Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
The Money Maze…WAIT…No, Money Pit! DCU Labyrinth?
Options
Comments
-
The idea of spending 50k on this is ridiculous what's worse is my class rep e-mailed us about it with her reasoning for it being that it'd be fun to run around after Toxic Tuesday. What happens when someone falls and wants to sue DCU. Better yet, countless people for the last few years have protested and complained about how their grants getting cut will mean they have to drop out. Why doesn't the SU spend the money more wisely and off to pay even half of the reg fees for some students, thats potentially ~40 people staying in college. I realize there's more to it then this but it would be a better way to get rid of 50k if they just have that sort of money lying around to be wasted.0
-
irishdude92 wrote: »If anyone else wishes to sign the petition PM me.
Is there going to be a public stand or something so we can sign it, i have a few ppl in my class and they have to who want to sign up???0 -
Just became aware of this thread so I registered an account to let you know that DCU Sinn Féin will be out on campus this week collecting signatures.
In the current Economic climate, whilst employment is scarce and student registration fees are rising, it is unacceptable to spend so much money on a project like this, there are many better ways in which this money can be spent, ways which would greater benefit DCU students.
We in DCU Sinn Féin believe that DCU students themselves should be the people to decide if this large sum of money should be spent in this way. Article 4.5 of the Student Unions Constitution states that: “a petition of minimum 200 union members may mandate a referendum on SU structural, policy or operational change”. The aim of this petition is to get a referendum called so the student body can decide if this donation of 10,000 Euro should be made.
We will be out collecting signatures on Monday afternoon and DCU SF members will be out all this week on campus. It being reading week the campus will be much quieter than normal but if we don't achieve sufficient numbers this week we will of course be out again next week.
From just talking to fellow students the consensus seems to be that this project has seemingly come out of nowhere and caught many by surprise, the first many heard of this was that the Class Representative Council had voted in favour of donating 10,000 Euro. Anecdotally, everyone I have asked about this so far has been dead set against the notion of donating this sum towards building a labyrinth.
While having a labyrinth may be of some benefit to students, there are numerous better ways this large sum of money could be spent. A referendum is the best way to settle this issue in our opinion. Let the students decide.
For those wanting to sign the petition I'd suggest checking our facebook page for updates on exactly where and when we will be out with the petition as these details have not yet been set in stone. I'll try to update this thread with those details also.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003564883231&ref=ts0 -
Update:
We went out on campus today with the petition and enjoyed a very positive reception. At this stage after approximately two hours we have in excess of 130 signatures.
We will be out again on campus tomorrow from 11am (weather permitting) outside the library in order to finish off collecting the signatures.
Many thanks to all those who signed it and listened to what we had to say. If you'd like to sign the petition pop down to the library tomorrow around 11am.
Thanks,
Dave Clougher
DCU Sinn Féin Secretary0 -
Hi Dave/all,
I'm a postgrad in DCU and I would like to sign the petition also - where and when can I find ye?
Thanks!0 -
Advertisement
-
I don't know if you saw us outside the library today or not, but I'm delighted to say that we have collected 231 signatures. We decided to go over the target of 200 in case anyone made a mistake, or someone signed it who shouldn't have etc.Stargazer7 wrote: »Hi Dave/all,
I'm a postgrad in DCU and I would like to sign the petition also - where and when can I find ye?
Thanks!
Currently we are making a number of copies and DCU Sinn Féin will present these to the relevant people imminently.
Dave Clougher
DCU Sinn Féin Secretary0 -
The cheapest quote for the labyrinth is actually 64000 € and its so expensive because only one company was asked to provide a quote. So as far as i know the labyrinth committe only asked one company for a quote so there might be other builders who could do it for less but these options have not been "explored". And the voting was influenced by a girl giving a "nice talk" saying how great it was traveling to scotland and walking the labyrinth while doing several hair flips and naive giggles... I will sign the petition because the reps in the class rep council have been lied to. Its a waste of money and this money could be used on better things that all students could benefit from!0
-
And may i mention that technically all students should have been informed about the labyrinth by their class reps and a vote should have been taken in class to whether the SU should pay the 10.000€ or not. The class rep should have then voted in the class rep meeting according to the decision that was made in class.0
-
I was told the labyrinth attracts foreign students but all i see is a waste of 10.000 € while students are dropping out of college because they cant afford it.0
-
smiling_patty wrote: »I was told the labyrinth attracts foreign students but all i see is a waste of 10.000 € while students are dropping out of college because they cant afford it.
