Rotary presentation at Dublin Central

Wednesday evening I was finally able to give my presentation at Dublin Central Rotary Club, my host club here in Ireland.  I usually have class on Wednesday nights and come late to the meetings, but this week class was canceled and I was able to give my presentation.

The presentation itself has 4 main parts: information about the scholarship, information about me, information about Kentucky, and information about my host club back home in Murray.  Although I have presented twice before, this was the first opportunity I had to go through the entire presentation.  The two other clubs gave me a 5-7 minute window and I just had to hit the highlights.  It was also my first opportunity to use a projector and include photos with the presentation.  It made a huge difference.

The Dublin Central club was most interested in two aspects of my speech.  First, they were intrigued by the idea of me being in a sorority, as they don't have Greek organizations in Ireland.  They wanted to know what my letters, Sigma Sigma Sigma, stood for and all about the secrets that go along with being in a sorority.  Although I told them about our open motto and our philanthropy, they didn't understand that I couldn't reveal the organization's secrets unless they were members too.  My club was also intrigued by the philanthropic aspect of Greek life, as that seems to have fallen by the wayside in the pop culture idea of fraternities and sororities.  The fact that I had lived in a sorority house was quite exciting for them as well, and after the meeting I had several members who wanted to know if it was like the movies.

Secondly, (and by far the most successful part of the presentation) was my local club's fundraiser "Kiss a Pig Contest."  Rotary members can be nominated for $5 and are charged with raising $100 by the Christmas parade.  The Rotarian with the most money "wins" and gets to / has to kiss a pig at the parade.  Luckily, I had a photo of Roger Reichmuth from last year's contest kissing Pork Chop and it caused quite a bit of excitement.  The club was very surprised and wanted to know if the pig was real, if the pig was alive, where it came from, etc.  They were quite impressed that Roger was willing to kiss it, even for the sake of raising money.  One gentleman commented, "Those Rotarians in Kentucky must be really dedicated to eradicating polio!"

For more information on the "Kiss a Pig Contest," see the Murray Rotary Club's website: http://murrayrotary.org/portal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=103%3Akiss-a-pig-contest&catid=43%3Aactivities&Itemid=1

Student Protests in Dublin

Education not Emigration

The Union of Students in Ireland marched on Leinster House (the parliament building), Wednesday, November 3rd, to protest the potential doubling of undergraduate registration fees and possible cuts to maintenance grants in the upcoming year.


25,000 students from universities nation-wide showed up to march in Dublin.  The demonstration began at Parnell Square and went through the city center, ending at the parliament building.  During the two mile walk, protesters chanted continuously.


Although the protests were intended to be peaceful, a group of 2,000 is reported by the Irish Times to have broken off from the main group after the demonstration and continued the protest outside the Department of Finance Building.  Students are reported to have thrown bricks, eggs and placards, and 20 students were able to get inside the building itself.

There were some injuries reported, but no one was seriously hurt.

For more information concerning the clashes on Wednesday, see the Irish Times article http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/1103/breaking20.html


Background:



Currently, the Irish government pays for students from the European Union to attend university.  While tuition is free, students still must pay a registration fee that covers "the costs associated with registration, examinations and student services," according to www.educationireland.ie.  (One of my classmates informed me that student services includes student insurance, health care on campus, etc.)

While paying €1,500 or even €3,000 may not seem like much for a college education, it's important to note that the fee jumped from €900 to €1,500 for the 2009/2010 school year.  If it jumps again for the 2011/2012 year it will mean a 233% increase in just two years.  Irish families who have been budgeting for the lower registration fees may not be able to come up with the extra funds - especially if they have more than one child.

The government has also proposed a 10% cut to the maintenance grant, given to students from disadvantaged backgrounds to help offset the cost of student fees and other financial requirements.  While the grant may be as much as €6,000, it is typically between €1,000 and €3,000.  According to the Bank of Ireland, the minimum cost of living for a college student is €10,500 (I don't know where they're getting their numbers, because that wouldn't even cover housing in Dublin).  Thus, students who have the grants are still having to take on jobs to offset the cost of living.  Additional cuts would add further financial strain.

Because of the recent economic downturn, it is almost impossible to get a job in Ireland without a college degree.  Students fear that if they are not able to afford an education, they will be unable to find work in their own country.

For more information see the official Education not Emigration website: http://www.educationnotemigration.ie/wp/

Visiting the Oldest Rotary Club in Europe

On Monday I went to speak at the Rotary Club of Dublin.  (I was lucky all the green face paint came off from Halloween party the night before when I had dressed up as a witch - though I'm sure my speech would have been all the more memorable for it.)

The Rotary Club of Dublin meets in The Grand Canal Hotel in Ballsbridge Dublin 4 every Monday between 12:45 and 2:00 pm.  Apart from the usual fundraisers and charity events, the club is most proud of its legacy as the oldest Rotary Club in Europe.  This year marks their 100th birthday, and the centenary was quickly picked up as the theme for the Rotary District 1160 Annual Conference "Celebrating 100 Years of Rotary in Ireland."

One Rotarian informed me that The Rotary Club of London was chartered the same year, but as the Dublin's club began just a few months before the London club, it causes quite a bit of frustration for "those Brits." 

I enjoyed speaking to the club, exchanging flags, and meeting the Rotarians.  I even got to sing "Happy Birthday" to a member of the club, who turned 80 and couldn't have been happier about getting an entire chocolate cake to himself for the occasion. 

For more information about the club, visit their website at http://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.asp?ClubID=969