Publication 3.23 - Dundalk Institute of Technology

Issue 23. April 22nd 2009
Pictures from the Gala Performance of the Gondoliers,
more inside....
Pictured Left:
HE Ambassador of
Malaysia Raja A.
Nazrin ,
Dr Martin McAleese,
HE President Mc
Aleese,
Madame Nazrin,
Ms Nazrin
Pictured Right
Mr Denis Cummins,
President DKIT,
Dr Gerard Bob
McKiernan, Head of
School of
Informatics, Music and
Creative Media,
Dr Eibhlís Farrell, Head
of Music and Creative
Media,
HE President McAleese,
Dr Martin McAleese
Triumph for The Gondoliers and the
Department of Music and Creative Media
DkIT music students have been
celebrating the visit of Her
Excellency President McAleese to
their production of The Gondoliers
on Monday 23rd March.
The
audience included many members of
the DkIT community who welcomed
the opportunity to meet the
President and to enjoy, with her, the
marvellous performance of the
Gilbert and Sullivan classic which
had been given a contemporary
makeover by producers Mary
McCague and Siubhán Ó Dubháin.
They were joined by politicians from
Ms Caroline O’Sullivan, Head of Creative Media Programmes, HE President Mc Aleese,
north and south as well as several
Dr Eibhlís Farrell, Head of Music and Creative Media, Ms Adèle Commins, Head of Music
ambassadors, representatives of
Programmes
John Sisk & Son Ltd., the main
sponsors, and other distinguished guests in the Campus Restaurant, where they were entertained by the DkIT Traditional Ensemble, under the direction of Gerry O’Connor. Her Excellency
President McAleese and Dr Martin McAleese were warmly welcomed by Mr Denis Cummins and
Dr Gerard Bob McKiernan and presented with the gift of a book entitled Aoibhneas Na Bealtaine
by music research student, Tommy Fegan.
The cast was led by the two Gondoliers, tenor David Lynn from Mayo who earned an encore for
his stunning rendition of ‘Take a pair of Sparkling Eyes’, and Dundalk man, the gorgeous Dermot
‘Bam’ O’Connor. The many notoriously tricky patter songs had been given a contemporary twist
by Mary McCague and both Bam and his colleagues Rory Quinn (the Duke of Crowne-Plazatoro)
and John Boylan (Donal Hamra) made light work of them. The girls were also in good voice, with
Claire McManus, another Mayo student, causing uproar as the liquor-loving Duchess. Leann
Guildea’s beautiful soprano voice made her the ideal Casilda, and Siobhan Murphy gave a superb rendition of ‘When a Merry Maiden Marries’. Other solo roles were well played by Suzanne
McDonnell, Conor Haughton, Luke Bermingham, Niamh Kerr, David Eakin, Kaiya King, Dearbhail
Downey, Brendan Staunton, Niall McGuigan, Fionan Stapleton, Hannah Casey and Alan
McCahey. One cameo role which deserves special mention was that played by Dubliner Aaron
Roche, who played Elvis... how he got into the plot of The Gondoliers, we’ll never know.
During the Interval the guests were entertained by the fourth year jazz duo Celsey McFadden
and Jimmy Brennan both from Mayo. The chorus and orchestra, under the direction of Caitriona
McEniry gave a tremendously spirited performance, and all had the chance to meet the Her
Excellency during the Interval, and to join in a photo-call with her and Dr McAleese after the final
curtain.
Mrs Mairead McKiernan, Ms Angela Maguire, Dr Carmel Naughton,
HE President McAleese, Dr Martin McAleese
Mr Tommy Fegan,
postgraduate
researcher in music presenting a copy of
Aoibhneas na Bealtaine on behalf of the
Department of Music and Creative Media
to HE President McAleese and Dr Martin
McAleese
Above: Mr Tom D’Arcy, Treasurer Dundalk Credit Union,
Mr Denis Cummins, President, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Mr Jim Kelly, Chairman of Dundalk Credit Union,
HE President McAleese, Dr Martin McAleese & Mr Billy
Pictured right: Mr Dermot Ahern TD, Mrs Maeve Ahern, HE
President McAleese, Mrs Elizabeth Bicker, Dr Martin
McAleese, Councillor Harvey Bicker, Member of Council of
State
An Foras Feasa Music Appointment at DkIT
Dr Ian Wilson has been appointed An Foras Feasa Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Dundalk Institute of
Technology, an 18-month post based in the Department of Music and Creative Media.
