No more rag week

Stench Blossoms

No Rag week this year

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1019/1224306074201.html

NUI GALWAY students’ union has decided to abandon its annual rag week due to the “negative publicity” generated by a “minority”.

The union says it took the decision by a “majority vote” in favour, in return for a series of concessions offered by the university.

This year, there were 30 arrests during rag week and many complaints from residents. NUIG management attributed these to the “easy availability of cheap alcohol” at off-licences and supermarkets, along with special offers and extended drinking hours organised for rag week.

At a meeting of students on Monday night, it was decided by a 95 per cent vote to accept concessions from the college in return for abandoning the festival. The concessions include an almost-trebling of the university’s contribution to the student assistance fund from €33,000 to €93,000, and a guarantee the campus health unit will not introduce charges.

The students’ assistance fund will amount to about €500,000 this year, with additional finance provided by the Government and the European Social Fund. It allows students receive help to remain in third-level education.

“Over the past four years alone, the students’ union has raised over €100,000 through rag week – however, this is often forgotten,” said union president Emmet Connolly yesterday. “The actions of a minority of people, many of whom are not NUIG students, have been very destructive and the students’ union has decided not to continue with something seen to support the behaviour of that minority.”

The union would continue its fundraising work for the Galway Rape Crisis Centre and the youth website SpunOut.ie, he said.

fish fingers

It's like canceling Christmas for some students. I'm delighted.

I hope an unofficial rag week emerges to give two fingers to the begrudgers.

topcat77

Happy, Happy Man!!! I'm all in for the Raise A Grand week. But i don't like how the identity of RAG week has changed to a piss up!

Fey!

The SU president was on Radio 1 this morning, pretty much saying that all of the trouble in previous years was down to students from Dublin.

From that I take it that the people actually studying in NUIG don't take part in Rag Week at all, and are all angels.

Wompa1

So in order to cancel a "festival" that as causing thousands in damage the University has gone and paid off the brats?

And then they will go ahead and organize one themselves anyway. Also my arse to the it was students from Dublin...a lot of students in Galway are sh!theads

s_carnage

Sure isn't it obvious what is going to happen?? GMIT rag week will still go ahead and all the students from NUI will just use that as their rag week.

Wompa1

s_carnage wrote: »

Sure isn't it obvious what is going to happen?? GMIT rag week will still go ahead and all the students from NUI will just use that as their rag week.

Yeah probably. The GMIT one was very tame last year. They seemed to keep all their crap out by Gleann na Rí

Maybe NUI could arrange something in a field outside the city center too.

barryd09

It'll be interesting to see how 'cancelled' rag week is.
Something tells me the residents of fairlands,hazel park etc will still know its on.
That should be next on NUIG's list of things to do - sort out the sh1tehawking thats going on every night in them estates,by NUIG students,not GMIT or Dub students or anyone else.

Wompa1

barryd09 wrote: »

It'll be interesting to see how 'cancelled' rag week is.
Something tells me the residents of fairlands,hazel park etc will still know its on.
That should be next on NUIG's list of things to do - sort out the sh1tehawking thats going on every night in them estates,by NUIG students,not GMIT or Dub students or anyone else.

Don't forget Cill Ard and Gort na Glaise to name but two more

Lumi

barryd09 wrote: »

It'll be interesting to see how 'cancelled' rag week is.
Something tells me the residents of fairlands,hazel park etc will still know its on.
That should be next on NUIG's list of things to do - sort out the sh1tehawking thats going on every night in them estates,by NUIG students,not GMIT or Dub students or anyone else.

Wompa1 wrote: »

Don't forget Cill Ard and Gort na Glaise to name but two more

It's rag week outside my house on the main Newcastle road most nights -& all of the trouble is being caused by NUIG students :mad::mad:

Pure Sound

A bit of a cop out to be blaming cheap alcohol being available. All this means is that the college and students union no longer support it, it will still go ahead. It is worth too much money for pubs and clubs for them to just abandon it, they will have a promotional week instead.

Fey!

If (when?) it goes ahead (not sanctioned by the SU, of course), will NUIG still have to fork out the €60,000 for the relief fund, drop the €2 gym charge, and put up all the new noticeboards?

Mrs OBumble

The college could kill it if they wanted: make tough, compulsory assignments that contribute to the course grade due in every course, every week around that time of year.

