The School of English has caused panic among students by stating that bibliographies should be included in the word-counts of essays. This guidance was given via email on January 6, just three days before a deadline.  This information is not contained in the rubric of essay questions. One second year student said: “The school has failed its students utterly.”

BY BEN FINCH AND ROMANO MULLIN

Following an outcry from students, a second email was sent on January 9 which states: “Students will NOT be penalised should their essays be over length on account of the bibliography.”

Prior to the first email, students received conflicting advice about whether bibliographies were to be included in word-counts.  The general consensus was that bibliographies were not included.  Some students’ bibliographies now took up a quarter of their essay, requiring a substantial portion to be cut in order to make their argument.

The email, dated January 6, reads: “As stated in the School’s assessment policy: ‘each assessment will have a specified word length which is intended to include all the components of the assessment: main text, notes, bibliography etc.’” It has not been possible to verify this policy.

The guidelines attached to questions say: “For further details, please refer to the document entitled ‘Guidelines for Submission and Presentation of Summative Work’ also available on Queen’s Online Website (QOL).”  It is assumed this document contains the statement quoted.  It is not available on QOL, the School of English website, the Queen’s website or Google.  There are no results for ‘QUB School of English assessment and feedback policy’.

The last document found which includes bibliographies in the word-count is the 2008/09 Stage One Handbook.  This says: “It should not exceed 2000 words in length including bibliography.”  Other than repeating students, undergraduates in the School have only been studying since 2009/10.

It also appears the School expected SSCC Representatives to provide students with this information regarding the inclusion of bibliographies.

The student said: “It seems the school wants to blame students for [the school’s] incompetence, judging by the tone of the first email. Philip [McGowan, School of English Examinations Liaison Officer] commented [on FaceBook] that reps should have told students about the changes. Firstly, it’s unclear if they were actually changed and secondly, it is not the job of the rep to communicate policy changes, but rather to voice what students want to say to staff.

“The main problem is that the school didn’t state clearly whether or not a bibliography counted as part of an essay word count. It seems to contradict the general academic encouragement to read widely.

“In my most recent essays my bibliography ran to 500 words, which could be so valuable in expanding an argument. The temptation will be to limit reading so that an argument could be expanded. However, without wide reading, surely an argument will suffer. I can’t believe the school waited until the day of the deadlines to clarify their position on this. It’s a total disgrace.”

Another said: “To be honest, I think our tutors and lecturers weren’t aware of all the rules and that’s why we’ve been told different things by different people. It seems to encourage using a smaller bibliography and, obviously, the less sources you’re citing the more limited your points are going to be, or you’ll get done for plagiarism because you haven’t put in all your articles. It’s ridiculous.

“I know people who have made themselves sick over it. If you’re going to impose a new rule, or an old one no-one knew about, tell us before one of the most stressful periods of the year.”

A third year student agreed, saying: “I first found out about this new, and quite frankly, ridiculous rule amidst a general discussion about bibliographies on FaceBook. All of us had received conflicting information from our tutors but most assured us, after we enquired, was that bibliographies did not and never have been included in the word-count.

“However, as a couple of tutors had advocated that they should be, a few of my peers decided they would email Philip McGowan and their individual subject tutors, to receive clarification. Of course, Philip replied, quoting from the school’s new assessment policy, and confirmed that this new rule had come in to effect and it was mandatory that we now include our bibliographies in the word-count. This conflicted with many of the tutors’ responses. Some even quite forcefully asserted this rule did not exist. From that, I can only speculate that this new information wasn’t disseminated across the school and tutors were just as ignorant to it all.

“Basically, I think this whole debacle reflects poorly on the School of English. There is obviously a lack of communication within the staff and they are highly disorganised. Much unnecessary stress and worry was caused and, if I speak on behalf of my peers, I think all of us are still trying to catch up from those two days which were spent re-reading essay guidelines, emailing tutors and getting distressed over an issue imposed on us by the people who are supposed to help.”

Nuala McAdams, VP Education, said: “This issue has been brought to my attention and after speaking with the School of English I can confirm that for this examination period (January 2012) students will not be penalised for not including the bibliography in the word count. The School’s policy is that bibliographies will be counted in the word limit. Due to this information not reaching all students within an appropriate timeframe, the School have made an exception for the January examination period. Following this, the bibliography will be counted in the word limit. The School have also contacted all students informing them of this.”

Dr McGowan said: “The School realises this is an issue of concern for all of its students, has emailed all students to reassure them that there will be NO penalisation on account of over length due to bibliographies in this assessment period and is grateful to The Gown for helping clarify this situation.”

Dr McGowan was unable to comment on how information regarding the inclusion of bibliographies in the word-count was not provided to students as this was discovered after office hours.

None of the students quoted in this article wished to be named because of any possible effect there may be on the quality of teaching received in the future.

2011 can be considered a good year in film, if you take a view that makes a few glaring omissions. While Hollywood stumbles on with its incessant remakes, reboots, re-imaginings, sequels, prequels, threequels and adaptations vibrant and vital filmmaking continues to come from other avenues.

BY MATTHEW MCKERNAN

While the extremely successful Harry Potter franchise ended in July and November saw the beginning of the end of The Twilight Saga, Hollywood looks like it might be losing its key tent pole films. Though a brief scan of the film’s due for a 2012 release makes it clear that the blockbuster format has not yet been exhausted.

Yet there was some indication of blockbuster fatigue in the UK box office. Palme D’Or winner The Tree of Life managed to hold a place in the Top 10 for three weeks, despite competition from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Being a rather difficult art film and certainly a hard sell, despite the presence of Brad Pitt, the film’s success at the box office was telling.

Similarly, The Guard did good business, retaining a place in the UK box office for five weeks despite only being released in Northern Ireland. A hit domestically, the film also travelled well with good reviews across the UK and the US. A good sign for a domestic Irish cinema and proof that there is an international market for homegrown cinema.

2011 saw yet another comeback for Woody Allen with Midnight in Paris. Neither the critics nor the box office takings have been kind to Woody Allen recently, despite his work being of a fairly consistent quality since the Seventies. Midnight in Paris has proven to be a success with the critics and became Woody Allen’s high-grossing film so far.

It was an interesting year in censorship. Following on from last year’s Last House on the Left remake, this year saw the release of yet another remake of a Video Nasty. This time it was I Spit On Your Grave. For those who don’t know, the Video Nasties were a collection of 60 horror and thriller films banned seemingly at random by the BBFC due to pressure from an outraged tabloid press. While the original I Spit On Your Grave was banned outright, the remake was passed with cuts made, while the similar Straw Dogs remake was passed uncut. On top of this, the notorious Cannibal Holocaust was given a wide DVD re-release with many of the cut sequences reinstated. It seemed as if censorship guidelines had slipped until the arrival of The Human Centipede II: Full Sequence, which was banned outright by the BBFC. It was eventually released cut by two and a half minutes. This banning was a controversial reminder that films still can go too far.

Sadly, 2011 also saw the deaths of many significant people from the older generations of cinema. Amongst them were Elizabeth Taylor, Edward Hardwicke, Ken Russell, Sidney Lumet, Anna Massey, Peter Falk, John Neville, Michael Gough, Jane Russell, Maria Schneider, John Barry, Susannah York, Peter Yates and Pete Postlewaith.

Dan Gordon wrote and starred in The Boat Factory, a moving play about workers in the shipyards in East Belfast. Michael Condron delivered a fantastic array of accents, and the chemistry between the two actors was fizzing. A play  starring only two people can get slightly dull and drag, but The Boat Factory was fast-paced, funny, and left you knowing an awful lot more about Belfast’s history.

BY EMMA GALLEN

The play was part of Belfast Festival and has been promoted by the Ulster Scots Agency.

This is perhaps why it was allowed to be performed in The Barnett Room in Belfast Harbour Office. The building itself was worth going to see; it was like a mini-museum with all the paintings and statues, and as it is usually closed to the public, it made the ticket price seem even smaller.

The play started as a way of educating Key Stage Two primary school children, but this isn’t a child’s play. With complicated relationships and the examples of corruption throughout the shipyard, the play has been reworked for an adult audience.

Gordon’s character is based on his father and this really adds to the emotional drama of the play. When he tells anecdotes of what it was like for his dad, there is genuine warmth and affection shown, and more than one tissue was needed.

It’s that time of year again; the Christmas decorations go up and the Continental market comes to Belfast. It’s one of the many examples of German-themed Christmas markets that are replicated all over the UK, but how authentic is it, and why are we are we so obsessed with the old-style version of Christmas?

BY KATHLEEN PEDERSEN

As we all know the market consists of many exotic stalls that sell everything from Native American themed dream catchers, to kangaroo burgers. With such a wide variety of items on sale, you might start to wonder if this is just another form of commercialism attached to the festive season.

Genuine “authentic” German Christmas market in places such as Cologne are actually pretty similar to the version we have right here in Belfast; the combination of a distinctive merry theme, complete with over-priced goods.

However, it is clear how the Belfast market has been adapted to suit Irish tastes. In Germany the only alcoholic beverage they traditionally sell at the markets is glühwein (mulled wine), whereas in Belfast the main attraction appears to be the huge beer tent.

With each successive year the variety of goods expand to yet another far-flung country, perhaps why this market is described as “Continental” and not German. Nevertheless the emergence of these markets all over the UK has had positive effect for the German tourist board, as after people have had a taste for a traditional Christmas they flock to cities such as Frankfurt and Aachen.

The fact that a German Christmas is supposed to be much more traditional than we experience in Britain and Ireland has perhaps been exploited in order for us to simply spend even more money during Christmas. Some families are so desperate to make their Christmas less commercialised that they are willing to fork out more money on the German ideal. Should we not just be content with our own traditions even if they have become modernised and the focus has been moved away from religion? Whether this is actually the case, it cannot be denied that the Continental market is a good Christmassy day out, even if you can’t afford to buy anything there other than an over-priced pint of beer and a crêpe.

The Red Hot Chilli Peppers scorched the O2 Arena with a fiery set-list that included a few tunes off their new album, I’m With You, as well as some old school favourites. On  4 November, Dublin was treated to a top-notch performance from Anthony Keidis, Flea, Chad Smith and new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who were opened by up-and-coming Californian collective Fool’s Gold. As an opening act they delivered a strong performance of neo-African-rhythmic-pop-rock that left the crowd grooving and ready for seduction from Flea’s funkilicious bass. 

