watch out!

princess_calico

LoLth wrote: »

though to be fair, if no-one posted online then they wouldnt know that others felt the same way or they might have thought "well, someone else will say something". at least by having it posted here it brings it inadvertantly (meh, second best is better than nothing) to your attention and gives you an opportunity to respond if you feel like it but yes, going to the SU directly should always be the first course of action... then come here and tell us what they said!

in a weird way what u said makes sense... even though it shouldn't..... but at least give us a chance!

banquo

I agree with Princess_Calico that this year's SU are a fine bunch of people. And a campaign is a good idea.

However. I'm little involved in the SU this year, and would count everyone I've met as a friend. But friends are honest with each other.

It's not that hard to put on the front page of the website - Nuimsu or nuim.ie - ''Attention: attacks in [area] in recent days. Students urged to be on their guard and to not walk home alone''. If a bunch of lads are bashing people over the heads on their way home, and you know about it but ignore the opportunity to tell me about it, then a fat load of good you are to me in your office!

''Help, I've been stabbed!''
''No worries, there's a Neighbourhood Watch meeting next week''
''Ah right, sound. Cheers!''

princess_calico wrote:

You all give out about the SU, but what have you done? In case you forgot, the SU is run for students BY students. Tell us what you want us to do! Don't b*tch about it on an online forum.

It's a good point! In my own personal defence:D, I ran for VP Comms last year and lost. There's a lot of room for people to get involved. But I do think that it's important to discuss these things here. Seriously, would you have had that meeting today to talk about this had people here not been bitchin' about it?

princess_calico

It's not that hard to put on the front page of the website - Nuimsu or nuim.ie - ''Attention: attacks in [area] in recent days. Students urged to be on their guard and to not walk home alone''. If a bunch of lads are bashing people over the heads on their way home, and you know about it but ignore the opportunity to tell me about it, then a fat load of good you are to me in your office!

But that's the thing! We ARE doing something about it! next week is entirely devoted to safety and promoting the safe home thing.

The reason nothing has been done this week is that no one is around. We cannot send emails from any of our email addresses because it has to go through the president and on to someone else to send it. Most of the exec, like most students are busy studying this week. We want to do our best but the reason there were only three of us at the emergency meeting today was that everyone else is at home.

We're not ignoring the opportunity to tell you about it, WE ARE DEVOTING A FULL WEEK TO IT!

banquo

Okay, okay! I'll give you that! Was this not planned at the start of the year like all other campaigns though? I'm just saying, a but of news on the front page of the website would have been sufficient. But it's bigger than that: it's obvious that when something like this comes along we can't rely on any official body to get the warning to us quickly. Thank God for boards!

PS check your facebook messages

funky penguin

I can see where Princess C is coming from. Its incredibly annoying to see people belittle the work you believe in from behind their computer. (I would however, like to point out that this was not really done on this thread).

All I can really say is, welcome to politics and bureaucracy.....:(

But you seem very enthusiastic, and that goes along way in college politics.

What I will say is this: Don't fall into the trap of thinking internet forums don't produce anything but opinionated drivel.

Look at the communities this website has set up, big and small (from the drama, to our own little clique). If ONE person is more cautious on their walk home because of this thread, all the better!

Good luck in your SU career, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of you! Its always great to have enthusiastic people like you and Rob on campus.

banquo

If I've learned one thing on this forum, it's this: Funky is usually right.

funky penguin

Oh banquo you sultry minx.

allandanyways

funky penguin wrote: »

If ONE person is more cautious on their walk home because of this thread, all the better!

I am anyway. I'm a bit dopey and wouldn't think anything of walking up to the bus stop from the library at 10oc (I'm an independent woman and all that) in the pitch black but I wouldn't have heard about all this unless it was for this thread. I've made a conscious effort to either go home earlier when there's more people about or get my boyfriend/mates/people I know staying late aswell to walk up with me, just to be on the safe side.

Seriously can't believe this is happening in Maynooth though. Obviously nowhere is crime free but you just never think that you're gonna get mugged in Maynooth of all places, where you know so many people to see and all that. Hope they catch whoever's doing it ASAP.

Princess calico, any chance you could have a word with security about the lack of lighting on campus? When the evenings are getting dark at 5pm now and the path up by education house isn't lit at all and you have to walk up onto the path beside the road, it's a bit nervewracking because a) There's hardly any cars on that road after 10oc and b) I know a 17y.o who was grabbed by a passing car whilst she was walking along a path bordering a main road like the one we have, so I'm always nervous walking along there on my own in the dark.

banquo

I've heard that the college, at security's own behest, are making a lot of changes. Short on specifics though.

