Rag week

anncoates · 18-02-2014 07:02PM

Rag week seems appropriate given the amount of aul wans getting in their flowers about it.

renegademaster · 18-02-2014 07:07PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

This is why I never have any sympathy for student protests. Can't afford fees my arse.

i've been makign the point that not even 5% of these same students were out protesting against the fees but they'll never miss rag week

Inspector Coptoor · 18-02-2014 07:09PM

renegademaster wrote: »

i've been makign the point that not even 5% of these same students were out protesting against the fees but they'll never miss rag week

They've seen that no protests ever work in This country obviously.

Galwayguy35 · 18-02-2014 07:23PM

Lapin wrote: »

I wish it was RAG Week every week.

Lectures are a lot quieter with all the messers and yappers on the piss and there are less queues around the college in places like Smokies and An Bialainn.

Here's a pic of the queue to The Hole in the Wall pub taken at 10am this morning. Donegal Tuesday but there's always one gobshite in a Mayo jersey!

I don't see the harm in RAG Week myself. As long as no one gets hurt etc. there's nothing wrong with people having a good time.

You only live once fuggit.

Not the best time to go to McSwiggans so for a pint.

yawhat! · 18-02-2014 07:23PM

If you don't get a ride during Rag Week, you'll never get a ride!

The King of Moo · 18-02-2014 07:33PM

Rag Week was tolerable back when I was in college. Some charity stuff, and of course lots of mad drinking. Nothing wrong with that. But the atmosphere was different. It wasn't so childish. You'd go to a pub with your friends and get very drunk.
But there was no wearing Donegal jerseys, burning bins, lepping around Shop Street or other nonsense. There also wasn't the nasty atmosphere you can get now.
I'm not going to try to come up with a complex explanation for why there's this difference, but from spending most of the last 13 years either studying or teaching in NUIG, I can tell you that students are definitely more spoiled and infantile than we were, overall.
But I was never too fond of Rag Week. It always felt like forced spontaneity, boring people trying to have fun.

But in a lot of ways, Race Week is worse. At least those people don't have the excuse of being young students following the crowd, and there's the added pretension factor with w*nkstains in their suits and shades.

Fitz* · 18-02-2014 07:36PM

If I remember correctly, the last official NUIG RAG week raised the most money that year for charity from any college in Ireland. I could be wrong, but I was a student there then and remember seeing that we raised a crazy amount of money.

18-02-2014 07:36PM

The King of Moo wrote: »

But in a lot of ways, Race Week is worse.

Best week of the year in Ireland, never mind Galway. I'm counting down the days already.

snubbleste · 18-02-2014 07:37PM

Gmit rag & Nuig rag & the Novena all in the same week = fun times

c_man · 18-02-2014 07:38PM

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

We, in the students' Union at the time, ran alcohol free events & tried our best to raise money for charity, raising about €15k that week, an average contribution of €1 per student

I was in college at the time, isn't this to be expected when the University essentially made it clear that their grounds were not to be used for drinking etc. Everyone just moved up town naturally. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever did anything in college for all the Rag Weeks. Was anyone even in the college bar?!

The King of Moo · 18-02-2014 07:40PM

Trinity Cuddly Prison wrote: »

Best week of the year in Ireland, never mind Galway. I'm counting down the days already.

Pubs and streets too crowded (with too many obnoxious arseholes), absolutely mental traffic: I don't see the appeal myself.

Holsten · 18-02-2014 07:42PM

Wasn't it banned in NUIG last year or the year before?!

Galwayguy35 · 18-02-2014 07:47PM

I'd say the cop who was there was it a year or two ago when they were all shouting "WHO'S THE SEXY GARDA" will be making sure she isn't rostered to work this week at night.

WesternZulu · 18-02-2014 07:51PM

Lapin wrote: »

I wish it was RAG Week every week.

Lectures are a lot quieter with all the messers and yappers on the piss and there are less queues around the college in places like Smokies and An Bialainn.

Here's a pic of the queue to The Hole in the Wall pub taken at 10am this morning. Donegal Tuesday but there's always one gobshite in a Mayo jersey!

