DKIT Students RunDKIT Students Run--AA--Muck for Make a Wish Muck for Make a Wish

Foundation, IrelandFoundation, Ireland

Above, left to right, Barry Gorman, Ian Belton (Director of Green Cycle Appeal), Michael Walsh, Erica Shiels, Michael Dalton. Missing from Photo, Alan Wong, Linda O'Neill

On Monday the 9th of February the students of Dundalk Institute of Technology Ran-A-Muck in aid of the Make A Wish Foundation Ireland. The event was held in the college sports hall and was run as part of the college’s Rag week.

The event was held by a group of event management year three students as part of their college degree. The event consisted of a B.L.T (Black Tie, Lingerie or Toga) fun run and a carnival for all the college to take part in and enjoy.

All proceeds from the carnival and The B.L.T fun run have been generously donated the make a wish foundation to help them make the dreams of terminally ill children’s come true. The day was a resounding success as students from the college enjoyed an afternoon of fun filled activities such as pie throwing and arm wrestling a gorilla. The event in all raised over €2230 for the Make a Wish foundation.

Deadline extended

Visit of Junior Achievement Ireland Visit of Junior Achievement Ireland Visit of Junior Achievement Ireland Visit of Junior Achievement Ireland Visit of Junior Achievement Ireland Visit of Junior Achievement Ireland Visit of Junior Achievement Ireland Visit of Junior Achievement Ireland

students to DkITstudents to DkITstudents to DkITstudents to DkITstudents to DkITstudents to DkITstudents to DkITstudents to DkIT

On 11th and 12

th February, secondary school students from Cavan visited DkIT as

part of a joint venture between Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI) and the DkIT Access Office. St. Patrick’s College, the Royal School and Breifne College students visited with their teachers and JAI staff. The students had an insight into what life as a third level student involves. Garrett Duffy and his team in the Regional Development Centre set the students an Enterprise Challenge that proved to be a very effective way to make learning fun. A campus tour, a question and answer session on all you wanted to know about college and a DVD presentation rounded off the day. It is planned to follow up these events with similar ones targeting other second level students in the region.

DKIT Chefs on the Medal TrailDKIT Chefs on the Medal Trail

Last week saw the running of Chef Ireland 2009 in the RDS in Dublin with the nation’s best competing with culinary experts from over 20 countries. This bi-annual event is hosted by the Panel of Chefs of Ireland and offers a great opportunity for the budding chefs of the future to compete against the best across Europe and further a field. Competitions took place over 4 days with over 30 categories of culinary arts being showcased.

DKIT has enjoyed success in this arena over recent years but the efforts of the student team this year was especially fruitful. A total of 13 medals were awarded to the students as well as 4 class winners’ awards. The award winners were:

Christine Lafferty -1 gold & class winner in afternoon tea pastries, bronze in live gateau and bronze in display gateau.

Aoife Hoare –Gold & class winner in cold soufflé

Grainne Duffy- Bronze in cold soufflé

Paul White – Bronze & class winner in junior lamb, bronze in cold soufflé and bronze in hot sweet.

Gintare Balciunaite – Gold & class winner in Larder

Jeremy Chard – Silver in Larder

Emma Mathews – Silver in Larder

John Hollywood – Silver in Larder

Yvonne Tennyson – Bronze in afternoon tea pastries

Under the guidance of lectures Rosemary Leonard, Michael Mc Namara and Alan Mc Cabe the students invested hours of extra time preparing for the event with the results ensuring that it was all worth while.

If you would like to follow in the footsteps of these young talents there are many

opportunities available in the Hospitality Department at DKIT.

Check out www.dkit.ie or phone 042-9370466 to whet your appetite.

