Operation Fish Finger

OFDM

What is Operation Fish Finger?

Operation Fish Finger is the beginning of direct protest against the
elitist and unfair prices at the new Sports facilities. Even after
hundreds of complaints...

1) Your complaints have been ignored
2) There are no more people using the new facilities as used the old
3) Students are being asked to pay for time they don't need
4) The six month plan costs nearly 70% of the yearly plan
5) Only 600 students have paid membership

On Wednesday at 3pm we will be handing over your complaints (again),
delivering our demands (again) and taking photos, giving statements to
local media outlets. We will then be encouraging as many students as
possible to join in the open hour swim in the pool to show the demand
for more flexible pricing structures.

What we need you to do:

1) Acknowledge that you are being ripped off for no good reason
2) Write directly to you classes, give them times, dates, and ask them
to respond to you if they can come along.
3) If there are reasons why they can't go, badger them until they do
4) Show up around three, bring your swimming gear, and bring as many
people are you can.

Bring beachballs, towels, canoes, inflatible rafts, whatever you want to

make a bit of a spectacle. We won't be sending allstudents mails about
this, so it's up to you to get the crowd there. No crowd = no cheap
access to the gym and pool.

Get back to me if you need anything, let's give the big "fish finger" to

the management, and to overpricing in DCU.

Operation Fish Finger is go.

Declan Carey
TaughtpostGrad
DCU SU
The HUB
Dublin 9

Don't really see this working tbh...

Amz

Neither do I.

How they think the Sports Club isn't going to find out about it is beyond me. There are some students directly employed by them for one thing.

*shrug*

dregin

On a side note:

OMFMGGGFMFMGGGG!!! I saw AMZ!!!1!

---

FX Meister

I now a grafuate who works there and he knows all about this already. He doesn't make the prices so he says he's actually looking forward to it.

OFDM

dregin wrote:

On a side note:

OMFMGGGFMFMGGGG!!! I saw AMZ!!!1!

I saw amz the on my first day in DCU - was a strange experience to see one of the boards.ie celebrities in person.

Suaimhneach

Interesting. I'd love to go, and to see a crowd. But will there be one?!?!

Winters

dregin wrote:

OMFMGGGFMFMGGGG!!! I saw AMZ!!!1!

I've met and talked to Amz. Does that make me some sort of God in your eyes?

CuLT

From the title of the thread I thought this was a lesbian pride event.

sionnach

pfft i saw amz over a YEAR ago.... you can touch me if you want >_<

paid for my gym membership yesterday, can't see this having any impact really.

Winters

Can I touch you there?

OFDM

Winters wrote:

I've met and talked to Amz. Does that make me some sort of God in your eyes?

But you're one of the boards.ie celebrities too, with your laid-back goatee beard and cool shades - the celebrities mingle...

Winters

That pictre was such a long time ago. My hair is a lot longer and my beard a lot beardier now... I like this image better though. Though my hair is still longer now then it was when that was taken.

Sure, there's loads of images of me about.

Ro: maaan!

I'm sure there are better ones than that...

I can see this thread being hijacked and turned into a Winters photo album thread...

Winters

I have no problem with that. Just trying to find them is the hard part. It can be some sort of game. The person to find the most pictures of me shall win. They can decide the prize [however I must agree to it]

Jim

Slydice tbh

Ro: maaan!

Winty

banquo

this is fantastic.

Jim

Osama Bin Winters

banquo

Osama bin Winters in his 'rainy day' turban.

Amz

dregin wrote:

On a side note:

OMFMGGGFMFMGGGG!!! I saw AMZ!!!1!

---

Eep!

Where?

Why didn't you say hello?

Are people scared of me?

Eep!

Winters

Lets get back on topic.

I found another from a year ago: clickage

banquo

I always see you too. I said hi at the start of the year, but doing that too often would be probably be a little uncomfortable for at least 1 of us.

Amz

God damnit! I don't know anyone and Winters doesn't even go to DCU!

Winters

Hey .. I did and i shall do again [but the exact date of when is unknown]

more?

Amz

You're currently not registered as a student there so technically you're spamming this board for no reason.

