Anyone think it's slightly ironic?

upmeath

Two things I've noticed around UCD in the last year or so...

(i) I went into the Student's Union shop below the library last December, everybody knows that shop doesn't sell Coca Cola products, and infact the SU would pride themselves on the fact that this one of the first SU shops in the world to take an "Anti-Killer Coke" stance.

But I wasn't there for the coke, oh no, I was there for a college hoodie. I tried on and bought a grey UCD hoodie for 40 euro, only for it to be handed across the counter to me in a plastic carrier bag with UCD SU printed on one side... and Enjoy Coca Cola on the other.

(ii) I see Ents are using the Roundel of the Royal Air Force as their logo, what the hell is that about? I could understand perfectly if it were Trinity Ents , but not UCD...
But seriously, I doubt any British universities have adopted the tricolour, the harp or the Irish Air Corps roundel for their SU Ents committee logo?

singingstranger

I'd imagine the UCDSU bag stems from the olden pre-boycott times when there was a big sponsorship thing going on. In some of the old college prospectii you could see exterior shots of the Student Centre with lots of Coca-Cola branded canvas sheets for outside Cafe Brava and stuff. Even today if you go to the ground floor of the Science block and go to the SU shop here, the main security railing has a massive Coca-Cola logo on it. Just olden times I'd wager.

As regards the RAF logo... I really wouldn't think it's a deliberate ploy. I know that when it came in, Anto Kelly (the Ents Officer of the time)'s favourite T-Shirt was a green one with a similar type of insignia on it; perhaps there's a link between the two. I really wouldn't worry all that much about it.

Although what IS ironic, is a free ride when you've already paid. Or indeed having ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife. Or perhaps rain on your wedding day? (Up the Royal, btw...)

Raphael

singingstranger wrote:

Although what IS ironic, is a free ride when you've already paid. Or indeed having ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife. Or perhaps rain on your wedding day? (Up the Royal, btw...)

Nothing in that gorram song is ironic. What would be ironic would be getting stabbed when you were looking for a knife.

breadmonkey

I have a feeling you guys will like this thread.

singingstranger

Surely that in itself is ironic though?

/me regrets the spammy off-topicness of this thread

To get it back on topic, can anyone confirm that there was a large-scale UCDSU sponsorship from Coca-Cola before the referenda and boycott?

Red Alert

The ents logo is actually funky - so what if it's the same as the RAF's logo?

Tom65

upmeath wrote:

(ii) I see Ents are using the Roundel of the Royal Air Force as their logo, what the hell is that about? I could understand perfectly if it were Trinity Ents , but not UCD...
But seriously, I doubt any British universities have adopted the tricolour, the harp or the Irish Air Corps roundel for their SU Ents committee logo?

It's lots of things aside from the RAF logo. It's a Mod logo - I know both The Who and Paul Weller use it. Maybe Ents are alluding to the youthful partying of Quadrophenia?:p

Blush_01

singingstranger wrote:

To get it back on topic, can anyone confirm that there was a large-scale UCDSU sponsorship from Coca-Cola before the referenda and boycott?

Yup. The Science shop nearly went out of business because of the boycott, because Coca Cola's sponsorship pretty much kept it open, afaik. Haven't been in Science in an age, but there used to be two big round marks above the shop where the Coca Cola signs had been removed from the shop's banner thing above the door. Maybe the marks are still there!

arbeitsscheuer

The Ents thing isn't really ironic - it's apt.

Former UCD motto and current RAF motto? Ad Astra

subway

im not from ucd, so maybe i shouldnt be positng here,
but why are you boycotting coke?

The_Minister

subway wrote:

im not from ucd, so maybe i shouldnt be positng here,
but why are you boycotting coke?

You are allowed post here.

We boycott Coke because workers in a coke-owned, but not coke-run, facility got shot by paramilitaries, for being in a union, which the union blames on the management, and claims that the management instigated.

I personally don't agree with it, but a referendum was held and it was passed. There was a thread on this a while back, if you are interested.

upmeath

arbeitsscheuer wrote:

The Ents thing isn't really ironic - it's apt.

