers are said to be feuding over planned projects for September. One volunteer said, “It’s not fair. I said I wanted to do the Arctic expedition first. Now I’ve been relegated to the Mount Everest documentary coverage.”

Inside reports suggest that there will be further office shake-ups and that the entire 2nd and 3^rd floors of the Students’ Union building will be taken over by SUTV. Some fear that the building will become a TV station exclusively.

The QUB Crèche Arts Week came to a close last Friday with a staging of

BY BRYAN CYGNETT

PS. April Fool!

I’m no stranger to tots’ productions. Last autumn I was very fortunate to see Peter O’Toole’s grandson in a Montessori matinee playing Hamlet. This was a very well received occasion and showed how a cast and crew, no older than 8 years old, can stage a play with the utmost professionalism. The same could not be said for last Friday nights’ catastrophe in the crèche’s toy-room.

Many of QUB’s proud alumni’s offspring have cut their teeth at its crèche. It was here that Seamus Heaney’s daughter was taught her first nursery rhyme and it is where Liam Neeson’s son starred in his first nativity. All of the above would be burying their heads in the sand if they could see the lifeless approach its current student body are making towards Arts Week.

Words cannot do justice in saying how terrible the chemistry between the actors was. The decision to cast Vicky Sweeney (5¾) as Blanche was a highly questionable one. It could be argued that her slight lisp endeared her to the audience but she was simply too overweight and clumsy to carry herself with all the grace Vivien Leigh brought to the role in some of the more demanding scenes. Jimmy Casey (5), as Mitch, tripped over many of his lines and some props. He also looked visibly disgusted when directed to hold hands with his co-star Sweeney. At one point Stella, played by Debbie Tibbot (6 ¼), fell asleep and missed her cue.

The one saving grace was Kevin McGrath (5 ½) who brought a frightening new intensity to the character of Stanley. His burbling cry of “Stella!” gave the audience goosebumps and the climactic confrontation with Blanche saw many parents reach for their phones to dial child services.

But even this young powerhouse was not enough to rectify an otherwise abysmal enactment. Director Samantha Gold should quit while she’s behind.

BY ANDREW CARR

President Mark Rodgers commented, “We’re delighted to be offering so many people the experience of developing their leadership skills and expanding the diversity of their cultural understanding”. Thanks to AIESEC’s student-run status, participants enjoy a unique experience unrivalled in terms of the support provided. As AIESEC is present in over eight hundred universities worldwide, exchange participants are immersed in this network while they are working abroad, offering a cultural experience and a social life right out of the box. So what’s next for the lucky twenty exchange participants going abroad this year? For starters, they’ll be sent to an outgoing preparation seminar to learn how other ‘AIESECers’ have dealt with adapting to life in a foreign country and how to get the most out of their internship. On arrival at their destination country they will be greeted by the students from the local AIESEC Committee who will assist them in setting up accommodation and getting to know the area. They will also have the opportunity to attend weekly AIESEC get-togethers after work. When their internship is over, exchange participants will come home to be ‘reintegrated’, which is AIESEC terminology for learning how to make the most of what they experienced, including working with some of AIESEC’s business partners who will offer training on how to market their newly developed skills.

If you’re interested in getting involved with AIESEC, contact Russell Berry – vptmqub@googlemail.com or check out www.aiesec.co.uk

Chris and Dan’s Funhouse presents Tim McGarry  live on Queen’s Radio on Thursday 1st April 12-2pm.

www.queensradio.org

Spread the Love, Live the Dream.

BY RUTH MAGENNIS

Hopefully the Advocates will use their newly elected roles to uphold their aim of creating “a visual, student based Law Society which will provide greater support and opportunities for all”. The campaign was a well run one, with support from the popular night club Rain, and they were one of the first teams to have a night out this year, with a launch in Rain on the 16th of March.

The election will allow Marie-Claire Campbell to push through the new proposals for charity work in her new post as Secretary. This includes the creation of a new role of Charity Officer to facilitate students in their participation in charity work, and a Law Charity Day which plans to rival the Mystery Tour as one of the biggest events in the Law Society calendar.

However, there was discontent at the results, with visible upset among the unsuccessful teams last night when the Advocates were announced as the winners. There are also rumours that the opposing teams felt the elections were merely a popularity contest.

