"Raise and Give" Week

    "Raise and Give" Week, also known as RAG Week, is notorious here in Galway for excessive partying, drinking, and anti-socialism (as in "against being social" vs. "not being a social person"). I'll be the first to say this is not my preferred type of "College Week." However, I knew I had to go out and see what all the hullabaloo was about.
     Monday night, we stayed in. Mostly to get a feel for how the week was going to go. At our apartment complex, security guards stood outside the gates to check key cards because only residents were allowed in, to theoretically minimize the rowdiness. And to ensure the right for peaceful occupation by current residents.
     Tuesday morning . . . campus was quiet. Sure, classes were still in session; none were cancelled due to the diminished class size. One of my lecturers spoke about the tradition of RAG week when she was a student at NUIG, and lamented about what the week symbolizes now. But I'll get to that later. In contemporary times, Tuesday is also Donegal Tuesday and the drinking starts pretty early in the day (not as early as Tequila Sunrise in Flagstaff, but you get the idea). So, we went to an apartment that night to hang out and get ready before going to a pub. Played some games, met some new people - great craic. Then, in a group of 7 or so, we went into town. Originally, we were going to go to King's Head but it was full, so we went to Quays which is a favorite of ours. It was also surprisingly quiet - you could actually move around without much trouble, and hear the music and dance a bit if you wanted.

Where then were all the people?

 

     Supermac's. We saw this on our walk home and solved the question. They were all gathered outside Supermac's.  Though we planned to keep walking (it was late after all) we stopped to take in the sight. Then someone started climbing up a flagpole, so we waited and watched. He made it much further than we thought he could, but once he inevitably slid back down, he was escorted away by four Garda. I think there might be a video on YouTube . . . yep, first thing to pop up, though I believe this clip is later in the evening after we were all home, and I think THIS guy actually made it to the top. . .

     Wednesday is reportedly one of the craziest nights to go out. Luckily, I caught a cold so stayed in and drank tea all night instead.

     Thursday was much the same. Throat was sore, nose was runny, and the highlight of my day was my Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks. I also skipped fencing on Thursday - that's how awful I felt.

     Friday I felt much better by the evening, but everyone had left for the weekend. Again, I had a quiet night, which is reportedly abnormal during RAG week. My sister for example, got little sleep (if any) each night because of the parties. And no, not any she went to - they were in the apartments surrounding hers. She said that she was able to handle it a few nights a week, but all the time? No way.

But RAG Week didn't use to be this way.

 



      The lecturer of my archaeology class feels quite strongly about how RAG Week should be. Not to say that nobody else cares, but she was especially passionate about it. In 1997, she graduated from NUIG, and back then RAG Week was a week fund raising, donations, competitions and games. Students still went to their lectures and participated in the activities between classes, and the money raised was given back to the community. Back then, students still had good craic, but over the years it spiraled out into the city until the social aspect dominated - not the charity work.

 

The following information is pulled from NUIG's Student Union.

 



     In 2011, Class Representatives Passed a proposal to replace RAG Week. The Student Union received a number of concessions from the University President to replace RAG Week, including

• Support for a one-day concert/festival to replace Rag Week
• An extra €60,000 a year contribution to the Student Assistance Fund (SAF), which is used to help students who are at risk of dropping out due to financial hardship. This would almost triple the University's current contribution to this fund and keep an estimated 60 to 75 students in college each year who otherwise would have had to drop out. Compare this figure to the €22,000 raised for charity through Rag Week last year.
• A guarantee not to introduce charges at the Student Health Unit for visiting a doctor or nurse. This would ensure this heavily-used service remains free for students in future years.
• *I am personally thankful for this one, considering my allergic reaction back in January*
• The abolition of the current €2 Kingfisher charge for members of University sports clubs, who are not members of the Kingfisher gym, when they need to use the facilities there for club training.
• *Again, benefits me because of fencing*
• The provision of a number of prominent, permanent SU notice boards around campus. Not a big deal, but still good.

     Note that the proposal was passed back in 2011, which is why last years RAG Week got so out of hand - it was banned. While authorities and the school "allowed" an unofficial RAG Week this year, it is not a school or city sanctioned event. Galway RAG Week 2013 was more tame than previous years and though fun, held little of the glamour and good will of years gone by.
     Yesterday (once everyone was back in class after the events of last week), our lecturer began her class entreating students to think about the past year when RAG Week was something to be proud of, to boast about, not a week of hangovers. I personally think boat races, competitions, and games to raise money for charity sounds like more fun than discovering a twisted ankle or bad headache in the morning.
     But that's just me.

♥C

 

P.S.  In order to not be a complete Debbie Downer and/or hypocrite, I have to admit: The Irish student population KNOWS how to throw a party! Woo!