His research project will investigate how traditional Irish musicians ‘personalize’ Irish tunes through
particular kinds of ornamentation and embellishment. The research will identify a number of these
gestures and subsequently seek to use them as the basis of new works, in the process seeking a marriage
between aspects of traditional Irish music and contemporary art music. Ian will work closely with
sean-nós singer Lorcán Mac Mathúna and with DkIT lecturers, fiddler Gerry O’Connor and composer Rory
Walsh during the project.
Ian Wilson was born in Belfast and began composing while studying at the University of Ulster. He has
written more than 90 pieces, including chamber operas, concertos, string quartets, and a range of
orchestral and chamber music. His compositions have been performed and broadcast on six continents,
and performed at festivals including the BBC Proms, Venice Biennale, Frankfurt Bookfair, ISCM World
Music Days, the Cheltenham, Brighton and Bath festivals. In 1991, Running, Thinking, Finding received
the composition prize at the Ultima festival in Oslo, and in 1992 he received the Macaulay Fellowship
administered by the Arts Council. In 1998 he was elected to Aosdána, Ireland’s State-sponsored body of
Creative Artists and from 2000 to 2003 he was AHRB Research Fellow at the University of Ulster.
Recordings of his music have been released on the Diatribe, Black Box, Timbre, Riverrun, Guild and
Chandos labels, among others, and his website address is www.ianwilson.org.uk. His music is published by
Ricordi (London) and Universal Edition.
HIGH STANDARD OF GRADUATES FROM DKIT BRINGS NEW JOBS TO DUNDALK
From the RTE News website 22 April 2009
26 new jobs for graduates are being created in Dundalk by Chinese company Chemical
Inspection & Regulation Service Ltd.
The firm, which is setting up its European headquarters in the Co Louth town, tests chemicals for
businesses to ensure they comply with EU REACH standards.
Managing Director of CIRS Ireland Paul Nolan said they had chosen Dundalk because of the
high standard of graduates from the local Institute of Technology, strong IDA support and the
presence of Chinese firm SATIR in the town
The new offices were officially opened by Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern.
The announcement was made on the same day as a new study was published, which says
12,000 jobs could be created in Co Louth over the next 12 years.
The study, which was carried out by Indecon Economic Consultants, said areas such as high-end
manufacturing offer great potential for growth although it acknowledges the immediate future will
be 'challenging'.
Mature Students raise Funds for Aware
On Tuesday 24 March DkIT
Mature Student Society
hosted a pub quiz in Good
Time Charlies, Dundalk to
raise much needed funds
for Aware – an organisation
which works with people
suffering mental health
problems.
The aim of
Aware is to support people
through different therapies
and help them to reach their
full potential. DkIT Mature
Students also feel it
important to highlight the
issue as depression is
something that affects us all
at some point in our lives.
The event was a phenomenal success thanks to a great turnout and the hard work and commitment of the DkIT Mature Student Society Committee. We would like to express our thanks to
Donagh McKeown (Relive Productions) who volunteered to be quiz master. His entertaining
style and quick wit made the night a great laugh for all!
Charlie of Good Time Charlies
generously donated €100 to provide
to the winners of the quiz and was
most supportive of the event, despite
us running a little over time! A Big
Congratulations to the winners, Dave
Quinn, Lynn Cullen and Kevin Martin.
We raised almost €600 for Aware.
This event was our first fundraiser of
2009 and will be followed by a Theme
day in DkIT and Theme Social in
Silence nightclub in the coming
weeks – all in aid of Aware. So
please look out for our posters and
promotion and support the cause!
DkIT Hill Walking Society Outing
Eighteen members of DkIT’s Hill Walking Society had a great day’s hiking in the
magical Mountains of Mourne on Saturday last. The walk was led by Engineering
Department Lecturer Eoghan Bailey, who is a qualified mountain leader. The group
started from The Gamekeeper’s Lodge, near the village of Attical, Co Down. The
route took them along an ancient green road known locally as ‘Batts Road’, through
boggy moorland along the shores of the beautiful Lough Shannagh and up the
steep slopes of Carn Mountain. From here they followed Batts Wall up the slopes of
Slieve Muck and back to the Gamekeeper’s Lodge.
They had a wonderful day, enjoying the most marvellous scenery along the way.
The weather was great too and in the end the walkers were glad to see the bus after a 12km walk and climbing over 500 metres in height. It was very much a cosmopolitan outing with students from France, Germany, Portugal and Ireland and a
number of staff members also taking part.
Another walk in the Mournes is planned for 2nd May next. Contact Diarmuid Cahill,
Clubs and Societies Officer for details.
My first day in
DKIT
ZhangJing
The day when I arrived in DKIT, I had
no idea about how to use the vending
machine. It was on a Monday, after the
class I felt so thirsty and I wanted to
buy a soft drink. When I was at the
vending machine, I became very
confused. because there was no
instructions about how to use this
machine and no prices for any
product. I felt totally desperate and
impatient. I thought I was so useless
that I could not buy a drink.
Moreover , I missed my family and
friends so much.
At that time, when I decided to give up trying to use the vending machine, there was a
caretaker who came and asked me if I needed some help. I said “yes, I want to buy
something to drink but I have no idea about how to use it and about the price.” He smiled
and said “oh, girl, do not worry. It is not a big deal, which drink do you want to buy? I will
help you.” Then he help me out and taught me how to use this machine. I really appreciated
his help and planned to give him a little Chinese gift. However, he refused and said “no gift,
thank you. I am happy to help people. Seeing you happy is my best gift. Welcome to my
country and you will find everyone here is friendly and hospitable. I hope you will enjoy
your life.” - while he gave me a warm hug and said goodbye.
This kind act made a big impression on me. In a foreign country, a good man helped me out
and treated me as his own daughter which gave me a special feelings such as I was at home.
From then on, I really loved this country, loved its people, l really loved everything here. I
am no longer nervous and frightened here, because I know if I am in trouble no matter
where and when, someone will help me out and give me a warm hug.
Bring some Sunshine into a child’s life this summer!
Sunshine House is a holiday centre for
children located in Balbriggan beside
the beach. They have been providing
week long holidays for children from all
over Dublin for over 70 years and in recent years Limerick, Athy, Roscrea and
Dundalk. A unique part of the Society
of Saint Vincent de Paul, The Sunshine
Fund aims to give children between the
ages of 7 - 11 happy summer memories. They take from 60 – 100 children
per week starting 1st June until the season ends at the end of August. The
number of children directly depends on
the number of volunteers they have.
A Sunshine holiday lasts for eight days
(from Saturday to Saturday). The volunteers collect the children from Dublin city and transport them to Sunshine House. While there,
they look after them throughout the day and night. They organise football leagues, beach competitions, or arts and crafts, crab hunting and much more! Even more importantly, they also provide a friendly face, listening ear and endless encouragement—which some children may
never get at home. Meals and a full laundry service are provided by our household staff.
I started volunteering here in 2004 and returning for my sunshine holiday in balbriggan every year
is a must! It is a fantastic week of fun and smiles and the team spirit amongst the volunteers is
second to none. One of my favourite memories is the crab hunting (don’t worry, you’re not
obliged to pick them up!) I remember lifting up stones and watching as a swarm of kids scuttled
around excitedly trying to fish out crabs from the little rock pools that appeared. "There he is"
they'd scream, "quick, lift up that stone” "he's gone in there!" I was jumping from stone to stone
and pool to pool trying to catch a crab, I caught about two! I thought they'd bite, but the kids weren't bothered, they were picking up loads – handfuls and putting them in buckets – to be judged,
that was my job the second time we went crab hunting. It started with one or two crabs in each
bucket, that was easy enough to judge, but suddenly I had a full bucket of crabs put in front of me
by a little pair of hands and I had to count them!
I got used to plunging my hand into the buckets of crabs to see how many there were. I never
knew there were so many different coloured crabs – brown, red and green, and big and small
ones.
I had to come up with I think five categories to give prizes for: prettiest crab, most colourful crab,
the liveliest, biggest and the most psychedelic crab!
Most of the kids worked in teams, of course the teams changed about ten times over the afternoon, "I'm with him" "she's on my team" "Mary's helping us now" etc. So working out who got a
prize for what took some time! All the children got prizes for something at some point during the
week, as well as a prize just before going home – for good behaviour at meal and bed times. All
the children are included and rewarded every day, as participation and inclusion are what Sunshine is all about.
If you are interested in volunteering for a week this summer check out the website at http://
www.sunshinehouse.ie or contact 01 819 8430 on Tuesday / Wednesday evenings between 6 –
8 PM.
Upsurge in Numbers Seeking to Return to Education
19% increase in number of mature students applying through Central Applications Office
Need to Develop More Part-Time Programmes
Ten thousand applicants for college places through the Central Applications Office this
year are 23 years of age or older, an increase of 19% on last year's figures. The significant increase has been accompanied by a growing number of queries to higher education
institutions by mature
learners about returning to education.
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) Chief Executive, Tom Boland, stated "The figures
reflect two trends. Firstly, there are those already in the workplace who want to raise their
skills to new levels. Secondly, there are those who have become unemployed and see the
value of retraining to secure employment in the future."
"Our universities, institutes and colleges have long-recognised the needs of those wishing
to return to higher education, and have dedicated resources in place to meet the needs of
mature students. Many of them, particularly the Institutes of Technology, are developing
specific programmes aimed at upskilling those who have been made redundant."
"Ireland's future economic health rests on more well educated workers and they will increasingly come from those returning to education."
He pointed out that there are already over 10,000 full-time students in the higher education system over 30 years of age.
A total of 10,005 applicants for higher education places this year are over 23, up from
8,432 last year. Not all applicants will be offered a place, but those applicants can progress to third level by completing Post-Leaving Cert or other further education courses as
a stepping stone to third level.
The following chart shows the
growing numbers of those
over 23 applying for full-time
higher education courses.
The figures demonstrate the real hunger for educational qualifications that exists in the Irish
population. Further growth in the numbers of adults participating in higher education can be
stimulated by improving the support for and breadth of part-time courses and other courses
delivered flexibly (such as by open & distance learning). Our performance to date in reaching out
to adults has been undermined by the limited availability of part-time study opportunities at undergraduate level.
Currently, only 7 per cent of entrants to undergraduate programmes are part-time students. The
effectiveness of part-time courses in reaching out to adults is evident in the fact that 86 per cent
of those part-time undergraduate entrants were mature students (aged 23 or over) and 60 per
cent were aged over 30.
Tom Boland continued, "The current low level of part-time study opportunities limits the accessibility of higher education for working adults and adults with caring responsibilities. It also limits
the study opportunities available to school leavers who may prefer to, or need to, combine work
and part-time study."
"Tapping into the potential demand for higher education among adults who are unemployed or in
vulnerable employment will present challenges for the higher-education sector and opportunities
to build on the strengths of the Irish education system within a lifelong learning framework."
The HEA is currently working closely with higher education institutions on the development of
flexible and appropriate labour market activation measures.
Learners considering returning to education are well-served by the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), which provides an easily understood framework for students at all levels to access education, transfer between adult and higher education, and progress from one level of
qualification to another.
The HEA's award-winning website,
financial supports available to students.
www.studentfinance.ie
outlines
all
forms
of
Hawcroft Goes For Gold
David Hawcroft in the Department of
Applied Sciences is attempting to show
us that there is more to life in the elderly
than watching Coronation Street. During
the summer of 2008 he completed a
series
of
triathlons
and
eventually
became the Irish National Age Group
Champion,
Champion
and
for
Triathlon races.
In
addition
completed
David
the
recently
Connemara
Ultramarathon finishing the 40
mile course in 5 hours and 55
minutes to come 30 out of 103
finishers (survivors?) and first in
his age group.
He
is
looking
forward
to
retirement this coming summer
for a good rest.
also
the
Irish
series
National
of
Sprint
Gaming Entrepreneurs Take Gold
Four students from the School of Informatics, Music and Creative Media have just won the Irish
Innovation Accelerator Award. The four are Anthony Mc Guinness (Games Development 3rd
year), Christopher Mc Cormick (Games Development 2nd year), Jacob Lowndes (Games
Development 1st year) and Claire Singleton (Creative Media 1st year). The team have designed
and developed a very clever game that is aimed at the primary school market in Ireland and
abroad.
The Irish Innovation Accelerator Award is an all-Ireland competition. The aim of this competition
is to identify innovative software products that can be brought to market. The format of the competition is similar to the Dragon’s Den. The Dragon’s in this competition were executives from
both Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland.
The next adventure for the team is to travel to Dublin on the 30th April, where they will take part
in a real Dragon’s Den. Here the team will have the opportunity to pitch their product to a panel
of international software industry investors, with the view to taking their product to the market.
If the team can secure an investment from one of the Dragons, they intend to commercialise
their game. The team have plans to expand their software so that it can be used as an aid to
teaching children any of their curriculum subjects.
Pictured above are the Irish Innovation Accelerator Award winners Anthony Mc Guinness,
Claire Singleton, Jacob Lowndes and Christopher Mc Cormick.
STEP INTO SPRING
A group of third year students from the Event Management
programme organised a fashion show with the theme Step Into
Spring. It was held on the 11th of March on the Fairways Hotel,
Dundalk and it was a resounding success.
The talented
organisers were;
Sarah Dunne,
Daniel Brophy,
Majellae Tonerad
Linda Halpenny.
STEP
INTO
SPRING
Students Union Elections Results
Subhash Khanal and Luke McGahon were returned as
Vice-President and President respectively.
There was a record turnout.
The results were as follows:
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
There were 7 spoiled votes.
There were 1656 valid votes.
The Quota was 829:
Aidan Carr 50 votes
Cathal Johnson 28 votes
Luke McGahon 1104 votes.
Jonathon McGailey 374 votes
Olivia Purcell 100 votes
.
VICE-PRESENTIAL ELECTION
There were 11 spoiled votes.
There were 1656 valid votes.
The Quota was 829:
Subhash Khanal 1478 votes
John Loughlin 178 votes
The School of Business Studies & Humanities Medal for
Personal Development / Active Citizenship
Introduction:
The current emphasis in policy legislation is on the creation and encouragement of
volunteerism and civic engagement. In April 2006, the Taskforce on Active Citizenship was established to review the evidence regarding trends in citizen participation
across the main areas of civic, community, cultural, occupational and recreational
life in Ireland. One of the main targets set by the taskforce is to increase the pool of
people active in their community by 60,000 each year for the next 3 years.
Aim
The aim of this award is to reward students who participate in activities that will enhance their personal and professional development. It will support the goal of student active citizenship and recognise and reward students who engage in a highly
committed programme of extra curricular activities both inside and outside the college. The awarding of the medal identifies these students as positive role models,
both within the student body and the wider community.
Alongside a full-time academic programme, a number of students are actively engaged in a rich and varied array of extra curricular activity. This activity requires a
high level of personal commitment and motivation, and leads to the accumulation of
a range of transferable skill sets which enhance personal and professional development. The development of this award is in recognition of students’ commitment and
effort and of the asset that these students are to their peers, the Institute and the
wider community. A central focus of the award is on the students’ ability to achieve
a satisfactory balance between the demands of their academic programmes and
their extra-curricular activities. Therefore, only students who are attending class
and passing their exams will be considered for the award.
Activities considered for the Award include:
• Peer Mentoring
• Community Development Activity
• Outstanding Commitment / Achievements (including sporting, cultural, entrepreneurial, charitable)
•
Overcoming Personal Difficulties / Obstacles
The School of Business Studies & Humanities Medal for Personal
Development / Active Citizenship
Nomination Form
Closing date: Thursday 30th April for receipt of nominations.
Nominations to be submitted to Business Studies Office.
To be completed on behalf of the Nominee. Student nomination must be seconded
by staff member.
Name of Nominee:
Student Number:
Programme of Study:
Year:
Email:
Mobile Phone:
Reasons for Nomination:
Nominated by:
Seconded by:
“I declare that the information provided on this form is true and accurately
represents my extracurricular achievements.”
