HistOracle - 243rd Session

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Come and have a look at our brand new issue of the HistOracle, and see why you should join the best society in Trinity. With our termcard, special guests, and tons of ways to get involved, there's no reason not to join!

Transcript of HistOracle - 243rd Session

Page 1: HistOracle - 243rd Session
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MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

ComedyColours Debate

The Chamber5:00pm

AlternativeHistory

Cable TiePub Crawl

Starting in the GMBafter the debate

Mock theFreshers’

WeekConversation Room

3:00pm

Jazz Soc GigConversation Room

12:00 noon

TFM UnicefGig

Conversation Room1:00pm

KaraokeNight inCaptain

America’sCaptain America’s,

Grafton St6:00pm

Super studentdeals available!

Jazz Soc GigConversation Room

12:00 noon

Jazz So Conversat

11:00

TFM UGi

Conversat 12:30

DEBAThis HWould Re-EPresiOba

The Ch7:00

Lavish reafterw

Ents CNig

The Butto

In associa DUB

QI Conversation Room

3:00pm

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WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

oc Gigtion Room0am

Unicefigtion Room0pm

ATE: Housed Not

Electidentama

hamber0pm

eceptionwards

Clubght

on Factory

ation withBES

Jazz Soc GigConversation Room

12:00 noon

Don’t worry,we don’t ex-pect you toget up earlythis week

“What Notto do on a

Date”Speed-Dating

Conversation Room3:00pm

And there’sfree pop-corn and

candyflossall week too.SO MUCH

FREE!

Film-ShowingsAll Day

Conversation Room

In association withFilm Soc

Did youknow all ourevents are

free formembers?

Hot Break-fast fromPieman

Conversation Room

Your morning aftersolved!

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We’re on the Interwebs!

www.thehist.com

@TheHist

facebook.com/TheHist

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So you've leapt the hurdle of the L

eaving Cert and navigated the

minefield of course selectio

n, and now you're enrolled in one of

the world's best universities. C

ongratulations and welcome! But

now you must be wondering, “what's next for me to do?". T

here

are lots of answers to that

one, the best of course being "Jo

in

the Hist".

"What is the Hist?" I hear you ask. Well, it is firs

t and

foremost a debating society, th

e oldest in the world in

fact, but it has come to be so m

uch more than that over

the past 243 years. In addition to

our weekly house de-

bates, we host guest speakers, comedy nights, p

ub

crawls, club nights, panel forums, and themed weeks, to nam

e but

a few of the things on our term card. Steeped in Trinity's histo

ry,

and filled with many of its most eager an

d active students, the

Hist offers students an opp

ortunity to experience things

far be-

yond the pale of an ordin

ary degree course. Many of Trinity's most

acclaimed graduates spent their college

years in the Hist, as a

glance through our History sectio

n will attest.

Joining the Hist offers a

real chance to follow in

the footsteps of many of Ireland's great

men and

women.College is abo

ut more than exams and lectures. If

you think the Hist could be your 'something more'

after reading this magazine, pop

by our stand at

Freshers’ Week. Our door is alw

ays open.

FROM THE DESK OF T

HE AUDITOR

Freshers’ Week Timetable2-3

Welcome 5Wednesday Night Debates

6- 7The Colours Debate 8Termcard 10-11Getting Involved 12-13The GMB 14-15

The Committee 16-17Upcoming Guests 18-19History 20Sponsors 21-22

Special thanks:- The commitee of the243rd session for all their -help and work- Chocolate, for energyand emotional support

StaffEditor: Chris Rooke

Wordsmith: CormacMcGuinnessJohn Doody

Illustrations: Liam Ó’Néill

HistOracle

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The Comedy Debate will be held inaid of the fantastic Fighting Words - acharity that provides free tutoring increative writing to children of all agesand backgrounds. So why not kick offyour Freshers’ Week with a gooddeed and a barrel of laughs. We’llsee you there!