BY MATTHEW GILLEN

The arena dimmed and then exploded into an array of coloured lights as the Chilli’s unleashed new tune ‘Monarchy of Roses’. 14,500 people jumped and cheered at such an adrenaline pumping start, which seamlessly transitioned into ‘Dani California’. To pinpoint a single definitive moment of the night wouldn’t do justice to the concert or the band. There were so many highlights ranging from the music, the audience and the venue itself. The visual displays were stunning as the light show moved in perfect sync with the tempo and tone of the songs. This was accompanied by an impressive wall of rotating screens broadcasting an entertaining montage of the band playing, the crowd, pre-recorded clips and mugshots of fans.

The Chilli’s followed a new/old formula including; ‘Look Around’/ ‘Scar Tissue’ and ‘Factory of Faith’/ ‘Under the Bridge’. Towards the end of the night the newer songs became rarer as they belted out classics such as ‘Californication’ and ‘By the Way’. During a short break for Anthony’s vocal cords, Chad began a thumping drum solo with Flea and Klinghoffer gradually joining in to do an instrumental cover of U2’s ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’.  It was pleasing to see such great chemistry between the band members, including Klinghoffer who is evidently warming up nicely to his new friends, as he comfortably stood facing Flea while they jammed with one another.

Much to everyone’s delight, the set ended with ‘Give It Away’. It’s safe to say that this gig wasn’t just a ploy to promote new material. It was a genuinely entertaining night and as the lights illuminated the arena, the band walked off stage, while Chad, wearing the Tricolour, threw his drumsticks into the audience.

It has become hackneyed to point out that MTV (which stands for ‘Music Television’, in case you weren’t aware) no longer plays music videos. And it’s a justified cliché too, one that makes up the bulk of why MTV has apparently lost its relevancy, but sadly it appears the company’s greatest crime is the inability to live up to its legacy.

BY LEE BRADY

MTV was first aired in 1981 and became an almost-instant success in the USA. The innovation of a channel devoted to music and the public introduction to the music video, brought great support from both viewers and the music industry alike. Its introduction to the world acted as a booster pack for what was a three-year decline of sales within the music industry. Music videos let people connect with their music in a far more accessible form than going to see a concert. This wide appeal brought record sales through the roof, which in turn allowed record companies to invest in more musicians and so expand the industry’s appeal. By 1984, MTV was on top of the world.

Today, MTV is a mixed bag. It still benefits the music industry. Their award ceremonies often celebrate the biggest vogue acts and encourage the masses to support music as a whole. Their removal of music in order to show more profitable reality shows is as corporate as it is embarrassing. Forgoing their old image and attitudes, reality shows such as Jersey Shore and A Day in the Life of [Insert Little Known Attractive D-List Celebrity], as well as semi-reality shows like Plain Jane, in which they take girls who are supposedly middling-attractive, tell them they’re unattractive and process them so they can impress a stereotypical American boy. MTV stands tall as it delivers the message: integrity does not a dollar make.

The sad truth seems to suggest exactly that. MTV still rake in huge sums of money every year through advertising and show-coverage, while the music industry suffers blow after blow. The internet came and stole MTV’s stick by offering more accessible music, and rather than rise to the occasion, they backed out and kept as much money as they could. It seems like a shame too because if anything was to bring music back to people and help the industry evolve out of its current rut, there’s no doubt MTV would have the best shot at it.

BY SHANE MELAUGH

Striking out on your own and managing your own expenses is a difficult task that everyone has to deal with, and at university you’re getting your first taste of life without your family to fall back on. By the end of October, you’re all patting yourselves on the back and congratulating each other on a well-made curry, finally learning how that strange white contraption in the corner people call a washing machine works. Yet, you will soon be feeling the strain on your wallet due to the oversight many of us make when we first strike out on our own: the energy bill.

We’ve all experienced that horrifying moment when we realise that tomorrow we might not have power or fuel to heat a shower because it’s our housemate’s turn to pay their share. And with this year seeing rocketing electricity costs, leaving many households spending an extra £90 on electricity alone, and the volatile pricing in oil and gas fluctuating more than Kim Kardashian’s marital status, it’s time we took charge of our energy usage and ensure we’re warm this winter.

Ensure that your radiators are bled properly, if you don’t know how to do it you can ask a friend or your landlord to help. Airlocked radiators waste energy and never heat a house properly, so why pay for heat you aren’t getting?

The timer for your heater should be your  new best friend. You know what its like to get out of bed in the morning, your room is freezing, so you run down stairs turn the heating on and prepare for class. By the time the house has warmed up you’re about to walk out the door and no-one gets the benefit of the heat. The best thing to do is use the heating timer and set it for about half an hour before you wake up. The downside is you might find it harder to get up and go to a crowded lecture hall when the other option is to stay in a nice warm bed.

Why work in your house and waste all that precious energy when you could go to the library? Make use of the free internet, array of helpful books and it’s always heated – sorted. Always charge your phone in the library.

A good way to ensure that you have your housemates involved is to have regular house meetings well in advance of the bills coming out and ensure money is paid upfront and in full. This works best if someone is placed in charge to keep on top of management.  And if all else fails, steal your neighbours’ internet and live in the library.

Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board contributed £870,000 to bring the EMAs to Belfast on 5 November. An event like this has a lot of power behind it and with 1.2 billion viewers tuning in all over the world, all eyes were on Belfast.

BY PRIYA BIRING

Benefits to the economy and tourism were a given. The award show accounted for more than 8,000 hotel room nights at forty hotels providing accommodation for crew, artists and VIP guests – a much needed boost for the struggling sector. More than ninety local businesses got work from the awards show, more local suppliers than have worked on any other EMA event. As well as recruiting all of its show runners and backstage coordinators from Belfast, the EMAs worked with businesses, ranging from internet and ISDN providers, photocopier hire companies, taxi and chauffeur businesses, production managers, event staff, security, catering, audio visual, venue branding, food concessions, furniture, riggers, restaurant and fencing companies.

Estimates suggest that the EMAs bring in around £10 million for the host city, directly and indirectly, and there is a lot of competition to stage the annual showbiz bash.

Lord Mayor, Councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile, said to expect announcements of major events coming to the city in the weeks ahead. He stated: “MTV are already coming back next year for a major concert on the slipways near to the iconic new Titanic Belfast building and they said to me they want to maintain the links with Belfast and build on the success of the past few days – it was their most successful EMAs ever.”

With Belfast attracting attention from international filmmakers and our own home-grown talent getting attention from overseas, Belfast is turning into a hub of arts and culture.  Then next year, we have the opening of Titanic Belfast and the accompanying series of major events throughout 2012, including the Olympic flame coming to Belfast on the 3rd and 6th June – the only city it will visit twice outside of London.

The people of Belfast are pushing their city toward being an advancing and developing place that has a stake in Europe and the world. Belfast has used the EMAs as a stage to showcase their capabilities.  We have seized the opportunity and can now bask in the success and glory of our achievement, in our city.

The MTV EMAs were incredible. Whether you liked the music, layout or even the show itself, it’s obvious there was a lot of effort to make Belfast look as great as possible.  But what would the average tourist be met with, stumbling into some bar offering live music? Well, if it’s anything like the music  heard at Belfast Calling, there would be no doubt that they would be blown away.

BY LEE BRADY 

The night before the EMAs, The Limelight Complex opened their doors and hosted Belfast Calling, a showcase of Northern Irish talent. With over thirty bands crammed into the night over the three interlinked bars, one would expect disaster with timing. Luckily, each bar had multiple stages that allowed one band to set up while another continued playing. Once their time was up, the band on the other stage would start playing and the audience’s attention would simply be grabbed again. Not once did this seem tiring or chore-like.  So, if there was any one performer who didn’t suit your tastes, you could move along.

Each act represented the very best of what we had to offer. A big task, with the impending EMAs, but the diversity and talent of each performance made a big impression. A renewed sense of passion was felt for our own music scene, rekindled by acts such as Intermission, Colly Springs, Ram’s Pocket Radio, Katie & The Carnival and Aaron Shanley to name a few. From acoustic solo artists, to rock bands, to metal bands, to upbeat folk and pop, there was something for everyone. The talent on offer was exceptional.

Overall, it was an inspiring night for our music scene. Here’s hoping for a repeat.

BY BEN FINCH

The event was considered a “success” by the team, even after some set backs.  Derek Crosby, Raggie, said: “It was a success. We raised a couple of hundred pounds despite an annoying move at the last minute.”

According toCrosbythe party saw “all sorts of arsing about” including a number of drinking challenges, one of which included attempting to down a pint of vodka jelly.

The amount raised has not yet been counted.

When you look back on your childhood and early adolescence, there’s a big chance that many of your brightest memories will contain the hypnotic tinge of the television set. Most of us will remember those Saturday mornings, sneaking downstairs before everyone else, to sample a dose of Live and Kicking, SM:TV Live or Den TV. Even now we can’t shake off the influence of Dustin the Turkey or the Animaniacs, as someone on those nights out takes it upon themselves to be the comedian extraordinaire, playing their well-worn repertoire of impersonations and recycled jokes garnered from the shows that made them giggle all those years ago.

BY ROMANO MULLIN

But what about the assortment of television shows available for today’s hordes of youngsters? According to a recent report by Ofcom, it may be a bit redundant for anxious parents to censor their children’s viewing habits. Apparently, most young teenagers would rather lose their television than their mobile phone. Many in the group surveyed said they would prefer watching their favourite shows on iPlayer or YouTube instead of when they are broadcast – when they’re clearly busy texting on the latest smart phone anyway.

But the truth is that the quality of home-grown children’s television is improving. Most students know this because we spend a large chunk of our hangovers listlessly wasting away in front of Horrible Histories or Peppa Pig. The addictive Horrible Histories won a British Comedy Award and has now made the transition to ‘grown up’ TV, with narration by Stephen Fry: a seal of approval if ever there was one. And if you haven’t caught Young Dracula, you’ve now got the chance to see the newly commissioned third series of Vlad and his wacky breather friends.

However, for the youngest viewers, things are a tad crazier. Most of us will recall Rosie and Jim, Postman Pat and if we’re not too ashamed to admit we watched it at the ripe old age of eight or nine, the Teletubbies. It was probably the Teletubbies that spawned a generation of exasperating, mind-numbingly weird shows that are required by some arcane televisual law to be brightly coloured, and unable to speak coherent English. Or any other language, for that matter.

Those who’ve spent their time babysitting will know the seventh circle of hell that is Waybuloo or In The Night Garden. The Morbegs may have seemed wacky, but at least they didn’t look like products of a bad acid trip.

In fairness, the Waybuloos are pretty laid back creatures, spending their days singing harmless ditties and doing exercises known as “yogo”, which parents are encouraged to emulate with their children. If nothing else, a few episodes will tire the little devils out and give frazzled parents an hour or two of peace and quiet.