Oh yeah, defo, sure the first thing that would enter any sane persons head when deciding to go to DCU is "Well its a good college, but does it have a labyrinth ? " :rolleyes:
Why are they treating us like we are all thick ?0 -
Advertisement
-
thecornflake wrote: »Oh yeah, defo, sure the first thing that would enter any sane persons head when deciding to go to DCU is "Well its a good college, but does it have a labyrinth ? " :rolleyes:
Why are they treating us like we are all thick ?
This is exactly what is said... Yeah i only apply to colleges that have labyrinths... Well i brought my concerns forward in the meetings but i felt nobody was listening and i wasnt able to say it all cause i was cut short... I am so glad that there are smart people out there that see the 10.000 € as a waste and that something is done against it. Lots of my class mates are against it and i will advise them of the petition n make sure they sign it...0 -
Whilst class reps may have been lied to (the lie has not featured once in this thread and was addressed in CRC already) you have just lied to everybody else.smiling_patty wrote: »The cheapest quote for the labyrinth is actually 64000 € and its so expensive because only one company was asked to provide a quote. So as far as i know the labyrinth committe only asked one company for a quote so there might be other builders who could do it for less but these options have not been "explored". And the voting was influenced by a girl giving a "nice talk" saying how great it was traveling to scotland and walking the labyrinth while doing several hair flips and naive giggles... I will sign the petition because the reps in the class rep council have been lied to. Its a waste of money and this money could be used on better things that all students could benefit from!
The girl who gave the talk was not in Scotland and she said so herself.
Class reps were told the labyrinth never went out to tender, they were told details about the one company who was asked for a quote and why it was just that company which was asked.
Class reps were emailed a breakdown of the costs to build the labyrinth also including the €64,000 final cost you speak of above.
If you disagree with the way the vote went that's fine but don't try and garner support for your side with petty lies and misinformation.
The voting was influenced by more than just the girl you speak of and was postponed until the next meeting after her talk because class reps wanted to go back to their class and discuss it with them before voting.
How will all students not benefit from this proposal? What alternatives would you spend the €10,000 on that will benefit EVERY student?0 -
What alternatives would you spend the €10,000 on that will benefit EVERY student?
I dunno, throw it down the drain ? That would at least be a laugh.
First off I would start with a memorial tribute to Paul.
What about more stuff for RAG week ? I'm not too into the whole party in college thing but I heard a lot of people were not happy this year.
Perhaps the 10K could be used as a short term loan amount for students who need a bit of cash to get them through the week until they get payed later ? I know there may be laws ect regarding this but its an idea.
These are just a few of the many ideas which are miles better then a fancy expensive patio which does not benefit all students btw.0 -
RAG week is about raising money for charity not about partying, its also passed so unless you have a time machine I don't know how this will happen. Do you not think DCU's SU caters for those who like to party more than anybody else in the college?thecornflake wrote: »What about more stuff for RAG week ? I'm not too into the whole party in college thing but I heard a lot of people were not happy this year.
Adding more into RAG week in the form of parties will benefit only those who like to party in DCU and not the entire campus.
So basically you want the SU to set up a bank which can loan at max €10,000 at any one time? What good is that when there are over 10,000 students in DCU? How does this benefit everybody in DCU when there are people who won't need to avail of this service?Perhaps the 10K could be used as a short term loan amount for students who need a bit of cash to get them through the week until they get payed later ? I know there may be laws ect regarding this but its an idea.
No those ideas are not better than a labyrinth, we are not discussing a fancy expensive patio.These are just a few of the many ideas which are miles better then a fancy expensive patio which does not benefit all students btw.
