Apathy on Campus

Sergeant Horse

Its a big issue now. Just 2 weeks ago I was on one of the Campaign teams for tthe Voting of Education Officer, and although Paddy Pratt won (and I'm sure he'll do a great job), i find that the level of apathy oncampus is scary. People dont seem to care about their college affairs anymore. One guy I asked to vote just said "Piss off, I don't care". Bad form when you think that the Education Officer is the one who helps to sort out your Exam times if you have a time problem (exams 5 days in a row like mine) and the as well as the other 4 positions which are very important.
it sdefinitley something which needs to be addressed.

Photi

meh :rolleyes:

sceptre

Sergeant Horse wrote:

People dont seem to care about their college affairs anymore.

They never have. I noticed the same the first time I was involved in a campaign team (eleven years ago in my first UL incarnation).

CathalMc

For what its worth, the same is true in UCC, both on a student union and clubs/socs level. This year the committee put in a huge effort to increase awareness in what they were about and that they existed etc, and it appears to have worked. But clubs and socs interest continues to dwindle. Part of a new competitive academic culture maybe, but it doesn't bode well for the clubs because their perceived popularity has a direct influence on their ability to get sponsorship from the college.
Anyway, if I can recommend anything, its a information campaign. What the students union is, what it does, where to find you, and issues you are currently working on.

Peteee

Dont care

NEXT!

Yeah it is a problem, but frankly i think most people are happy with the way things are, theres not much i'd change about UL, and people are only gonna care if it affects them

p.pete

I'd be more apathetic if I weren't so lethargic

rugbug86

its a problem in dcu aswell. we barely made quorum this year. its a shame cos it's a load of fun =D

Sergeant Horse

Peteee wrote:

Dont care

NEXT!

Yeah it is a problem, but frankly i think most people are happy with the way things are, theres not much i'd change about UL, and people are only gonna care if it affects them

the problem is that things dont stay the same in UL unless people take a part. Clubs and Societies are slowly dwindling out because nobody seems bothered, as well as the College and Residents slowly taking away your freedoms that certain members of the SU fight for. The thing is that they are kept quiet but thats leading to nobody caring, and if nobody cares, then we lose.

Elley

Sergeant Horse wrote:

the problem is that things dont stay the same in UL unless people take a part. Clubs and Societies are slowly dwindling out because nobody seems bothered, as well as the College and Residents slowly taking away your freedoms that certain members of the SU fight for. The thing is that they are kept quiet but thats leading to nobody caring, and if nobody cares, then we lose.

What do you mean by residents taking away our freedoms (or was that a typo)

Sergeant Horse

Did you not know that last year the Residents tried to stop the pubs getting licenses. If they had succeeded, you would now not have the Stables, Scholars or Sports Bars. Only alot of negotiation saved the bars

Peteee

Well if that happens again *camera zooms in on face, voice lowers* its hunting time

/me loads shotgun

Elley

Sergeant Horse wrote:

Did you not know that last year the Residents tried to stop the pubs getting licenses. If they had succeeded, you would now not have the Stables, Scholars or Sports Bars. Only alot of negotiation saved the bars

Ah yeah sorry, *it all becomes clear*

invincibleirish

what residents are left? it seems to me most estates around UL are majority students, its the residents that demand things like public paths and the like thru UL, if it were up to me i'd fence off UL and drive the last of the residents out for student housing, screw the locals, the only good thing about Limerick is UL. <end rant>

Sergeant Horse

yyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssss. surprisingly there are at least 100 Residents around the area I believe. Troublemakers every one of them

Mr. CooL ICE

Sergeant Horse wrote:

One guy I asked to vote just said "Piss off, I don't care"

In all fairness, i feel like saying that the odd time, cos campaigners can be very annoying, even intimidating. When all you want to do is get from A to B and you happen to go through the canteen, and there are fifteen people bombarding you with "Have you voted yet?" or "vote for Johnny Nickname". And some don't just stand in the canteen, some stand in the stairwell. So if youre told to piss off, no offence, but its probably the fault of campaigners in general.

But yes, a lot of people dont care anymore. I joined the music soc for the last two years and i hardly heard anything from them, partly due to them not having the funding to do anything, with the funding going to needless clubs like the Celtic Supporters, which, although i dont know much about, probably uses the funding for drinking. But if people like me join a society which i dont hear from because they cant do anything, its a no-win situation and no wonder theres no interest any more.

cooperguy

Sergeant Horse wrote:

Did you not know that last year the Residents tried to stop the pubs getting licenses. If they had succeeded, you would now not have the Stables, Scholars or Sports Bars. Only alot of negotiation saved the bars

Does anyone know what happened in those negotiations, what I mean is what did the SU say they would do to keep the pub licences. UL would never be the same if it lost its pubs!!!

Elley

How much control does the SU actually have with the bars in the first place? They don't own the bars, they don't run them.......or am I off the mark???

Cork Exile

Most resident associations in the Castletroy area have a bit of cop on and dont object to the College bar licenses. The only objection comes from the College Court RA, and it is lodged by one member every year. Her name escapes me now, its Ursula Stokes I think. She was previously a member of the Milford Grange RA but was thrown off it. She does not represent the majority of residents in College Court.
A number of years ago when in court objecting to the license for the lodge, she said her children were being kept awake at night. Under cross-examination by the Lodge's legal counsel she admitted to not having any kids.
The guards are even sick of her.


