The concept of “precedented times” is becoming a distant memory at this point in the pandemic. Few students will have been under the impression that the start of the 2021/22 academic year would be a return to normality.
So why, with less than a month to go, is the picture for what freshers’ week will look like still so unclear?
Provost Linda Doyle took many students by surprise when she offhandedly mentioned in an Instagram Q and A this week that the “orientation week” for second years will, in fact, serve as one of two freshers’ weeks. Societies were subsequently given little clarity on what this means at a town hall organised by the Central Societies Committee (CSC).
While the hands of College and the CSC have been somewhat tied due to the late release of the leaving certificate results, it’s difficult to see how two freshers’ weeks is preferable to one. For one, why have a freshers’ week with no freshers?
But beyond semantics, this plan – which, if the CSC town hall is anything to go by, isn’t much of a plan – is cumbersome and ill-thought out. Smaller societies may not have the numbers or budget to put together two weeks of events and man stalls at the freshers’ fair. The latter issue will particularly hurt societies aimed at students in STEM and the health sciences, whose full-on timetables will make it difficult to have a meaningful freshers’ week that runs concurrently with their lectures.
The CSC has fallen back on the excuse that it cannot set anything in stone until College receives guidelines from government on what activity is allowed in September, but it’s too close now not to have a contingency plan in place. Last year’s online fair was less than ideal, but do students really want the freshers’ fair limited to a dreary setup of stalls with one person at a desk, forbidden to hand out freebies or take in-person signups?
This time last year, this Editorial Board praised the CSC for its proactive approach to society life in a pandemic. This year, it seems the committee is being considerably more reactive.
Freshers’ week at its best sees societies thrive, but if robust plans are not put in place soon, many could struggle to survive the year.
