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College Tribune | November 25th 2008
News News
Qualms over new ‘Science District’ ■ Professor voices concerns over ‘neglect’ of Arts and Humanities ■ Katie Godwin A philosophy lecturer in the college has accused UCD of placing “commercial interest ahead of academic integrity”. Responding to questions on the newly renovated Science Building, officially christened the “Science District”, Dr Brian Elliot stated that he feels President Brady’s promise at previous graduation ceremonies to renovate the Arts and Humanities building will not be realised. The Science District is promised to be completed by 2012, and will include complete refurbishment of all existing science buildings as well as construction of a new building of 10,000m sq. One of the advantages cited for this extensive project is that it will ‘attract world-class researcher to UCD’. However, Elliot considers the university’s new commercialistic ideals damaging to the academic progress of
the arts and uses his own subject as an example. “We have a thriving graduate research community (around thirty doctoral students) and yet the one graduate seminar we have for teaching purposes will receive no significant funding, when in reality we urgently require further dedicated teaching space. The reason for the denial of funding in such cases is quite simple: the university hierarchy sees no prospect of economic return on such investment.” For Elliott, the Science District plan is ‘symbolic’ of the dangerously commercialised place the university has become. Announcing the need for change, he worries about the effectiveness of the democratic system in the college. “The internal mechanisms of democratic decision making at UCD are clearly not functioning. Thus, the only way to address these issues is for concerned staff and students to come to-
gether in order oblige the President and university hierarchy to take their concerns seriously and act on them.” According to the college website for the developments in science “UCD’s
Science District presents a vision for science in Ireland in the early decades of the 21st century and a plan for UCD’s role in making that vision a reality”.
■ New Era: The UCD Science District
VOXPOP
Cruising reaction ■ Katie Godwin
Marcus O Laoire 2nd Year Arts
Students’ Union address gay cruising issue ■ SU President brings concerns to services ■ Claims of staff involvement brushed off by UCD SU President Aodhán O Deá has brought student’s worries over the recent warning issued on gay cruising to the attention of services within the college. Concerned about the proximity of one cruising area to the theatres frequently used by schoolchildren for debating, he believes that if a male was “involved in the same way” with a female student, there would be uproar. Meanwhile, claims that staff have been allegedly engaging in gay cruising on campus have been dismissed by UCD authorities. According to a spokesperson for the university, there is ”no legitimate basis” to provide an enquiry into whether staff are involved or not. However, one member of controversial cruising website squirt.org has
■ Tadhg Moriarty alleged to be a tutor in the Arts Faculty, with another member having an office in the Tierney building. Both men were willing to meet students in a variety of locations around campus. The latter of the men who claimed to be staff even offered to use the office he worked in after the other staff members had left to “have some fun”. O Deá has denounced the possible staff involvement outright. He feels it is “disgraceful staff could be engaging students in that way”. He condemned the “terrible practice” and felt action was needed by the college to investigate the matter and act on the findings. UCD has known of cruising ongo-
ing on campus since at least 2006 but has failed to act on the information. According to An Garda Siochana “sexual acts in public places are illegal” and the police force is “charged with the enforcement of this legislation”. In return for anonymity, one man who has engaged in cruising in UCD spoke briefly to the Tribune. He revealed for him “it’s just an occasional laugh but for others it's a compulsive need for the intense adrenaline rush and something approaching an addiction”. He further said that by exposing the “covert, underground, and secretive” practices ongoing on campus the story would “put the frighteners on anyone cruising on campus.” Security would “seriously step up vigilance” and it the practise would cease.
“Having read the article thoroughly I was quite surprised at the fact that people were gay cruising in the toilets. I have no problem with the gay community; I have a lot of gay friends. I think it is a bit shocking and indecent and I think it does give a bad image to the gay community,”
Patrick O Connor 3rd year GPEP “When I read about it, I was quite surprised. I didn’t think that sort of stuff went on around campus”
Barry Lonergan 2nd Year Arts “If someone approached me in the toilets, I have to say I would be a bit weirded out. However, other than that, to be honest I don’t really mind or care”
Richard Guidon Smith 1st Year Arts “Oh I think it’s scandalous. I think it gives a bad name to the gay community. If I was approached, I would definitely have the sense to turn it down”
Mathew Ellison 3rd year Arts “I think it’s shocking. We live in a time where sexual disease is rampant and this kind of behaviour is not going to do anything to remedy this. It’s very discomforting for other people as well. It discourages me from using the toilets. Who wants to use a cubicle knowing that it has been used for gay cruising?”
Conor McKennaDrama Society Auditor “I wouldn’t like to discriminate against anyone, it’s important that everyone can cruise whether you be gay or bisexual or transgender. Everyone has a right to cruise. That’s in the statute of human rights I believe, isn’t it? I went on a cruise around the Caribbean there last summer…”