Irish Student Newspaper of the Year 2008 SCIENCE 19 WORLD REVIEW 10 Is it possible that The lustre of diamonds we are still fades quickly in the evolving? PAGES 12 & 13 arms trade Every candidate profi led ELECTION Bacik recalls her presidency PREVIEW HUMAN EVOLUTION Our readers’ biggest issues TRADING IN DEATH Tuesday 10 February 2009 www.trinitynews.ie Issue 8, Volume 55 TRINITY IS a sheltered enviroment, to be sure, with College Security ever vigilant against any unpleasant elements that might SU defends cause disquiet in the cloistered halls of academia. High up on the hit list are students, an irritating distraction from the vital functions of research, administration and attracting tourists that constitute the real business of a Modern campaigning University. The men in the yellow jackets were however powerless to prevent the snow that malingered around campus all week. Loitering on the inviolate lawns and scaling the roof with no fear of man or rule changes Junior Dean, it ensured that even to nip across to the Buttery for a cup of coffee and a three-hour » Credit system introduced chat was to run a gauntlet of ceasless intimidation. » Campaign orders must now go through SU The student body made the best of it, wrapping up warm and » Objections at SU Council Meeting teaching Erasmus students how to talk about the weather. Or was it » Sullivan apologies for “cheating” comment the current economic climate...? Photo: Martin McKenna By Lisa Byrne not been set, however, candidates must Deputy College News Editor keep within their €600 spending limit. Candidates are permitted to use hand- THE ELECTORAL Commission, the made clothing but must keep within the Student Union’s governing body for the budget and all clothing must be stamped Ambassador gives secret lecture Sabbatical Elections, has introduced new by the EC before use. The EC has rules to regulate this year’s election. In promised to ensure that all campaign a bid to combat what Education Offi cer designs will be kept in the strictest of By David Molloy at Dr Hayden’s SS lecture minutes Hugh Sullivan, deemed the “falsifying confi dence before the campaigns begin. beforehand, and described the content of expenditure”, candidates must now Stunts, a common feature of previous of the Ambassador’s address as “a order all campaign materials through election campaigns, will also be subjected A RECENT visit to the college by Israeli one-sided account of the Arab-Israeli the EC. Candidates will also be subject to this strict budget. While the EC have Ambassador Zion Evrony was kept confl ict, from the foundation of the to a budget of €600. said that they encourage “inventive and secret from students at the request of Israeli state to the modern fl are-ups in In previous years, candidates were the Israeli embassy, it emerged last Gaza”. allowed to order their own materials ‘2 or 3 days of week. Booth estimated that there were but had to provide receipts showing campaigning The visit took place at 3pm on more than two hundred students in adherence to the budget. However, could make all Thursday the 29th of January, in the form attendance. He also provided details according to Mr Sullivan, receipts were the difference’ of an address given to a Junior Freshman of the security at the event, reporting often falsifi ed in a bid to ‘enhance’ their Hillary Allen class in the Department of Political there there to be approximately eleven budgets. In an attempt to prevent this Science. The visit had been organised by members of the Israeli embassy security practise, which can see candidates’ original stunts”, they have warned that staff in the department, according to the staff present, in addition to at least one names struck off the ballot, all material these stunts must be in accordance with college communications offi ce. “It was member of the Garda Síochana and and clothing must be ordered through the election regulations and must be agreed by Prof Kenneth Benoit, Head of members of college security. the Electoral Commission. pre-approved by the EC. the Department of Political Science and Booth also claimed the Israeli Flyers, manifestos and posters will Another new addition sees the arranged by the lecturer responsible for Israeli Ambassador Evrony in the Edmund Burke. Photo: Andrew Booth security staff had used a device to scan be subject to the previous stringent introduction of a credit system, which the ‘Introduction to Politics’ course, Dr. the lecture theatre for security risks. limits and conditions. Flyers may be abolishes the previous fi ne system. Jacqueline Hayden,” a spokesperson would have wanted security checks in biased coverage”. He further reiterated Chief Steward Pat Morey declined a maximum size of A6 and are limited Instead of