How was the Paisley talk?

Corruptedmorals

......?

Thirdfox

He's really mellowed out - smiled a lot... Overall I found it a bit underwhelming (then again I was expecting fire and brimstone )

Gave him a good round of applause at the end - everyone went away cheerful.

Sleazus

Sure, you can hear it on-line at here.

We're the only college society in Ireland to place recordings of our guests on-line, so you can also check out the archives.

low

that's pretty cool

bright

ha yeah it was great and it made page 3 of the irish times with me in shot...:D

paperclip

Paisley's shoulders are massive. I'd hate to meet him in a dark alley at night.
Especially with me being a catholic and all that.

shay_562

Found the Carson lecture at the start a bit dull, but once he started taking questions (and seriously, fair play to him for taking quite so many questions from the floor) it really livened up. He's so charismatic, but at the same time, there's something intensely scary about him.

SOL

I was the same, I found the lecture less than exciting but the questions were great in the main...

JC 2K3

I thought the Carson lecture was interesting since JC and LC History was taught from the angle of him being the "bad guy" and Paisley was speaking with admiration of him totally opposing home rule.

The questions were the highlight though.

Very interesting afternoon on the whole.

Time Magazine

I don't know. I wasn't let in after being assured by several members of the Hist Committee that I'd get in no problem if I was there when I was.

Hate that huh?

JC 2K3

You had to have been picked in the draw on the Hist website to be certain of a seat. A good few people sneaked in AFAIK and therefore they were only able to let in the first 3 people in the queue of people without tickets where they were supposed to be letting 20-30 in from that queue...

Time Magazine

I know what happened.

europerson

Ibid wrote: »

I know what happened.

As do I: I was in the same position as Ibid.

JC 2K3

That sucks. Anyone know why the college refused to accommodate the Hist with a bigger location than the debating chamber?

Sleazus

You had to have been picked in the draw on the Hist website to be certain of a seat. A good few people sneaked in AFAIK and therefore they were only able to let in the first 3 people in the queue of people without tickets where they were supposed to be letting 20-30 in from that queue...

Well, in fairness, we let approximately 35 people in from that queue. I realise that that doesn't seem like a lot, but Security prevented us from allowing any more in because, by that time, the First Minister had come downstairs to use the toilets and you couldn't have people floating around in the lobby area.

I can only point out that the delay was not due to the Hist. Other residents of the building tried to verbally and physically restrain the Gardi from doing their job in sweeping the building, which - as well as being unpleasant to witness and incredibly juvenile - understandably ate up some time and stopped us from filing in ticket holders earlier.

In terms of "sneaking people in", nobody got into the chamber on the first wave (ie. before those 35) without their name being on the list at the door.

The First Minister had quite a sizeable entourage, who obviously got priority, as did the staff of the British Ambassador.

College would not allow us to use a larger venue, but we did make sure that the system of the draw was perfectly random (Random.Org's List Generator - an independently verifiable source and also entirely random, the draw itself witnessed by the Auditor and the Treasurer) and that a minimum of space was given to the media so the majority of spaces would go to students. We didn't allocate priority to the Record, Trinity News, other college hacks, or even the Phil, which is the fairest way of doing this. It just seems a little unconventional because people are so used to organisations doing rigged draws. Even of the people who wore Hist shirts during Freshers' Week, not every one who entered the draw got placed.

There was no "guest list" beyond the twelve members of the organisation that organised the event and the staff of the First Minister. You couldn't have standing room, again for obvious reasons. With a 210-seat venue, and over 500 applicants, people will be understandably, albeit regrettably, disappointed.

We also made sure that the recordings of the event were on-line within 24 hours and we'll try and get photographs up post haste. We are very sorry that we did not have a larger venue, but that was outside our control and we did our best to accommodate everyone.

JC 2K3

Sleazus wrote: »

Well, in fairness, we let approximately 35 people in from that queue.

In terms of "sneaking people in", nobody got into the chamber on the first wave (ie. before those 35) without their name being on the list at the door.

Ah, I'd only heard rumours. Seems these were incorrect.

Did the college give a reason for not accommodating the Hist with a bigger location? As I'm a fresher, I don't know much about the college's relationship with societies such as the Hist, but I was rather surprised that they did not provide a larger venue given the nayure of the event.

Boston

Sleazus wrote: »

I can only point out that the delay was not due to the Hist. Other residents of the building tried to verbally and physically restrain the Gardi from doing their job in sweeping the building, which - as well as being unpleasant to witness and incredibly juvenile - understandably ate up some time and stopped us from filing in ticket holders earlier.

Lol, sure why would you make it easy for a bigot like paisley.

wowy

Sleazus wrote: »

I can only point out that the delay was not due to the Hist. Other residents of the building tried to verbally and physically restrain the Gardi from doing their job in sweeping the building, which - as well as being unpleasant to witness and incredibly juvenile - understandably ate up some time and stopped us from filing in ticket holders earlier.

Is it necessary to bring this up? It's still an internal matter between the societies and college, so it has no place here. Especially given that nobody has even commented on the delay, so it has no relevance.

Boston

yea, cause like boards.ie is only for advertising your events. I heard it was the phil trying to mess up the event.

JC 2K3

wowy wrote: »

Is it necessary to bring this up? It's still an internal matter between the societies and college, so it has no place here. Especially given that nobody has even commented on the delay, so it has no relevance.

He made a post reporting on the events at the Paisley talk in response to a topic entitled "How was the Paisley talk?", what the hell is the problem with that?

xeduCat

wowy wrote: »

Is it necessary to bring this up? It's still an internal matter between the societies and college, so it has no place here. Especially given that nobody has even commented on the delay, so it has no relevance.