In this complex age of digital innovation and singing Hannah Montana lunchboxes, it’s only natural for the nineties kids among us to wish for a simpler time. Boxsets of Sooty and Sweep are readily available for those clinging to their youth in these times of pending adulthood.

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

For the uninformed, the week starting 30 October marked the beginning of Belfast Music Week,  which coincided with the impending MTV award ceremony. There was a series of gigs, which showcased Northern Ireland’s home-grown talent.  Brochures and schedules were posted all over the city, banners were hung, posters were placed; and yet, apparently, only one in five had heard of the event – if we are to take a straw poll as fact.

This raises a question: were the gigs not publicised enough? Perhaps greater effort was required on behalf of radio and television? Cool FM, the official EMA radio station, only occasionally admitted to the existence of the event, preferring to draw more attention towards the already all-consuming EMAs. According to the press release, over 170 events occurred during the week, so more attention could have been raised. Perhaps there just isn’t any great appeal in the Belfast music scene these days except among a dedicated few.

Belfast Music Week did not receive the recognition it deserved. If Belfast is to re-establish itself as a significant musical landmark, attention to music will need to evolve beyond a single week and remain a consistent part of what makes Belfast a great place to see.

Standing at 37.5 metres high and 30 metres wide, ‘RISE’ is the largest public artwork piece ever commissioned in Northern Ireland. Construction was completed in September 2011 and the mega-structure can be found on the Broadway Roundabout.

BY MATT GILLEN

Nottingham-based artist, Wolfgang Buttress, created the winning design for an international competition that provided more than forty artists with the chance to build a social space artwork in Belfast. Its two geodesic spheres represent the rising of the sun and new hope for Belfast’s future.  The structural supports are fashioned in the shape of reeds, reflecting the area’s natural heritage of the neighbouring Bog Meadows. It symbolises the heralding of a new dawn for Belfast, all the while jettisoning its troubled history in favour of a brighter future.

Despite the good intentions, the piece has been subject to divided public opinion. Some view the art as a great addition to the city’s culture and tourist attractions, others believe it to be a waste of money. In total the structure cost £486,000 to build, which was provided by three parties. The bulk of the money, £330,000, was donated from Department for Social Development, £100,000 from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and £56,000 from Belfast City Council.

Residents of the Falls area have claimed that the money could have been better invested, particularly in housing regeneration. Belfast City Council have countered this by stating that the project has helped to sustain 140 jobs and 85 per cent of the budget has been spent in Northern Ireland on materials for the galvanised wires, which were from local steel company M. Hasson and Sons Ltd. in Rasharkin . They have also stated that if it weren’t for ‘RISE’, the £100,000 from the Arts Council would have been lost, as that money could only have been invested in art and nothing else.

Belfast City Council states that: “It aims to help revitalise Belfast, bringing a new focus to the area and projecting a vibrant, confident image of the city.” In other words: more tourism, more money and hopefully a better economic future for Belfast.  As much as we all wish for the benefit of our city, the outcome of this aim is questionable. It only takes a shift of the eye to recognise that Belfast is already a culturally, religiously and ethnically diverse city and that our tourist levels are stable.

The addition of this new piece may, in the end, have an opposite effect of its intentions. It has already been dubbed ‘The Balls on the Falls’ and ‘The Westicles’. Though the witty puns in these nicknames can be appreciated, as ambassadors of our city do we wish to be known in foreign countries for such humour?

This is especially the case in such a time of financial crisis, in that Belfast needs to take a road in a profitable direction if it ever wishes to reach the new dawn that it desires. Sensible financial investment in the city is required, especially when it comes from tax payers’ money, many of whom have noticed the shiny new streetlights being erected right beside the perfectly functioning old ones, which haven’t been removed for that matter.

If there is a single fault that can be defined with ‘RISE’, then it is certainly its design. Social art provides a fantastic face lift for any city, but the piece itself seems to fall short of its potential.  Instead of complementing the city, it seems to overwhelmingly dominate our relatively open skyline. Perhaps a tall, subtle and less robust design would have made the perfect landmark.

Portstewart three piece, Axis Of were described in 2010 by ‘Rock Sound Magazine’ as being “the most exciting band to come out of Northern Ireland, possibly ever.”  No wonder the Speakeasy was rammed with raucous, die-hard fans before they played.

BY PRIYA BIRING

When the band first formed in 2008 their sound and brand of music was very different to their current style.  Axis Of were very fast and punky, writing songs about the environment. Their first album, The Echo Conspiracy, was down tempo, even sludgy in places. Ewen Friers, bass and vocals, stated that their influences and song writing techniques had changed vastly. The genre of music they listen to had also changed, they are inspired by different bands now, ranging from the heavy metal thrashes of Mastodon to the indie rock of Fang Island. They are no longer just influenced by sludgy modes of music; in some sense they have evolved to embrace a whole host of bands.

With a different taste in music comes a new style of song writing. With old influences including the unique lyrics from bands such as The Locust: “get off the cross we need the wood”; new versions of song writing have become simpler. Friers said: “We work from the ground up. We try to incorporate simplicities with a really heavy guitar underneath them.”

Although Axis Of weren’t nominated for a Northern Irish Music Award (NIMA) they were not in the least bit disillusioned or scathed by the choice. Supporting a lot of bands from Northern Ireland, including some at the NIMAs, they stated that LaFaro, Visceral Attack, Gascan Ruckus, The Hornets, And So I Watch You From Afar and Team Fresh were all great bands that they supported and enjoyed listening to. Axis Of even said that bands that have become internationally famous, such as Two Door Cinema Club and General Fiasco, were beacons of success to enjoy and encourage. In fact they insisted that there was no-one they did not support on the Northern Irish music scene.

Axis Of have had great touring success. Unconventionally, they claimed their favourite place to gig was in the Alps. “The people were just great,” said Friers. “It’s such a beautiful setting, it was inspiring.” Of course, they still found the North Coast and the South to be some of the most rewarding places to gig. Rock Sound Magazine were not wrong about this band, they are definitely a force to be reckoned with.

BY EMMA GALLEN

The event due to be held on 29 November received a number of emails from students involved in the Belfast Feminism Network, accusing the Business Club of sexism.

The cancellation was not the first course of action taken, the Business Club initially decided to change the name to “CEO’s and Secretaries”, but this still caused offense and more complaints were issued.

James McKevitt, Event Organiser for the Business Club, said: “To date no student or non-student has made any contact with the Business Club or myself outlining any contention they may have had with the event or event title. Had they done so, I am sure we would have acted just as swiftly with the Students’ Union ‘Best Practice’ in such incidences.

“Also, as the Event Organiser I was continuously discussing event theme and event titles with numerous students from across the student body, and at no time was there any indication of contention in ration to the event title. Had we been aware, the Business Club and I would have never used the title of numerous popular university and college parties knowing it might offend any student, particularly as one of the core goals of the Clubs & Societies Fundraising Event was to bring together all of Queen’s students.”

Treasa Harkin, VP Equality said of the issue: “When the planned staging of an event entitled “CEO’s and Ho’s” was brought to my attention, I took immediate action to resolve the situation.  As an inclusive Students Union that promotes Equality and has been recognised for this on a national level, such a proposed title was not acceptable and was contrary to our Equality and Diversity Policy.

“I spoke to the Business Club who immediately realised their misjudgement – the event committee swiftly moved to prevent any further offence.  It was the sole decision of the Business Club to cancel the event and I commend them for such a mature and immediate response.

The Students Union now views this matter as resolved and therefore closed.”

Sarah Wright, President of Polysoc, asked at Student Council on 21 November why the Students’ Union had approved the event. She said that her experience with booking an event in Mandela Hall involved getting the theme approved by a board which included Sabbaticals.  Treasa Harkin has said otherwise: “As it stands, there is no formal approval process for those Clubs and Societies that wish to stage events – this situation will be reviewed in due course.”

BY EMMA GALLEN

A PSNI report from June 2011 says that in the last year 525 rapes were reported, over ten a week.

The website rightsni.org quoted a survey taken by Amnesty International in 2008 that said 46 per cent of students thought that women who had been raped was partially or totally to blame if she had been acting flirtatiously.

VP Welfare Adam McGibbon said on the matter: “I hope that we’ve moved on since then, but they are appalling statistics. Since those statistics came out we’ve worked with NUS-USI, Belfast City Council, and Amnesty International on ‘Get Home Safe’ campaigns.

“While we obviously work to disseminate campus safety measures the whole year round (Cab Now Pay Later, provision of free personal alarms, etc), it must be clear that the no blame for any incidents rests with the victim. We’ve worked with the PSNI on a campaign targeting the attitudes that lead to sexual assault – the campaign emphasises that sex without consent is a crime, that rape convictions last forever, and to take no for an answer, etc.”

VP Equality and Diversity, Treasa Harkin said: “The fact that such an inexcusable attitude still exists, especially from Students, is not only worrying but dangerous and upsets justice at its very core. Such an attitude needs to be tackled and addressed.  However, we as a Students’ Union can only do so much, it is a pressing wider societal issue which needs addressed by both judiciary and government.”

BY EMMA GALLEN

A member of the University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) made it an official society as the same time as members of the “Troops off Campus” campaign failed to pass a motion requiring the Students’ Union to say they were opposed to British Army recruitment at Queen’s.

The “Troops off Campus” motion was quickly forced to a vote using technicalities, stopping any debate.

The UOTC society was passed with ease, but Cllr Fionntán Hargey was met with disdain from council when he asked: “Do you support the murder committed by the British Government?”

The campaign’s motion to get the SU to openly oppose the British Army appeared to irritate other members of council. Cllr Niall Bole, last year’s VP Clubs and Societies, asked that proceedings were moved along because the society had already been approved earlier in the evening.

The approach of council to Cllr Hargey’s motion was later questioned by Jason O’Neill, SU President. He said: “I would like to have seen the matter being debated properly, I was disappointed in some members’ attitude.”

Speaking for the motion, Cllr Claire Heaney said: “This would be a very public demonstration in support of peace.  The British Army are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians, for extraordinary renditions.

“The UOTC are deliberately duplicitous, they claim they’re not a recruiting organisation.”

Speaking against the motion, Cllr Bole compared the UOTC to “Scouts that play with guns.”

BY EMMA GALLENRules are there for a reason, and in council this is so everybody gets the chance to speak, regardless of whether it is viewed as redundant by most the people there. Council attendance was poor enough at the last meeting, so everything should be done to encourage people to attend and to speak. What someone says may be repetitive, but unfortunately that’s how most meetings are. And although a lot of what was said by “Troops off Campus” campaigners received mutters of “propaganda” and “republican” they spoke articulately and concisely. That is something that should be encouraged, not greeted with disdain.