So you’ve just been accepted into the eliteclub that is Trinity College Dublin. You’vepacked your bags, bid farewell to yourloved ones, and as you ready yourself toembark on a life of superiority you mightfeel as though you’ve missed out on cen-turies of potato stealing, peasant evicting,and hilarious tomfoolery that thousands ofTrinity students have enjoyed before you.Fear not! There’s no better way to cele-brate your first day as a Trinity Studentthan to watch the Hist’s funniest comicsdemolish those slimy rascals - the studentsof University College Dublin Dublin, aschaired by a very special guest... Watch astheir creaking famine ship docks at theGMB, disgorging the poor and starving,their squealing pigs tucked under theirarms as they gulp nervously from pails ofmilk, preparing to be massacred by theirlanded superiors. This is the ComedyColours Debate - come one, come all...Just don’t tell them where we put the pota-toes.

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TERMCARD

13 14 15 This House Would Notre-elect PresidentObama

Should America favour the incum!

bent, and his progressive stance on

healthcare and government, or is a

shake!up needed to provide the right

economic and fiscal policy to steady

America’s flailing economy?

16 17 18

27 28 29 THB That Beauty isjust another form of female oppression

In week two we debate an issue that

isn’t only skin deep. Is beauty merely

the billion dollar industry of cosmet!

ics, hair processes, and diets that

many of us buy into, or can it be

something more meaningful?

04 05 06

30 01 02 07 08 09

20 INAUGURAL: TheFuture of U.S. ForeignPolicy

The highlight of the Hist’s calendar,

the Inaugural is our annual big black!

tie event. This year’s paper by the au!

ditor focuses on the future of US

foreign policy, with guests including

a former US Secretary of Defence.

25 26 27 This House BelievesThat in the Long Runwe are all dead

Will austerity improve our situation

or will it only deepen recession? Can

we spend our way out of economic

crisis? With help from John Maynard

Keynes, the Hist discuses this issue i

week six.

23 28 29 30

Literature Debate

Attention English students

and anyone with a mild interest in

book!binding! This week, the Hist’s

debate will centre around literature !

and while the exact slant has yet to

be decided at time of print, it will un!

doubtedly be another thought!pro!

voking evening of arguing.

15 16 17

18 19 20

01 THB That the West is selling out to ChinaShould we continue to en!

gage with a Chinese regime that re!

fuses the rights of its citizens? Do we

have a moral obligation to reject Chi!

nese trade? We discuss how the West

should engage with China as its star

rises.

06 07 08 The Maidens FinalThe term ends with with t

Maidens Final: a classy bla

tie event that showcases the best

that first year has to o"er, and giv

ten lucky speakers a shot at the

Maidens' Trophy and eternal glory

The motion will be revealed when

the finalists have been decided.

04 09 10 11

19SEPT

03OCT

24OCT

31OCT

14NOV

05DEC

12DEC

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20 21 22 This House HopesThat Science will bethe Death of Faith

In week one we ask whether we

should kill God, or if faith should re!

main woven into the fabric of our so!

ciety..23 24 25

THB That the War onDrugs is a Waragainst the ThirdWorld

Should we accept that the war

against the drug cartels is lost and

decriminalise the sale of drugs, or is it

necessary to continue to fight the

cartels to protect society from addic!

tion?

11 12 13 This House BelievesThat Retrubution hasno place in justice

Many of us associate the administra!

tion of justice with the use of iron

bars. But can this truly be called just,

or is it merely a brutal hangover from

a draconian penal system?

18

14 15 16 21

d

in

01 02 03 THB that he whomakes a beast of himself forgets thepain of being a man

This week we ask whether we should

go to lectures or bathe in scotch

whiskey. Is behaving yourself some!

thing we should strive to do or

should we all do as we please?

08 09 10

04 05 06 11 12 13

This House Believesin a United States ofEurope

Is the perceived Democratic defi!

ciency of the EU a small price to pay

for the potential for progress and

growth that may come along with it?

This debate addresses the issue of a

Union that continues to expand.

