Comment & Analysis
Feb 11, 2018

Science Gallery’s Birthday, Aramark Protest in UCD, No Third-Level in Plan

Editorial Notebook BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Sitting on the edge of Trinity’s campus, the Science Gallery’s modest exhibition space may seem almost inconspicuous compared to its surroundings. But for ten years now, over its two floors, art and science have collided in pioneering ways. Whether it’s exhibiting artworks made from living tissue or exploring how trauma affects a national psyche, the Science Gallery has truly lived up to its boundary-pushing mission. Trinity should be commended for fostering a living experiment that, as the concept expands to a roster of global cities, is now bridging the gap between art and science across the world.

This Editorial Board is often the first to remind Trinity students of their potential to have an impact on many national issues – and marriage equality and abortion rights are just two recent examples of note. Though it’s easy to be skeptical of the potential impact of a student-led boycott campaign on direct provision contracts, this week saw yet another impressive coup for the Aramark Off Our Campus group: the spawning of a similar movement with near-identical aims in University College Dublin.

Late last year, Mary Mitchell O’Connor struggled to put a date on when we might have a decision on a new funding model. Now, the government has put that uncertainty in writing – or not. The lack of any meaningful mention of higher education funding in the Action Plan for Education 2018 is telling – from quality reviews to increased employer contributions, the government seems to be slowly retracing that path to a funding solution once promised by the Cassells report.

ADVERTISEMENT