Xxhaylsxx

For some strange reason i feel totally safe walking home to moyglare which is prob totally the wrong attitude to have! So im being careful.

banquo

Across the field to the shortcut to moyglare abbey = home safe!

Xxhaylsxx

I dont use the shortcut i live in moyglare village

banquo

LeixlipRed wrote: »

They've treathened to bring back Comic Sans too!! Monsters!!"

Monsters indeed.

~me~

i just wanna point out that most people on here werent giving out purely about the lack of e-mails or contact from the SU, i think it was the fact they found out on here and not through the SU, when it seems the college had heard about it and not done something about it themselves.
they couldnt have told the SU to do anything about it cause they didnt know in the first place and thats why they're angry, not that nothing has been done now. that doesnt make sense on the screen but it does in my head!

also, a safety week isnt the same thing as warning people about a specific threat. we're used to hearing 'walk safely, blah blah blah' but if we're told 'theres a group of people actually attcking students' i think people are more likely to listen. i dont mean that in a negative way, and i know its not the only thing ye are doing, but im just saying a general safety week is not the same as a specific warning against a specific threat, if that makes sense?

that came accross as a rant- it really wasnt!

on a side note its great that ye are looking after us on your study week so thanks!

bob bobbing

To all,

Apologies if you thought my advances were unprofessional. I'm a long term member of boards and a Kildare man and I shared your concern. I didn't want to demonise NUI or maynooth.

I strongly dismiss the claims made against our "rag". We're not a tabloid, and i would only pursue a story if I was approached by a worried student or member of faculty.

If you feel that the SU is the best means of making things safer then best of luck and no hard feelings.

I'll leave you to it (integrity intact)

Ostrom

bob bobbing wrote: »

To all,

Apologies if you thought my advances were unprofessional. I'm a long term member of boards and a Kildare man and I shared your concern. I didn't want to demonise NUI or maynooth.

I strongly dismiss the claims made against our "rag". We're not a tabloid, and i would only pursue a story if I was approached by a worried student or member of faculty.

If you feel that the SU is the best means of making things safer then best of luck and no hard feelings.

I'll leave you to it (integrity intact)

The reason many boards users are sceptical of journalists stems from a long history of quote-pilfering and 'research' under the guise of interested users. You are very much in the minority (and I'm sure the proportion of journalists inclined to conduct 'research' on an internet forum, such as those who have done so before, are hardly representative of the overall community) and your response is appreciated.

General question to the board - how visible are these attacks or groups? I walk home late many nights of the week, have lived all over the area the past six years and have yet to see any aggressive or threatening behaviour (I took both the canal route and the greenfield short cut up until last year).

Has anyone directly been threatened?

banquo

A few people, but it's all through the grapevine. Don't fancy counting on chinese whispers for personal safety tbh.

Seem to have died away, also.

LeixlipRed

bob bobbing wrote: »

I strongly dismiss the claims made against our "rag". We're not a tabloid, and i would only pursue a story if I was approached by a worried student or member of faculty.

Who do you think your audience is here? Your paper is absolutely a tabloid and you indulge in absolute gutter journalism that you hide behind a different layout and nicer typeset than traditional red tops.

bob bobbing wrote: »

I'll leave you to it (integrity intact)

I feel sorry for you if you believe that is true.

LeixlipRed

I felt like popping onto the Herald website to have a look see thinking Brian Lenihan's comments about public sector pay might be your top story seeing as your paper claims to represent the working classes in dublin. The top stories in order are

-No pressure on Boyzone insists Louis Walsh
-Win tickets to some rugby game
-Dannii Minogue stripped for playboy to clear debts

And most hilariously in the next paragraph under the sub heading "City News" is this story

-I was addicted to Crystal Meth says tennis superstar Andre Aggasi

Which City is that news related to? LOL

banquo

Though I don't like jumping up and down on people who are just doing their job, there are some things that need to be cleared up:

bob bobbing wrote: »

I'm a long term member of boards.