One student commented, “I’m really pleased they won, I’d say they’ll be good at getting things done… their campaigning showed they’re on the ball too.” While another student said, “I’m glad they won it. I knew they would, they deserve it hands down. Next year should be a good year for Queen’s lawyers!”

However, another felt that the apathy felt by many students would not change this year, saying, “The law society is completely pointless because they are planning nights out that have been done before…they never live up to their promises.”

Newly elected president, Jason O’Neill says:

“I think our campaign went really well. I was delighted that our whole team got elected despite tough competition from the other candidates. Our aim was to run our campaign in a way that would inform the student body of our policies without using tactics that aim to pester potential voters into submission. I feel that we achieved this. Next year we hope to live up to our election promises and build a more supportive and engaging Law Society. We will broaden the remit of our officers to include a charity portfolio under the position of Secretary and provide enployability skills workshops such as alternative dispute resolution and negotiation under the responsibility of the Mooting Officer. We will also work with the Careers Department to facilitate the greater provision of careers education and advice. On the social side of things we aim to put Law Soc social events back on top of the social calendar, promising bigger, better and more diverse nights out. We hope to achieve these pledges as well as a lot more!”

Adam McGibbon, the recently elected Union vice-president for welfare, is set for a second daunting electoral challenge this semester, successfully landing the Green Party’s nomination for Belfast South in the upcoming UK general elections. Queen’s University is situated in this constituency.

BY LORCAN MULLEN

The current MP, the SDLP’s Alasdair McDonnell, will be defending a slim majority against McGibbon, the UCUNF’s Paula Bradshaw, Sinn Fein’s Alex Maskey and Alliance’s Anna Lo, among others. In 2005, McDonnell won with 10,339 votes. In the 2007 Assembly elections, Green candidate Brenda Cooke secured a tally of 737 votes.

A postgraduate politics student at Queen’s University, McGibbon joined the Green Party in 2007 at the age of 19, becoming the youngest member of the Party’s Executive Committee and is currently the Chairperson of the South Belfast branch. He was elected unanimously at a meeting of the branch, and has already begun canvassing in the area.

Speaking to The Gown, McGibbon insisted that such canvassing, so far confined to non-student areas, had elicited an “excellent response”, with the Greens’ flagship ‘green new deal’ proving popular on the doorsteps. This ‘green new deal’ would see an estimated 38,000 jobs created in the renewable energy sector, with a particular boost for the beleaguered construction trade. Initial investment would go towards home insulation and indigenous forms of power generation, like woodchip farming and burning. McGibbon pointed out that these new blue-collar jobs would be largely immune to outsourcing, the consistent scourge of the North’s ever-faltering economy.

In South Belfast, McGibbon will be pushing a “20 is plenty” speed limit in built up areas, while also supporting free home insulation for any house that needs it. According to the Young Green, the apparent malaise over environmental campaigning after the failed Copenhagen summit, coupled with the murky media hype surrounding leaked emails from the University of East Anglia, has not reached the doorsteps of South Belfast. Rather, “people are more convinced that action has to be taken by them, not just governments.”

Apart from environmental and economic considerations, McGibbon stressed the power of the Greens’ untainted “new” politics, outside the bickering of sectarian division and unsullied from the various recent political scandals at Westminster. He asserted that the Greens are the only party in Stormont who do not accept corporate donations.

When pushed on the charge that his movement is a strictly middle-class pursuit, McGibbon reported a particular warmth from working class constituents when told of the Greens’ absence from the oft-repeated ‘heads in the trough’ behaviour of a large number of incumbent MPs and political leaders.

McGibbon also refuted the argument that a Green vote would increase the chances of the UCUNF (Conservative) candidate defeating Alasdair McDonnell. McDonnell and the SDLP typically vote with Labour at Westminster. He questioned the true progressive impulses of McDonnell, but also the Alliance Party, stating that “they aren’t honest in how they present themselves.”

Most importantly, McGibbon encouraged students to participate in the elections, primarily through registration at their place of study, “where they spend most of their time…let’s talk about cold houses, fuel poverty, student fees.”

