someone's not happy about RAG week

SEEMagazine

Did someone delete a post? I was about to reply to one which popped up in my inbox...

"The university does not have any ability to control what a group of adults who happen to be students there do in their own personal time."

That was part of the post. Anyway, yes, the University DOES have the ability to control what any student does, in a fashion. Any registered student is obliged to conduct themselves in a manner befitting the reputation of the institution... UCC is well within its right to expel anyone found to have dragged the name of the college through the mud.

Of course, I've never seen such action take place...certainly it must have come close in the past. I was never Education Officer in the SU so can't say for sure.

x43r0

SEEMagazine wrote: »

I was never Education Officer in the SU so can't say for sure.

An odd thing to mention. Why would that help?

SEEMagazine

x43r0 wrote: »

An odd thing to mention. Why would that help?

Because the Education Officer would deal with any potential expulsions on behalf of the student body.

x43r0

SEEMagazine wrote: »

Because the Education Officer would deal with any potential expulsions on behalf of the student body.

Oh right didn't know that. I always thought the accom office had a part in student discipline stuff because they do mediation and stuff

Solair

Any process like that would tend to be extremely legally-involved as it would have to ensure that it allows for normal standards of due process and could be challenged in court or be subject to judicial review as it impacts upon someone's career prospects.

It would be a bit like a dismissal case in a job, you would have to tread extremely carefully.

That being said, students do agree to the college rules when they register. I'm not sure if it's still done, but until quite recently you had to physically sign them when you were registering.

Full rules are here : http://www.ucc.ie/en/media/studentrules.pdf

Some people really need to just grow up and have a bit of cop on though. If you're at third level education, you're an adult, not a teenager on the rampage.

Going crazy, getting off your face and irritating your neighbours is never a good idea in any circumstances and it will invariably come back to bite you whether you're in college or not.

I think the most disappointing aspect of all this is that the actions of a small minority are wrecking what is otherwise a really good fun event for those people who do enjoy it. It's also a very old tradition that is very much part of life at many universities.

SEEMagazine

While I am exceptionally proud of the work the Rag Week committees I served on did, I always found the stories from yesteryear to have more of a responsible feel to them...

I'm inclined to argue it's the simple progression of society which leads to this sort of anti-social behaviour. I lived on Connaught Avenue for several years and I can't say I recall the police ever needing to be called...except for that one time *I* threw a party, but that was due to spiteful action on a housemate's part rather than any complaints from the neighbours.

Listening to the antics of the current crop I definitely feel old...

rebel girl 15

Full page in today's Echo with letters of complaint from people living in the area of UCC for the past 30 or 40 years, and that it is only in the last 8 years that things have gotten too far out of hand. They are blaming the students poor behaviour but also the landlords, for renting out the rooms, and not checking up properly. And tbh, I don't blame those people for complaining about the crap that the students have pulled in their home area.

Someone mentioned about sure they are living there, then what to they expect - thats pure rubbish, these people were living there 15 or 20 years before these irresponsible students were born. They have called the Gardai on numerous occasions, but it hasn't stopped the trouble. 50 or so arrests were made for public order offences last week.

The drinking culture around RAG week hasn't changed at all - met one of my students who is about 14 years old, and she mentioned about this RAG week on in UCC, where people drink for charity.

I think students should be held responsible for their actions - its only been in the last 8 years or so that the problems have been occuring, I know it may be a small minority, but those students and the absent landlords need to be sorted. Think it also mentioned that a large number of those landlords are not properly registered with some council either

EyeSight

rebel girl 15 wrote: »

Full page in today's Echo with letters of complaint from people living in the area of UCC for the past 30 or 40 years, and that it is only in the last 8 years that things have gotten too far out of hand. They are blaming the students poor behaviour but also the landlords, for renting out the rooms, and not checking up properly. And tbh, I don't blame those people for complaining about the crap that the students have pulled in their home area.

Someone mentioned about sure they are living there, then what to they expect - thats pure rubbish, these people were living there 15 or 20 years before these irresponsible students were born. They have called the Gardai on numerous occasions, but it hasn't stopped the trouble. 50 or so arrests were made for public order offences last week.

The drinking culture around RAG week hasn't changed at all - met one of my students who is about 14 years old, and she mentioned about this RAG week on in UCC, where people drink for charity.

I think students should be held responsible for their actions - its only been in the last 8 years or so that the problems have been occuring, I know it may be a small minority, but those students and the absent landlords need to be sorted. Think it also mentioned that a large number of those landlords are not properly registered with some council either

i don't see how the landlords can check people out. also students living around the college area also have to put up with the ****. i had my window smashed.

i think most of the people causing the trouble don't even live in the area. they get VERY drunk and expect to be allowed into other students homes around college just because it's RAG week. the amount of drunken idiots who tried to just waltz into my house was astonishing. when they aren't allowed in they just drink and cause trouble outside. the house that flooded and has 10-15 grand worth of damage, i bet you any money the idiot that did that was some random guy who didn't live there

i think the real issue is the lack of action to tackle our drinking culture in general. the government think putting up the price of alcohol is the solution. its not and never has been. they need to change our habbits. have tougher punishments for drunk and disorderly offences(not prison time obviously but community service). in the UK(or parts of it) if you're taken to hospital because you're drunk, you get a yellow card, next time you get a red card and a court appearance

Solair

I do think though that there has been a massive shift in culture in the last 8-10 years and it's not just at UCC it's right across Ireland and also Britain.

I'm in my late twenties and I remember going out as an 18-19 year old and we seemed to not get as plastered as the current generation of 18-21 year olds do. I just remember that we seemed to drink more beer and less spirits and the aim was definitely not to get so drunk you didn't know what you were doing.

I find the current 18-21 year old generation seem to use alcohol in the same way as someone might use hard drugs. It seems to me that people are drinking to get off their faces drunk and they're drinking a hell of a lot of spirits and seriously alcoholic stuff rather than just sticking to beers and cider.

I'm not saying us 20-30 somethings were angels back in the early '00s. We certainly weren't, but I do think the drinking's getting totally out of hand at the moment. There's a line between having a good time and being a complete disgrace and a danger to yourself and others. I think 10 years ago, the person who regularly got totally totally obliterated on drink was the exception and the guy/girl we'd be worried about and wondering if they were an alcoholic where as now they seem to be almost the norm!

I also find it kinda worrying to hear some younger friends of mine discussing how they drink a few vodkas before they go out. They claim this is to save money, but if you're drinking to get drunk before you go out, you're showing the signs of being a total alcoholic who needs to be drunk to be able to socially interact.

All I know is that there's going to be be one hell of a demand for liver transplants in a few years if it continues the way it's going.

Maybe it'll just go full circle and getting totally off your face will suddenly look bad again. It's all about peer groups and what's considered 'normal'.

Eod100

I get what you're saying Solair.

I'm in my early 20's so not that old or anything, but I notice know that some of the lads of say 18/19 starting college seem to just not give a s*** . I know this was probably always the case but seem to notice it much more these days.

And this is even when they're sober. There's just this nasty, selfish vibe about some (and I'm using some cause I know it's not everyone) of these people.

Say something like acting the twat on a bus, I know its not exactly the worst thing in the world to do, but something about a gang of lads shouting away (as if they were in their own houses) really annoys me.

Seomra Mushie

PeterTwo wrote: »

It's taken far more seriously in TCD and I think that this year's efforts have been the most successful ever.

RAG week isn't a thing in Trinity. Seriously, I went there for six years in the noughties, no such thing as RAG week in TCD. Or if there is, no-one cares about it. I brought it up in my first week of college in 2003 and everyone was like "Buh?"