Also Elly, the SU dont have much of a say in the running of the bars but the University administration does. When these objections arise, there's usually some sort of meeting between the bars, the SU, Uni admin, Gardai and Ms Stokes. She has proved herself at these meetings to be very unreasonable

Sergeant Horse

The SU doies have a good say, as the area of the SU and Pubs are separate to the Uni and are mostlky connected to the SU. Although the pubs are independant, the buildings are rented from the SU......i think, i must check that.

Elley

But sure weren't PCC responsible for building the student centre including the bars, a separate company runs them and really the only input the SU has is a seat on the PCC board, which changes every year!

cooperguy

Cork Exile wrote:

Most resident associations in the Castletroy area have a bit of cop on and dont object to the College bar licenses. The only objection comes from the College Court RA, and it is lodged by one member every year. Her name escapes me now, its Ursula Stokes I think. She was previously a member of the Milford Grange RA but was thrown off it. She does not represent the majority of residents in College Court.
A number of years ago when in court objecting to the license for the lodge, she said her children were being kept awake at night. Under cross-examination by the Lodge's legal counsel she admitted to not having any kids.
The guards are even sick of her.


Also Elly, the SU dont have much of a say in the running of the bars but the University administration does. When these objections arise, there's usually some sort of meeting between the bars, the SU, Uni admin, Gardai and Ms Stokes. She has proved herself at these meetings to be very unreasonable

Iv heard about her before she sounds a bit loopy!!! How many years has she been making complaints for now

keevita

that woman is the bane of UL students in all estates. however she put her apartment in college court up for sale last year, so at least she'll be out of the SU's hair soon enough hopefully.

kaimera

w00t.

dunno who she is but I dont want her around us next year in CC

Sergeant Horse

Elley wrote:

But sure weren't PCC responsible for building the student centre including the bars, a separate company runs them and really the only input the SU has is a seat on the PCC board, which changes every year!

You mean PlasseyCC? They run the Villages but they have nothing to do with the centre....i think

Elley

Nope they pretty much act as landlords for the outlets in the student centre and are reposnible for building the villages, the arena, Millstream etc

Rozie

I have nothing to do anymore

I miss RPGs with gsoc, talking about Time Travel with Pagansoc, going to the odd Ten Forward meeting *Sigh*

Oh well

It's not encouraging doing my repeats knowing I won't have a social life for the next two years, in the supposed best years of my life.

cornbb

:mad:

Cork Exile wrote:

The only objection comes from the College Court RA, and it is lodged by one member every year. Her name escapes me now, its Ursula Stokes I think.

Grr!

Yes, that is her name. I live across the green from Ms Stokes and have more hassle from her than any student. She complained about our bin not having an up to date sticker and called the Guards cause we were playing ACOUSTIC guitar on the front lawn (ffs) but they never came. Hehe. I'd rant about her being a ***** but can't be arsed.

I spent a bit of time involved in the UL music soc and hence got a whiff of the SU/student politics. I must say, I'm not crazy about the whole student politics scene. It whiffs of pettyness, bureaucracy and inadequacy. But in these people's defence, they do dedicate a hell of a lot of time to the good of the student population. I have a friend who used to be UL communications officer, she worked 12 hours a day on a ****ty wage just to get An Focal looking half decent, not to mention all the other campaigns that were run. Eoin O Broin was also a sound guy who did everything he could to help students. Fintan Breen, the current education officer, was my class rep for four years and did a fantastic job. He got grades increased, exams deferred, and basically bullied the lectureers into submission.

I can understand the apathy around the place. Student politics are sort of insular, only a particular crowd get involved and there is a lot of bitterness, personal conflicts etc which are often very petty. But they do have a bit of control over what goes on in the university and they have the power to solve a lot of the educational/social issues that students come across.

nevisgod

Sergeant Horse wrote:

Its a big issue now. Just 2 weeks ago I was on one of the Campaign teams for tthe Voting of Education Officer, and although Paddy Pratt won (and I'm sure he'll do a great job), i find that the level of apathy oncampus is scary. People dont seem to care about their college affairs anymore. One guy I asked to vote just said "Piss off, I don't care". Bad form when you think that the Education Officer is the one who helps to sort out your Exam times if you have a time problem (exams 5 days in a row like mine) and the as well as the other 4 positions which are very important.
it sdefinitley something which needs to be addressed.

Ya its the same in UCC. Dont think students care about this cuz y wud they care about someone whos gonna fix something that might go wrong? Anyway whoever is elected is going to do basically the same job anyway.

Oh and i personally feel very giddy now that I know somebody is actually called Paddy Pratt. Tee hee heee Whoooo!!!!!

kodute

its not a big issue now, because it concerns the people who dont care anyway. we would prefer to relax than change the status quo.

Here i will lead a struggle so that the voice of the lazy will be heard....meh...

gaf1983

Albert Einstein said that "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."

But then I do think alot of people really don't care about student politics - they are happy enough with their courses etc and feel they don't have anything to gain or won't reallly make that big changes anyway if they do get involved.

Is it really that big a problem? If people don't want to vote they are entitled to do so I feel.