This is the Internet. Everything's important on the Internet

Boston

xeduCat

Time Magazine

xeduCat

Not Internet - Internets!

the flananator

Myths pics are always te funniest.

BTW I heard it was the Sci-Fi soc trying to ruin it for everyone:rolleyes:

Crash

I heard it was the comedy society - damn those crazy rapscallions!

Boston

really? Lolercakes

EGaffney

Sleazus wrote: »

I can only point out that the delay was not due to the Hist. Other residents of the building tried to verbally and physically restrain the Gardi from doing their job in sweeping the building, which - as well as being unpleasant to witness and incredibly juvenile - understandably ate up some time and stopped us from filing in ticket holders earlier.

Given the failure of the hosts of the event to communicate with "other residents of the building" about the requirements for the event, and the role of security staff of various kinds, that's a remarkable comment to make. Boards shouldn't be about petty passive-aggression.

Stargal

EGaffney wrote: »

Boards shouldn't be about petty passive-aggression.

WRONG! That's exactly what boards is about. Where have you been?

xebec

Hmm.... Wonders who EGaffney is and which society he's involved in...

Boston

Lately theres been less of the passive and more of the "In your face" aggression. Its a trend I'd like to see continue into the new year.

Stargal

Boston wrote: »

Lately theres been less of the passive and more of the "In your face" aggression. Its a trend I'd like to see continue into the new year.

That could be your Christmas wish. Personally I don't like when people cloud what they're trying to say with pointless euphemisms; so when Sleazus described how "other residents of the building tried to verbally and physically restrain the Gardaí", why didn't he just say "members of the Phil"? Then we could all watch as the Histies and Philies (?) get into a bitchfight about it.

Maybe if we're both REALLY good then we'll get our wishes and boards will be a better place.

xeduCat

Stargal wrote:

the Histies and Philies (?)

The Phisties! Or the Philties!

shay_562

Stargal wrote:

Personally I don't like when people cloud what they're trying to say with pointless euphemisms; so when Sleazus described how "other residents of the building tried to verbally and physically restrain the Gardaí", why didn't he just say "members of the Phil"?

Because if you post complaining about something the Phil have done when you're involved in any way, shape or form with the Hist, you're accused of being bitter and biased and not having a real point. And besides, he could have been referring to the Theo.

EGaffney wrote:

Given the failure of the hosts of the event to communicate with "other residents of the building" about the requirements for the event, and the role of security staff of various kinds, that's a remarkable comment to make. Boards shouldn't be about petty passive-aggression.

Given that the type of security procedures that need to happen during an event like this are long-established and followed by both societies relatively equally, that's a remarkable comment to make. But then, I'm probably just being biased and bitter.

Boston

shay is being bitter and twisted again.

Sleazus

EGaffney wrote: »

Given the failure of the hosts of the event to communicate with "other residents of the building" about the requirements for the event, and the role of security staff of various kinds, that's a remarkable comment to make. Boards shouldn't be about petty passive-aggression.

I agree, that's why I didn't name anybody. It could have been the Theo.

I only pointed it out because people were complaining that we were only able to let in 35 people from the queue outside and I answered: people inside the building obstructed the Gardi during the (rather obvious and necessary) security sweep, which set back the timetable for the event and meant that we had to stop admitting people earlier than we would have otherwise. As a result, people didn't get in who would have otherwise.

Given that the building typically grinds to a halt for high-security events organised by both societies (for example the Islam debate, this Thursday - which is never proceeded by "communication"), I don't think there was anyone on campus who expected a lackadaisical approach to security for one of the most controversial figures in the history of this island. Evidence of this is the fact that one audience member had to be ejected from the room by the Gardi before the talk even began.

Anyway, it's done now. I hope people enjoyed it.

xeduCat

shay_562 wrote: »

And besides, he could have been referring to the Theo.

Sir, the Theo are not 'residents' of the building. They transcend residence. The Theo may not be before your eyes, but there is a little bit of Theo in all of us. "Theo is all around", as Wet Wet Wet may have once sung.

xeduCat

Sleazus wrote:

Evidence of this is the fact that one audience member had to be ejected from the room by the Gardi before the talk even began.

Seriously? What did he do? (no specifics, of course, if that would be inappropriate or problematic!)

shay_562

Boston wrote:

shay is being bitter and twisted again.

"Again" implies that at some point I stopped.

xeducat wrote:

Sir, the Theo are not 'residents' of the building. They transcend residence. The Theo may not be before your eyes, but there is a little bit of Theo in all of us. "Theo is all around", as Wet Wet Wet may have once sung.

...quite. (what?)

xeducat wrote:

Seriously? What did he do?

Same question, but without the caveats about propriety or problems.

Sleazus

Seriously? What did he do? (no specifics, of course, if that would be inappropriate or problematic!)

He was cradling his bag (which he managed to smuggle in), sitting near the fire exit and seemed to be "jumpy" to the members of staff and students around. When it was pointed out that he shouldn't have a bag in the room, he proceeded to get uptight and refused to part with it. Leading to his ejection from the chamber.

It wasn't exceptionally dramatic, but shows that the security were trying to avoid any possible complications to the afternoon and shows the level of awareness required.

Crash

bag = full of weed, ketamine and pills.

I'd put money on it

edit: or his plans for a time machine drawn on the back of a beer mat from 2015

Outcast

As one of the infamous 'three who got in' I want to thank the Hist. There was a lot of hassle surrounding the event and I wouldn't have blamed them for telling us all to feck off given the amount of crap they were getting. But they didn't, which shows that they actually did want to let as many people as possible in.

I thought it was a great talk. Agree or disagree with Paisley (and I disagree!) he has shedloads of charisma and conviction, which always makes for an interesting show.