JohnCleary

Fey! wrote: »

The SU president was on Radio 1 this morning, pretty much saying that all of the trouble in previous years was down to students from Dublin.

From that I take it that the people actually studying in NUIG don't take part in Rag Week at all, and are all angels.

In fairness, I was at a house-party last year in one of the student villages and got chatting to people. The usual "Where are you from" came up and they said Kerry (there was about 10 of them i'd say). Asked them what they were studying and they replied with a class... "Oh we're not in college, we just heard Galway RAG week is mad so we're up for a few days"

EyeSight

wow, so its like a buy out?
what a joke, i don't go to NUIG but if i did, i'd be pissed with the SU, surely this is something they should have a student referendum vote for during the SU elections?

either way this will change nothing, the pubs and clubs will still be doing the usual RAG week stuff

_Whimsical_

JustMary wrote: »

The college could kill it if they wanted: make tough, compulsory assignments that contribute to the course grade due in every course, every week around that time of year.

Have to agree with this. It's very difficult to understand why some effort isn't made by the university to curb the anti social behaviour that goes along with events like Rag week,instead they just seem to wash their hands of any responsibility. The same is true of the behaviour that goes on in Newcastle on a weekly basis. There should at least be some sanctions for students who cause trouble. I know having a certain amount of autonomy is part of going to university but really enjoying consequenceless debauchery and destruction isn't part of being treated like an adult. Formal education,as well as teaching, should be setting and encouraging the mores necessary for people to develop as good citizens. I think it's about time the stepped up to the plate.

c_man

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

NUI GALWAY students’ union has decided to abandon its annual rag week due to the “negative publicity” generated by a “minority”.
...............
The union says it took the decision by a “majority vote” in favour, in return for a series of concessions offered by the university.
..............
At a meeting of students on Monday night, it was decided by a 95 per cent vote

What's 95% of 5 people?

Asmodean

This is the most pointless thing I have ever seen in my life. Sure it's nice that the official stance that the University can take is one of no nonsense etc but if anyone thinks there is 'no rag week' they are going to be in for a surprise. It's probably going to make the trouble making students go twice as madbecause its the much cooler thing to do now seeing that its been banned by the powers that be.

antoobrien

Fey! wrote: »

The SU president was on Radio 1 this morning, pretty much saying that all of the trouble in previous years was down to students from Dublin.

I doubt all the trouble is down to outsiders but when I went to college (98-02) it wasn't particularly common for large inflows of people - or even mixing between GMIT & NUIG. There were some cars that headed off to say limerick for a few days but that was it.

I know several people working in Dublin (now) that take time off to go to Galway for a few days out of the week. They were never in 3rd level in Galway.

I blame free fees for it all:rolleyes:

Robbo

EyeSight wrote: »

wow, so its like a buy out?
what a joke, i don't go to NUIG but if i did, i'd be pissed with the SU, surely this is something they should have a student referendum vote for during the SU elections?

either way this will change nothing, the pubs and clubs will still be doing the usual RAG week stuff

c_man wrote: »

What's 95% of 5 people?

It was approved at a vote of the Class Reps Council, the outcome of which was 107 in favour and 7 against. Class reps are elected at the start of each academic year so the democratic deficit card doesn't hold much value here. Moreover, the vote was postponed for 2 weeks (open to correction on this) in order to make sure all the class reps were in place and they had a chance to consult with the classes.

I think what's emerged is quite a neat solution to all this. The Student Assistance fund needed a boost, the waiving of the gym charge keeps the clubs happy and the focus will shift onto the individual miscreants and the vintners lobby.

JustMary

JustMary wrote: »

The college could kill it if they wanted: make tough, compulsory assignments that contribute to the course grade due in every course, every week around that time of year.

What a load of nonsense. Why should all the departments have to change their course structure to put in some new fabricated assessments that don't tie in with how the course has been run for years. Do you really think lecturers etc have time for that?

stampydmonkey

Wren Spoiled Reindeer wrote: »

What a load of nonsense. Why should all the departments have to change their course structure to put in some new fabricated assessments that don't tie in with how the course has been run for years. Do you really think lecturers etc have time for that?

To be honest I do! A massive fault I had with NUIG was that the course and exam questions never changed...learned f-all!

