College Tribune | September 30th 2008
Features
17
A hidden history of UCD Part one: The move to Belfield
■ A panini: Not necessarily the one from 911, but they’re nice
The diary of a
a t s i n o i s s e c e R
1,000 jobs lost at the HSE. 221 jobs to go at a Kilkenny mine. Banking highs and lows. Whole dedicated sections in the papers for the economic crisis, loaded with and spurning out the following gloom: the HSE, the banks, the minister’s moody grimaces of apparent pain, the Taoiseach’s economic ‘war plan’. It’s all surely true, but miserable. Factual, but unrelated to a student’s trip to Aldi. And so, dear reader, the Tribune recession diary is here to detail all that exists in student downturn land. The re-design of the Arts Café has many a head turned towards its new brown and orange hues, but what really leaves a taste, and not from the same food in different adornings, is the continuation of a truly astronomical price tag. This year, the lure of the new wooden floors and Eddie Rocket’s booths will have to be conquered, and a variation must be sought. Don’t cast your eyes more than a few metres away where a spectacular transformation is occurring, even if you at first scoff over your latte. The emergency depot, formally known as 911, holds a surprise not terrifying. Last year, the average student cautiously made their way around the swathes of criss cross separator belts to be greeted with a zombie holding a knife, and then roared at with a short and succinct sentence “Yes! what!”. Cue the flinging of a roll over a counter of crumbs and straying coleslaw and lose your money for the pleasure of eating a rock. This year, recession has changed it for the better. Paninis with change of a fiver, and a top quality mocha for 60 cents. The woman behind the till has now discovered a facial movement known as a smile. Pick up your free campus newspaper as the news may be
too expensive ( you’d only read about how there’s no money out there anyway) and your first student recession battle has seen you victorious: you’re fed. With a full stomach, we progress onto pondering the technicalities of learning, while dodging the costs of our ‘free education’. Fighting the fees is clearly on every student’s recession diary, but what about the following current costs each student has undoubtedly by now incurred? A library fine that’s teetering so high you’re sure you’ll be accosted by librocop upon entrance of his holy ground, a bill for the student copy centre which acts as an excuse and a deterrent, a wad required for the books you know you must have for tutorials but will perhaps never read. In fact the furthest you’ll venture is an online summary. And so, we hit the nail on the head. The wonders of the World Wide Web. If you’re fortunate enough to be doing a course that involves older books, download the out of copyright versions on websites such as Project Gutenberg. It will also save you that backache now that your wallet has decided not to take the bus. Photocopy someone else’s centre copies. Its unethical, but it was acceptable in the 80’s, surely. And as for your library fine, you won’t be accosted when you enter the scholar’s paradise, but you will have to actually spend time in there. So you will have to perform the act of working. No taking the books out and dumping them on a rickety corner desk in a dark room. Tough moves perhaps but we see the clear benefits, and if anyone knows how to benefit out of the recession and slum it in style, it’s the students.
Jennifer Bray
1968 - The Year of the Barricades. 1,000 students are arrested in Warsaw after anti-state protests. The University of Rome is occupied for two weeks after anti-war demonstrations. Three students are killed in Brazil during marches against the military junta. Eighty-six people are injured in the anti-war ‘Battle of Grosvenor Square’ in London. Martin Luther King’s assassination sparks riots in 118 American cities. In Chicago, police and protesters clash for eight days outside the Democratic National Convention. Students take on Soviet tanks in Prague. France sees a social revolution with over ten million workers and students on strike. In UCD, we see the spark of movement. UCD purchased Belfield House in December 1933 and between 1948 and 1958, a number of adjoining properties with the interest of creating a new campus. This was mainly to reduce the chronic overcrowding existent in Earlsfort Terrace. UCD’s student population had expanded from little over 2,000 in 1939 to over 10,000 in 1969. Most of these were in the half-completed Earlsfort Terrace building, which even had it been finished, was only intended for 1,000 students. As early as 1963, concerns were raised over the planning of the move to Belfield. The Irish Times wrote that “the prospect of finding lodging for students (was) causing more and more concern...the area is not one in which students will easily find places to stay, since most of the houses there are designed as family homes.’’ However building went ahead and in 1964, Science became the first faculty to relocate to Belfield. The Irish Times described their new facilities as “severely functional” with “clean planning, spaciousness and a clever use of colour, relieving the eye of monotony”. Early 1965 saw U.C.D. President Dr. Jeremiah Hogan speaking at the conferring of degrees admitted that “the transfer of Arts would be the central and most complex operation” of the relocation. According to the Irish Times UCD Correspondent, the new restaurant in the Science building in Belfield was proving “insufficient to meet demands’’. When food prices then rose by 20%, students threatened a sit-in but it was called off at the last minute. A year later it was discovered that the new Belfield Arts block would “be too small to cope adequately with the projected number of students availing of it in the early 1970s’’. The Minister for Education Donogh O’Malley subsequentially met representatives of the U.C.D. Students’ Representative Council (SRC) who were anxious that the student’s building in Belfield be completed before the Arts faculty moved there in 1969.