Join date: September 2009. My hole, sir.
[/quote]

bob bobbing wrote: »

We're not a tabloid

Yes, you are. There's nothing wrong with being a tabloid - tabloid and broadsheets serve different purposes, the market needs both - but at least own up to it. You use a sans serif font for the title. The double-storey lowercase 'a', plain 'l', and the shape of the uppercase 'G' suggest Franklin Gothic, which puts it in the same stylistic catagorey as The Sun, etc.

No lies, please.

Effluo

I was suprised and disappointed by calico's offence to the comments people made about the SU.

All that was said was "The college should warn people about the bad areas, tell them the attacks that have gone on and black spot the places where the crimes/assaults have occurred"

How can you not see the good in that we're talking about it? This is something which the students that you represent believe should have been done.

IMO The SU and College bodies should monitor this forum as it is the only general chat college forum that's alive.
It's very wrong to criticise us because we were "Bitchin about it on an online forum" and you don't need to "work on your psychic skills" because everyone on this forum(which are the people the SU are supposed to represent) think that more should have been done and has a clear opinion on what needs to be done! (all ye need to do is write a friggin email)

While my Inbox is still lacking a "Warning about Assaults", it still has one of how some students have been unruly!!!

That is a fact and another fact is that "masherella88" and boards.ie to this date, have done more than the SU to reach students telling them about the dangers of certain areas(over 2.5k views) and that attacks are happening on a regular basis around maynooth! Which is not a good thing for the College and their representatives.

~me~

Effluo, i envy your ability to put your thoughts into words!
you hit the nail on the head!

Effluo

~me~ wrote: »

Effluo, i envy your ability to put your thoughts into words!
you hit the nail on the head!

That got me a C in the Leaving Cert lol

Cheers anyway

funky penguin

As a side note, I always start singing the theme tune to "Beadles About" when I see this thread's title.

LoLth

just a slight moderation note: this thread is for discussing the attacks etc lets try to get back on track please

if that topic has been exhausted then let the thread float away happily.

thanks

LoLth

K4t

LoLth wrote: »

just a slight moderation note: this thread is for discussing the attacks etc lets try to get back on track please

if that topic has been exhausted then let the thread float away happily.

thanks

LoLth

I don't think it will be exhausted until the attacks stop!

banquo

Will someone please think of the children?

terribletim

princess_calico wrote: »

Today, Eoin (comm & dev officer), Donnacha (postgrad rep) and myself (1st yr rep) had a chat about the giving out on boards.ie...

We have drafted up an email that is going to get sent out to the student body next week about the attacks. For the information of anyone that is giving out about the SU not doing anything, I presume you didn't hear that the week after study week is devoted entirely to safety- mind, body and safe home.

There will be various different events running all week along the lines of those themes. If anyone had looked into it, they would have known that the SU is doing a lot of work focusing on the "Safe Home" campaign- rape alarms and torches for everyone!

I honestly urge anyone that has a problem to come and talk to us. We reeeeally are nice people and we are there for YOU as a student. We were voted to represent the student body and that is what we plan to do. Unlike the three sabbatical officers (president, vice president, comm & dev) the rest of us are all students still in the college. We have the same pressures that you do, with college, assignments, readings, and on top of that we also want to do our best to represent you.

If you go to the SU website (which is currently in the process of being renovated) you can find our contact details, or else, pop into the office. There is ALWAYS someone there. The sabbaticals are there all day, and one of the rest of us is usually in the exec office. We all have our own hours if you want to drop in for a chat or to talk about something more serious. Sometimes we are even there when we don't have to be!

So please, the next time you want to give out about us, or the work we are doing (or the work that we are not doing, that you think we should be doing! We are only human after all and might not have thought of it!) instead of giving out about us online, please tell us what we should be doing better...

Also, if you want to tell us that we're doing an ok job, that would also be appreciated!

Well that's my rant over.....:D:D:D:D:D

Christ, what suggestions have you put forth to the committee to deal with the on going... blah blah blah.

Seriously, what are you going to do? Give everyone florescent orange vests to wear when they walk home?

It's obvious who the problem is and where they come from and we need a wall. Over in Galway the SU managed to get free math tutors up and running, all you have to do is build a bloody wall.

Get going on that wall.

K4t

terribletim wrote: »

It's obvious who the problem is and where they come from and we need a wall. Over in Galway the SU managed to get free math tutors up and running, all you have to do is build a bloody wall.

Get going on that wall.

Ya wha?

LeixlipRed

I support the wall too. Wall in the scoundrels!! Wall in the scoundrels!! *chants and boogeys around bedroom*