Signature of Nominee:
_____________________________
BECAUSE YOU’RE WORTH IT
The L’Oréal UK and Ireland Fellowships For Women In Science are
awards offered by L’Oréal UK & Ireland with the support of the UK
National Commission for UNESCO, the Irish National Commission for
UNESCO, the Royal Institution of Great Britain, and the UK Resource
Centre for Women in SET to promote and celebrate, enhance and
encourage, the role and achievements of women pursuing their
research careers in the UK or Ireland in the fields of the life or physical
sciences.
Four Fellowships will be awarded in 2009 to outstanding women
scientists at postdoctoral level to enable and/or facilitate promising
scientific research in the life or physical sciences. The Fellowships,
each worth £15,000 (equivalent € for candidates in Ireland), are tenable
at any UK or Irish university or research institute to support a 12-month
period of research. The award can be spent in innovative ways to
enable women scientists to pursue and continue their research careers
– such as buying equipment, paying for childcare or funding travel costs
to an overseas conference.
If someone in your organisation is interested in applying, details of the
awards including the online application are available at h t t p : / / w w w. u n e s c o . o r g . u k / F W I S _ N a t i o n a l . h t m
and
www.womeninscience.co.uk
ELIGIBILITY - SUMMARY
Candidates must be female postdoctoral researchers who have already
been awarded their research doctorate.
Candidates must have no more than 8 years active full-time postdoctoral
experience (discounting career breaks, but including teaching experience
and/or time spent in industry).
Candidates must be undertaking research in the life or physical sciences.
Candidates must be conducting their research at a UK or Irish university or
research institute.
Candidates must be a citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA), or a
Swiss citizen, or have permanent residence status in the UK or Ireland; and
must be residing in the UK or Ireland at the time of application.
N.B. Candidates returning to scientific research after a career break are eligible to apply.
DKITalk by Fiona Taaffe
Dear Blog...20/4/09
Hey homeslices,
Where to begin.....hmmm...I know!! With the
little revelation that DkITalk is now an award winning radio show!!
No, don’t fret, you haven’t woken up in some sort of Bizarro world where disposable income is
plentiful, reality tv is meaningful and Bono isn’t insufferable. We actually did win an award. But far
be it from us to gloat and revel so I will move swiftly on....
.....
So, after facing something of a moral dilemma on our way to the studio (RIP nameless cat) we
finally arrived for one of the last shows of the year. Please, save your tears. Olivia was MIA this
week adding fuel to the rumours that have been setting the internet ablaze this week – you know
the ones; about the painkiller addiction, the secret pregnancy, the organic food market...right?
No...
Anyway, this week’s show –
-‘His Humbleness’ Iarla manages to make even Fight Like Apes look uncool.
-My strange detachment from reality – phone number what now? BBQ what now?
-In the game of language we did some Wordplay!! .....nice.
We also further laid out our plans for The Great Rodcaster College Infiltration. ...but that’s
supposed to be a secret.
Rant of the week:
Lady Gaga character assassination and why it takes more than a quirky teacup to qualify as an
interesting person.
Public Service Announcement:
Though it may be easier at times, please, don’t always go for the obvious joke. It’s not always the
funniest. And, though it takes time and effort, a richly crafted joke based on observation and
insight will not only reward you, but generations to come.
Think about this, and remember, an obvious joke is made every 3 seconds. Do your part to
change the world.
That is all.
DkITIMES FAQ
If you would like to submit an article to the DkITimes here
are a few guidelines that we hope will be helpful to you.
Press releases should be mo more then 500 words in
length - maximum. Always spell check and get a friend to
proof read before sending them on. Unfortunately we do
not have the resources to cover events on behalf of students or staff and in any case we find that articles are always much better when they are a first hand account
rather than a third hand version from us.
Feel free to specify your headline and photo captions.
Keep them short and to the point.
Photo’s should be resized to a maximum of 600 pixels in
jpeg format and renamed according to who or what the
photo is depicting. Don’t paste them into word documents. Send them as separate attachments.
In the case of event notices, articles should reach us
about two weeks before hand. Bear in mind that we need
to submit all articles by a Thursday afternoon deadline in
order to make the following Wednesdays paper.
The email address is [email protected]
Last Issue’s Caption Competition.
Brian O' Driscoll "A change of coach and we win the Grand Slam"
Ronan O' Gara "Yeah! Let the good times roll"
Submitted by Cathal Johnson
And this
week......
Captions to [email protected]