22 23 24 This House SupportsNATO Intervention inSyria

Would a NATO taskforce bring the

fighting to a swift conclusion, or

would it cause greater su"ering? Do

Western governments have a re!

sponsibility to aid others struggling

toward greater political freedom?

29

25 26 27 02

he

ack

ves

y.

n

13 14 15

CHRISTMAS16 17 18

26SEPT

10OCT

17OCT

07NOV

21NOV

28NOV

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MaidensThe Maidens’ Competition, kindly sponsored by Mason Hayes & Curran, is the largest and most presti-gious competition of its kind. This competition is forthose who have never debated at college level before,and will be done without an audience, so as to givepeople the chance to try their hand at debating in arelaxed setting. The motions are easy, your fellowfreshers are friendly, and the judges will be a de-lightful mix of the two.

Your best three out of four prelim-inary debates make up your average,

with the top speakers progressing to the semi-finals, so evenif you have one or two bad debates, you still have a greatchance. Even for those that don’t make it through to the semi-finals there is the Oscar Wilde Memorial Competition whichgives one lucky person a chance to qualify.

We then end the Hist term with a flourish: The Grand Final.This black tie event showcases the best that first year has to offer, and offers ten lucky freshers a shot at fame andglory*, and is always one of the best nights out of the year.

This is the most enjoyable way of getting involved in theHist, and certainly one not to be missed.If this sounds like something you want to be involved in,come along to our stand in Freshers’ Week and we’ll sign youright up.

*(All fame and glory is relative)

Special OccasionsThe highlight of the year is theInaugural, where our Auditor andGlorious Leader John Engle reads apaper on a certain topic, which isresponded to by a panel of guestswho are experts in their fields.This black tie occasion is the mostimportant occasion in the Hist’s calendar, and is always

followed by a reception of lavish proportions, and an al-

ways enjoyable night out.And it’s not just competitive debating that sees us venturing forth from the GMB.

Keep an eye out for our annual trip to Belfast, where we debate in the Parliament

buildings in Stormont, and then head out to paint the town red. Red with fun.

GetInvolved!

Freshers Week

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R&L and Tea & ToastTea & Toast (or to give it its official name, the Records and Libraries Committee)

is held every Friday upstairs in the Hist Conversation room. Tea & Toast gives you

a chance to meet your fellow society members in a casual way. It also gives you

tea! And toast!It’s very relaxed, and a great way to get involved in the more social side of the

Hist. Everyone is welcome to come along to have a chat with their fellow students,

but most just go for the free food and orange juice. What better way to start your

Friday?On top of all the bounteous breakfast materials, the R&L organises its very own

chamber debate of the year. That’s right - in a possibly ill-conceived leap offaith, we hand over the reins for one of our WednesdayNight Debates, letting you set the motion, make theposters, even invite and meet the guests, all under thehelpful guidance of our R&L team- Chris and Caoimhe.Tea & Toast is the best way toget involved in the running ofthe society, and along with Maid-ens, is an excellent way to getto know freshers and committeein a casual way. To join, simplypop along to the Hist Conversa-tion Room any Friday morning.

Competitive Debating

For those who’re into their debating, or simply li

ke the idea

of an exciting weekend away, we have a number of t

rips and

competitions lined up, run by universities all ove

r Ireland

and Britain. Here teams from Trinity, Cork, Oxford

, Cam-

bridge, Yale, and everywhere in between gather to

compete for

a weekend of debating and fun. With great parties

on the Fri-

day and Saturday nights, Inter-Varsity competition

s allow you

to compete, improve, travel, meet new people and e

njoy your-

self. The debating season kicks off with a trip to

Belfield

Polytechnic when we pay our wily neighbours a visi

t and rob

their silverware once again. This is later followe

d by an ab-

solutely free trip to the bog of Cark for a fun we

ekend of de-

bating, and socialising. The Hist also hosts its o

wn IV in

January, where you’ll get a chance to help out and

see (if you’re lucky, even judge) some of

the best debaters in the world.