Everybody that attended at least knew whether they disagreed with what “Troops off Campus” were saying because it was said well, and when it came to a vote, there weren’t multiple attempts to explain what a vote for or against meant. The changes proposed regarding School Representatives was too convoluted for most of the third level students, and the amendment about the Campaigns and Equality board was confusing even after the typo was rectified. Perhaps the Sabbaticals should get the “Troops off Campus” speech writers to look over their “amendments” so the rest can understand.

BY BEN FINCH

This is a fallacy; if the government and UK Universities try to pull their deals from the table they will only get themselves in hotter water.  Workers will be made even angrier and more likely to take more action. By doing so our elected representatives and employers will only be showing how distant they are from public opinion.

Even if the strikes do cost the economy £500 million this could quite easily be recouped by taxing the highest earners a little, teeny, tiny bit more. Barclay’s profits were more than £5 billion for the first nine months of this year, it paid £113 million in tax last year. And in terms of the economy, £500 million’s a drop in the ocean – UK GDP was £1.45 trillion in 2010; a loss like that is like dropping a penny, it won’t affect the economy.

Taking the decision to strike is not an easy one; the loss of a day’s pay is significant, especially with the current “economic climate” and with Christmas so close, there are presents to buy, a turkey to put on the table.  The millions that have the guts to take a stand for what they believe in, to tell the government and their employers that they are not acting in our interests should be supported, and at the very least respected.

The Students’ Union has called for students not to break the pickets and why should we? The University and Colleges Union supported our fight to freeze fees, we should support theirs to maintain decent pensions.  Who would want to live a retirement with no money?  But this is about more than pensions; this is about proclaiming that our values are being eroded, that an esteemed few are able to make as much money as they want while the rest of us scrimp and save.  If we are all in this together, we need to show that on Wednesday.

Queen’s University is set to be rocked by strikes over changes to the staff pension plan that have been described as “high-handed” and could see members of staff losing £400,000 for their retirement. 

BY BEN FINCH

The proposals are also thought to make it easier for universities to sack staff.

This will be part of the largest day of industrial action in theUKin 85 years as millions of workers withhold their labour from employers.

It is expected that over 400 staff will join the picket lines on 30 November, with many others not turning up for work.  It will be the first time many staff will have taken direct action. More than two hundred students are planning to join the pickets in solidarity with staff.

Staff have been asked by the University and Colleges Union (UCU) to inform students if they are taking action but are under no obligation to inform their line managers.  The Students’ Union is working with staff to ensure there is as little disruption to students as possible.

The direct action is being supported by the Students’ Union following a motion passed at council on 21 November.  This called for students not to break picket lines by attending classes run by UCU members.  TheUnionis also supporting the wider action happening across the country.

UCU are hoping to protest outside every building that is part of the university.  Following the pickets there will be a rally for staff and students in the Mandela Hall at eleven o’clock.  This will be attended by members of the National Union of Students and Union of Students inIreland(NUS-USI), UCU and the Northern Ireland Public Services Alliance (NIPSA).  Members of Unite, the largest union inBritainandIreland, had still to confirm if they were attending.

Following the rally there will be a march toCityHospitalto join the feeder march on City Hall.

The day before, 29 November, will see a teach-in to explain how the changes to pension plans will affect staff and students. This will be held in clubrooms three and four on the top floor of the Students’ Union at one o’clock.

The action is being taken over changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), the staff pension plan.  Unlike public sector pension plans this is a private scheme.  It currently considered to be one of the most stable final salary schemes in theUKas contributions are higher than payments.  More than eighty per cent of those eligible to join the scheme are members.

The changes that UK Universities (UKU), the representative body for universities in theUK, is implementing could see new members of staff lose almost £400,000 from their pension.  A lecturer who is already a member of the USS would lose £130,000.

Current members of staff will have to increase their payments by one per cent to 7.5 per cent, a move seen as a pay cut.  New members of staff will be required to join a career average revalued earnings (CARE) scheme.  This is based on the average earnings throughout a career, rather than on the final salary paid.

UCU has attempted to avoid strike action through negotiations with UKU. The union asked the arbitration service, ACAS, to help settle the dispute.  This move has not been recognised by UKU.

Dr Renee Prendergast, the UCU representative at Queen’s, said: “The changes are even more draconian than those seen in the public sector.  This action has been going for some time, the negotiations with the employers have seen nothing to indicate that they will back down.

“The university are playing it softer than usual, I think there’s a lot of public support for the action.  There’ll be a lot of people out who’ve never been on strike before.  After this work to rule will continue.”

Dr Mark Gardiner, a member of Queen’s UCU committee, said: “The USS isn’t in any difficulties, this is part of a wider assault on pensions.

“Pensions are part of the whole employment package, it’s deferred salary.  It’s going to make a very significant difference, not just to me but to the new staff who’ll bear the brunt.

“It’s important to students, it’ll go on to affect them.  Universities must stay competitive in terms of salary and benefits so they attract the best teachers and lecturers.  If students don’t want to be taught by the best then why are they paying fees?  We’ve got to make sure universities stay as good as they can be.  We see this as part of a wider struggle for education.”

Adam McGibbon, VP Welfare, said: “[The Union support] is about standing with our hard-working lecturers and staff, who deliver our education, in their time of need.

“Changes to the University Superannuation Scheme propose an increase in employee contributions. It also proposes creating a two-tier system where newer staff will receive much less over the course of their careers than older staff.

“This is despite the fact that the University Superannuation Scheme is in good health, according to the scheme’s own managers. Last year it grew by £4bn. It is an ‘immature’ scheme, meaning that it takes in more than it gives out. Quite simply, this is a political move to make it easier to remove staff. This is about education cuts, which we oppose as a union, and it’s about the quality of teaching at the University. Both are central to the student experience, and if the changes to the pension scheme go ahead, students will suffer.

“But obviously recent events have meant that this just isn’t about the University, millions of public sector workers will be striking on November 30th; we should be supporting doctors, nurses, teachers and other public sector workers who will be out on strike that day.

“The staff stood by us against increased tuition fees when we needed them, now they need us to stand by them.”

BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON

McMeel won the final task, the results of which were based on the profits of bottled water that they had designed, marketed, created adverts for and sold.  The overall winner was decided through a round of interviews.

Following the event McMeel said: “It’s fantastic, obviously fantastic for my CV and the experience we gained throughout the whole process is super. Congratulations to Nicole as well who was fantastic.

“I’m looking forward to the experience with Deloitte and I’d just like to say the amazing job Enterprise SU and VP Community Aidan Hughes have done in planning and carrying out the whole process.”

Hosted by VP Community Aiden Hughes, the evening began with a round-up of the events of QUB Apprentice with the final seven candidates returning. Speaking to McMeel and McShane beforehand, they both stressed how much they had enjoyed the process and that no matter what the outcome it had been a brilliant experience.

Jim Eastwood, aka “Jedi Jim”, who came third on the BBC Apprentice, took on the role of Lord Sugar as he hosted the final boardroom which saw Owen and Nicole battle it out to prove they had what it took to become the first QUB Apprentice. Eastwood, one of the only contestants to date to be able to argue himself out of being brought back to the boardroom, took to the microphone to tell some insights and anecdotes from the world of The Apprentice. He shared with the captive audience his four keys to success: belief, focus, positivity and persistence, although there were a few clichés here and there, notably: “Aim for the moon that way if you miss you’ll still be amongst the stars”.

Wasting no time in getting down to business Eastwood quizzed McShane and McMeel on their worthiness and asked for their thirty second “elevator pitch”. Both started with niceties but these were quickly replaced with fighting talk as McMeel slipped in “I didn’t cheat” but McShane soon retaliated by saying that in the audition clips: “Owen’s pitch was 49 seconds when it should have been 30”. However, Eastwood had the final say as he stated: “I’m not one to talk about over talking”. Whilst Eastwood and his two aides went out to deliberate, best bit videos were played of both candidates

The panel returned and Eastwood, with Lord Sugar’s signature point of the finger, told McMeel that he was hired. A gracious winner, McMeel thanked everyone that was involved and started a round of applause for McShane and the other candidates, finishing with asking representatives from Deloitte: “All that’s left to say is when is the first day?”

Aiden Hughes said: “Congratulations to Owen, he definitely showed so much business acumen and played the competition so well.  Commiserations to Nicole and the other seven, but by taking part in the process they’ll all have learnt so much that they can take forward in their careers.

“The response we received was overwhelming, there was nearly 20,000 views on YouTube.  The candidates themselves have been top quality, it’s been such a celebration of enterprise initiatives at the Union and the University.

“It’s so important at a time when employment is one of the biggest issues facing students.”

Claire Williamson

A group of protestors who disrupted a lecture at Queen’s have been described by a disciplinary report as “probably Catholic”.

BY BEN FINCH

The report details the investigation into the protest and was used at the disciplinary hearings of three protestors.  It was received from a whistleblower who had concerns about the disciplinary process.

The source said: “The report was so biased and inaccurate.  They tried to paint the students as liars and the claims made are so outrageous that people needed to be made aware of it.

“It’s completely discriminatory and it shows that Northern Ireland Friends of Israel tried to involve themselves in the disciplinary process.”

The report highlights the pressure that was put on Queen’s by Northern Ireland Friends of Israel following the lecture as well as a number of breaches of confidentiality.

In February this year the Palestine Solidarity Society (PSS) and Ogra Shinn Fein disrupted a lecture delivered by Solon Solomon, a former legal advisor to the Israeli Parliament (Knesset).  This was due to his position on the legal standing of building Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.

The lecture was stopped after seven minutes before the acting head of the School of Law entered into an argument with Gary Spedding, president of the PSS.  Solomon was escorted from the room by security, who stopped the society from following.  As Solomon left the taxi he was travelling in was slapped by a protestor.

Included in the report are the minutes of an interview with Dr. Onder Bakiricioglu of the School of Law.  In this he is recorded as saying: “The students are young passionate people, they all seemed to be from Northern Ireland, probably Catholics, and there were no international students that he could see. The students were protesting.”

When questioned as why the comment was made Dr. Bakiricioglu said: “I made an observation that they looked like Catholics, I mean I’m not from here.  I just gave my lay opinion, I just know that the Catholic community tend to support Palestine and the Protestant community tend to support Israel.

“I didn’t think it was going to be included in the report, it was just an observation.  This was stupid of them to include it.” Dr. Bakiricioglu is a Turkish national.