Meanwhile, conditions in Earlsfort Terrace were worsening and there were murmurs of unrest. In June 1968 Medical students held a sit-in in the Medical Library demanding that it was kept open over the summer months. Students calling for longer opening hours also occupied the Arts Library. In January 1969, the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) issued a manifesto criticising what is described as the apparent lack 1968 - The and Yearconsultation of the Barricades. of planning on li1,000facilities studentsatare arrested in Warbrary Belfi eld. saw after after anti-state The the UniSoon the protests. manifesto, versity of Romeaismass occupied for two SRC organised meeting. It weeks after anti-war demonstrations. was resolved that there would be Three students are no move to Belfi eldkilled until in fullBrazil liduringservices marcheswere against the military brary available, that junta.Governing Eighty-six Body peopleshould are injured the be in the anti-war of fty Grosvenor abolished; that ‘Battle a fifty-fi staffSquare’committee in London. Martin Luther student should be set up King’s assassination riots in to govern the college;sparks but pivotally 118 students American cities. In the Chicago, that should occupy adpolice and protesters eight ministration building asclash soonfor as the days outside meeting ended. the Democratic National Students Just Convention. after lunchtime, overtake 140on Soviet tanks in Prague. students occupied threeFrance roomssees of a social revolution with tencolmilthe administrative wingover of the lion workers students Terrace. on strike. lege’s buildingand at Earlsfort In UCD, we see the of moveThey barricaded thespark doors and ment. remained overnight. The students UCD purchased Belfield House were protesting against, what thein December and between 1948 Irish Times1933 described as the “the and 1958 amove number of adjoining proposed of the universitypropto ertieseld...which with the interest of has creating Belfi they claim been a new campus Earlsfort Terrace were poorly planned and may require acquired.toThis was mainly to reduce students work under inadequate the chronic over-crowding circumstances”. The occupiersexistent used Earlsfort Terrace. UCD’s student ain loud speaker system to address population had expanded from little fellow students and distributed overets 2,000 1939 to over 10,000 leafl frominthe ‘’liberated zone ofin 1969. Most of these were in the duhalfUCD’’ printed on the ‘’college completed Earlsfort Terrace plicating service’’ which was building, in one which even hadrooms. it been finished, was of the occupied only intended 1,000 students. The studentforoccupation ended As early 1963, were at 11pm the as next day. concerns The decision was taken after a meeting of several
thousand students at the Great Hall in Earslfort Terrace who voiced their support of the occupation but called for it to end. Arising out of the occupation and subsequent mass meeting, UCD students voted on three proposals, (a) that the Governing Body be reformed so as to delegate effective power to join committees of staff and of students democratically elected; (b) that such a joint staff-student committee be set up to make all decisions perraisedtoover the planning theand move tinent the move to Belfiof eld; to no Belfi eld. The IrishbeTimes that decision should made wrote on that “the prospect of finding lodging the move without adequate consulfor students more tation with the(was) wholecausing body of staffand more concern ...Thedirections area is notthey one in and students, whose which obey; students nd places should (c)will thateasily no fistudent to stay, since mostfor of the theoccuhouses should be victimized there are designed as family homes.’’ pation. However building went aheadatand The motions were passed a in 1964meeting Scienceheld became the 5,000 first facmass by over ulty to in relocate to Belfi The Irish students the Great Halleld. on March 1969.described It was alsotheir decided boynewtofacilities 5thTimes cott normal lectures from with 9am “clean the as “severely functional” next morning and replaceand it with a planning, spaciousness a clever ‘marathon seminar’ on the the topiceye of of use of colour, relieving a ‘free university’. A meeting of 250 monotony”. members staffsaw registered “genEarlyof 1965 U.C.D.aPresident eral the students. Dr.goodwill” Jeremiah to Hogan speaking at the Out in Belfi a mass meet-that conferring of eld, degrees admitted ing of transfer several ofhundred students “the Arts would be the issued their of the operation” actions central andsupport most complex and of theAccording “teach in”tointhe of resolutions the relocation. Earlsfort Terrace. The “teach-in”the Irish Times UCD Correspondent comprised of two meetings new restaurant in large the Science buildining theinGreat during the mornBelfiHall eld was proving “insuffiing andto afternoon attended When by over cient meet demands’’. food 2000 students in each case. These prices then rose by 20%, students preceded simultaneously threatened a sit-in but itthroughwas called out College with debates on the offthe at the last minute. topics of the internal A year later it was structure discoveredofthat the theArts university in so-“be theuniversity, new Belfield block would ciety of society. too and smallthe to problems cope adequately with the projected number of students availing of it in the early 1970s’’. The Minister for Education Donogh O’Malley sub-
Sam Magrath