How does the labyrinth not benefit all students?0 -
RAG week is about raising money for charity not about partying, its also passed so unless you have a time machine I don't know how this will happen. Do you not think DCU's SU caters for those who like to party more than anybody else in the college?
Adding more into RAG week in the form of parties will benefit only those who like to party in DCU and not the entire campus.
So basically you want the SU to set up a bank which can loan at max €10,000 at any one time? What good is that when there are over 10,000 students in DCU? How does this benefit everybody in DCU when there are people who won't need to avail of this service?
No those ideas are not better than a labyrinth, we are not discussing a fancy expensive patio.
How does the labyrinth not benefit all students?
RAG week was just an example, I mean in general the campus is very boring, never much going on and people are always complaining about the lack of atmosphere (I'm not much of a mad social person like i said but I'd still appreciate a bit more of an atmosphere around the otherwise boring campus). This would benefit everyone and also attract a lot of people to the college ( the main reason loads of people I know didn't go to DCU is because they didn't like the atmosphere or "vibe" from the campus)
No, I do not want the SU to loan at most 10,000 euro. There would most obviously be a max limit, needs tested ect. I only say this as there are a lot of students who are struggling atm who usually find themselves short of cash before pay day. Again its just a suggestion , not an actual proposal.
Yes, it is a fancy patio which is expensive.
It does not benefit all student because not all students will use it, ergo it will not benefit all students. Not everyone wants to walk in a circle to find inner peace or God. (I have no problem with people who wish to do these things, I mean no offence)0 -
RAG week is about raising money for charity not about partying, its also passed so unless you have a time machine I don't know how this will happen. Do you not think DCU's SU caters for those who like to party more than anybody else in the college?
Adding more into RAG week in the form of parties will benefit only those who like to party in DCU and not the entire campus.
So basically you want the SU to set up a bank which can loan at max €10,000 at any one time? What good is that when there are over 10,000 students in DCU? How does this benefit everybody in DCU when there are people who won't need to avail of this service?
No those ideas are not better than a labyrinth, we are not discussing a fancy expensive patio.
How does the labyrinth not benefit all students?
The point is this kind of spending of SU money reflects a lot of political and state funding in this country i.e. not exploring the cheapest possibilities for the labyrinth and dismissing any alternatives rather than having a real discussion on the issue. There is also that arrogance of "sure it's only a tiny % of the money the SU has available to them" - as if that makes squandering it without much thought a better idea.
I can think of numerous ways the money can be spent better and I am sure the whole student and staff body of DCU could come up with many more. Examples include putting the money into expanding the Counselling and Personal Development Services, the Health Services, running an awareness campaign in honour of Paul Bunbury, funding more stress reduction and exam preparation workshops etc. etc. The list is endless.
Regardless of my opinion, it is very obvious that this plan was not publicised enough. That may be the fault of the class reps but then the SU also has a responsibility to inform people of their activities so that people are in no doubt of where such money is being spent. Either way it is good that this will go to referendum as it is a sizable chunk of money that should be put to good use.
Now all we have to do is hope that the SU figure out how to run the referendum so it does not have to be declared invalid like previous instances.0 -
-
Whilst class reps may have been lied to (the lie has not featured once in this thread and was addressed in CRC already) you have just lied to everybody else.smiling_patty wrote: »The cheapest quote for the labyrinth is actually 64000 € and its so expensive because only one company was asked to provide a quote. So as far as i know the labyrinth committe only asked one company for a quote so there might be other builders who could do it for less but these options have not been "explored". And the voting was influenced by a girl giving a "nice talk" saying how great it was traveling to scotland and walking the labyrinth while doing several hair flips and naive giggles... I will sign the petition because the reps in the class rep council have been lied to. Its a waste of money and this money could be used on better things that all students could benefit from!
The girl who gave the talk was not in Scotland and she said so herself.
Class reps were told the labyrinth never went out to tender, they were told details about the one company who was asked for a quote and why it was just that company which was asked.
Class reps were emailed a breakdown of the costs to build the labyrinth also including the €64,000 final cost you speak of above.
