This years SU

Ideo

I just thought I would like to say that in all my 4 years in Trinity that this years SU exec are perhaps the most incompetent.

Instead of campaigning for longer opening hours of the library we hold a referendum about raising a flag over trinity. For the disabled in college they now cannot access any entertainment facilities with the effective closure of the buttery - partially JM's fault but a lack of progress by this years SU too and any progress about wheelchair access to the pav? Emm, no?! The likely increase of the registration fees for next years students and still no transparency about where all that money actually goes! instead of publishing a Student Record with any sort of up to date news we are subject to a collection of random articles from past editions - talk about a waste of money. Do you really think people are interested in articles that are not only old news but poorly written opinion pieces? If i want opinions articles I will read what is written on the walls of the toilet cubicles. And this years TBall. Spin FM are giving away tickets for this yet its sold out. How the **** is the ball expected to keep its exclusiveness when tickets are being given away to people who's only concept of trinity is that everybody who goes there is posh and stuck up. I'm trying not to stereotype there but its hard not to. And sure what is the deal with the 'best lineup ever'? perhaps if you like listenting to the same synthetic sound over and over again but if your not into dance music it eliminates a fair few acts...

I don't know, the more I think about failures of this years SU the more I hope next years bunch do some good. Am I missing the boat here or has it really been a poor year for students? it certainly appears so from where I'm standing (or sitting as the case may be).

PHB

Am I missing the boat here or has it really been a poor year for students?

Nah they've been pretty ****, except Rob. He seems to have done a decent enough job. Infact, we have Sunday openings, so I'm happy.

I think next year will be a lot better personally, that said, I won't be here, so I don't care.
Why do I think it'll be better? Most of the people aren't SU people.
Andy, Una, Bartley, Ed aren't really interested in the SU or the SU people, which means they are probably more competent than anyone there.

gilroyb

They had Sunday opening last year as well for significant parts of the year as far as I can remember.

Ideo

yeah sunday opening has been going since i started in 2003 so nothing new there...surprising:rolleyes:

lost_soul

scooby_doo_no1 wrote:

Instead of campaigning for longer opening hours of the library we hold a referendum about raising a flag over trinity.

From what i hear Rob had made significant progress on longer opening hours this year. Its is going through the final stages of negotiation and is expected to be approved very soon.

scooby_doo_no1 wrote:

For the disabled in college they now cannot access any entertainment facilities with the effective closure of the buttery - partially JM's fault but a lack of progress by this years SU too and any progress about wheelchair access to the pav? Emm, no?!

There was nothing that this years SU could do about the closure of the buttery and afaik plans are underway for the redevelopment of the pav which included wheel chair access.

scooby_doo_no1 wrote:

The likely increase of the registration fees for next years students

This increase will be decided on by students and afaik the 70 extra has a lot to do with DUCAC more so then the SU.

scooby_doo_no1 wrote:

instead of publishing a Student Record with any sort of up to date news we are subject to a collection of random articles from past editions - talk about a waste of money.

Afaik the Record is paid for by advertising - waste of advertisers money



While a lot of things the SU did this year i don't agree with they do deserve a bit of credit for some of the work they did do.

gilroyb

gilroyb wrote:

They had Sunday opening last year as well for significant parts of the year as far as I can remember.

Yep, in fact last year (at summer) was a slight increase in opening hours from the year before.

osd

lost_soul wrote:

There was nothing that this years SU could do about the closure of the buttery and afaik plans are underway for the redevelopment of the pav which included wheel chair access.

Yep, this is the current situation. If you want to blame anyone about the Pav it's the Director of Sport not the SU, after all the Pav is not an SU bar. Mannion and I finished last year in the understanding that the lift was going to be installed on the south-east of the Pav, however the DoS vetoed the plans and went for an extension. I have encouraged people to boycott it and I for one haven't stepped in it for over a year now. I had raised the issue of a boycott with the Exec and it was shot down pretty promptly.
The extension and lift for the Pav is seemingly going in on the north side of the building. Plans are currently weeks away from completion.
Incidentally I also leave the role as OSD knowing that there are solid plans for making all the student services accessible in accordance with the Disability Act 2005.

Ideo

lost_soul wrote:

From what i hear Rob had made significant progress on longer opening hours this year. Its is going through the final stages of negotiation and is expected to be approved very soon.



There was nothing that this years SU could do about the closure of the buttery and afaik plans are underway for the redevelopment of the pav which included wheel chair access.



This increase will be decided on by students and afaik the 70 extra has a lot to do with DUCAC more so then the SU.




Afaik the Record is paid for by advertising - waste of advertisers money



While a lot of things the SU did this year i don't agree with they do deserve a bit of credit for some of the work they did do.