Former UCD motto and current RAF motto? Ad Astra

There's a slight difference, UCD motto was "Ad Astra", the RAF motto is "Per Ardua Ad Astra" (through struggles to the stars) but nonetheless a good spot and I suppose it draws a link alright!
Well the vending machines in Richview have remained the property of Coca Cola to this very day, and were churning out can after can of killer coke goodness (or badness) until a few weeks ago!!!
In fairness I don't think it's justifiable to adopt the logo of a military organisation that until very recently conducted flyovers over Crossmaglen Rangers training sessions, as a show of power and dominance, just because it appeared on the Ents Officer's favourite t-shirt. If that was the case and I was Ents officer we'd have a logo that read "Enjoy Cocaine". I wonder how that would go down?

subway

The_Minister wrote:

You are allowed post here.

We boycott Coke because workers in a coke-owned, but not coke-run, facility got shot by paramilitaries, for being in a union, which the union blames on the management, and claims that the management instigated.

I personally don't agree with it, but a referendum was held and it was passed. There was a thread on this a while back, if you are interested.

thanks for the reply,
thats a very unusual reason, i thought that ucd might have had a speciifc issue with coke ireland.
ill have a look for the thread in a little while

upmeath

subway wrote:

thanks for the reply,
thats a very unusual reason, i thought that ucd might have had a speciifc issue with coke ireland.
ill have a look for the thread in a little while

Yeah it seems that many students don't agree with it, but then again if it went to a vote and the No Coke vote won, it must be enforced. I personally think it's a tad bit over the top. Coca Cola Ireland and the big wigs of Coca Cola in the USA are the only ones losing out to UCD's boycott, not Coca Cola in South America. I doubt many American universities would give two hoots if a herd of gangsters ran Starbucks in Ireland, or McDonalds, or Coca-Cola. But if South American universities have adopted the boycott then its a good thing for them.

arbeitsscheuer

upmeath wrote:

In fairness I don't think it's justifiable to adopt the logo of a military organisation that until very recently conducted flyovers over Crossmaglen Rangers training sessions, as a show of power and dominance, just because it appeared on the Ents Officer's favourite t-shirt.

Hmmm, fair point. I don't think that it registers with most students tho, tbh. I'd say most identify it with Ents first and foremost, then RAF second (if at all). Just my opinion, given that in all the time I've been here it's only come up in conversation once!

panda100

arbeitsscheuer wrote:

Hmmm, fair point. I don't think that it registers with most students tho, tbh. I'd say most identify it with Ents first and foremost, then RAF second (if at all). Just my opinion, given that in all the time I've been here it's only come up in conversation once!

Yeah I said it to someone once and they didnt know what the raf was so I say most students dont realise it at all.

AS for the coke thing. In general the coke campaign wasnt followed through.The campigners seemed to have held a refernedum and just left it at that so coke is slowly and easily creeping back on to campus again.

singingstranger

Not quite contributing, but thread of the day... how's about that?

The_Minister

singingstranger wrote:

Not quite contributing, but thread of the day... how's about that?

How is that decided?

On Topic: I doubt that many people care.

gubbie

upmeath wrote:

Two things I've noticed around UCD in the last year or so...
(ii) I see Ents are using the Roundel of the Royal Air Force as their logo, what the hell is that about? I could understand perfectly if it were Trinity Ents , but not UCD...
But seriously, I doubt any British universities have adopted the tricolour, the harp or the Irish Air Corps roundel for their SU Ents committee logo?

Its also the UCD connect logo that pops up beside the web address

upmeath

gubbie wrote:

Its also the UCD connect logo that pops up beside the web address

no that's just a random navy roundel with a "P" in the middle... no idea what that's supposed to signify!

Umaro

The 'p' is just a mirrored upside down 'b'. The 'b' itself stands for Brady, as in Hugh Brady - timelord of the seventh realm.

Case solved. Topic CLOSED.

upmeath

Umaro wrote:

The 'p' is just a mirrored upside down 'b'. The 'b' itself stands for Brady, as in Hugh Brady - timelord of the seventh realm.

Case solved. Topic CLOSED.

Oh yeah... :rolleyes: