This issue marks the end of Volume 31 of the College Tribune. As the only self-funded student newspaper in Ireland, making it to the end of another year is always a success. By picking up a copy or reading online, you are continuing to support a tradition of independent journalism on campus that dates back to the paper’s origin.
Last year’s Tribune signed off with a piece on UCD’s forgotten plans to build a five-storey car park by the Clonskeagh entrance. Coincidentally, this issue almost ended with another parking piece. It comes at a time when UCD has just applied to the Council to keep using the old running track as a car park. It now wants to formally mark out 335 spaces for up to five years.
Using the facility for parking has already been debated, but the demand for parking on campus has recently increased due to the removal of 50 spaces to serve as a storage site for the construction of the Private Club. Don’t forget that the cost of permits will double to €100 next year, so drivers will be paying more to receive less.
But what’s the point of all these news reports on parking and construction projects? Stories about what UCD is trying to build may not be the most interesting pieces to read, but they are vital if you want to better understand where the money goes. Take the lead piece in issue 9, for example. UCD spent over €10 million on consultation fees for the failed Gateway Project over a decade ago. It’s coming back with a new name. Watch as the costs rack up for years before a shovel hits the ground.
UCD’s administration states it has no money for student projects, but wants to carry out the most ambitious development of Belfield in decades. The location of Andrew Deeks’ office may seem unimportant to students, yet the hundreds of thousands being spent to move it into Ardmore House is coming from university resources which could be used in a variety of ways. These may not be the stories we want to read, but they are the ones we need to follow. Here’s to another 31 Volumes!
Cian Carton – Editor