Successful Dormant Account Application for Successful Dormant Account Application for Successful Dormant Account Application for Successful Dormant Account Application for Successful Dormant Account Application for Successful Dormant Account Application for Successful Dormant Account Application for Successful Dormant Account Application for

Access Student InitiativesAccess Student InitiativesAccess Student InitiativesAccess Student InitiativesAccess Student InitiativesAccess Student InitiativesAccess Student InitiativesAccess Student Initiatives

DkIT has been successful in its application to the Dormant Account (Educational Disadvantage) Fund for funding for Learning Support Initiatives for Access Students.

€75,855 is now available to us over a period of two years. For the purposes of the project, access students are deemed to include mature students, students from the further education sector and DkIT Scholarship students. Access Officer Eileen Lynch will manage the project with team members Dr. John Dallat, Ms Ann Cleary, Mr. Gerard McHugh and Mr. Peter Morris. The funding will allow for the training of postgraduate students mentors and staff ‘access champions’. In the second year of the project, the emphasis will be on the design and de-livery of independent learning skills modules. The timing of this announcement is fortuitous as it will link in to the development of the DkIT Access Plan for which purpose a Steering Group has been put in place.

A Touch of Spark!A Touch of Spark!

Transition year students from O’Fiaich College Dundalk have recently established their own energy saving company to encourage people to become more aware of saving energy. The students visited Dundalk Institute of Technology on Thursday 5th February and brought a selection of products to create awareness amongst our young people. On sale from their very colourful and attractive stand were products from energy saving light bulbs, reusable shopping bags, and a bright activity book for young children along with pencil, magnets and temperature gauges.

As part of their project the students are also measuring the energy levels in their school by re-cording the units each day. To cut down on the amount of units the company are proactive in switching lights off, closing doors and not leaving equipment on stand by.

Recently the company “A Touch of Spark” have been chosen to compete at the Junior Achievement Company Regional Finals which will be held in March in DKIT. The students would like to thank Dundalk Institute of Technology for their permission to set up a stand

and trade their products.

Our picture shows: Karolina Klzenate, Paul Fennells, Frank Arekame, Brian Turley, all

from O'Fiaich College Dundalk Transition Year.

PERSPECTIVES PERSPECTIVES -- SERIES OF TALKS IN DkIT SERIES OF TALKS IN DkIT

Denis Cummins, Ann Cleary, Gordon McConnell.

Higher Education in 2009 - A Balancing Act: Strategy, Trends and Predictions Guest Speaker: Gordon McConnell As part of the ‘Perspectives’ speaker series, Gordon McConnell gave a very honest and interesting talk about Strategy, Trends and Predictions in Higher Education in 2009. Gordon McConnell, a former student of DkIT, is now Head of Strategy in DCU. In his talk Gordon discussed the landscape of higher education in Ireland and the opportunities open to higher education institutions. He suggested that higher education organisations need to be proactive as they respond to new circumstances, rather than reacting to change.

Next Speaker in the Perspectives SeriesNext Speaker in the Perspectives Series

On 25th of February, Margaret Kelly of the Department of Education and Science will talk in DkIT

on Education for Sustainable Development.

Date: Wednesday, 25th February

Time: 1pm

Venue: N112

Ms Kelly is Head of Irish Unit on UND Decade for Education for Sustainable Development. This initiative supports the green schools project readers may be familiar with. Ms Kelly’s unit has developed a National Strategy for Sustainable Development. The talk will focus on this. For more information about the ‘Perspectives’ Speaker Series please view

http://ww2.dkit.ie/staff_and_admin/strategy/activities/perspective_a_series_of_talks.

Redefining the “R” Word through Research & Regeneration

“Ok, so here we go again with the “R” word – we’re not allowed to mention it, are we? So what do

we do? If we ignore it, will it simply go away? Sadly, I think not! So, I’m going to say it up front

and get it out of the way – yes, we’re in a recession, and we’re all affected by it - but the question

is, what can we do about it? Actually, we can do quite a lot! As educators of entrepreneurship we

have a significant role to play by ensuring our students have the necessary knowledge, skills and

abilities to think and act entrepreneurially, to generate new ideas to help their future employers

solve problems and develop innovative new products and services, and to carefully carve out

their own career paths while contributing both economic and social value to their respective com-

munities.”

