On Thursday evening campaigning begins properly for the most hotly contested election around, as twenty-one candidates attempt to become student officers of QUB Students’ Union. The political machinations of individuals aside, this is turning into an election where anything could happen, but, as usual it probably won’t. There are too many candidates to discuss in one post, so here’s a quick lay of the land.
BY PAUL SHANNON
Debates on sovereignty are nothing new to us here in Northern Ireland. Born in contentious circumstances, it has existed in a constant state of dispute, both political and violent, ever since. So used are we to the on-going arguments that they have almost become a backing track to everyday life: we can hear them, but are we really listening anymore?
BY COLIN WILLIAMSON Continue reading
Closer, Now, Reveal, More, Heat, Cosmopolitan: all popular women’s magazines that we see on the shelves of every newsagents and supermarket. From their attention-grabbing sensationalist headlines, to get fit quick, fad diet secrets and instructions on almost every issue on how to please your man, are these magazines of real sustenance with a worthwhile message, or just fodder for the masses?
BY JANETTE LOUGHLIN Continue reading
Old habits die hard here in Northern Ireland. Some of the more dangerous habits have been kicked, but deep rooted attitudes are proving a lot harder to shift.
BY COLIN WILLIAMSON Continue reading
Conducting a little experiment in the run-up to the MTV EMAs in Belfast, I asked five people if they were aware it was Belfast Music Week – not the greatest survey in the world, but the results may still be relevant nonetheless. Of the five, only one had actually heard of the event. The remaining four gave responses ranging from, “Well, that’s not very original,” to an enthusiastic, “Well, that’s good! Maybe some good bands will play.”
BY LEE BRADY Continue reading
Another fortnight, another chance to listen to Gary Spedding. This time it was at the Palestine Roundtable discussion. There were more people at it than Council, and different people at that, so was an audience that one could not resist.
BY THE HOOD
The last council showed how its members are either not aware of the protocol, or it demonstrated their total disregard for the rules. “Troops off Campus” are not everybody’s cup of tea, and their questions aim to shock and succeed at getting people’s backs up. Trying to discuss whether the Union is opposed to the British army and war is neither here nor there. The issue is that they weren’t given a fair chance to speak. Points of Order do not have to be accepted by the person speaking. Never was anyone allowed to say whether they could accept the Point of Order or not. After proposing a motion and the discussion, a summary is meant to be given, people should not need to shout from the back that they are allowed to speak again.
BY EMMA GALLEN Continue reading