Seamus Heaney officially opened the McClay Library on Tuesday 6th July during a black tie ceremony attended by various dignitaries associated with Queen’s University. The new library has been named after late benefactor Sir Allen McClay, and has been described by Lady McClay as an appropriate way to remember Sir Allen. In December 2009, The Gown reported on QUB’s failure to notify Heaney that the library in his name was no longer open.
BY BEN FINCH
On 22nd June, QUB Vice Chancellor Peter Gregson provided a brief summary to Senate on the Russell Group submission to the Browne Review. However, Shane Brogan, Students’ Union President at the time, believes that the summary failed to adequately describe what their proposals would mean for students.
BY KERRI-ANNE CAMPBELL
The latest comedy from movie making machine Woody Allen has been quite well anticipated. Those of you familiar with the early Allen masterpieces will have mixed feelings about Whatever Works and needless to say, expectations are equally as uneasy. Set in New York, none other than Allen’s favourite filmic city, this typically dark and off-beat comedy centres on misanthrope Boris Yellnikoff. It is difficult to see how Allen’s claims that he no longer casts himself in his films are true, because in Boris there are all the elements of characters that Allen has previously played.
BY LAURA SHEARER
As students graduate from QUB this week, a dark cloud has emerged above them as The Guardian reported today that graduates will be up against an average of 70 other applicants for any job they go for. Not only will they be up against the class of 2010, but they will also face opposition from graduates of 2009 who are still seeking to land that dream job. This is all made even worse by the fact that vacancies are set to fall by 7%, with 78% of employers are insisting on a 2.1 degree.
BY EMMA GALLEN
Thirty years ago, Ozzy Osbourne made his debut on the world stage as a solo artist, having already achieved huge success as the vocalist of Black Sabbath. Most predicted he would fail, or die young due to his infamous lifestyle. Yet his 1980 effort, ‘Blizzard of Oz’, became widely regarded as one of the finest metal albums ever released. This sums up the path that Ozzy’s career has taken. Time after time, he has denied both musical critics and medical science, and now, at the age of 61, he releases ‘Scream’, his tenth studio album.
BY ANDREW SCOTT
As final year students at Queen’s prepare to graduate this summer, many are displeased with the expensive graduation fees. Students must pay £55 in order to graduate. This sum covers the cost of the student’s ticket, gown and hood. A diploma in nursing costs £60 due to the inclusion of the official nursing badge. Students who wish to graduate in absentia must pay £10. Graduates are also expected to pay a further £5 for their degree transcript.
BY KERRI-ANNE CAMPBELL
The Ulster Museum was named today as the winner of the £100,000 Art Fund Prize, despite coming second in the public vote to the Ashmolean Museum. Announcing the results on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Front Row’ programme, Kirsty Young, broadcaster and chair of the judging panel, said, “We were moved and invigorated by our visit to the Ulster Museum. Here is a museum that shows how much can be achieved, and one that is building a lasting legacy.” She also commented on how the museum was “embedded in the community… [but] is incredibly impressive in its own right.”
BY BEN FINCH