The report was compiled by Michael Uprichard of Accomodation and Hospitality Services.  It is assumed that he interviewed Dr. Bakiricioglu and decided to include the statement in the official report.

Spedding is a member of the Greek Orthodox Church.  When contacted he estimated that there were ten Catholics and six Protestants at the protest.

The university declined to comment on the comments inclusion, instead releasing a statement that said simply: “The University does not comment on student disciplinary cases.”

Also included in the report is: “[Sally Wheeler] stated she had heard that [Gary Spedding] has Asperger’s Syndrome.”  This was then followed up by Uprichard, who confirmed it with Queen’s Disability Services.

Spedding’s Asperger’s was not public knowledge. Professor Wheeler’s knowledge of this is now under investigation as it may show that confidentiality within the university may not be watertight.  Again the university declined to comment.

“This was something I had tried to keep quiet for some time because people with Asperger’s tend to get treated differently,” said Spedding. “It’s not something I’m ashamed of but I’ve no idea how Sally Wheeler managed to hear this.

“I feel outraged that such comments [regarding religion] were included. I don’t believe sectarianism or external politics should be involved in human rights.  I’m shocked that a university report would include something that implies this was sectarian.”

There were a number of members of Northern Ireland Friends of Israel (NIFI) at the lecture.  Prior to this they sent Queen’s an email to warn of a possible “mass protest” as Solomon was speaking. The email was written by Steven Jaffe and Terry McCorran , co-Chairs of NIFI.

Following the protest Jaffe and another member of NIFI, Sandra Bailie, were awarded a meeting with Helen Hart, Head of the Vice-Chancellors Office and Peter Irwin.  This was “so that [Jaffe] could communicate his concerns face to face.” These were “concerns regarding the School of Law seminar on Wednesday 23rd February.”

At this Jaffe and Bailie expressed: “Shock and disappointment that the University had not issued a statement following the event. He said that such an infringement of academic freedom must contravene the University’s principles and should therefore be a priority for the University”

This was not met with a response from the staff present. NIFI also asked whether an apology had been made to Solomon and what the process was for disciplining students.  The report also contains correspondence between members of the NIFI and Queen’s.

The university declined to comment on whether such meetings and correspondence were appropriate and whether they constituted allowing an outside organisation exert pressure on internal disciplinary action. Steven Jaffe also declined to comment.

Jason O’Neill, Adam McGibbon and Treasa Harkin, President, VP Welfare and VP Equality and Diversity of the Students’ Union respectively, were also contacted for statements. They declined to comment. As did Ogra Shinn Fein, QUB SDLP, QUB DUP and QUB Alliance.

Tyler McNally of the Socialist Society, said: “That is unbelievable.  It’s completely out of the question, it shouldn’t be in there.  That’s disgraceful for a lecturer to be saying that, he should apologise.

“I wouldn’t go as far as to say its institutional sectarianism but I would go as far as to attack Queen’s for letting something like that be allowed.”

BY BEN FINCH

Jason O’Neill, president of Queen’s Students’ Union, said, “The phone network at Queen’s was inundated with thousands of calls from people looking for a last minute place through clearing.  But the problem isn’t the number of calls, the problem is the number of university places in Northern Ireland.”

A spokesperson for Queen’s said, “The phones haven’t crashed at any stage. There is a high volume of calls coming through and people are asked to be patient or alternatively email admissions@qub.ac.uk or go to the Student Plus reception in Lanyon North, Queen’s – where assistance is available.

“The general admissions office account had received 980 emails. Individual members of staff are also receiving heavy volumes of inquiries and in addition there are faxes and inquiries being dropped off in person.  The call centre has answered 1253 telephone calls. Places in clearing are expected to be about 100, similar to last year.”

Figures released yesterday by CCEA showed that 34.5% of the pupils in Northern Ireland achieved and A* or A while the overall pass rate was 98.1%.  This compares to nationwide figures of 27% and 97.8% respectively. 32,582 students in Northern Ireland entered for an A-level this summer, an increase of almost 1000 on 2010.

As is usual girls outperformed boys in all areas with 9.1% of the females achieving an A*, 36.9% gaining an A* or A and 98.4 passing their exams.  7.9% of boys got an A*, 31.5% an A* or A and 97.7% passed.

Adrienne Peltz, president of the National Union of Students and Union of Students in Ireland (NUS-USI), said, “Today’s a really happy day for the NUS-USI. We wish the students going to university the very best.

“However, that comes with a warning that funding for Higher Education next year has still not been decided and we are very concerned about the education maintenance allowance.

“Also there are 23,000 people studying for their A-Levels. Last year we saw dwindling places in Higher Education and students going into Further Education instead. This is squeezing out other students who wish to stay in education.

“We want to know what the Executive are going to do about it.”

Students hoping to attend Queen’s through clearing have been directed to http://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/NewStudents/Undergraduate-UKandEU/ClearingandAdjustmentVacancies/ for further information.

There are no vacancies remaining within the Law School, School of Management, Theology or Medicine and Health Services.

QUBSU picked up the NUS Equality and Diversity Award for 2011 on Wednesday night. Over 500  attended the ceremony hosted by Leeds University Students’ Union.

BY DARAGH ROBINSON

The NUS awards recognise the efforts of students and students’ unions in voluntary work and campaigns. Liam Burns, NUS President, said: “Once again we’ve seen an exceptional field of nominations that recognise the vital role that students play in their local communities.

Burns went on to say that despite the events of the past year he still has a “real sense of hope for the future and the fight to get more support for students from a cynical government.”

Burns said of the Equality and Diversity Award: “The steps Queen’s University Belfast Students’ Union has taken to improve its equality and diversity impressed me. By strengthening existing activities and developing new ones, it has really improved the student experience for its members.”

Last year’s VP Equality and Diversity Samantha Tan said: “It’s truly an honour to have won this award. I feel it reflects the amazing work put in by the sabbatical team and all SU staff this year. We’ve come extremely far and I hope this success is used as encouragement to continue striving towards building a more equal and diverse Students’ Union for everyone.

“I would also just like to thank all those who helped achieve this in any way – the various clubs and societies, staff members, student councillors, national unions and the rest of my team. It’s not just about winning this award, but about making sure that every single student voice is heard and responded to in equal measure.”

QUBSU was nominated for the Best Students’ Union award but lost to Northumbria University.

BY LAURA SHEARER

The group of assassins are assembled to bring justice and restore the order that Lord Naritsugu has destroyed by his selfish and brutal climb to the top of the Shogun rule. Not far off the plot of Kurasawa’s ‘Seven Samurai’, we see the horrors that Lord Naritsugu has inflicted upon those in his path and the helpless that he has no mercy for.  This is all with a Miike twist of course.  Involving some brutal death scenes, lots of completely honest seeming revelations of torture and naturally lots of blood, when one of the samurai comments that ‘this village will be a bloodbath’ he’s literally not lying.  Not for the faint hearted, this is a samurai film with extraordinary vision.

At the heart of the film are the central themes to most samurai features.  Honour, courage and loyalty are themes anybody can relate to and themes most people would link with their knowledge of the samurai feature.  Miike’s decision to maintain these ideals upholds something of the tradition that began in the 1940s with the samurai film master Akira Kurasawa.  To be honest, the narrative has upheld the best elements of these themes and used them to dramatic advantage.

Set in 19^th Century Japan, the film has a very classical feel to it.  Great attention to detail is placed in the recreation of the Edo period of Japan.  Miike’s choice to keep the narrative within this timeframe is both wise and inspiring, as he could well have taken a very different route and made a modern conversion of the samurai plot in say modern Tokyo.  The set designs and landscapes are beautiful and eloquent with a real sensation of nostalgia for ancient Japan.  The cinematography doesn’t ever make light of this aspect, often creating a few seconds of still frame for the audience to enjoy the luxury of the scenery.  Looking at any of the media releases of images from the film, it’s clear that the cinematography is justifiably indulgent in the fabulous sets.

It’s not the samurai epic in run time as it could have been so hardcore samurai fans may feel a little cheated, but there’s plenty crammed into every shot to make even the most critical walk away satisfied.  Those new to Japanese cinema will have their eyes opened wide by the glory that is this feature.  It’s a huge achievement for Miike and there’s not a single sequence that’s less than instantly impressive.  As much as I feel it must be seen on the big screen to get the full impact, it’s going to be in DVD collections the world over in no time.  ’13 Assassins’ is a sure fire winner for anybody who loves period features, blood and battles, or even just a well written, steady moralistic plot.  The success it’s already enjoyed doesn’t seem enough to evaluate the brilliance.

Some people took the opportunity to punch but the majority just donated the money. We would like to thank everyone who donated – all proceeds are going to Japanese Red Cross the club isalso running the the Team Relay of the Belfast Marathon on May 2nd. There will be forms available at the PEC reception for anyone who wants to sponsor us.

Once again – thank you very much.

Michael Cole

Club Instructor

BY SEAN ASHFORD

It has recently emerged that three candidates will run for the post of VP Education. Louis O’Neill of Accountancy and of the GAA has in recent days declared his candidacy and will face Council Speaker Joe Corina and councillor Nuala McAdams for the post. Mr O’Neill is the latest of candidates to declare he will run in the upcoming elections and it is possible that others may come forward before nominations close next Monday.

A split in the current sabbatical team sees VPs Jay Downs, Niall Bole and Adam McGibbon standing against fellow officers Fiona Kidd and Samantha Tan. This marks a turnaround from last year when all five of these candidates campaigned alongside each other.

Thus far there appears that three major groups will contest this election, it is not known whether more candidates will be added to each ticket. The most complete group so far is the team of Jay Downs, Niall Bole, Ethan Loughery, Nuala McAdams, Adam McGibbon and Lorcan Mullen. The other group containing current sabbatical officers consists so far of Samantha Tan, Fiona Kidd and Joe Corina. The third group in this year’s election will consist of a mixture of candidates from the Law Society and GAA which includes candidates Jason O’Neill, Niall McShane, Aidan Hughes and Treasa Harkin.

There are at the moment three confirmed candidates for the role of SU president. Current VP Community Jay Downs will compete against fellow VP Samantha Tan and Jason O’Neill, president of the Law Society at Queen’s.

The contest for Clubs and Societies at the moment appears to be a straight contest between incumbent Niall Bole and the GAA’s Niall McShane, on the same ticket as the Law Society.

The role of VP Campaigns will be vital in the coming months and current VP Fiona Kidd will seek to retain her role against NUS-USI Deputy President Lorcan Mullen. For the post of VP Community, student councillor Derek Crosby will stand as an independent candidate against Queen’s Radio station manager Ethan Loughrey and the Law Society’s Aidan Hughes.

