I'm going down to the student march to take some pics anyone else?

iamstop

If you don't know what I'm on about:
The protest will begin at 12:30pm on November 3rd in Parnell Square before proceeding to Government buildings.


"We hope to get in excess of 5,000 UCD students on the streets of Dublin to show this Government that students are sick and tired of the third level sector being decimated by endless cuts."

National Student March
Venue details:
Dublin City Centre
National Student March
03 November at 12:30
Location: Dublin City Centre

Event Date:
November 3, 2010

Old Perry

Was thinkin of doin the same but cant make it :mad:, post one or two up please if ya dont mind.

mehfesto

I should be there.
The DCU crowd are heading in at 11am, as well as Maynooth (I think - deffo DCU anyway).

Should be a bit of a laugh - it's a meaningless protest really. The signs will be good craic if nothing else! Took these the last time -

AnimalRights

The Republican Sinn Fein protests have ruined me, they bring such excitement and intimidation/threats/scuffles that any other protest just seems timid in comparison, I've peaked too early!



http://pix.ie/punkrock/album/386714/goto/1894746

Chorcai

Tons going from DIT, me included with camera, far from meaningless this protest is.

http://www.ditsu.ie/your-protest-your-union

Old Perry

Chorcai wrote: »

, far from meaningless this protest is.

http://www.ditsu.ie/your-protest-your-union

I hope so altough they haven helped much in the past, dont forget to call you local td and let him have it aswell.

mehfesto

Chorcai wrote: »

Tons going from DIT, me included with camera, far from meaningless this protest is.

http://www.ditsu.ie/your-protest-your-union

If it's legit with arguments like 'it's an investment in Ireland's future', etc., fair enough, but I'm going 'coz I know it'll just be a load of people with funny signs shouting and talking about X-Factor.

It'll be great for pictures, if the weather holds. If not, it could be a downer!

the_monkey

oh we're students we have no money .... we need more in grants, right lads off to the pub to spend €200+ on booze...

johnmcdnl

the_monkey wrote: »

oh we're students we have no money .... we need more in grants, right lads off to the pub to spend €200+ on booze...

or maybe - I'm a student - my family can barely afford the 1500 registration fee because I have 2 other members of my family in college as well - doubling it to 3000 means time for 1 of us to start considering dropping out

I've yet to meet a student who's spent more than 20-30 on a night out and when that happens you tend not too see them out again for a good while... Think a few of ye need to get a reality check as this is really an important thing for so many families across the country..

This image of students is completely wrong - yes a lot of drinking and arsing about might go on but there's still a hell of a lot of students who'll be forced to quit college if this increase in fees goes ahead...

Really hope the students show up in huge numbers and take it seriously - because it really is an important cause no matter what anyone who doesn't have to go to college anymore may think about it...

the_monkey

johnmcdnl wrote: »

or maybe - I'm a student - my family can barely afford the 1500 registration fee because I have 2 other members of my family in college as well - doubling it to 3000 means time for 1 of us to start considering dropping out

I've yet to meet a student who's spent more than 20-30 on a night out and when that happens you tend not too see them out again for a good while... Think a few of ye need to get a reality check as this is really an important thing for so many families across the country..

This image of students is completely wrong - yes a lot of drinking and arsing about might go on but there's still a hell of a lot of students who'll be forced to quit college if this increase in fees goes ahead...

Really hope the students show up in huge numbers and take it seriously - because it really is an important cause no matter what anyone who doesn't have to go to college anymore may think about it...

Fair point, when I was in college fees were paid ...

mehfesto

mehfesto wrote: »

Maybe it's just me, but I can't help but feel signs like that and the usual "Careful now" Father Ted signs and such just cheapen the whole thing.

I would love for fees to stay as they are or disappear again, but you can't help but feel like they almost bring it on themselves.

Why does everyone in this age group have to think they're the funniest, wittiest person in the world. These protests should be a very serious issue. They don't help their image of being a bunch of messers at all.

challengemaster

mehfesto wrote: »

Should be a bit of a laugh - it's a meaningless protest really.

Which part is meaningless, exactly? Would you have the same opinion if you were a student, and knew the facts?

johnmcdnl said things fairly well, tbh.

the_monkey wrote: »

oh we're students we have no money .... we need more in grants, right lads off to the pub to spend €200+ on booze...

Right, let me spell it out for you then.

We're students, and anyone without the grant has to pay 1500 (+226 or something like that) every year to the college, and most of it is unaccounted for. It's supposedly a registration fee, not tuition fee.

Aside from that, we also have to stay alive for the year, kinda an important thing. That requires clothes, food, drink, rent, esb, etc etc. Usual stuff for any household. Add transport. And then what if they take up a sport? That costs money too...

The grants system is an absolute joke. It's constantly late. Some people were getting their first installment (of 3) in february of last year. That's about when the second one is supposed to be due. That leaves 2-3 months where someone who is relying on the grant, with fup all money. Also, the grants usually don't get processed on time, meaning the registration fee has to be paid, then re-claimed through fees office in the college at a later date.

Also, I don't know of anyone on the grant who would willingly spend 200 quid on booze. In fact, I don't know of anyone in college who would. The grant, as it stands, I think works out around 100/week or thereabouts. So if anyone on the grant did that, they're going to find it hard for a few weeks.

Students may drink a bit, and yes, they may party, but I'll tell you a little secret. The reason students tend to live up the student days, is because anyone who's graduated/older TELLS THEM TO ENJOY COLLEGE AND HAVE FUN. Bit hypocritical to tell someone to do something then complain when they do it, no?

Also, most students generally don't drink in pubs - they buy from off licenses. MUCH CHEAPER. Why pay the same amount in a pub, for a shot, as you can get a bottle of spirits for. Lets say for example, a 70cl bottle of vodka is 15 quid. Right? Depending on the person, there could be 3-5 nights out worth of drinking right there. And despite what you might think, generally people don't go out 5 days in a row. 2 in a row might be a push, apart from say RAG week. So that could be 2-3 WEEKS worth of drink.

I'd be willing to bet your average person on the dole (getting twice as much as the grant per week) spends more time in pubs, and spends a lot more on alcohol than your average student, especially at €3-5 a pint.

And on the point of the grant "not being enough" - I'm not sure where I'd stand on that one, but, that's not really one of the bigger concerns. What is, though, is the way it's the first thing to get cut.

During the boom/celtic tiger/whatever, welfare and pension payouts rose substantially. The grant never rose as much as either of those, yet last year, it was the first thing to take a hit. Neither the dole nor pension took a hit. The main issue is that the government is using students as an easy target, and hitting them before anything else.

I'd be willing to bet that if the government said they were doubling the fees you were paying during your time in college, you'd have a different view.


As for the march, there's expected to be 20,000+ there.

CabanSail

This has gone right off the subject for this forum. There are other places on boards to discuss politics. As such I'm closing this thread. If another one opens please keep it about Photography.