If you disagree with the way the vote went that's fine but don't try and garner support for your side with petty lies and misinformation.
The voting was influenced by more than just the girl you speak of and was postponed until the next meeting after her talk because class reps wanted to go back to their class and discuss it with them before voting.
How will all students not benefit from this proposal? What alternatives would you spend the €10,000 on that will benefit EVERY student?
Eh you should have listened better she said she went to Scotland and walked the labyrinth. I'm not lying at all. The cheapest quote was 64.000€ and I haven't seen any other quotes so this is what I'm going by. And if you mean that exclusive contract with the company well that doesn't exist so any company can be asked for a quote. I don't have to garner support cause there are already lots of smart people out there opposing the labyrinth. I am the one supporting them and above are the reasons why. And in relation to the 10.000€ the street is in an awful state. Invest some money into new sofas and paint for example. And yes the voting was also influenced by the SU president who should have been neutral in this matter.0 -
-
If you want to get involved in something you will, there are tons of clubs and societies who have a huge range of events going on. DCU caters more for those who like to socialise and party than any others, what DCU doesn't do well enough is educate students on mental health issues and awareness.thecornflake wrote: »I mean in general the campus is very boring, never much going on and people are always complaining about the lack of atmosphere (I'm not much of a mad social person like i said but I'd still appreciate a bit more of an atmosphere around the otherwise boring campus). This would benefit everyone and also attract a lot of people to the college ( the main reason loads of people I know didn't go to DCU is because they didn't like the atmosphere or "vibe" from the campus)
I did listen you clearly did not. She specifically stated she did not go to Scotland. She has walked other labyrinth's but she did not go to Scotland.smiling_patty wrote:Eh you should have listened better she said she went to Scotland and walked the labyrinth. I'm not lying at all. The cheapest quote was 64.000€ and I haven't seen any other quotes so this is what I'm going by. And if you mean that exclusive contract with the company well that doesn't exist so any company can be asked for a quote. I don't have to garner support cause there are already lots of smart people out there opposing the labyrinth. I am the one supporting them and above are the reasons why. And in relation to the 10.000€ the street is in an awful state. Invest some money into new sofas and paint for example. And yes the voting was also influenced by the SU president who should have been neutral in this matter.
If you aren't lying then you are deluded.
The cheapest quote class reps have seen is €64,000 too and yet they still voted it through.
If you don't need to garner support than why do you need to lie and distort the truth so much?0 -
Advertisement
-
If you want to get involved in something you will, there are tons of clubs and societies who have a huge range of events going on. DCU caters more for those who like to socialise and party than any others, what DCU doesn't do well enough is educate students on mental health issues and awareness.thecornflake wrote: »I mean in general the campus is very boring, never much going on and people are always complaining about the lack of atmosphere (I'm not much of a mad social person like i said but I'd still appreciate a bit more of an atmosphere around the otherwise boring campus). This would benefit everyone and also attract a lot of people to the college ( the main reason loads of people I know didn't go to DCU is because they didn't like the atmosphere or "vibe" from the campus)
I did listen you clearly did not. She specifically stated she did not go to Scotland. She has walked other labyrinth's but she did not go to Scotland.smiling_patty wrote:Eh you should have listened better she said she went to Scotland and walked the labyrinth. I'm not lying at all. The cheapest quote was 64.000€ and I haven't seen any other quotes so this is what I'm going by. And if you mean that exclusive contract with the company well that doesn't exist so any company can be asked for a quote. I don't have to garner support cause there are already lots of smart people out there opposing the labyrinth. I am the one supporting them and above are the reasons why. And in relation to the 10.000€ the street is in an awful state. Invest some money into new sofas and paint for example. And yes the voting was also influenced by the SU president who should have been neutral in this matter.
If you aren't lying then you are deluded.
The cheapest quote class reps have seen is €64,000 too and yet they still voted it through.
If you don't need to garner support than why do you need to lie and distort the truth so much?
What did I lie about? She went to Scotland I even double checked it with other people who attended the Crc and they also said she went to Scotland maybe u don't realize that edinburgh is in Scotland... So no she didn't go to Scotland I lied she went to Edinburgh..., it was the SU president that didn't go to Edinburgh.