I don't see the harm in RAG Week myself. As long as no one gets hurt etc. there's nothing wrong with people having a good time.

You only live once fuggit.

Fair play to him, at least someone had a bit of sense amidst the madness.

Nemeses · 18-02-2014 07:52PM

Trinity Cuddly Prison wrote: »

I drank the head of myself for the rag weeks when I was an undergrad. A full week of all day beering, whats not to like?

The hangover afterwards..

hoodwinked · 18-02-2014 07:59PM

In Ucc as far as i know the term "RAG week" was also banned, instead you have to call it R&G week (raise and give week),and all the events (on campus at least) are non alcohol/ money raising funds or events,

one of the more popular ones is a zombie game physoc set up (where one infected person infects the campus person by person, with each infected person spreading it on, players wear a visible red/white band on their arm if they play so people with no interest don't get dragged into it) it was really interesting too to see how an 'infection' would spread so easily and quickly, i also heard today there was a 40ft slide for €1 a go, no alcohol needed, and it raises a significant amount of money for charity through these fun/humorous events.

of course there are those who use it as an excuse to skip class and get hammered, but they don't need just this week to do it, they have every excuse ready anyway, and i did notice one brand of alcohol giving a free glass with every 6pk sold this week only in an off-campus shop :rolleyes: so they are being targeted by companies to drink, but as far as official college events go, its mostly on campus fun with no alcohol, (they are trying to bring it back to the more pranking as opposed to drinking, have fun type week)

18-02-2014 08:02PM

The King of Moo wrote: »

Pubs and streets too crowded (with too many obnoxious arseholes), absolutely mental traffic: I don't see the appeal myself.

7 days of racing followed by drinking on the streets of Galway with an unbelievable atmosphere and unreal craic that you won't get anywhere else in the world.

You could offer me a free trip anywhere in the world and I'd refuse it if it clashed with race week.

Nemeses wrote: »

The hangover afterwards..

Start drinking first thing in the mornings, then you only have to deal with one hangover at the end of the week. That was our method anyway.

Cian92 · 18-02-2014 08:04PM

hoodwinked wrote: »

In Ucc as far as i know the term "RAG week" was also banned, instead you have to call it R&G week (raise and give week),and all the events (on campus at least) are non alcohol/ money raising funds or events,

one of the more popular ones is a zombie game physoc set up, or i heard today there was a 40ft slide for €1 a go, no alcohol needed, and it raises a significant amount of money for charity through these fun/humorous events.

of course there are those who use it as an excuse to skip class and get hammered, but they don't need just this week to do it, they have every excuse ready anyway, and i did notice one brand of alcohol giving a free glass with every 6pk sold this week only in an off-campus shop :rolleyes: so they are being targeted by companies to drink, but as far as official college events go, its mostly on campus fun with no alcohol, (they are trying to bring it back to the more pranking as opposed to drinking, have fun type week)

As a UCC student I can assure you it is not in anyway a non alcohol event on campus. There were queues to get into the 2 bars on college by half 3 yesterday!

Like it's a grand week really and doesn't cause too much hassle.

Also the term R&G is only ever used by the students union types, basically it's a way of justifying it. It's been a tradition for years and some of the stories my father has about RAG week in the late 70s seem much worse than what happens now.

The local businesses make a rake of money, the students get to do something that they want and the campus makes money from the pubs.

The Cool · 18-02-2014 08:06PM

To be fair a lot of the damage done is by visiting people who feel like they're on holiday, on the beer in a different place. Donegal Tuesday for example draws students from lots of different colleges and some who aren't even students, but come down for the "wile craic". I'm from Donegal myself but have never attended Donegal Tuesday. That's not anti-RAG snobbery - it's just that there are ALWAYS mid-semester assignments and tests on around then. For example I spent my last RAG week stuck in the library doing 8am-11pm days writing a French essay and crying out the window. So, lots of people who are actually students in the colleges don't have a free reign to go mental all week.