For those that want to improve their mad de-

bating skills, we have debating workshops

just for you! From the absolute beginner to

the seasoned schools debater, all abilities

are catered for. You’ll have the chance to be

trained by the best debaters Trinity has to

offer. You’ll learn all the tricks of the

trade such as how to order your thoughts,

imply your opponent is a racist, and, perhaps most

useful, how to repeat what the

other guy said but in a stupid person voice and wi

th excessive use of air quotes.

d!

Week Stand

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TheGMB

The Hist’s beautifulplace of residence

since 1904

FirstFloor

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SecondFloor

GroundFloor

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The CommitteeSomehow, this lot got in charge

John Engle - AuditorA proud American, John Engle is our fearless leader and is in charge of the day!to!dayrunning of the society. When he isn't overthrowing small Latin!American governments, John is an avid follower of the art of dance fighting, which he assures us is definitely not a sissy girl martial art. Having originally come to college as essentially a toothless hillbilly with no moral fibre, he now assures us that there is nothing wrong with his diet, and told us to “giiiiaat o" mah property”. He is now settled in well to his appointed role of money loving, cigar smoking yank and isreally quite a nice fellow once you get to know him ! aslong as you’re not poor or Mexican.

Isobel D’Arcy - SMCIsobel is the Senior Member of Committee (SMC), and is John’s right hand woman. A picture of loveliness, she is one of the

nicest people you’re ever likely to meet in the Hist. Her pastimes include playing in the forest with her animal friends, and pining for a

knight in shining armour. She is no longer allowed within 100 metres ofSt John’s National school after abducting children and forcing them

to work to mine for diamonds in Wicklow. Apart from that though, she’s an alright kind of gal. As SMC, she’s also in charge of all the post debate “refreshments”, so it actually

does pay to be on her good side. Did I mention her e"ortless charm and poise? She also has an excellent posture.

Emma Tobin - TreasurerAll the Hist’s events, competitions, receptions and trips don’t just fund themselves, you know, and that’s where Emma comes in. With her charm and shabby bowler hat, Emma is the Scrooge of the Hist. As tight as a bag of hamstrings, Emma must manage the society’s cashmoney and also fine people who swear in debates ! something which suits Emma down to the ground. We imagine this is because she is, in fact, an old person. This theory is further strengthened by the continuous discrepancies in her age. One year she claims to be 20, the next it’s 21… WHICH IS IT, EMMA!? WHICH IS IT!?

Tosy Mahapatra - Pro-TreasurerTosy Mahapatra is probably one of the most exotic of our commit!tee, hailing from a place we hadn’t even heard of before: Dundalk.Having been raised by the streets, Tosy fulfils his duties as Pro!Treasurer as best he can, albeit with only a very primitive andvague comprehension of money. This is coupled with a limitedgrasp of English or any other decipherable language! often confusing the word ‘you’re’ (with an apostrophe) with the

word ‘potato’.

John Doody - Correspondence SecretaryJohn Doody is the Correspondence Secretary of the Society, and is in charge of inviting guests for our Wednesday night debates. It’s easiest to imagine Doody as a strung out war veteran ! because we’re pretty sure that’s what he is. Most often to be found lurking outside the GMB, wearing a leather jacket, smoking, and muttering about the way things were in ‘Nam. John is an abrasive person at the best of times, but he somehow gets away with it. Which is not all that surprising, given his sharp wit and his sharper Stanley knife he often carries on his person. Best not to make sudden movements or unneces!sary eye contact. Nobody has ever tried, but we figure it’s best not to.

Michael Coleman - Deputy Corr SecDespite our extensive searching for another dimension to his personality,we have concluded that Michael Coleman Is in fact a massive hipster, all ofthe time. Some scientists say that Michael was created when his hipster

glasses collided with God. Others say that those people aren’t scientists at all. Some say that he doesn’t even need glasses.

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around to hear it ! Coleman buys the record. Such things don’t bear thinking about. Michael is the

Deputy Correspondence Secretary, and so helps invite guests wheneverJohn Doody has gone awol, or isn’t wearing pants

again. He’s gone to great lengths to attract guests this year! second base,third base, fourth base, but no kissing.