Thus far no candidate has been put forward to take on Adam McGibbon as VP Welfare. McGibbon has enjoyed a high profile due to his performance as a Green Party candidate in last year’s Westminster election. At the time of print there appears to be no one willing to challenge McGibbon.

Finally for the position of VP Equality and Diversity, Lucy Griffin, Treasa Harkin and Damien Edgar will contest what is perhaps the most open position available. All three candidates have kept quiet about their campaigns so far, but with the elections rapidly approaching do expect each to begin their campaigns in earnest within a matter of days.

Nominations for the seven student officer positions will close on Monday 21 February at 5.00pm, and polling will take place via Queen’s Online from Tuesday 1 March until 5.00pm on Wednesday 2 March.

BY JANETTE LOUGHLIN

Opening his set with the twangy  ‘A Field of Birds’ before moving into the upbeat ‘Burden of Tomorrow’, Matsson played with an energy that was sadly unmatched by the audience. Perhaps the atmosphere would have been different had it been a standing gig, but the seated crowd were at times hard to warm up and engage with the performance. Despite his endearing comments to the audience and occasional Swedish instructions to the lighting team, the majority remained stoic.

Launching into a sweet rendition of ‘Love is All’, Matsson’s lilting arpeggios were grounded in the rhythm of a bass guitar played off-stage. Mixing up the same song, The Tallest Man on Earth then launched into a more upbeat version. Echoing electric guitars accompanied by fast-paced clapping proved the two versions to sound like night and day, but still a much-needed lift to the previous, slightly melancholy rendition.

Moving onto the keyboard, Matsson performed ‘Like the Wheel’, and a stillness resonated through the crowd as they listened. Returning for an encore, he played ‘Where do my Bluebird Fly’ before Bergman joined Matsson on stage for a beautiful duet. Singing ‘Thrown Right At Me’, Bergman’s haunting Fredrika Stahl-esque voice added so much to Matsson’s performance and the warmed-up crowd had no hesitation shouting “Get a room!” to the pair. Finishing with ‘Kids on the Run’, the crowd gave a standing ovation. No doubt a strong part of that reception was reserved for Bergman.  Her striking originality shone throughout her performance when, at times, Matsson’s was lacking.

BY DANIELLE NEESON

Serotonin has a much different sound from previous album ‘Twenty One’.  It has a more modern sound but the haunting vocals give The Mystery Jets an edge that sets them apart from other indie bands at the moment. Although they very much stick by their indie roots they are still very appealing to a much broader audience. They are part of a niche genre but the music they produce is alluring to all music lovers with a soft spot for charming tunes. The Mystery Jets are effortlessly cool and they convey this through the gentle nuances scattered throughout the album, like the soft whisper on the album title track Serotonin and the mellow harmonies on the first single release ‘Show Me the Light’.

‘Dreaming of Another World’, also a single, has also had a lot of air time due to its blissful and rapturous sound. This single epitomises what The Mystery Jets have produced on this album; feel-good music. But just like any self respecting indie band they like to keep the elation muted and show that they can do melancholy just as well as they do happiness, which is showcased on ‘The Girl Is Gone’.  The Mystery Jets take some odd combinations of music and in cases when it should go horribly wrong it doesn’t. Their clever use of distinctive guitar riffs along with the sound of ascending synth married with Blaine Harrison’s lingering vocals make their sound unique and attractive.

With Serotonin they have came back stronger than ever. After their past two offerings Twenty One and Making Dens, this is the real deal. So if you’re a fan of the Mystery Jets previous offerings or even if they have never even crossed your radar, you should definitely check them out. They could become a regular appearance in your favourite music list (trust me, I speak from experience). Their sound is not only for indie kids, but is appreciated across the board and it will be a gig to be enjoyed by everyone.

The gig in the Speakeasy will kick off at 8pm and is an over 18’s gig so I.D. may be required. Tickets are priced at £17.00 and are available to buy at Ticketmaster online and from the Students’ Union shop.

BY CONNOR DALY

At the time Sheena joined the struggle she knew republicans were being targeted, Kelly said, but Sheena knew that the movement needed a strong political party: Sheena’s enemies identified her as a leader and her death only worked to inspire others who would come after her.

Kelly said “People have their own memories” of the Troubles and it is important to talk about history in order to fully understand why people took part in the “struggle”. He said he did not want to speak for those who have gone before him but said “These are people who wanted to live but seen a more important thing to do.” Those left behind “need to pick up the mantle,” and live and lead that struggle: “We learn from the past and then we move forward.” Closing his speech he cited one of Sheena’s favourite songs, “Keep dancing to the Revolution” before presenting members of Sheena’s family with a framed Sinn Féin edition of the 1916 Irish Proclamation.

Mr Kelly faced a number of questions after the commemoration. Asked whether he thought the murder of Sheena Campbell was different to the killings committed by the Provisional IRA during its campaign, Kelly said that all killings were “regrettable”, but that “conflict doesn’t come from outter space.” Conflict can only be justified as the last resort, though all deaths are regrettable in war. In war combatants die as well as civilians: “I’m not going to make an excuse.”

On whether or not Sinn Féin may opt to join fierce rivals Fianna Fáil in a coalition government in the Irish Republic after the next general election, Kelly said this was a matter for the party’s Ard Fheis to decide, but in his opinion “You have to look at everything: it’s not a principle that we don’t go into coalition,” reiterating that Sinn Féin are already in a coalition in the north of Ireland.

Hundreds of Queen’s students today protested against the recent Browne review at Mandela Hall and outside the university. Student representatives from NUS-USI and the Students’ Union initiated the Union General Meeting at noon and asked students to back their motion to reject Lord Browne’s proposals. NUS-USI President Ciarnan Helferty

BY SEAN ASHFORD AND LAURA MCANENEY

For more photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=242102&id=193105345291

In what has been described as the biggest protest on Queen’s campus in well over a decade, students gathered at the Union’s Mandela Hall where representatives pledged to fight against the lifting of the cap on fees, currently at £3,290. Last week’s Browne recommendations on higher education funding suggested that universities in England be permitted to raise their tuition charges to anything as high as £12,000. Mr Helferty told a crowded Mandela Hall, “We can’t stand idly by” as politicians set about implementing Browne’s plans for a free market education system.

Proposing the motion in appreciation of the recent Stuart review was NUS-USI Deputy President, Lorcan Mullen, and students were given the opportunity to speak on and in favour of the motion. No one present at the meeting opposed the motion. Speaking on the motion in Mandela Hall was last year’s Green Party European election candidate and former QUB student, Stephen Agnew. Agnew described Browne’s suggestion to raise the fees cap as a policy driven by ideology and not necessity and, emphasising the power of devolution in Northern Ireland, called upon local politicians at Stormont to oppose the Browne review.

Before leaving Mandela Hall to make their way to the gates of Queen’s, students in attendance were asked to raise their student cards to vote on the motion, a motion which was clearly carried; only one abstained. Adhering to health and safety policy, students were then split into various groups and made their way out of the building.

Hundreds of students lined outside the gates of Queen’s University and along the length of the Students’ Union raising ‘Down with Browne’ and other similar placards in the air, chanting, among other things, “Freeze fees – yes please.” Politicians and representatives from the Alliance, QUB Greens, SDLP and Socialist Party lent their support to the protest, and a statement was read out from Independent MLA Dawn Purvis, as well as statements from individual representatives of Sinn Féin and the DUP who were unable to attend.

For over an hour students were continuously joined by more protesters throughout the proceedings, all adamant in their fight against the Browne proposals. A question and answer session with MLAs was expected to take place in the Space area of the SU but did not materialise due to commitments at Stormont. NUS-USI President Helferty and SU President Gareth McGreevy told students they were not willing to stand by and watch the Browne proposals implemented and vowed to challenge elected representatives to justify any increase to tuition fees.

BY KERRI-ANNE CAMPBELL

In a rare case which has seen some Union email folders vanish, some dating back as far as 1 January 2006, the ongoing problem has caused confusion and frustration throughout the building.

SU President, Gareth McGreevy, not only experienced problems with his email system, but was also surprised to discover that diary events had disappeared from his calendar. This left McGreevy oblivious to previously scheduled meetings.

Confusion has reigned throughout the Union. In an email to colleagues, SU Deputy Manager, Dominic Doherty said, “I am sure that you can imagine the level of inconvenience that this will cause. Please bear with me until the situation becomes clearer.” He added, “This never happened in the days of paper, notebooks and pens.”

Commenting on the current situation, Mr Doherty said “We have had some problems over the past few weeks. We have lost some historical folders.” Although SU staff and sabbatical officers are still able to send and receive emails, he urged students who have not received a reply to their emails to call the Students’ Union. The situation, he added, is “very irritating but not critical.”

IT staff are currently trying to fix the ongoing problem. If the folders can not be retrieved, however, it will cause great inconvenience all round.

BY BEN FINCH
In the Ardoyne area, a policewoman was injured when a block of masonry was thrown from the roof of a shop onto her head. Three officers were shot in the area and petrol and blast bombs were thrown at police. Over eighty officers were injured in the riots and millions of pounds worth of damage done to buildings in the community.

Father Gary Donegan of Holy Cross Church on the Crumlin Road has described the violence as “recreational rioting” and likened it to a theme park due to the age of many involved. It has been claimed that there were some rioters as young as eight years old involved in the disturbances.

So far, most attention has focused on the violence and consequences of the trouble. Very little has been paid to the underlying cause. If at all, it has been decried as dissident republicans hoping to scupper the peace process. Without making excuses for any of those taking part in the riots, if the Orange Order had been told they were not to pass through such areas as the Ardoyne by the Parades Commission, chances are that the high level of violence witnessed would not have happened. For years Orange parades have caused widespread rioting by both sides of the community, often in areas not directly affected by the marching. In any other part of the UK marches such as this would be treated as incitement to religious violence.

Plenty of comments made by students, over Facebook or otherwise, have been made along the lines of “If rioters want to throw petrol bombs and fire a few rounds of a shotgun at the police then the police should be allowed to fire a few rounds or a few petrol bombs back. See if they like it…Get off the streets, stop sponging off the government you don’t even recognise and get a job”. Again, this simply focuses on the effects, ignoring the current difficulty of finding and maintaining work, especially for those brought up in under-privileged areas, where young people are less likely to engage in education, thus seriously reducing their chances of gaining qualifications. A lack of engagement with education does not reflect a lack of desire to work. Also, similar comments do not take into consideration the fact that similar acts of violence and the blatant entrenchment of views were among the major reasons why Northern Ireland needed a peace process in the first place.