paying a fi ne as result of said. place at the entrance to the Burke and his previously expressed opinions that to comment on the visit, though the to 4,000 per candidate, with posters breaking the election rules, candidates Professor Benoit confi rmed that the we did not feel this was either desirable Israel’s recent operation in the Gaza communications offi ce confi rmed the printed on A3 with a maximum of 2,000 will now be subject to a credit system, visit had not been announced at the or even feasible.” strip was a “war of self defence” and that presence of Israeli security staff. Mr per candidate. Manifestos, setting which sees them begin the campaign insistence of the Israeli embassy. “We During the course of his address, “Hamas has cynically used the civilian Evrony made his entrance and departed out candidate’s campaign pledges, are with 60 credits. Should a candidate were asked by the ambassador, indeed Mr Evrony asked students to “forget population as human shields”. through the access door at the rear of limited to 2,000 per candidate and must be in breach of any rule, the EC will this was a condition of his visit, not about what you have read and listen to Andrew Booth, SS Philosophy the Arts Building lower concourse. be size A4. to announce it beforehand. If we had another point of view,” citing “a lot of and Political Science, was one of the The Israeli embassy was unreachable The quantity of printed clothing has continued on page 2 announced it beforehand, the embassy misinformation in the Irish media and attendees. He had learned of the visit for comment at the time of writing. Students march on Dáil Exemptions Kasia Mychajlowycz International News Editor 15,000 STUDENTS marched on the abolished government buildings in Merrion Square, according to Garda estimates, By Conor Sullivan This is a big departure from the present last Wednesday to protest the re- - BESS students currently sit 7 papers introduction of fees for third-level over 21 hours. The review found wide education, which has become a real STUDENTS TAKING Schols this year variations across College in the exams possibility in the present economic will be the last to enjoy exemptions themselves and the proportions of crisis. Students from many colleges in from their Annual examinations, under students being successful in getting the Dublin area and beyond marched changes that will be introduced from Schol - 44% of students in the Faculty from the Garden of Remembrance next year. At present, students who of Health Science who sat the exams to Leinster House, where they were score a II.1(60%) are exempt from their got Schol in 2004-2006, compared to addressed from a platform by Brian annual exams, effectively a six month only 16% of students in Engineering or Hayes and Ruairí Quinn, the Fine Gael summer holiday from April to October. Science. Last year there were 5 Scholars and Labour spokesmen on education, Lecturers from across College have in the School of Law, with about 120 SF Sinn Féin Senator Pearse Doherty, Left: Marchers on O’Connell Street. Photo: Andrew Booth. Above: The Trinity complained that the current system students, while there were 7 Scholars in former Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins contingent leave Front Square. Photo: Andrew Holohan leads to students sitting the exam just Theoretical Physics, with 35 students. and the general secretary of the Irish to get exemptions, and these students Each course will now have to Federation of University Teachers Mike where they chanted slogans, demanded, break-off march had been planned in college’s students. A TCD security guard rarely attend lectures in Trinity Term, prepare statements justifying how the Jennings. at one point, for Brian Cowen to come the event that “there was a suffi cient estimated that there were “well over a as they are supposed to. This has led to examinations they set are consistent Not all students were willing to listen out and speak to them, and gave speeches mood to go a little further than USI.” In thousand” Trinity students gathered problems as Trinity term coursework is with the institution of Scholarship, and to the speakers however. One group through the megaphone to the crowd. regards to FEE’s relationship with the in Front Square, taking up about half neglected. a College committee will oversee this. broke off from the rest, marched against The gates of the Daíl were protected by USI, Mr. Beatty said: “We’ve met with the square and making a racket with The change follows a review of Schols There was concern that talented traffi c down Leinster St., turn on to at least a dozen Gardaí on foot, and two Dave Curren a number of times, there’s the whistles handed out by members that has been ongoing since 2005.