Cormac McGuinness - Record SecretaryCormac McGuinness is the Record Secretary, and a very unfortu!nate fellow by all accounts. He’s long left primary school, butteachers still refer to his first day at school as ‘Fat Monday’. Anhonest to goodness country gobshite, he came to Dublin in search

of a better life: one with education, electricity, running water ! things he had only dreamt about. Armed only with a

secret ‘Irish’ language designed to confuse Protestants, he set about making a new life for himself in the ‘Big Schmoke’. He has settled in very well, and is in charge of

organising the Maidens’ Competition. He assures us it’s going to be “pure good, like”.

John Prasifka - Pro-Rec SecJohn “The Heart Break Kid” Prasi#a is the Pro!Record Secretary, and has been breaking hearts since he turned sixteen. Of course once the hospital found out their cardiologist was unqualified and under age they threw him out. On an entirely unrelated note, John is also very popular with the ladies. We’re not sure how he does it. Maybe it’s ‘cause he’s smart, maybe it’s ‘cause he’s sensitive, maybe it’s ‘cause he kidnaps their families… whatever it is, John will make your heart skip a beat. And kidnap your family.

Chris Rooke - CensorChris Rooke is the Censor, and as such he’s a bit like the Hist’svery own propaganda minister, looking after all the Hist’s adver!tising, publications, digital recordings, photographs and the web!site, and going “BEEP” when anyone curses in the debates. Chrisis the self proclaimed King of the Nerds ! rumour has it that overthe course of his life, Chris has collected more internets than any!one else ever. No big deal or whatever… just saying.

Chris is also wise, honest, kind and has full editorial control over this profile.

Caoimhe Sta!ord - Pro-CensorCaoimhe Sta"ord is the Pro!Censor. Standing 4 foot nothing, wewere always not quite sure what age she was. She claimed to benineteen, but doubts arose quite soon when she became crankywhen she hadn’t had her nap, insisted on watching Teletubbies,and ate nothing but baby food. We eventually were forced tocome to the conclusion that she was, in fact… an idiot. They saythat the best things come in small packages. However, Caoimhe,joins the list of exceptions to that rule, right up there with bitey,bitey ants, and SARS. In actual fact, Caoimhe is the uno$cialMother Hen of the Hist. Her duties include being on hand at Tea &Toast, helping Chris out, and generally being lovely.

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The CommitteeSomehow, this lot got in charge

Michael Coleman - Deputy Corr SecDespite our extensive searching for another dimension to his personality,we have concluded that Michael Coleman Is in fact a massive hipster, all ofthe time. Some scientists say that Michael was created when his hipster

glasses collided with God. Others say that those people aren’t scientists at all. Some say that he doesn’t even need glasses.

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around to hear it ! Coleman buys the record. Such things don’t bear thinking about. Michael is the

Deputy Correspondence Secretary, and so helps invite guests wheneverJohn Doody has gone awol, or isn’t wearing pants

again. He’s gone to great lengths to attract guests this year! second base,third base, fourth base, but no kissing.

Cormac McGuinness - Record SecretaryCormac McGuinness is the Record Secretary, and a very unfortu!nate fellow by all accounts. He’s long left primary school, butteachers still refer to his first day at school as ‘Fat Monday’. Anhonest to goodness country gobshite, he came to Dublin in search

of a better life: one with education, electricity, running water ! things he had only dreamt about. Armed only with a

secret ‘Irish’ language designed to confuse Protestants, he set about making a new life for himself in the ‘Big Schmoke’. He has settled in very well, and is in charge of

organising the Maidens’ Competition. He assures us it’s going to be “pure good, like”.

John Prasifka - Pro-Rec SecJohn “The Heart Break Kid” Prasi#a is the Pro!Record Secretary, and has been breaking hearts since he turned sixteen. Of course once the hospital found out their cardiologist was unqualified and under age they threw him out. On an entirely unrelated note, John is also very popular with the ladies. We’re not sure how he does it. Maybe it’s ‘cause he’s smart, maybe it’s ‘cause he’s sensitive, maybe it’s ‘cause he kidnaps their families… whatever it is, John will make your heart skip a beat. And kidnap your family.

