Intervarsity Conference 4th Feb 2009 (report/photos)

Reps from different Universities gather in the Mature Students Coffee Room

Geraldine (Carlow IT) & Noel O’Rourke (NUIM)

Brenda Farrell (NUIM), David Johnson (TCD) and Barbara Howe (NUIM)

Students Enjoying the ‘Mama Mia’ Night

Noel O’Rourke & Jackie Conlon

Emmet Griffin & Andrew McKeon (DKIT) enjoying breakfast in Pugin Hall

David, Louise, Ashling and Paul from TCD

Rory, Olivia & Geraldine, Carlow IT

Brendan, Andrew and Emmet, DKIT

Padraig, DCU

John, Queens

Paul (TCD), Sheila (NUIM) and David (TCD) in Coffee Room

NUIM Mature Students society were delighted to host the 3rd Annual Inter Varsity Conference on the 4th of February 2009.  This conference was held for the first time in UCC in 2007 and in Trinity College in 2008.  Dundalk IT have agreed to be the hosts in 2010 and are already making plans!  Students from Trinity, DCU, Queen’s University Belfast, Carlow IT and Dundalk IT travelled to the conference.  Unfortunately the inclement weather prevented others from attending but we will be keeping them posted on the outcome of the conference.

The aim of the event was to share ideas and experiences of Mature Students, to investigate and promote ways of improving and developing Mature Students Societies, to improve communication between Mature Students in different Universities and to make plans for further Intervarsity events.   The event was a great success with lots of interesting contributions from the students and Guest Speakers.  Our thanks to Professor Jim Walsh the Vice-President of NUIM, Emer Sheerin and Anne Mooney from the Access Office, Ian Russell from the Students Union and Sr. Margaret from the Chaplaincy for taking time out of their busy schedules to speak at the conference. Their contributions were both interesting and worthwhile. The visiting students were brought on a tour of the North and South Campus by Rita Edwards and also enjoyed a hearty lunch in the wonderful Pugin Hall.  A lovely social evening followed with a bite to eat in the Roost and then entertainment provided by cover bands Blondie and Abba in the SU Bar brought the evening to a close.

There were many worthwhile suggestions on the day.   The students attending all agreed how fortunate we are here in NUIM to have a dedicated Mature Students ‘Social Space’ and that it was something they would all love to have in their own Universities.   It was agreed that it was a very important part of the success of the Mature Student experience in Maynooth as it gives students a chance to meet regularly and discuss and share ideas, concerns etc.   We would encourage all other universities to consider allocating a ‘Social Space’ to their Mature Students.

It was sugggested that Mature Students should consider setting up a National Intervarsity Mature Students Society which would keep communications open between students from different parts of the country.  While awaiting developments in this regard Emmet Griffin from Dundalk IT has set up a Facebook page for mature students to get the ball rolling!  Check it out on Facebook.com and all our welcome to join.

The students from Trinity College have agreed to organize an Intervarsity Ball in the Russell Court  Hotel, Dublin on the 26th of March.  Tickets will be very reasonably priced and also there will be reasonable options for accommodation.   More about this event later.  In the meantime put the date in your diary, it promises to be a fun filled event and an opportunity to meet mature students from many different parts of the country.

There were many other suggestions for future Intervarsity events which were welcomed by all present. NUIM will be organizing a weekend away in Achill from the 3rd to the 6th of July.  3 Nights accommodation and transport will be provided from Maynooth.  We are welcoming students from other universities to join with us for this weekend which promises to be lots of fun.  Watch this space and the Notice Boards in Coffee Room and elsewhere for more information about this event.

All in all the conference was considered a resounding success and feedback from the other colleges has been very enthusiastic and positive.   We are delighted that the students who attended enjoyed the event as much as we enjoyed hosting it and we look forward to maintaining friendships and connections into the future.

Jacqueline Conlon.

This event which we proudly hosted here in Maynooth, our mature students intervarsity, an event which has brought new light, new hope for our fellow mature students in universities throught the country. I would like to mention that such an achievement contains an enormous amount of work and commitment, without the work and commitment of our committee it would not have being possible.

A word of thanks to our Treasurer Denis Daly who keeps our accounts in order, and for his devotion towards our committee, and a very special thanks to the heart of communication, to our Public relations officer Jacqueline Conlon who has worked overtime upon overtime, many thanks Jacqueline, our thanks too, to everybody who contributed towards our Mature students intervarsity.

Noel Martin O’Rourke