UCD President’s Award for Excellence in Student Activities 2000
UCD President’s Awards Recipients 2000
Gach bliain tugann Dámhachtainí an Uachtaráin aitheantas do na mic léinn sin a bhaineann an scoth amach in imeachtaí seach-churaclaim, imeachtaí a chinntíonn gur áit spleodrach, shuimiúil, dhinimiciúil agus dhaonnúil é UCD le cónaí ann agus le hobair agus staidéar ann chomh maith. Iarrtar ar fhoireann agus ar mhic léinn UCD iarrthóirí a ainmniú le haghaidh na ndámhachtainí sin.
The President’s Awards each year provide recognition for those students who excel in extracurricular activities of a kind that make UCD an exciting, interesting, dynamic and humane place to live, study and work. Staff and students at UCD are invited to nominate candidates for these awards.
Ruth Nic Aoidh BCL (2000) LLM (2001) ‘s nominators believed that recipients of the President’s Award should be well-rounded, generous, hard-working, committed and friendly people. With them, we believe that Ruth more that meets these criteria. A final year law student, Ruth has played an active role in student life over the past three years in many different arenas. She has been a key member of that successful political academy – the Kevin Barry Cumann of Fianna Fáil; she has been an officer in An Cumann Gaelach and last year was the auditor of the Traditional Music Society in a very successful year. Not content with those commitments she was involved in the Camogie Club and played a very active role in the Students’ Union as its secretary last year. Her nominators cite, also, the help and support she has offered her fellow law students in their studies. She is a very worthy recipient of this award.
Patrick Healy BE (2001) is our next nominee for an award. Engineering students do not figure so frequently in the lists for these awards – although one of the first recipients of an award was an engineer who recently appeared in the news as a dot.com millionaire in New York. While we cannot guarantee such success to all recipients, Patrick Healy may well follow in his footsteps if the organising ability he has shown is any guide to success. Patrick was cited by his nominator as an outstanding auditor of the Engineering Society, who, for the first time, managed to unite the sundered parts of that faculty – from Earlsfort Terrace and Belfield – into one social unit. This was cited as an extraordinary achievement, which will have a beneficial effect for years to come. I am happy to present him for an award.
Paul Franey BA (2000) is a campaigner in the classic mould. A student from the arts faculty, Paul has worked within the Students’ Union as the LGB officer over the past two years and has worked tirelessly in support of gay rights and anti-homophobia issues over that period both within College and, through the Union of Students in Ireland, in the wider student community. He has also organised many fund raising events for the Aids Alliance. Despite this commitment, Paul is not narrow in his contributions to College life and has worked on the Students’ Union Council, in Freshers’ Week and in Rag Week. He has made a major individual difference to College life and is very worthy of this award.
Aidan Lynch BA (1999) HDipEd (2000) could be cited for his captaincy of the UCD soccer team, which has, for the second time in its history, obtained a place in the European competition for next year. Or he could be honoured for the nomination of the team for the UEFA Fairplay Award. However, his nominator cited him particularly for the leadership he showed in the aftermath of the tragic and traumatic death of the team manager – Dr Tony O’Neill – during the year. During the sad aftermath of Tony’s death, which was a national, as well as a UCD mourning, Aidan and his team showed a dignity and courage which was to the credit of the College as well as the team members. Aidan, a student in the arts faculty, is honoured for a significant individual contribution to the life of the College.
For more on the UCD President’s Award for Excellence in Student Activities visit www.ucdsocieties.com/presidentsaward.