Chris Rooke - CensorChris Rooke is the Censor, and as such he’s a bit like the Hist’svery own propaganda minister, looking after all the Hist’s adver!tising, publications, digital recordings, photographs and the web!site, and going “BEEP” when anyone curses in the debates. Chrisis the self proclaimed King of the Nerds ! rumour has it that overthe course of his life, Chris has collected more internets than any!one else ever. No big deal or whatever… just saying.

Chris is also wise, honest, kind and has full editorial control over this profile.

Caoimhe Sta!ord - Pro-CensorCaoimhe Sta"ord is the Pro!Censor. Standing 4 foot nothing, wewere always not quite sure what age she was. She claimed to benineteen, but doubts arose quite soon when she became crankywhen she hadn’t had her nap, insisted on watching Teletubbies,and ate nothing but baby food. We eventually were forced tocome to the conclusion that she was, in fact… an idiot. They saythat the best things come in small packages. However, Caoimhe,joins the list of exceptions to that rule, right up there with bitey,bitey ants, and SARS. In actual fact, Caoimhe is the uno$cialMother Hen of the Hist. Her duties include being on hand at Tea &Toast, helping Chris out, and generally being lovely.

Briony Somers - LibrarianThis glamorous lady is Briony Somers, and she’s the Librarian. Shemanages the GMB and keeps track of the library. When she’s notrandomly shushing poor unsuspecting people around campus sheis looking after the kids from the Leinster Schools’ Competition.Briony is going to be the one to convince you to judge ‘the chil!dren’s godawful ramblings’. They’re not that bad, Briony is justparticularly harsh. She doesn’t swear at them as muchanymore, which is an improvement, we guess. She’sfrom Cork, but speaks like she’s from England. ‘It’s likeTrinity but bigger’ she tells us.

Jonathan McKeon - Pro-LibrarianJonathan helps look after the school children. A thoroughly like!able chap, he takes his job as Pro!Librarian very seriously. Brionysaid something about putting him through his paces ! and some!thing about a bedroom department also. The Library doesn’t havea bedroom department, so Jonathan has been brushing up on his

Dewey Decimal System instead. While cheerful and mannerly on the outside, Jonathan has yet to deny rumours that he kills and eats the school children. Wewonder why… perhaps because he’s too busy KILLING AND EATING SCHOOL CHILDREN!

Lorcan Cullen - Debates ConvenorLorcan Cullen is the Debates Convenor, and is in charge of organis!ing our own intervarsity here in Trinity. An interesting fellow, he’squite hard to describe. He drinks copious amounts of energy drink, and is consequently prone to fits of rage. However, like any wild animal, Lorcan’s rage can be quelled by listening to Snow Patrol, and singing along to it o" key. Once we asked him where he was going, to which he answered! “TO GET LAID!”. Also we were shocked but somehow not surprised to hear that he was seeing someone for 3 weeks before she finally discovered his name was not Josh. Yeahhhhh. He’s a funny guy.

Alexa Donnelly - Pro-Debates ConvenorAlexa Donnelly is the Pro Debates Convenor, and is an independ!ent women who doesn’t need anyone telling her what to do and detests being patronised or treated in a condescending way. She’s

also a great little tennis player! A real all!rounder, she has often been known to burn the bra at both

ends to get things done. However, she describes herself as a reluctant feminist: ‘I mean yeah, I suppose I’m cool with feminism… so long as the two

girls are hot.’

Kirsten Nelson-de Búrca - Pro-Corr SecIrreplaceably happy and co"ee loving Kirsten Nelson!De Búrca is ourPro Correspondence Secretary. Together with John Doody and MichaelColeman, her job is to coming up with new, innovative, and at timesmorally questionable ideas for debates and guests. In preparation forthe upcoming Oscar Wilde festival, for example, she hung around his

grave and started taking puppetry lessons. Apologies havenow been sent to the extended Wilde Family and Kirsten hassince been banned from using the Hist’s shovel.