With more than 20,000 studying at the university, a significant Union voter-registration drive could well see students dominate the political debate in this constituency for years to come, leveraging votes to commit the MP for South Belfast to policies that are good for students and young people, not just “permanent residents.”

BY RUTH MAGENNIS

Big contenders are team Cerberus, with a very visible campaign which sometimes took place during lectures, much to some lecturers’ indignation. Seamus Mulholland is at its helm, running for President. In their manifesto they plan to foster better links with both the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS) for those wanting to take a traditional route into a law career, and leading law firms around the globe for those wanting experience. Cerberus plan to be more inclusive, offering positions for those who want to participate in the Society in a non-elected capacity. Of course, there is a big focus on more student nights out, theme nights, and a Yearbook to document it all.

Cerberus share many initiatives with The Firm, such as producing a Yearbook and a re-introduction of the Buddy system for law students. If elected, the team headed by Michael Press, plan to make use of the three seats granted to the Society on the Staff Student Consultative Committee (SSCC) to make sure that law students are heard at Queen’s. An unusual proposal comes from Olivia King, who is running for editor of the Society magazine ‘The Verdict’. She wishes to have a ‘Catch Up’ section for law students on foreign placement – an invaluable source of information for those about to go on placement.

The Advocates’ manifesto revolves around charity work, mooting and of course more student nights out. Running for president is Jason O’Neill, who wants to focus on generating “bigger and better” nights out for Queen’s students, along with improved careers advice. There are also plans to increase the level of charity work that law students can participate in, with Marie Claire-Campbell campaigning for a ‘Charity Officer role’ within the Secretary position. There is also a heavy focus on increasing the ‘buzz’ around Mooting by promoting it more heavily.

Last but not least is The Departed, led by Ciaran Wilkinson for President. Several of their members are currently studying in the USA, which may dampen the mood for those left behind if the team is elected. Of those studying abroad, Conall Mc Mahon also wishes to focus on more law society nights if elected to Vice President role. There are also ideas to make ‘The Verdict’ more light hearted but also inform law students of alternative career routes. Possibly, with the team’s experience in the USA, this would bring diverse ideas to the table if elected.

THE GOWN:

Newspaper of the Year

Editor of the Year

People’s Choice

SU MAG:

Layout and Design of the Year

Magazine of the Year

Editor of the Year

Latifa Akay for Colour Writer of the Year

Damien Edgar for Sports Writer of the Year

People’s Choice
SU MEDIA:

QUBSU for Wesbite of the Year

Society Publication for a one off publication for the SU Handbook

QUEENS RADIO:

Radio DJ of the Year (Cillian de Burca)

Radio Production of the Year: The Culture Show with Calvin Roberts

Radio Production of the Year: Union News with Niamh Ferguson, Ethan Loughrey and Al Livesley

PTQ shortlisted for Society Publication of the Year

The Verdict shortlisted for Society Publication of the Year and People’s Choice

SU President Shane Brogan has defended changes being made to office space in the Union amid tensions with staff and sabbaticals.

BY BRENDAN HUGHES

Brogan insists the changes, which are due to begin next week, will be for the benefit of the Union, creating more free space for students’ use.

“The offices in here aren’t efficient. My current office is about the same size as Peter Gregson’s,” Brogan said.

Currently, as much as half of all student room bookings are held in other Queen’s buildings due to the Union’s lack of space.

It is believed that the office shake-up has caused some tension in SU towers, with several members of staff and elected student officers unhappy with the changes. Some sources have complained that relevant parties were not given enough notice. However, Brogan has hit back at this suggestion, saying that proposals were presented to present Sabbatical officers in January, and have been talked about since June last year.

The office plans will see many Union employees who are currently in private offices move into shared rooms. It is intended that this will make the whole third floor free for students to use. One room on the third floor will be used for ‘hot-desking’ facilities, which will give students who run annual events a base with a phone and computer to work from for the required duration. Computers will also be installed with design packages such as Adobe InDesign, hoping to encourage students to develop high-quality faculty publications.

The biggest structural change sees the wall between the President’s current office and the reception knocked in to create one larger, communal office for Sabbatical officers. SU marketing and entertainments personnel will move into the current Sabbaticals’ office.