This was the message from the President of ISBE (Institute for Small Business and

Entrepreneurship) Dr Colette Henry as she recently addressed members. According to

Colette, enterprise trainers, mentors and advisers to SMEs should all endeavor to deliver

recession-aware supports to their client base and encourage more effective networking

so that problems can be shared and solved together. Policy makers need to raise

awareness of new initiatives designed to support SMEs through this time of crisis and, of course,

listen closely for feedback so as to assess the impact.

During these difficult times the Centre for Entrepreneurship Research (CER) at DKIT has an

important role to play. According to Colette “It will be the job of academic researchers to capture

relevant data not just on the impact of the recession across various industry sectors, but also on

best practice models, highlighting successful coping strategies and, where possible, identifying

potential business solutions for the benefit of practitioners and policy makers. So, now more

than ever, we really do need to talk to each other; we need to discuss, debate and even argue

about what works and what doesn’t to ensure that our knowledge, experiences and learning are

shared across the wider academic and business communities.”

As we gear up for the turbulent year ahead, the CER will meet the challenge to deliver

academically rigorous and practically meaningful research to continue to inform policy

development and practitioners. The CER will see the first issue of its ‘International Journal of

Gender and Entrepreneurship’ in print in Spring and, will play an active role in the organization of

the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship’s 32nd conference in Liverpool in

November 2009. The ISBE conference has always engaged the academic, business practitioner

and policy-making communities throughout Europe and beyond. The 2009 conference will

platform cutting edge research in entrepreneurship and small business, while supporting urban

regeneration in the last year’s “European Capital of Culture.” Moving away from the traditional

hotel-style conference model, it endeavors to capture the essence of the local region and directly

engage with the local community which UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown described as “a centre

for the world economy”.

The ISBE 2009 Conference venue is the NOVAS Contemporary Urban Centre, which is right in

the heart of Liverpool and is an entrepreneurial case study in its own right. Refurbished over a

seven-year period and with an investment of £16 million, these former warehouses include no

less than seven galleries, each carefully and innovatively designed to a unique theme. The

centre is set in Liverpool’s Independent Arts Quarter, an area of targeted regeneration with a

range of projects planned for development. It is managed by the Novas Scarman Group - a major

social justice charity at the cutting edge of tackling social disadvantage through social enterprise,

innovation and positive impact. This is entrepreneurship in its real form, and this is where

entrepreneurship researchers are invited this coming November (3rd – 6th) to learn from some of

the field’s leading experts; hear leading edge research paper presentations across a range of

track topics, and participate in discussions and debates. Colette Henry is also responsible for

introducing and chairing a brand new “Creative Industries Entrepreneurship” Track at the ISBE

2009 conference. (See the special call for papers for the related book by Edward Elgar

Publishing).

The conference website will open early March for paper submissions and registration, so

please look out for further details at www.isbe.org.uk, or contact the CER with any

specific questions – (e-mail: lorna.treanor@dkit.ie).

DkIT Mature Students Go National!

On Wednesday 4th February the Mature Student Society in NUI Maynooth hosted the 3rd annual Mature Student Intervarsity Event. This was a day of discussion and sharing experiences of our respective colleges. Attending were representatives from Trinity College, DCU, Carlow IT, Queens University and representatives from DkIT Andrew Mckeon (Social Care student and Chairperson of the Mature Student Society Committee) Brendon Crawley (Business Studies student) and Emmet Griffin (Social Care student). The day started with a welcome and address from the Vice President of NUI Maynooth Professor Jim Walsh.