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Upcoming GuestsAlexander McCall-Smith! Author, The No.1Ladies’ DetectiveAgency

ViktorOrbán! Prime Minister ofHungary, 1998!2002and 2010!present! Inadvertent creatorof ‘Orbanophobia’

PatCox! Former President ofthe European Parliament, 2002!2004! President of European MovementInternational

MarthaMinow! Jeremiah Smith, Jr.Professor of Law andthe Dean of HarvardLaw School! Director of the IranHuman Rights Documentation Center

Page 19: HistOracle - 243rd Session

Upcoming GuestsMartti Ahtisaari! Nobel Peace Prizewinner! World renowneddiplomat! Former President ofFinland

ChristopherPissarides! Nobel Prize in Economics! Member of the Central Bank ofCyprus! World's leadingeconomist on unemployment issues

Harald zurHausen! Nobel Prize in Medicine! Discovered HPV! Major spokesmanfor female reproductive andsexual health initiatives

Romeo Dallaire! Three!Star Generalin the CanadianArmy! Member of theCanadian Senate! Leader of the UNPeacekeeping mission to Rwanda

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Founded in 1770 by statesman and philosopher Edmund

Burke, The Hist is the oldest student society in the world. The

Hist flourished in its early days and produced some of the most

important and influential figures in Irish history, with

Theobald Wolfe Tone and Thomas Addis Emmet being

among those who honed their political views and

rhetorical talent here. The society included many future

united Irishmen and was described by Wolfe Tone as “a the-

atre of war and tumult”

However, the Hist did not just house budding revolutionar-

ies; it also included figures like parliamentarian Henry

Gratten and Daniel O’Connell. It was the society’s

refusal to eject such members and its unsettling political

influence that led to its expulsion from college

in 1794.

Left: Edmund

Burke, founder of

the Hist

History of The Hist When the society was readmitted later inthe year, it was subject to a number ofstringent conditions, including the rulethat ‘No question of modern politics shallbe debated’. Someday, perhaps, we’ll abideby it.

Trouble between theHist and College Au-thorities finallycame to a head whenthe society ran themotion ‘Was Brutusjustifiable in put-ting Julius Caesarto death?’. TheProvost declared that ‘To admit a defence tobe made for assassination must be injuriousto morality’, and the debate was banned.Shortly afterwards, in 1815, the society wasonce again expelled from the college.Undaunted, the society continued to thriveoutside of college, with a membership thatincluded Isaac Butt and Thomas Davis beforeit was readmitted to college in 1843. TheHist’s time in exile in no way damaged its al-lure, and its return to college saw noted mem-bers such as Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, J.PMahaffy, Edward Carson, and Dou-glas Hyde.

In 1904, the Hist moved to the Graduates Memorial Building,

around the same time as women were to be admitted to Trinity.

Women were first allowed membership in 1969, with the motion

from years before ‘That Men will walk on the moon before women

shall be admitted here’ having been satisfied. In the last century, every major figure in Irish life has

addressed the Society while Conor Cruise O’Brien, Mary Harney,

Mary Robinson (pictured), Brian Lenihan and R.B. McDowell were

among some of its prominent members.

For 243 years, the Hist has been an arena

for student discussion and debate, and a

platform for public figures to have their

views and policies defended and chal-

lenged.

This year will be no different.

Above: Senator Edward Kennedy ad-dressed the society for it’s 200thanniversary

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31 Fleet Street

Trad Music SessionEvery Sunday

Bar Food Menu22-25 Westmoreland Street

9 College StreetLate Bar

Student NightsEvery ThursdayBar Food Menu

Craft Beer Night Every Wednesday

Over 70 whiskeys stocked

Page 23: HistOracle - 243rd Session

31 Fleet Street

Bar Food Menu

Page 24: HistOracle - 243rd Session