All I heard during the meeting and the past few weeks was 50.000 is the how much the labyrinth will cost. nobody said it is actually just short of 64.000€. So we were lied to. The girl that gave the talk only talked about 50.000. You just can't handle the fact that there are people out there who do not support the labyrinth and you are trying to intimidate me by calling me a liar and trying to discredit me. Nice try.
Oh and absolutely everybody will benefit from the labyrinth, right? We just ignore all the students that won't use it.0 -
The girl mentioned more than just €50,000 and gave reasons as to why it was now quoted at €50,000, whether she was correct or not was up to CRC to find out.smiling_patty wrote: »What did I lie about? She went to Scotland I even double checked it with other people who attended the Crc and they also said she went to Scotland maybe u don't realize that edinburgh is in Scotland... So no she didn't go to Scotland I lied she went to Edinburgh..., it was the SU president that didn't go to Edinburgh.
All I heard during the meeting and the past few weeks was 50.000 is the how much the labyrinth will cost. nobody said it is actually just short of 64.000€. So we were lied to. The girl that gave the talk only talked about 50.000. You just can't handle the fact that there are people out there who do not support the labyrinth and you are trying to intimidate me by calling me a liar and trying to discredit me. Nice try.
Oh and absolutely everybody will benefit from the labyrinth, right? We just ignore all the students that won't use it.
I really don't care anymore though, continue to spread misinformation and misquote people out of context to help your side.
By your thinking I could say nobody will benefit from anything the €10,000 is spent on.
Just because somebody chooses not to use something does not mean its not a good idea or that it shouldn't be carried out. It is their prerogative to do as they wish and their loss if they don't at least try to embrace it.0 -
Well the girl can talk all she wants the break down of costs that we were given is what we have to go with. If the price has come down then i need that in written form cause that's how it works. You cant just take somebodies word for it. And you dhould apologize for calling me a liar cause clearly i have not been telling lies. It seems to me you are running out of arguments cause you were not able to tell me how every student will benefit from that labyrinth but reading all the posts here there are lots of great ideas for the 10.000€ to be spend in a much better and wiser way that would benefit more students than the labyrinth. And when did i misquote people? All i said wad that it is more than 50.000 € and that the "presentation" the girl gave was a bit of a joke and there are lots of people in Dcu who agree with me. I think you are just trying to influence people by calling me a liar and discrediting the things that i said. Im happy that something is being done against this labyrinth even though i never ever said that im totally against the idea of the labyrinth. I do think the campus should be nicer but there are other ways than a labyrinth and Im against the SU wasting money. Yeah and new sofas in the street is stupid cause students wont use them. They will sit on the floor cause they wont benefit from new sofas...yeah your logic makes sense....0
-
The girl mentioned more than just €50,000 and gave reasons as to why it was now quoted at €50,000, whether she was correct or not was up to CRC to find out.
I really don't care anymore though, continue to spread misinformation and misquote people out of context to help your side.
By your thinking I could say nobody will benefit from anything the €10,000 is spent on.
Just because somebody chooses not to use something does not mean its not a good idea or that it shouldn't be carried out. It is their prerogative to do as they wish and their loss if they don't at least try to embrace it.
I have to say you're the only person I've come across that actually supports this. What actual value do you expect people to get out of a labyrinth?
I find it hard to believe that for DCU right now the best use of 50k is building a labyrinth. I genuinely am amazed that this is a serious proposal.0 -
I remember the labyrinth in OZ was painted on a floor. If people really want this can the college not just do that? Is there 50k of utility to be gained from having it paved as opposed to just painted somewhere?0
-
How will all students not benefit from this proposal? What alternatives would you spend the €10,000 on that will benefit EVERY student?
It's rather simple: You SORT OUT THE F@#KING OLDBAR.
So many clubs and societies have been screwed over with it closing. It DEFINITELY wouldn't take 10k to get everything sorted out, allowing for it to be opened again.0 -
-
Having talked to literally hundreds of students about this the response we got was generally one of incredulity. The majority hadn't heard about the labyrinth project or the decision to spend 10,000 Euro. Of those who had heard of it, the majority were opposed (many quite adamantly I might add) to what they saw as a waste of Student Union money.
