UCD fights the man!

Goodluck2me

i heard this week from a lecturer that McDonalds were offerring UCD a 50m Swimming Pool if they allowed a McDonlads onto the Campus. why apart from the fact that swimming after a mean is unadvisable was this disallowed. DO the Student of UCD think this is fair? should a referendum have been called?
Discuss.

Paul Tergat

Should have definitely taken this, both a McDonalds and pool

bad decision

Young Siward

I think that rumour has been doing the rounds for quite a while. In the current climate in UCD student consulation on this matter would be very, very unlikely I'd assume.

The whole notion of McDonalds on campus makes me a wee bit queasy tbh. The fact that the grub is rank 'n gank may have something to do with it....

I hope this thread doesn't dissolve into a pro/anti new Student Centre debate. We've had that before...

Rnger

im surprised you heard this from a lecturer. the exact same thing was going around about the cafeteria in my old secondary school. we could have had a pool if they could put a mcdonalds in. defo not worth it!

I simply doubt this is true

Umaro

The fact that the grub is rank 'n gank may have something to do with it....

I feel sorry for you.. You'll never experience the pleasure of a McGriddle and McFlurry for breakfast..

gubbie

Young Siward wrote:

The whole notion of McDonalds on campus makes me a wee bit queasy tbh. The fact that the grub is rank 'n gank may have something to do with it....

its better then that crap fast food place we have at the moment down in the student centre. I don't see any difference in letting that muck in as to letting McDonalds in-well besides the fact that we'd have a 50m swimming pool

wyndham

goodluck2me wrote:

i heard this week from a lecturer that McDonalds were offerring UCD a 50m Swimming Pool if they allowed a McDonlads onto the Campus. why apart from the fact that swimming after a mean is unadvisable was this disallowed. DO the Student of UCD think this is fair? should a referendum have been called?
Discuss.

This offer, although true,was about 20 years ago. Doubt if McDonalds would offer the same deal now.

Stabshauptmann

I remember this doing the rounds last year before the referendum on the new student centre. The deputy pres told me recently that there was no truth to it.

Chinafoot

Heard this rumour when I started three years ago. Load of crap tbh.

Steak

UCD definitely should've taken them up on this!

tintinr35

ive been hearing this rumour since first year, dont worry it definatly wont happen, much more likey to see a starbucks than a micky d's popping up, now there is an idea, starbucks yum....

Umaro

Even better would be a Subway.. mmm.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

a coffeeshop would kick ass. Ucd could kick start the decriminilisation debate.

Red Alert

If the food and choice wasn't so gank we wouldn't need a mcdonalds.

That mcdonalds rumor is old hat - it's been doing the rounds since i started in UCD.

Not worth it i think.

padser

goodluck2me wrote:

i heard this week from a lecturer that McDonalds were offerring UCD a 50m Swimming Pool if they allowed a McDonlads onto the Campus. .

Lets just have a quick look at the figures for putting a mcdonalds on campus.

There are (roughly) 20,000 students in UCD (not all in belfield - but ignore that). Lets assume each one visits the place twice a week, (40,000 visits) for every week of the year (2,000,000) visits.

If this happened the place would be getting (assuming it opens 16 hours a day) over 300 visits an hour.

[I dont think anyone could say the place is likely to do anything close to this amount of business]

So 2,000,000 visitors a years spending, lets say €5 each is €10,000,000 turnover. Lets assume they have a net profit of 10% (highly unlikely). This leaves then with a net profit of €1,000,000 per year.


Now lets look at the cost of building a 50 metre swimming pool.

In this seanead debate from 1997

http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/S/0146/S.0146.199602150006.html

the cost of a 50 metre swimming pool appears to be £17Million pounds. Converting that into euro, and adding 3% inflation for 9 years gives us €28 million in todays value (this doesnt take into account that inflation in the construction industry has run at far higher then the national average).

So €28 million, lets say mcdonalds are really good negotiators and manage to get it for half price €14 million.

That still leaves em needing to wait 14 years to pay back their original investment not including

- the interest incured on this €14 million over the 14 years
- the costs of building the mcdonalds on campus.

Now I could re do the figure with more accurate estimations, and that 14 years would stretch to around 100 pretty quickly, but I think iv made my point.

goodlucktou is right

fish-head

RCSI got a Starbucks..

Gubbie, I reckon you get a lot more bang for your buck down in Café Brava (I love this name.. so daft). I wouldn't think twice about eating there, and I'd rather vomit out of my ears than visit McD's.

A swimming pool would be a very good amenity though, one thing the sports centre lacks.

Stabshauptmann

the new student centre is supposed to have one, swiming pool that is

fatal

Umaro wrote:

Even better would be a Subway.. mmm.

someone is finally talking sense

Umaro

Now lets look at the cost of building a 50 metre swimming pool.

In this seanead debate from 1997

http://historical-debates.oireachtas...602150006.html

the cost of a 50 metre swimming pool appears to be £17Million pounds. Converting that into euro, and adding 3% inflation for 9 years gives us €28 million in todays value (this doesnt take into account that inflation in the construction industry has run at far higher then the national average).

And there was me thinking it was as easy as making a hole and filling it with water..

generalmiaow

They should just go the whole hog and build a rollercoaster too.

fish-head

Kaptain Redeye wrote:

the new student centre is supposed to have one, swiming pool that is

Where are they hiding it?

Stabshauptmann

New as in, the one they are going to start building this summer.

Dontico

i'm exspecting a responce from chris bond.

Stabshauptmann

Why?

If he wasnt running for sabbat would you still be expecting a responce from him?

fish-head

Oh... I didn't know they were building another one. Why? The one we have is quite adequate..

hullaballoo

fish-head wrote:

Oh... I didn't know they were building another one. Why? The one we have is quite adequate..

The current sabbat offices are too small, and there's no room for the leather-topped desks and swivel chairs.

Chakar

hullaballoo wrote:

The current sabbat offices are too small, and there's no room for the leather-topped desks and swivel chairs.

So I trust you don't know that the student centre is going to hold all the society activities with a debating chamber, cinema, swimming pool, meeting rooms and offices for the societies.Its going to be quite big and its going to be beside the existing student centre.

I think they're going to start building it in 2009.

Stabshauptmann

I find it adequate.

Things proposed to be in the new one are a dark room (for photographers), debating chamber (cos lecture theaters wont do?), theatre (for dramasoc and co), more office space, swimming pool, and more franchises/outlets.

There was a referendum on it which only barely reached quorem (and some would say it didnt).

hullaballoo

Chakar wrote:

So I trust you don't know that the student centre is going to hold all the society activities with a debating chamber, cinema, swimming pool, meeting rooms and offices for the societies.Its going to be quite big and its going to be beside the existing student centre.

I think they're going to start building it in 2009.

It was a joke.