Go spam Trinity/UCD/Maynooth/UL with those pictures.

Agent Smith

might as well spam the trinity board.... thats all it is really....

Winters

I am registered.

Just not an active student for this year.

Amz

Yeah, yeah.

Winters

Yeah.

So there.

sionnach

take it easy on winters amz, he's had a traumatic life

http://www.redbrick.dcu.ie/~sionnach/winters.jpg

OFDM

Jesus, what have I started?
And just to get things back on topic, is anyone here going to this lesbian pride demonstration in the gym?

Ro: maaan!

OFDM wrote:

Jesus, what have I started?
And just to get things back on topic, is anyone here going to this lesbian pride demonstration in the gym?

Ha! Excellent.

Amz

OFDM wrote:

Jesus, what have I started?
And just to get things back on topic, is anyone here going to this lesbian pride demonstration in the gym?

I won't be going, I'm not staying back for three hours to stand around like a spare tit. I'm not going to be joining the gym this year or next so it's a little hypocritical of me to protest.

I agree there should be better rates for students, but I can't see anything being done now when nothing has been done so far. The gym, like the rest of DCU, is a money making operation. The best interests of the students is not at the heart of this establishment and as far as I can tell it won't ever be, not in my time there anyway.

On a somewhat related notI've just received a mail from the chairperson of women's rugby, who is an employee of the sports club, she's bascially telling our members why she feels this protest is a bad idea and why the sports club is such great value etc. Now while I've no problem with people communicating their opinions on these things I don't feel that the club mailing list should be used in this way.

Agent Smith

banquo wrote:

I always see you too. I said hi at the start of the year, but doing that too often would be probably be a little uncomfortable for at least 1 of us.

i bought her a drink before.....

now which one of you's want to touch me?

steveland?

agent smith wrote:

i bought her a drink before.....

now which one of you's want to touch me?

*sigh*.... c'mere then...

rugbug86

i prefer to call it operation chicken nugget

and if i wasnt obliged to attend this little protest thing tomorrow, i wouldnt go.

Amz

rugbug86 has you all beaten, she gets to roll around in the mud with me on a regular basis. I don't think any of you can boast that!

Winters

Most recent picture of me

Amz

Seriously Winters, this is getting quite tedious.

Winters

There are loads more ... I've just forgotten all the passwords to my ft accounts

It wasn't my idea too. Stop blaming me Amz

*cries*

dregin

Take your pick tbh

Ro: maaan!

That's a lot of Dregin.

CuLT

that's too much Dregin

So who's going to the lesbian rights parade tomorrow?

rugbug86

yeah amz

missed ya last night, we were even rucking!

d@rk l0rd

To get back on point...ahem

I have to agree that there is absolutely no sense of community spirit amongst the students at DCU.

The only problem I had with the gym originally was the fact that students had to pay 190 per year and that this wasn't fair on final year students and postgrads.
Since then, they've introduced a 6 month membership at 135 and I think this is excellent value. I use the gym about 8 to 10 times a week and am saving a fortune by not having to pay at least 2.50 each time I use it. They are adding new equipment all the time and the pool is kept spotlessly clean.

I can't see this protest being a success - student apathy isn't going to suddenly disappear overnight!

OFDM

To all studenst,

I would like to update you with the latest information from University Sports
Club.

We will be offering members and guests six free master classes per year
and the first one was held last night to celebrate St.Patricks day. There
was an excellent attendance with over 70 people enjoying the class.

Membership of University Sports Club is increasing every day and we have
more students than ever using the facilities. We have also introduced the
shorter membership of €135 for six months to suit intra and final year students.
Some of the feedback has been most encouraging with various comments such
as,

' Better value than the old sports complex working out at just over €2.50
a visit for students'

' So many classes to choose from and all included in membership'

'Only a fraction of the cost of outside sports clubs'

'Five star facilites and great service'

We will strive to offer a quality service with state of the art facilities
at a competitive price and I would like to thank you all for your custom
and feedback to date.

The pay per play swims on a Wednesday and Saturday are proving popular.
We can only take a certain quota of people in this hour but to date the
take-up has been within our safety limits.