As for the "can't afford fees, me arse" argument: I was one of the poorer students, survived solely on grants, etc. When I did RAG week in 1st and 2nd year, we cut down on the nights out before and after RAG week, did the nights on the cheap etc so that we could afford a bottle or two of Dunnes brand spirits. I won't lie, I had my messy times and all that as you're obviously going to do when you're 18 and 19 - but it wasn't that I had unlimited funds to throw on Jaeger bombs all through the semester.

I can tell you now that Race Week is just as bad - the city is disgusting the morning after Ladies Day in particular. It just doesn't get the same complaining done about it because Race Week is all adults with actual salaries to blow so it brings massive revenue to the city.

Inspector Coptoor · 18-02-2014 08:10PM

"Ladies Day" my arse.
€30 in to see the racing & the €2 tote "ladies"/Oompa Loompas would make you sick with the stench of fake tan off them

hoodwinked · 18-02-2014 08:12PM

Cian92 wrote: »

As a UCC student I can assure you it is not in anyway a non alcohol event on campus. There were queues to get into the 2 bars on college by half 3 yesterday!

well having 2 bars on campus generally means they'll be the first stop for those i mentioned in this paragraph: (and that they'll use R&G week to drag some on the line friends along with them hence bigger queues...)

hoodwinked wrote: »

of course there are those who use it as an excuse to skip class and get hammered, but they don't need just this week to do it, they have every excuse ready anyway, and i did notice one brand of alcohol giving a free glass with every 6pk sold this week only in an off-campus shop :rolleyes: so they are being targeted by companies to drink, but as far as official college events go, its mostly on campus fun with no alcohol, (they are trying to bring it back to the more pranking as opposed to drinking, have fun type week)

thats why i said mostly....

Cian92 wrote: »

Also the term R&G is only ever used by the students union types, basically it's a way of justifying it. It's been a tradition for years and some of the stories my father has about RAG week in the late 70s seem much worse than what happens now.

the reason you hear it from the Student union types is because they HAVE to tow the official line of the university, which is "R&G week NOT rag week". they are the ones organising the alcohol free events for the most part, or encouraging the clubs and societies to do the same. they cannot however tell students what to do aka "No alcohol" but they are trying to influence them in the right direction by offering alternatives to the pub.

luckily for us we are off campus away from most of the events (except the zombies), so we benefit from quieter classes, quieter labs (so we got more productive 1 on 1 time today) and no queuing for the facilities

Finance Siobhan · 18-02-2014 08:12PM

Dermighty wrote: »

Also it's R&G week, not RAG week with R&G meaning raise and give week

Always thought it stood for Raise A Grand.

Never partook myself, my college didn't have it.

Finance Siobhan · 18-02-2014 08:37PM

Trinity Cuddly Prison wrote: »

A full week of all day beering, whats not to like?

My idea of hell, right here. ^^^^^

yawhat! · 18-02-2014 08:51PM

Finance Siobhan wrote: »

My idea of hell, right here. ^^^^^

Do you work in finance siobhan?

Whats 1352*53435?

Finance Siobhan · 18-02-2014 08:56PM

yawhat! wrote: »

Do you work in finance siobhan?

Whats 1352*53435?

I'm utterly chastened by the razor sharp wit!

Nemeses · 18-02-2014 09:06PM

Trinity Cuddly Prison wrote: »

Start drinking first thing in the mornings, then you only have to deal with one hangover at the end of the week. That was our method anyway.

That will be one painful experience on sober day.

18-02-2014 09:10PM

Finance Siobhan wrote: »

My idea of hell, right here. ^^^^^

My idea of a great week!

GenieOz · 18-02-2014 09:21PM

Finance Siobhan wrote: »

My idea of hell, right here. ^^^^^

Then don't do it?

zl1whqvjs75cdy · 18-02-2014 09:29PM

Maynooth seems to be the only college that managed to murder rag week. In my undergraduate years it was great Craic altogether. Now it's ****ing ****e. The su should be ashamed of themselves. They so nothing to justify their positions.

Specialun · 18-02-2014 09:36PM

If you ban rag week then whos going to roide the horney freshers

Rag week

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