After introductions and a short talk from the Mature Student Officer at NUIM Emer Sheerin we discussed the issues that we have in returning to education at a later life stage. I think everyone found this inspiring and gave us a sense of connection as we are few in our own colleges, but to see many other people in the same situation as ourselves experiencing similar issues across the country was very beneficial. We had a tour of the modern North Campus followed by lunch in the lovely Pugin hall on the South campus. After lunch we had a tour of the historic South Campus and St Patricks College Maynooth which is a different University with a different President.

We returned to the meeting room on the North campus where we were addressed by the Students Union President Ian Russell. This was followed by a discussion session on issues that we raised in the morning as well as a cuppa and loads of sambos!

One of the purposes of bringing all mature students in Ireland together is to share experiences and concerns and therefore share ways to resolve them, but a very important aspect to this intervarsity is creating a wider social network for mature students. On that note, Trinity Mature Students Society have taken on to organise a formal ball in the Russell Court Hotel in Dublin on the 26th February, to which all Mature Student Societies are invited. The cost is €20 and to stay in the Russell Court would cost €49. DkIT Mature Students Society are attending and cordially invite any DkIT students that would like to attend. If you are interested contact DkIT Mature Students Society through Diarmuid Cahill (Sports and Societies).

We also discussed establishing a National Committee to coordinate the collaboration of the different societies around the country. This would have representatives from different Universities including DkIT.

DkIT Mature Students Society have (pending permission from DkIT authorities) volunteered to host this intervarsity event in February 2010.

Our Society are presently engaged in planning a trip to Newgrange in the coming weeks, this is open to ALL students and staff of DkIT. So keep an eye out for posters or contact Diarmuid Cahill for more info.

The day ended with a meal in Maynooth town followed by a 70’s night and Abba tribute band in the Student bar, great craic was had by all and we hope to bring this craic to Dundalk next year!

On behalf of the DkIT Mature Student Society Committee, I would like to wish Chris Connolly (our secretary) to get well soon as we all miss him.

Early Perspectives Early Perspectives –– Joe McAuley Remembers: Part II Joe McAuley Remembers: Part II

Joe continues his story, sometimes in verse … Becoming Head of Business Studies in 1985 meant a change of role; Joe enjoyed the teaching but was asked to step into the new position after Tina Quigley departed for England, to specialise in accounting. Timetabling was a continuum; people’s circumstances and requirements were continually changing, courses got developed, Diplomas came on stream, more staff was appointed and there was never enough teaching space. Business Studies students had to borrow almost permanent access to the College Theatre and indeed, like the cuckoo, moved into any empty space. The rapid growth in numbers in the department came in the late eighties. The new technology was the computer. Gerry Duffy’s noisy comptometer and accounting machines were quickly consigned to the grave. He lead the way in the new mechanised world of Accounting as he quickly adapted his teaching through the accounting packages and the changing requirements of the accounting bodies. The office management courses were in full swing and computers were the name of the secretarial game. Financial constraints in those earlier years, of what was then the RTC, meant that the adoption of the new technologies was slower than ideal. Initially staff struggled with traditional systems of talk, walk and chalk on blackboards until green boards became the in thing. White chalk on a green board surface was less of a contrast and accordingly could be read with less strain on the eyes. It may well be that the novelty of the colour change rather than the colour itself produced the desired response. Whatever about the claims for consequent reduction in eyestrain there certainly seemed to me to be a reduction in the student’s effort to remain awake? The technical advances in teaching aids were now all pervasive. Chalk and green boards were abandoned in favour of coloured felt tip markers and a white melamine surface. This advance was paralleled with the introduction of the overhead projector, which operated well in conjunction with the white boards although the teaching staff was slow in adopting this device. Funding was still a problem and for a long time there were only two projectors in the business school. Demand began to outstrip supply so that anyone wishing to use the projector had to make an advance booking. In theory this seemed to be a reasonably fair system for allocation except for those who had prepared fancy transparencies but had omitted to book a projector or those who tried to pull rank or prioritise their needs above others. Some indeed booked a projector and not necessarily because they needed one but in case they might. This compounded the scarcity factor and enraged the more observant applicants who were aware of this smart practice.