Comments such as these may represent a large part of the unionist community in Northern Ireland, but not everyone feels the same way. I have been speaking to students who have said that if the protests were peaceful then they’d join them, and others who have called for the outright banning of the Orange Order. These people did not want to be named. This is the crux of the matter. While the violence may be organised by dissident republicans taking advantage of ill-informed youths, the opportunity was handed to them by the Orange Order marching through areas where, as they very well know, they are not at all welcome.

Trouble also occurred in other areas during the twelfth; cars were set alight in Armagh, in Lurgan the Dublin-bound Enterprise suffered an attempted hijack and police officers were attacked in the Bogside area of Derry. All such incidents occurred in specific areas where parades did not take place. Such acts of violence can only be tenuously linked to the marches and should be condemned as Orange Lodges in these areas respectfully diverted their parades away from hostile areas. This approach needs to be followed in the few places where twelfth celebrations are still contentious.

It is constantly hammered into those studying medicine to treat the underlying cause of an illness rather than the symptoms, otherwise the treatment has no effect. Civil disobedience and uncivil disruption happens for a reason, not for the sake of it. Now that the disturbances have ended and a relatively stable situation has at last developed in the Ardoyne area, rather than concentrating solely on the violence, the cause of the riots needs to be examined and dealt with by both sides.

Union vice-presidents Barry Duffy and Paul Lilly have survived no-confidence motions brought before last night’s special meeting of the student representative council. The Space played host to a vigorous debate over the efficacy of the sabbatical officers, with councillors Damien Corridan and Anne Pauli presenting well-reasoned, well-researched critiques of the work of the ‘Chuckle Brothers’.

BY LORCAN MULLEN AND CONNOR DALY

NOTICE: The comment thread on this post is now closed and no more comments will be moderated.

While a majority of councillors voted in favour of the no-confidence motions, the constitutional threshold of three-quarters was not met. Duffy and Lilly, in conjunction with familiar faces Martin Lilly and Seamus Óg MacGiolla Cheara successfully marshalled the support of their Law/GAA power base, with an unusually large delegation in attendance. Speaker Alex Redpath quipped to councillors, “some of you I’m meeting for the first time.”

Redpath relinquished the chair, alluding to earlier accusations of partisan support for Duffy and Lilly during the performance related pay saga. These allegations led to a similar failed no-confidence vote in Redpath earlier this year. Ryan Cushley took his place, in an effort to avoid the intrusion of “vested interests.”

The VP Education’s hearing came first. Cllr. Pauli opened the debate, citing the behaviour of officers like Duffy as a reason for student political apathy. She stated that Duffy was “taking the mick out of this institution”, deeming his prospective dismissal “no loss to us.” In support, Cllr. Corridan made a powerful case for the council’s duty as a scrutinising body:

“…when the Union is failing its members, council has a duty to step in and do what is morally just…personality alone cannot stop us from discharging our responsibilities.”

Corridan explained that examination of Duffy’s officer reports showed scant evidence of effort; in totting up his claimed hours, the Union Senator could find only 3.6 months of work, at a rough estimate, out of 10 in the job so far.

In response, a pharmacy student defended Duffy, describing him as “professional and diligent” when he needed urgent help over academic hearings. The student also cast Duffy’s response to his troubles in a very positive light compared with last year’s VP Education, Kevin Kelly.

Corridan summed up Duffy’s hearing, urging councillors to “stand up for a strong union, [to] fight for a strong union.”

Lilly’s turn in the firing line came next, and the debate followed along almost identical lines. Lilly, like Duffy, opted to conduct his defence with a bland, endlessly platitudinous reading from a pre-prepared power point presentation. He told councillors that he, like Duffy “had always given my level best.”

In a dramatic moment, a visibly reluctant Laura Hawthorne (VP Community) took to the floor, speaking for the motion. Hawthorne stressed that her stance was not personal, and that “no officer is perfect, but there is a standard to be set.” Hawthorne cited her “inordinate amount of time” working on the International Student Society, apparently Lilly’s biggest achievement of the year, as an example of officers being forced to fill in for the habitually lazy or inept duo. Hawthorne told the council that “you are not asked politely to scrutinise, you are required to scrutinise.”

A secret ballot was then taken, and the results were soon announced, leading to a raucous bout of triumphant clapping from the assembled Law/GAA contingent. These members then walked out en masse, completely uninterested in dealing with the subsequent business of the council. Incoming VP Campaigns Fiona Kidd visibly lost her temper, shouting to the sneering departing councillors: “That says it all!”

After this exodus, council once again slid inexorably into quorate, meaning a number of constitutional amendments could not be properly dealt with.

A visibly tiring council then voted through the officer reports, an impressive policy on the environment and sustainability in the Union, and, after much confused debate, affirmed the President’s reading of the Constitution on the subject of constituencies for the next council elections. Schools will now have a specific seat, in addition to open faculty constituencies. Council also passed a motion condemning the Draft Public Assemblies Bill which attempts, for no apparent reason, to restrict citizens’ rights of assembly with an inordinate amount of prior consultation and permission.

Ever the loyal apprentice, Martin Lilly, brother of Paul, took to the walls of Facebook last night, saying in a number of places, very simply, “we won.”

Students may ask themselves whether they fall under Lilly’s definition of “we”.

Photos from the council meeting can be found at The Gown’s Facebook page.

The Space last night played host to the latest in a series of fractious meetings of the Union’s student representative council. While the prevailing cliché casts students as apolitical layabouts, successive spirited meetings of the body have shown ego clashes and institutional bickering at least to be clearly transcendent of both age and stereotype.

Speaker Alex Redpath addressed councillors’ concerns after the last meeting’s failed vote of no-confidence; votes of no-confidence have been scheduled for VPs Barry Duffy and Paul Lilly at a planned Extraordinary Meeting on May 12th; The Gown’s office suspension was debated and President-Elect Gareth McGreevy’s controversial SUTV plans were reaffirmed.

BY KERRI-ANNE CAMPBELL AND LORCAN MULLEN

Current President Shane Brogan’s extensive overhaul of student-staff consultative committees (SSCCs) and in-school accountability was also passed.

Speaker Redpath told The Gown: “It was a disappointing night… I don’t think anyone would claim that this was an easy Council meeting to chair.”

Redpath faced strong criticism from the floor at the beginning of the night, defending his decision to remain despite a majority Council vote to strip him of the post prior to March’s sabbatical elections. A two-thirds majority is required to oust the Speaker.

Redpath, a second year law student, countered his critics, claiming “a couple of big wins this year”, making it clear that he is “perfectly happy to stand on”.

“With regards to my own resignation, I have made it clear that I will complete my term until the constitutionally mandated number of councillors remove me from office. I owe this not only to myself, but to my successors in this role. A speaker needs this constitutional protection to make the controversial decisions that are demanded of the chair.”

He went on to say, “Two thirds of the Council are required to remove the speaker, which would mean 51 members out of 77. There has never been a record of this many at a Council Meeting this year.”

A palpable sense of frustration only increased with discussion of the absence of vice-presidents Lilly and Duffy. Duffy did not send his apologies. President Brogan informed Council that Lilly cited illness earlier in the day. A number of councillors were confident that the duo had skipped the meeting to attend last night’s GAA formal. Lilly however spoke to The Gown on Facebook after the Council meeting. Post-formal revellers at the Eg on the other hand told The Gown that Lilly and Duffy were “across the street”. Readers may draw their own conclusions.

Concerns about the attitude and work ethic of the two VPs have been a recurrent theme in QUBSU politics this year, and councillors were not long in moving towards respective motions of no-confidence. President Brogan spoke out in unusually strident terms, stating that “some action needs to be taken here and now.”

Ponderous moves towards a confidence vote, led by Ryan Cushley, were unexpectedly derailed by councillor and management board member Anne Pauli, recurrent bête noire of the “Chuckle Brothers.” Pauli’s alternative proposal, the May 12th meeting of the Council, where Duffy and Lilly will learn their fate was passed instead.

Brogan told The Gown that he was “happy with what came from the floor” and confirmed that he had signed the Pauli petition initiating the Extraordinary Meeting process.

Councillor Colin Sloan stated, “It’s good to know that Council has decided to do something about the worst sabb [sabbatical officers] offenders of the year. They seem to be more concerned with working with GAA than the Council.”

Clerk to Council Dominic Doherty stated that this has “impacted upon their status” however, “no apology is not deemed to be a sackable offence”.

Last night, a seemingly stressed Lilly did not wish to make an on-record comment on the proceedings. Brogan confirmed this evening that the VP contacted him regarding his absence from work today, citing a scheduled doctor’s appointment.

In other news:

-A motion proposed by Cllr. Colin Sloan censuring the Union for its actions against The Gown this semester was deferred to the next meeting, pending today’s planned meeting between Brogan, Andrew Dodge and the Gown Trust, led by former Irish Times foreign correspondent Conor O’Clery.

While Sloan and assorted Gownies criticised the SU leadership in emphatic terms, Cllr. Pauli condemned the language of the motion (“an attack on freedom of speech”) as “ridiculous.”

In a separate discussion concerning redevelopment of Union facilities, Brogan told Council that the current Gown office will become a “society storage space”.

-A motion brought by Cathy Corbett and Darren Leckey calling for SUTV’s suspension pending “further research” was defeated.

-VP Paul Courtney dismissed claims from some QUB GAA members, recently aired on a Facebook campaign page, that the current redevelopment of the Dub sporting facilities somehow prejudiced the organisation.

Queen’s Students’ Union have won in two categories at the 2010 Smedia Awards. VP Gareth McGreevy picked up the ‘Website of the Year’ award for the QUBSU website, and ‘Society Publication of the Year’ for the Student Handbook.

BY BRENDAN HUGHES

The 10th annual Oxygen.ie National Student Media Awards took place in the Mansion House in Dublin last night. The awards were dominated by Dublin-based student media, with Dublin City University emerging as the biggest winners, claiming 10 prizes.

President-elect McGreevy missed out on winning ‘Editor of the Year’ for his SU Mag work. The award instead went to University College Dublin.

Other QUB nominees failed to win awards: Cillian de Búrca lost out on ‘Radio DJ of the Year’, and Law Society publication, The Verdict, failed to garner enough public support to win the ‘People’s Choice’ category. McGreevy’s win for the Student Handbook also came at the expense of both SU Mag and The Verdict, being nominated in the same category.

It is reported that some students attending the awards expressed confusion at the final nominations tally. In some instances, students became nominees for categories they hadn’t entered, such as SU Mag’s nomination for ‘Society Publication of the Year’.

A full list of the nominees and winners can be found at the Oxigen.ie website.

A Facebook group has been set up, opposing plans to spend almost £30,000 on SUTV.

