Comment

18 APR

The government’s Leaving Cert reform is directionless and ill-prepared

Norma Foley’s proposed reform of the Leaving Certificate cycle risks creating new anxieties – without solving existing ones

After decades of discussion and an equally long list of suggestions as to how it might be improved, the Leaving Certificate (Leaving Cert) is finally seeing substantial reform. Unsurprisingly, the reaction of the public to the proposed introduction of a …

17 APR

Sunday Longread: Student union engagement is facing a crisis, the UCD election results only prove that

The RON campaign against UCD candidates is a symptom of poor nationwide SU engagement

On April 1, four out of five officer races for the University College Dublin Students’ Union (UCDSU) elections resulted in a vote to re-open nominations. Amongst a backdrop of misinformation and gossip pages, these results represent more than the work …

13 APR

Trinity, I love you but you’re bringing me down

I adored my time here, and I think this place might be beyond saving

With the conclusion of my term as editor approaching, I’m preparing to say goodbye to Trinity for good. That’s no small thing; I’ve been here longer than almost anyone who isn’t now actually teaching classes. I remember the buildings that …

08 APR

Elitism and party politics in the Seanad

Nine years on from the failed referendum to abolish the Seanad, the chamber is still in dire need of structural and electoral reform. And with a by-election taking place this month, the need for reform is all the greater.

Seanad Éireann is in a contentious position. The by-election taking place this month, along with Lord Mayor Hazel Chu’s unexpected election bid, should put the Upper House of the Oireachtas at a significantly considerable position in the public imagination. However, …

06 APR

Ivana Bacik’s election as leader of Labour only cements the party’s detachment from the working class

Bacik’s associations with an austerity government will do little to abate Labour’s image as a staunchly middle class party.

The recent ascent of Ivana Bacik to the top of the political pops should come as no surprise. The Dublin Bay South TD encapsulates all that the Labour party has come to stand for today, which is actually very little. …

05 MAR

Nobody has a right to a namesake

Renaming the Schrodinger Theatre was not an act of censorship, but correction

Trinity recently decided to change the name of the Schrodinger Theatre back to its original name — Physics Lecture Theatre. This decision was made in light of evidence revealing Erwin Schrodinger to be a serial abuser and paedophile, and has …

Photo by Eliza Meller for Trinity News
04 MAR

Student pressure is essential to make College more convenient for all

There are many small things College could do to improve the student experience, but we need our student representatives to ensure these changes.

It’s a dreadful experience, known to all who call the Arts Building home. You’ve just been corralled into the world’s strictest socially distanced queue at the Perch, you’ve gotten your dangerously hot americano, and you’re ready to study. You’re going …