Joe gives great credit to a particular staff assistant in the person of Brendan Fay.” Brendan was our man. He was in charge of this resource and prevented bloodshed on many an occasion. He kept things running smoothly. His feedback and insights were invaluable across a broad spectrum of student and staff activities and gossip. Among his many tasks was to porter these projectors to designated areas and remember to collect them after the lecture. Increasingly projectors were in demand for evening classes, which raised additional problems of security unless staff had remem-bered to lock the doors of the teaching area after their sessions, which as often as not they didn’t do.

Frequently the projectors went missing or were absent from their designated areas and not occasionally pirated away by staff from other departments or schools. Brendan lost a lot of time administering this system and searching for his projectors. Someone suggested putting a piece of strong cheese in the base of the instrument which although it might not prevent the object from being “borrowed” it might serve as a tracking device to aid in its recovery.” Drastic measures for drastic times. The age of the projector is long past and nowadays a student or a younger member of staff might ask “Sorry –an overhead what? ”In a very visual world Video recorders, TVs, DVDs and PowerPoint are the teaching media for today and enhance the delivery of knowledge, but what of tomorrow? As we moved through the later eighties there was a perceptible growth in student confidence leading many to take advantage of opportunities to continue on to higher studies. As against this for many the temptation to engage in part time work was ever present and the search for increased income to sustain a more hectic social life led to casualties among those who could not get the balance right. Attendance at lectures and attention during them became a serious problem for staff and student alike. “What pearls of wisdom then dispensed to further young careers? As oft’ no doubt such pearls did fall upon quite deafened ears, Student’s eyes would gaze in wonder as I held them all in thrall And I wonder, was it wonder or was it alcohol? They didn’t bat an eyelid but steadfastly they gazed, They hung upon my every word, truly I was amazed To behold such power throughout the hour and such attention keep, Why had it never dawned on me, that they were fast asleep! The incoming generation can hardly be to blame If they see income generation as the modern campus game, ‘Earning versus Learning’, is what their lives are all about? If they cannot generate the income, how then can they go out?” On the future vision, Joe is not sure on the idea of Dundalk having a University? “But now that old and greying building is but a tiny core within A surround of natural beauty, which provides the outer skin, For a campus quite extensive and with a challenge even more To keep improving standards beyond what was before.” In recent times all the colleges increased their numbers, DKIT grew with the improved road network and the availability of more transport options. Over ninety percent of those graduating were the first generation in their families to hold a third level qualification. One would hope that the colleges would not ape the universities in outward signs while not reducing the teaching load. A hard work ethic would be necessary along side an academic rigour emerging from staff researching in their areas. At technician level the College has contributed greatly to the tiger economy, it is a tremendous resource. The Library is a fantastic asset to the college but one would need to ascertain what is being read and by whom. The schools have traditionally been very independent and Joe feels there should be something akin to a ‘mutual corporate’ sharing and pooling of resources and ideas along side a vibrant cultural and social life for all involved. To finish in verse: “With life’s mission part accomplished I am now the nation’s guest The teaching part is finished and surely I love the rest, Of what life has yet to offer in Toffler’s ‘Future Shock’ Meanwhile I’ll just go back to sleep ‘cause its only nine o’ clock!” Seamus Bellew, Historical editor.

“Perspectives” A Series of Talks“Perspectives” A Series of Talks“Perspectives” A Series of Talks

These events are open to all staff, students and the public. For further details or any additional suggestions please contact

Ann Cleary at ann.cleary@dkit.ie. If you have any proposal on possible speakers please let us know.

Further details of our work is available at http://ww2.dkit.ie/staff_and_admin/strategy/activities.

Attention Aspiring Journalists and Photographers.