Asmodean

A lot of the lecturers on my course treated rag week as a holiday too and cancelled classes left right and centre because a small portion of the class never bothered their holes to show up for rag week.

Asmodean

Asmodean wrote: »

A lot of the lecturers on my course treated rag week as a holiday too and cancelled classes left right and centre because a small portion of the class never bothered their holes to show up for rag week.

We always went to our labs but never bothered with lectures rag week and missing a few lectures one week in the year didnt do us any harm. I probably attended a higher percentage of lectures than the majority of students throughout my 4 years but rag week was a deserved and welcome break.

They are now taking it away from the students because of a small minority and I think its a disgrace.

Asmodean

I can see where you're coming from but students already get about 2-3 weeks off for Christmas as well as all the mid-terms / Easter etc etc I don't see how it can be taken as an unofficial holiday. The majority of people who cause trouble during rag week are out every weekend/Wed night anyway so I don't see why they need any extra excuses to go out on piss ups.
You mention that it didn't do you any harm but people fail to consider the rest of the class who are showing up to lectures only to have them cancelled. I think that's a disgrace.

bildo

c_man wrote: »

What's 95% of 5 people?

The class reps voted on this, there are hundreds of them and the unanimously voted in favour of the proposition which was very fair and generous.

This is how democracy works.

I see that many people here did not read the article that was posted, RAG week is now being replaced with a one day, contained festival that will be similar to the arts festival but for students.

I am on the organising committee for this one day festival and I can assure you it is going to be far better than any RAG week previously because it will be a properly organised, contained event run on a not for profit basis and not just a Students' Union backed week for binge drinking with little to no entertainment.
The opportunities open to us for this event are every diverse at the moment but I can assure you that this one day event will be one to remember. There is very little history of NUIG hosting any significant live acts and this is a perfect opportunity to have a large range of acts, bands, DJs etc play at a campus function. This is pretty much unprecedented in NUIG.

Also people are neglecting to mention that the extra €60k EVERY YEAR will keep hundreds of students in college who are at risk of dropping out for financial reasons.
As an SU officer, I apologise that I put helping people who really desparately need help as a proirity over organising feck all for next years rag week and simply backing a week of wanton destruction, disturbance on campus and 24 hour binge drinking.
That said, no one whatsoever is stopping students from doing this any week of the year, the SU will just not be backing it or supporting it is all.

El_Drago

Last year was my first proper Rag Week ever (I did my degree in Dublin where rag week is virtually non-existent) and I didn't quite understood why everyone couldn't just drink and talk **** to each other like my friends and I did for the entire week.Instead there were videos cropping up on youtube of mindless fools setting fires to bins,chucking glass bottles at each other etc.

While I can understand the SU's reasons for cancelling Rag Week, it will still go ahead unofficially and so will the carry on that we saw last year.The only change with this announcement is the university distancing itself from any anti-social behaviour during the week.

bildo

Asmodean wrote: »

This is the most pointless thing I have ever seen in my life. Sure it's nice that the official stance that the University can take is one of no nonsense etc but if anyone thinks there is 'no rag week' they are going to be in for a surprise. It's probably going to make the trouble making students go twice as madbecause its the much cooler thing to do now seeing that its been banned by the powers that be.

Yeah, and this is no problem whatsoever.
Students are people and are free to do whatever they like, as are night club managers.
It is now just simply a matter for local authorities and the gards, just as it is with all other non-student drunk types who cause havoc in the city.
There is simply no SU backed RAG week as it has simply been far too problematic for both the SU to take responsibility for and the University's reputation.

c_man

bildo wrote: »

The class reps voted on this, there are hundreds of them and the unanimously voted in favour of the proposition which was very fair and generous.

This is how democracy works.

Unanimous is 95% now...?

I'm glad to see the back of it btw. I hold no love in my heart for wearing board-shorts to a foam party at lunch time on a Monday.

bildo

c_man wrote: »

Unanimous is 95% now...?

Get a life.

Is this the only small section of my post that you have anything to comment on? The deal was agreed on by SU and put to vote for class reps.
The deal was publicised before class reps took their positions and everyone was invited to become a class rep and vote.
I think that a 95% majority is pretty damn significant and there can be no criticism as to how democratic a decision this was and how it was made.