Not too shabby…
DCU students are a lucky bunch.
They attend a college with a really nice campus, some great amenities, and perhaps the best chicken goujons of all time.
NuBar is a nice spot with cheap drinks, and Shite Night is as iconic a cultural event as any in Dublin.
But over the past number of years, it has been missing a student centre.
Well, from today onwards, that has all changed.
Thursday 27 September marks the day that DCU’s brand new student centre is officially open for business.
President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins was in attendance at the grand opening of the new centre, which cost a whopping €15 million to build.
The new 'U' sign! #DCUtheU @PresidentIRL @muirtheimhne pic.twitter.com/KGKwUfe3PT
— Dublin City University (@DCU) September 27, 2018
President Higgins gave a touching speech to the students of the college, where he used the opportunity to talk about the mental health of students, saying: “Good research and mental Health Studies and surveys have clearly indicated that mental health is the number one issue for young people.
“Entering student life occurs at a time in the life cycle when people are particularly vulnerable to mental health difficulties, and when concrete supports for acquiring resilience and coping skills may not be as strong as they should or could be, indeed a legacy of a time when mental health did not receive the recognition or provision that was needed.
“Thus, now we must fill the gap and without any further tardiness.
“In a student’s world there are particular stresses and worries associated with self-image, exams, awakening sexuality, shyness, bullying, family dysfunction, prevailing social and cultural attitudes about mental health – all or any mix of these can overwhelm even the strongest in any other sense, can for some, be too much to deal with alone.
“Let me emphasise today that no young person needs to deal with them alone nor should they be left to deal with them alone. The quality of our citizenship is tested by the extent and depth for the care of others.
“Ireland’s young people’s mental well-being is all of our responsibility. We should not try to insulate young people from the challenges of life, but rather seek to equip them sufficiently well so that they can deal with life’s complexities and its inevitable but often unpredictable ups and downs.”
You can read his speech in full here.
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