Maybe I am missing the boat and the SU has done a lot but I cannot recall any of the work they've done this year! What exaclt have they done? Also, did they have effective PR this year - I'd say no, and perhaps its badly needed! Furthermore, why bother with the referendum when, by the sounds of it, DUCAC have already made their decision?

[edit] And has the library not always been open from 11-5 on a sunday during TT?

RE DUCAC - If the ref passes, the levy is in. If it doesn't, then its not.

And its Dept of Sport! Not DUCAC!

On topic: I'd be of the same opinion... I have a gripe with the SU over student welfare in sense of mental well being. There is a high number of 3rd level student suicides.. and we get a big spiel about the importance of the Irish flag over college..

Crash

The irish flag thing pisses me off no end, but you know what, if people want to stop things like that becoming an issue, here's an interesting idea, STOP ELECTING CLASS REPS WHO CONTINUOUSLY TRY AND DRIVE THIS CRAP THROUGH.

*ahem*.

The irish flag thing has been driven through by two years of class reps, with a certain few driving it and continuously bringing it up, not by the executive or the sabbatical officers.

shay_562

Eh, the idiots of this college voted in droves for the flag thing, they can lump it now - it's one of the few areas where I don't actually think the SU did anything wrong. Hold referendum. See very clear majority in referendum with relatively high turnout. Follow will of students. It's pretty much why they're there.

As for the rest, I've been banned before for expressing my opinions on Quinn and Hall, which kinda says enough in and of itself. I'm reserving judgement on Barry for a few more days yet, though he's starting from a low place. I have no contact with anything welfare-related these days, so I can't comment on Denise. And all the hacks I know seem highly impressed with Rob, so I'm gonna assume he's good. On balance, it kinda averages out to a big fat "meh". At least the website's a lot better now.

Crash

You were never banned for expressing your opinions, you were banned for how you expressed them. And bring it up again, and it'll be an issue again.

If I can actually say something, 3 years involved has taught me one thing - that democracy can be an insanely flawed system.

When you're dealing with a position whereby 10% of reps actually care and work their asses off, another 40% or so have an interest of some sort, and probably around 50% couldnt care less, its a mess. and it drives me mental. There are so many problems inherent in the system that it'd take all day for me to list the things I don't like, but thats neither here nor there.

Simple fact is though, its the Students Union. For reform to happen, it requires proper student input and unless i'm mistaken, the student body here is so apethetic that its not even funny.

Chardee MacDennis

so how did ents work out this year? seriously though I havent heard many good things and the line up of a certain event isn't the may west.

Andrew 83

Call_me_al wrote:

so how did ents work out this year? seriously though I havent heard many good things and the line up of a certain event isn't the may west.

I actually think it's the best I've seen.

Crash

Icksnay on the allbay.

Chardee MacDennis

strictly refering to the 'freshers' ball if course

andrew really? i thought its more quantity than quality but i supoose its very subjective.

osd

The best ever line-up (that I went to) was:

TRINITY BALL 2001: FRIDAY 11th MAY. 10pm - 5am

LIVE STAGE: JJ72, Asian Dub Foundation, very special guest, The Undertones,
Wilt, Lowgold
DANCE STAGE: Artful Dodger, Faze Action (live), Bentley Rhythm Ace DJs,
Mark B & Blade, Creative Control, Arveene, Swiftrockers,
FRONT SQUARE: Jack L, Disconauts: The Live Remix, Classic Beatles, The
Night in Havana Orchestra, St Mary's of the Angels Gospel Choir, DJ Fergus
Murphy
FELLOWS SQUARE: Glen Hansard + guests, Alfie, Blue States, South, The Glenn Miller Legacy

I think either Damian Rice or David Kitt played too (I always mix them up!).

Andrew 83

osd wrote:

The best ever line-up (that I went to) was:

TRINITY BALL 2001: FRIDAY 11th MAY. 10pm - 5am

LIVE STAGE: JJ72, Asian Dub Foundation, very special guest, The Undertones,
Wilt, Lowgold
DANCE STAGE: Artful Dodger, Faze Action (live), Bentley Rhythm Ace DJs,
Mark B & Blade, Creative Control, Arveene, Swiftrockers,
FRONT SQUARE: Jack L, Disconauts: The Live Remix, Classic Beatles, The
Night in Havana Orchestra, St Mary's of the Angels Gospel Choir, DJ Fergus
Murphy
FELLOWS SQUARE: Glen Hansard + guests, Alfie, Blue States, South, The Glenn Miller Legacy

I think either Damian Rice or David Kitt played too (I always mix them up!).

While that was fantastic I only entered the college 5 months later!