FOLLOWING several years of bad behaviour, NUIG SU Council last week voted to abolish their annual charity week festivities. The event, which was renamed College Week in a bid to reduce unsavoury behaviour, has attracted unprecedented poor publicity in recent years afoot of a culmination of unfavourable events.
At a special sitting of NUIG SU Council, 95% voted in favour of abolishing the event. Instead, five concessions have been agreed with NUIG and will be put in place. These an alternative single day event, concert or festival will be organised for the spring semester, while the €2 charge for members of sports clubs to use the Kingfisher facility will be removed.
Upwards of €60,000 per annum will be added the Student Assistance Fund, which exists to assist those who are at risk of discontinuing their education due to financial hardship, while assurances have been made that charges will not be applied to the services provided at the Student Health Centre.
The final concession is placement of SU Noticeboards about the campus.
NUIG SU President Emmet Connolly said: “Over the past four years alone, the Students’ Union has raised over €100,000 through rag week, however, this is often forgotten. The actions of a minority of people, many of whom are not NUIG students, have been very destructive and the SU has decided not to continue with something seen to support the behaviour of that minority.”
Last year’s College Week coincided with Charity week in UL in an effort to curb the number of individuals travelling to a college other than their alma mater. Concerns have been raised that the abolition of the NUIG event may lead to an influx of students from there progressing to UL’s Charity Week. So far, ULSU has not stated its official position on the matter.
Molly Cantwell 
Daragh De Klein