The petition was widely supported, it was signed by a number of people who support the idea of a labyrinth but felt the students should have their say. Out of the people who weren't in a rush and stopped and listened to what we had to say only three refused to sign.
Just to those people who might be asking "sure what else could it be spent on?", I'd like to remind them that the Celtic Tiger era is gone, the days of throwing money into any old project just for the sake of it are gone. Students are really struggling, it's very hard to get even a part-time job these days and these difficulties are only going to get worse with the inevitable rises in reg fees and reductions in grants. In this climate it is really important to make sure that students money is not carelessly spent but diligently put towards things which will benefit students to the greatest degree. Value for money is essential. There are obvious question marks on how money is spent in DCU given the claims that this was never put out to tender but only one company was asked. I don't know 100% if this claim is true but it is incredible that the class rep council would vote through a project that had not been put out to tender, I had assumed (like most people I imagine) that different quotes had been got and the best value for money had been sought. As I alluded to earlier this careless, throwaway attitude towards other peoples money is something which belongs in the past. I apologize to the people involved if this is not the case and different quotes etc were sought.
Thankfully due to our petition there should be a referendum on this donation. Students will hopefully be able to make an informed decision on whether or not their union donates this money.
As an aside, I think this has really shown up the problems with the class rep system, it's clear that many reps did not do their job properly and consult the people they are supposed to be representing on this issue, despite ample time and opportunity to do so. Some did of course, there are some excellent class reps, but not nearly enough.
Dave Clougher
DCU SF Secretary0 -
DanDan6592 wrote: »Why was it closed down?
Loads of health and safety issues. But definitely not 10k worth. :pac:0 -
Advertisement
-
Having talked to literally hundreds of students about this the response we got was generally one of incredulity. The majority hadn't heard about the labyrinth project or the decision to spend 10,000 Euro. Of those who had heard of it, the majority were opposed (many quite adamantly I might add) to what they saw as a waste of Student Union money.
The petition was widely supported, it was signed by a number of people who support the idea of a labyrinth but felt the students should have their say. Out of the people who weren't in a rush and stopped and listened to what we had to say only three refused to sign.
Just to those people who might be asking "sure what else could it be spent on?", I'd like to remind them that the Celtic Tiger era is gone, the days of throwing money into any old project just for the sake of it are gone. Students are really struggling, it's very hard to get even a part-time job these days and these difficulties are only going to get worse with the inevitable rises in reg fees and reductions in grants. In this climate it is really important to make sure that students money is not carelessly spent but diligently put towards things which will benefit students to the greatest degree. Value for money is essential. There are obvious question marks on how money is spent in DCU given the claims that this was never put out to tender but only one company was asked. I don't know 100% if this claim is true but it is incredible that the class rep council would vote through a project that had not been put out to tender, I had assumed (like most people I imagine) that different quotes had been got and the best value for money had been sought. As I alluded to earlier this careless, throwaway attitude towards other peoples money is something which belongs in the past. I apologize to the people involved if this is not the case and different quotes etc were sought.
Thankfully due to our petition there should be a referendum on this donation. Students will hopefully be able to make an informed decision on whether or not their union donates this money.
As an aside, I think this has really shown up the problems with the class rep system, it's clear that many reps did not do their job properly and consult the people they are supposed to be representing on this issue, despite ample time and opportunity to do so. Some did of course, there are some excellent class reps, but not nearly enough.
Dave Clougher
DCU SF Secretary
Thanks for all your work on this and no surprise that most people havent heard about it. I suspected that all along even though the class reps were supposed to talk to their classes (the entire class and not just a few friends) and vote on the basis of the feedback they received from their class and i believe this did not happen. So i think a lot of class reps voted for whatever they thought was best....after having been influenced by the girl givin the talk...i really hope this nonsense will be stopped and the money spend in a much better and smarter way.0
How will it benefit every student? 
Advertisement