Editorial

Phew, it’s been a crazy few weeks. With the madness that was Freshers’ Fortnight, Fairs Day, Class Rep elections, Exec election preparations, sifting through cv’s for our new Advertising Manager, attending various meetings with the college, exec meetings and getting to know millions of new faces, we’ve barely managed to take time out to dig a little in the Garden of Nations we’re building out the back of the Union.

One thing we have noticed, in all of this, is how many ‘comic strip’ days we seem to have had. For so many of our especially bizarre days, we somehow managed to find a Dilbert, or Sam & Fuzzy that mirrored it exactly. And so we wonder, how many of you out there have had days that you believe should really have happened to the likes of Charlie Browne or Calvin & Hobbs? Simply tell us your true story and the people with the 3 most brutally comic stories will all win tickets to the Duke Special Bar-Ex and get their story in the form of a strip in the next issue of The Spoke.

On a more serious note, we hope you are all settling back into college well, and had a great summer. You’ll notice a pretty big change in the paper. Particularly with regards the fact that it’s not a paper. It’s a magazine. But don’t worry, for all of those who loved the old Spoke, it still has some of the old favourites, along with a whole load of new bits. There’s going to be a lot more involvement from students in general, I’m looking for writers, photographers, editors proofreaders, distributors, tea-makers, etc. A lot of you signed up on Fairs Day, and I haven’t had a chance to hold a meeting with you all yet, but I will. Soon. I promise.

The website is slowly but surely getting moved around, updated, and jazzed up a little. I’m only allowed edit certain bits at the moment, but after a great old heart to heart with the current webmaster, we’ve decided to give me more control over all of that. Mwah ha ha. So check out nuimsu.com for quick updates on what’s going down here in the Union. We’ll be getting a photo gallery up there too soon, so keep an eye out. It’s a small campus, so chances are you’ll end up in there at least once throughout the year.

Speaking of it being a small campus, I had an interesting experience the other day, which I would love to share with you all. I was walking along behind a stylishly dressed girl who was drinking from a can of that strange Tiger stuff, which I presume she got free in one the packs given out on Fairs day. To my horror, this fellow student finished off the can and gracefully threw it over her shoulder, leaving it to sit on the grass outside the Arts block. I know, I know, you’re as disgusted as I was, right? After picking up the can, chasing after the girl and asking her, nicely, to dispose of it accordingly, I decided there and then that something had to be done. Drastic action had to be taken. Our beautiful campus was going to be destroyed by a few careless members of our society. So I need your help. Next time you see someone throwing their litter on the ground, pick it up and hand it back to them. And while you’re at it, take a photo. If you send it on to me, with a description of what happened, I’ll send you on little something nice to say thanks. It’s our campus, let’s keep it clean, together.

On that note, I’d like to mention one last thing. We have a great little community here in Maynooth. It is a very friendly and open campus, with a very informal and relaxed atmosphere. So please do get into the spirit of that. Chat to people around you, say hi to people in the corridor, befriend anybody you see looking a little lonely or lost. And please, please, keep each other safe. Hearing about the murder of 17 year old student, Manuela Riedo, in Galway during the week makes me think of how many times I’ve insisted I’d be fine walking home on my own. Sure, it’s only down the road, right? But let’s all take an active part in looking out for each other, and keeping ourselves safe. Avoid walking home by yourself, or with someone you don’t know very well. If you have nobody to keep you company, get a cab. It may not seem like it’s that far, but for the sake of your safety, it’s worth the €6. Also, don’t let others walk home on their own, if you can help it. Offer to go halves on the cab fare. And if you see anything dodgy going on, don’t be afraid to call the Gardai (01 6291444) or if it’s on campus, call security - (01) 7083929. It’s what they’re there for.

On that note, I’m going to call a cab. It’s 5am, I’ve been working on The Spoke all weekend, so I think it’s time I get some sleep. Apologies if I ranted a little.

Enjoy the new Spoke!

Leona Nally
Editor