Dundalk Democrat will have a stand at the Careers fair on Wednesday and Thursday of this

week and are interested in meeting aspiring journalists and photographers to discuss oppor-

tunities for student Internships. Make sure to call to the stand and let them know about all

that talent you are dying to unleash.

Remember DkITimes is always looking for

contributions in text and photos to edi-

tor@dkit.ie

Guidelines; 500 words max and good pho-

tos.

Free Art Wednesday? A message from Caroline O Sullivan.

We in the Department of Music and Creative Media have decided that we could all do with

a bit of cheering up and that the Institute could do with a bit of brightening up.

So whilst our colleagues on the Music side of the house will be entertaining you with an

opera from the 20th of March.

We over in Creative Media are asking everyone to get involved in FREE ART WEDNESDAY.

A growing global phenomenon usually known as Free Art Friday. The concept of Free Art

Friday is a simple one.

Artists create a painting, sketch, sculpture or whatever and leave it on the street. The piece

can then be picked up by anyone and claimed as their own.

All that's asked is that you email the artist and let them know where you found their piece.

We will be holding our own version on Wednesday the 11th of March so we are calling on all painters, photographers, illustrators, sculptors, graffiti artists, cartoonists to donate a piece of their art. We will do the hard work of placing the art all over campus so all you have to do is leave your work over to the drop off point in Carrolls by Monday the 9th of

March.

We know there are plenty of Artistic people in the Institute so we are asking everyone to

get involved Staff as well as Students.

Read our blog for details on how to get involved http://

dkitfreeartwednesday.wordpress.com/

We hope you will help us make the

place a giant gallery for one day.

Kind Regards

Caroline

Email; caroline.osullivan@dkit.ie

STUDENT UNION ELECTIONS

It is that time of year again! The Student Union Elections will be held this year on Thursday 2nd April. Both Luke McGahon and Subhash Khanal are completing their two year terms and have done a good job!

Students who are considering running for either the position of Vice-President or of President, will find that this is a good opportunity to serve your fellow students for a year in a role that is exciting, sometimes demanding but rewarding.

Students who would like further information on what the roles involve can call into the Students Union to to talk to Subhash or Luke. They will also be available for an information session on Wednesday 18th February at 2 pm (week after rag-week) All are welcome to come along to this session.

The Dogs at Dundalk Institute of TechnologyThe Dogs at Dundalk Institute of Technology

Picture it: A family hell-bent on celebrating once again the dreaded Christmas dinner. The turkey is determined to be cooked and eaten, but the two ghosts of the family’s dogs decide to put a stop to the Christmas madness. The rat in the garden and the robin on the doorstop only make matters worse. Christmas will never be the same again.

After their success with Brendan Behan’s comic satire The Big House last November, Second Year students of the BA Applied Cultural Studies course at Dundalk Institute of Technology take on their greatest challenge to date, performing Donal O’Kelly’s comic surreal drama set around a family Christmas in Ireland during the Troubles.

The Dogs will be performed in the New Theatre, DKIT, from the 17th to 19th February at

7.30pm.

This is the conclusion of two years practical work by Applied Cultural Studies students in different aspects of practical theatre. The aim of this project is to experience producing a play under professional conditions. Students will be involved not only in acting, but in set and costume design, stage management, lighting, sound, PR and Administration.

With all the fun, comedy and laughs of this challenging play, we look forward to a stunning production from this accomplished and successful group of students.

Tickets are priced at €7, and student concession price is €4.

On the 11th February, DkIT played a home game against St. Marys, Belfast in the all Ireland Hurling championships. The DkIT squad was diminished due to the Rag Week being held in the college this week, however DkIT played a good first half but were beaten in the end by

St Marys.

Last Issue’s Caption Competition.Last Issue’s Caption Competition.

And this week...... Captions to editor@dkit.ie

“I hope I remember these dance moves

for the French game.”

Congrats to Pairic Duffy.