Link to Facebook Group

OPINION: SUTV just doesn’t add up

BY BRENDAN HUGHES

The Facebook group, called “QUB SUTV why waste £30,000?”, created by Niall Corry, has gathered a strong following of both supporters and some detractors in its short few days of existence.

SUTV (Students’ Union Television) is the much-mooted communication tool being proposed by the Student’s Union. The project aims to provide students with a high quality filming and editing suite in the Union building from which students may gain broadcasting experience.

However, scepticism of SUTV has been mounting, with the revelation that the plan would cost almost £30,000 to complete. Queen’s Annual Fund, a student contact centre which gives graduate donations towards student projects, have pledged £20,000. The remainder will be directly funded by the Students’ Union if other sources cannot be found.

Early last week, an opinion piece heavily criticising SUTV was published on The Gown website, sparking a surge of debate on the issue. VP Campaigns and President-elect, Gareth McGreevy, who has spear-headed the development of the scheme, expressed a knee-jerk aggravation to the criticisms via his Facebook page.

“Gareth McGreevy thinks you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t but maybe are better not doing and therefore just get an easy ride! On the other hand looking forward to writing a response piece and showing some people up!” He said.

McGreevy has not submitted a response to the criticisms but, in a slight change of tact, has instead welcomed students to speak to him privately about the issue.

Creator of the Facebook group, Niall Corry, a prominent member of the Queen’s Fencing Club, has encouraged discussion on the topic.

One person said, “Some of the money for the project is being taken from a trust fund I believe donated by former graduates…however even they can’t reach the £30,000 figure then the rest is going to come from student pockets!”

VP Paul Lilly questioned the ethics of the group members.

“Seems like some Raggies can’t handle the fact that SUTV made a successful bid to the Annual Fund. Honestly,” he said.

Another student said, “Queen’s Radio, the SU-Mag, the Verdict and the RAG magazine are all highly undersubscribed…Is the evidence really there to suggest SUTV wouldn’t follow in the same footsteps?”

“By creating SUTV (at huge expense), you are just spreading existing information around more thinly,” he added.

Link to Facebook Group

OPINION: SUTV just doesn’t add up

Adam McGibbon, the recently elected Union vice-president for welfare, is set for a second daunting electoral challenge this semester, successfully landing the Green Party’s nomination for Belfast South in the upcoming UK general elections. Queen’s University is situated in this constituency.

BY LORCAN MULLEN

The current MP, the SDLP’s Alasdair McDonnell, will be defending a slim majority against McGibbon, the UCUNF’s Paula Bradshaw, Sinn Fein’s Alex Maskey and Alliance’s Anna Lo, among others. In 2005, McDonnell won with 10,339 votes. In the 2007 Assembly elections, Green candidate Brenda Cooke secured a tally of 737 votes.

A postgraduate politics student at Queen’s University, McGibbon joined the Green Party in 2007 at the age of 19, becoming the youngest member of the Party’s Executive Committee and is currently the Chairperson of the South Belfast branch. He was elected unanimously at a meeting of the branch, and has already begun canvassing in the area.

Speaking to The Gown, McGibbon insisted that such canvassing, so far confined to non-student areas, had elicited an “excellent response”, with the Greens’ flagship ‘green new deal’ proving popular on the doorsteps. This ‘green new deal’ would see an estimated 38,000 jobs created in the renewable energy sector, with a particular boost for the beleaguered construction trade. Initial investment would go towards home insulation and indigenous forms of power generation, like woodchip farming and burning. McGibbon pointed out that these new blue-collar jobs would be largely immune to outsourcing, the consistent scourge of the North’s ever-faltering economy.

In South Belfast, McGibbon will be pushing a “20 is plenty” speed limit in built up areas, while also supporting free home insulation for any house that needs it. According to the Young Green, the apparent malaise over environmental campaigning after the failed Copenhagen summit, coupled with the murky media hype surrounding leaked emails from the University of East Anglia, has not reached the doorsteps of South Belfast. Rather, “people are more convinced that action has to be taken by them, not just governments.”

Apart from environmental and economic considerations, McGibbon stressed the power of the Greens’ untainted “new” politics, outside the bickering of sectarian division and unsullied from the various recent political scandals at Westminster. He asserted that the Greens are the only party in Stormont who do not accept corporate donations.

When pushed on the charge that his movement is a strictly middle-class pursuit, McGibbon reported a particular warmth from working class constituents when told of the Greens’ absence from the oft-repeated ‘heads in the trough’ behaviour of a large number of incumbent MPs and political leaders.

McGibbon also refuted the argument that a Green vote would increase the chances of the UCUNF (Conservative) candidate defeating Alasdair McDonnell. McDonnell and the SDLP typically vote with Labour at Westminster. He questioned the true progressive impulses of McDonnell, but also the Alliance Party, stating that “they aren’t honest in how they present themselves.”

Most importantly, McGibbon encouraged students to participate in the elections, primarily through registration at their place of study, “where they spend most of their time…let’s talk about cold houses, fuel poverty, student fees.”

With more than 20,000 studying at the university, a significant Union voter-registration drive could well see students dominate the political debate in this constituency for years to come, leveraging votes to commit the MP for South Belfast to policies that are good for students and young people, not just “permanent residents.”

SU President Shane Brogan has defended changes being made to office space in the Union amid tensions with staff and sabbaticals.

BY BRENDAN HUGHES

Brogan insists the changes, which are due to begin next week, will be for the benefit of the Union, creating more free space for students’ use.

“The offices in here aren’t efficient. My current office is about the same size as Peter Gregson’s,” Brogan said.

Currently, as much as half of all student room bookings are held in other Queen’s buildings due to the Union’s lack of space.

It is believed that the office shake-up has caused some tension in SU towers, with several members of staff and elected student officers unhappy with the changes. Some sources have complained that relevant parties were not given enough notice. However, Brogan has hit back at this suggestion, saying that proposals were presented to present Sabbatical officers in January, and have been talked about since June last year.

The office plans will see many Union employees who are currently in private offices move into shared rooms. It is intended that this will make the whole third floor free for students to use. One room on the third floor will be used for ‘hot-desking’ facilities, which will give students who run annual events a base with a phone and computer to work from for the required duration. Computers will also be installed with design packages such as Adobe InDesign, hoping to encourage students to develop high-quality faculty publications.

The biggest structural change sees the wall between the President’s current office and the reception knocked in to create one larger, communal office for Sabbatical officers. SU marketing and entertainments personnel will move into the current Sabbaticals’ office.

From approximately 5pm, the Holylands became rowdier, with the alcohol intake inevitably taking effect. Crowds of revellers gathered outside houses on Rugby Avenue, Agincourt Avenue, Carmel Street, Jerusalem Street and Palestine Street, with Rugby Avenue arguably the worst. Young people took to the middle of Rugby Avenue for a rendition of ‘Rock the Boat’, which then turned into the Irish national anthem. One young man mooned in the middle of the street before being unsuccessfully chased by a police officer.

BY CATHERINE WYLIE

The Gown spoke to a few Belfast natives who had turned up to “see what they could see”. One man said, “It only takes one person. I think something is definitely going to kick off.”

Those gathered in front gardens were visibly drinking, whilst some took to sitting on first floor window sills, or even on roofs. When asked what they thought of how the atmosphere had progressed, one student said, “This is ridiculous.”

VP Campaigns and Communications, Gareth McGreevy, said, “It has been contained with very little violence and rioting. There was an incident earlier in which seven people wearing pyjamas had come up from the Ormeau Road with a Rangers jersey. They were walking down Carmel Street, shouting “Burn it! Burn it!” The students didn’t want them there, and the situation was sorted quickly.”

Many students expressed how good the police had been. One said, “It may have went too far at this stage, but the police have been really nice. I suppose nobody is doing any harm.”

Another student said, “If I was a resident I’d hate it. It’s a bit scary.”

To which her friend replied, “They should confine all the residents to one street just for today!”

For more photos from the day, go to The Gown’s Facebook page.

The Gown has once again been suspended indefinitely from its office in the Students’ Union. The decision was taken unilaterally by Andrew Dodge, the unelected Director of the Students’ Union. The Union has again stopped The Gown from being distributed to students in the Union building.

UPDATE: Statement from The Gown Trust.

Dodge apparently based his decision on concerns over an article in today’s edition of the paper, which explains the paper’s recent spat with the Union. 

A memorandum was presented to Gown management earlier in the year in which the editor was asked to agree to a number of requests. These included the Union seeing all publications before they go to print, that the Union manager or President could sit in on The Gown Trust meetings, and that cold calling on Union staff and sabbaticals was forbidden. The Gown team was presented with the final draft of the memorandum last week. 

The decision to preserve the newspaper’s decades-long independence was included in Editor Catherine Wylie’s front page report in today’s print edition. Wylie said: “At no time in the history of The Gown, has the editorial team allowed Union staff to see issues before they go to print, and this won’t change.” Dodge has reacted to these assertions by renewing the office suspension. 

The Gown has received no information to suggest this substantial assault on free speech in the student body was discussed among, let alone sanctioned by, elected Union officials. President Shane Brogan has been unavailable for comment. 

At no point was The Gown’s previous suspension linked to any conditions regarding acceptance of the Union’s draconian curbs on a free campus press.

UPDATE: Statement from Gown Trust.

Gown have been locked out of their office today after publishing details of the protocol the students’ union was trying to make them sign. 

This shameful action contradicts the University’s Charter and Students’ Union Constitution which states that one of the aims of the Students’ Union is to promote and support “the opportunity of freedom of expression”. 

Gown has been operating as an independent student newspaper for half a century at Queen’s University. 

The Union has been pressurising the editorial staff by threatening to take away their office space if they do not sign a protocol under which they would have to accede to unreasonable demands, such as giving up the right to exclusive use of an office – which has for decades been available to them, a recognition of the key part the paper plays in the life of the university – and providing the Students’ Union sight of all editions before they are made publicly available. 

This would completely erode the independence of the newspaper. 

This action is a blow against freedom of expression for the students at Queens University and strikes at the heart of the universal concept of press freedom. It is totally unacceptable. The editor has the full support of the trust.

The mystery guest to DJ in Mandela Hall this Thursday night is Cool FM star Sonya Mac, it has been revealed.

For days the Union has been encouraging students to guess who will be taking over the reigns from Declan Gallen on Thursday’s ‘Twisted’ club night.

Sonya Mac is scheduled to play ‘Twisted’ Thurdays for a period of four weeks.

Who would you prefer to listen to: Sonya Mac or DJ Deci?

Illustration by Niall Mooney (click to view)