Upcoming Programmes include;

Swimming lessons for children are commencing on

Tuesday April 5th from 6.45pm -7.30pm and
Saturday April 9th from 10am-10.45am, 10.45am-11.30am and 11.30am -12.15pm

Swimming lessons for adults commence

Tuesday April 5th from 8pm-9m and
Thursday April 7th from 11am -12pm and 12pm -1pm


All classes must be pre-booked and further information on cost and places
is available at reception on 5797.

Yoga classes are starting on Tuesday April 5th with a beginners class on
at 1pm-2pm. A further beginners class is available on Wednesday 6th April
form 7pm-8pm and beginners class module 2(for those who have completed a
previous course) is avilable form 1pm-2pm on Thursday April 14th. These
classes run for 8 weeks duration and information on costs and places is
available at reception on 5797.


The elite sports performance gym will be ready for use by athletes and teams
from Monday March 28th.

Finally our opening hours on St.Patricks Day, Good Friday, Easter Saturday,
Easter Sunday and Easter Monday will be 11AM -7PM each day.


Happy St.Patricks Day and I look forward to welcoming you to University
Sports Club in the coming weeks.


Ken Robinson
Chief Executive
DCU Sports

Ken, Staff, Students

To begin, as the Sports Club is now a commercial venture, I'd ask the
management not to use student mailing lists for advertisement. It's not
as if we're not aware the Club exists, we've been waiting for years.

Despite Ken's excellent skills in marketing the Sports Club, and despite
his attempts to pre-empt today's protest, the pricing structure for the
complex remains hostile to many students, particularly those who are
less well off.

A few points to note:

** 750 complaints on the Sports Club prices
** More student complaints than student members!
** Membership numbers broadly the same as the old facilities
** No price flexibility for the vast majority of students

What I'd ask students, and staff to do is to come to the foyer of the
Sports Club today to support all the students who can't afford to pay
membership fees on top of the many other costs associated with attending
DCU. I'd especially like to ask members to come along and support those
waiting to join.

To finish, The Students' Union has *never* seen a more concerted effort
to sideline student opinion, and I'd like to remind Ken that he is in no
way, shape or form a spokesperson for the students of this University.

3pm, DCU Sports Club, Bring your swimming gear and we'll make a splash
for the good of all students.

Paul May

And a reply sent about Operation Fish Finger to the post grad list:

I think my idea about operation brown trout was better,

save your number twos for the pool..

d@rk l0rd, you work for the gym don't you? €135 for 6 months is murder compared to €195 for 12 months - you realise that half of €195 is €97.50? That's 38% more expensive - some mark-up tbh...

d@rk l0rd

No, I don't work for the gym - really

I am aware that 135 is more than half of 190 but then again how many students will be around to use the facilities during the Summer? Really, they're just getting 9 months for their 190.

Compare their prices to some of the other gyms and I think it's pretty reasonable.

I did find the 135 a bit of a financial burden at the time but now it's more than paying for itself.

Perhaps they could introduce some sort of pricing system where a student could purchase a card which allows them to use the facilities 10 times whenever they want for something like 25 or 30euro. This might work for occasional gym users?

Amz

To be fair, if Dark Lord is just a general staff member then he has very little say in what prices are charged by the centre.

OFDM

d@rk l0rd wrote:

I am aware that 135 is more than half of 190 but then again how many students will be around to use the facilities during the Summer?

That's even worse - €135 for effectively 3 months by your argument.

d@rk l0rd wrote:

Perhaps they could introduce some sort of pricing system where a student could purchase a card which allows them to use the facilities 10 times whenever they want for something like 25 or 30euro. This might work for occasional gym users?

Now that's a good idea...

D

More pics of winters tbh. He's so sexah!

(that and i need a good pic of his head to paste onto this goats body)

d@rk l0rd

OFDM wrote:

That's even worse - €135 for effectively 3 months by your argument.



Now that's a good idea...

It works for me as I'm a postgrad and am there throughout the Summer months anyway. I probably wouldn't have bothered if I wasn't there during the Summer.