Students in an Australian school who are under the age of 13 have been warned that they could be expelled if they do not delete their Facebook accounts.

In a school newsletter issued to parents, Leonie Hultgren, principal of Harlaxton State School in Queensland, said that the threat of cyber bullying warranted the school becoming involved:

“There has been some considerable Facebook traffic that either bullies a child of this school or in some cases denigrates some staff and the school.”

Hultgren instructed parents of students under the age of 13 – the youngest legal age that a person can join Facebook according to the social network’s own guidelines – to delete their children’s accounts. The newsletter went on to include instructions on how parents could go about deleting the Facebook accounts.

Parents were warned that if those students failed to delete their accounts, they could face expulsion:

“A student who contravenes the law or rule in a digital scenario may need to meet with the Principal to discuss this issue and their continued enrolment at Harlaxton.”

Many parents have lodged complaints with the school but the Regional Director of the Department of Education in Australia has said that Mrs. Hultgren has the full support of the department:

“The principal is demonstrating and reinforcing the ethical use of technology, including the appropriate use of social media.”

A spokesperson for the Department added: “Queensland state school principals are able to take disciplinary action … if students are found to be using technology in an inappropriate manner, both at school and outside school hours.”

Image from WikiCommons

The music world is today in mourning, as the news broke that ’70′s icon Donna Summer lost her battle with cancer.

The 63-year old diva was known as the ‘Queen of Disco’ and was one of the most successful female vocal artists of the 1970s. Some of her most well known hits included the controversial Love to Love you Baby (complete with sultry vocals and moaning), Hot Stuff and, of course, I Feel Love.

Summer experienced huge success selling more than 130 million records worldwide. She even had a whopping four number one singles in the United States within a 13 month period.

Donna Summer was the definitive Disco Diva, with her long, flowing polyester dresses and sky-scraper platform shoes. Her look and sound encapsulated the entire vibe of the era.

Christened LaDonna Adrian Gaines, the star changed her name when she married Austrian Helmuth Sommer and despite their subsequent divorce, Summer retained the variation of the actor’s surname.

Summers career led her to win a string of awards including five Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for her song Last Dance. She was the first female to win the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance for Hot Stuff.

Summer’s publicist Brian Edwards confirmed that the star died from cancer but refused to confirm whether she had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Donna Summer was one of the greatest female artists of the 20th century. Her music defined a decade and a generation.  Her legacy as the definitive diso diva, shall live on.

Will we ever have a diva quite like Donna Summer? How do you think the popstars of today like Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj compare?

Grete Lelyte was named the winner of the Gillette Venus “Embrace Your Dream Dress” design competition this week. 20 year-old Lelyte, who hails from Tralee, studies fashion design in the Limerick School of Art and Design was crowned winner after beating off stiff competition from four other student finalists from colleges around the country.

Lelyte's winning design

Lelyte tells Studenty that her winning dress was inspired by the art noveau style of art and her design focused upon lines that represented the curves of a woman. With an angel shape design and a short-length, the dress accentuated the beauty of  a womans’ legs to perfection.

Angry students and staff from Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE) staged a protest recently against the closure of the college crèche at the end of this term, due to cutbacks in funding to the CDVEC (City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee).

The affected BCFE students were voiced their outrage when they received the news and said the sudden closure will push them out of the education system. There are 23 pre-school children currently being cared for in the crèche. Their parents, many of them lone-parents, are currently registered on a wide variety of courses including animation, film, journalism, social care and business studies.

Two other CDVEC crèches are also set to close – Cabra and Whitehall, the latter a brand new purpose-built crèche just opened last year by President Mary McAleese at a cost of €1million. Both facilities can accommodate up to 62 children.

BCFE students Joe Waime and his partner Pauline’s twins are currently attending the crèche. Joe won’t be able to continue his studies without this valuable support saying, “Our hopes have been dashed. We just cannot afford childcare in this country.”

BCFE Principal Maureen Conway is also expressed her disappointment over this development saying, “I’m heart-broken. I worked so hard to get this essential facility up and running. This (closure) will have a devastating effect on students with pre-school children.”

Another member of staff, BCFE tutor Helen Mahony believes the closure of this crèche is a totally backward step. “We are staging this protest to try to reverse this unreasonable decision” she explained. “We demand that the crèche stays open to give BCFE students a chance. Without an education they have little chance of securing employment.”

These young parents are attending college to better their lives, and more importantly their children’s lives.With childcare costs rising and the average cost of having one child in a crèche averaging €234 per week, full-time students with children will no doubt struggle to maintain their education. Do you agree with the protesters that the decision to close the crèche should be reconsidered, or not?

Last week, Hollywood was hit with yet another scandal. Actor John Travolta had been accused of sexual harassment by a male masseur, and the plaintiff was looking for $2 million in damages. Since then, three more male masseurs have come forward with similar claims. Today it was revealed that the original accuser, only referred to as John Doe, was dropping the lawsuit.

The initial claims by John Doe were highly graphic in detail and had entailed that the assault took place on January 16. He later released a statement claiming that he may have gotten the dates wrong in his legal filing.

Masseur-gate, however, is far from being settled as the other three plaintiffs have not revoked their allegations. After the third masseur, Fabian Zanzi came forward, Travolta’s publicist released a statement saying that the actor was 2000 miles away when the alleged incident occured. A fourth, Michael Captuo claimed that Travolta had been banned from a spa in the Peninsula Hotel after making alleged sexual advances towards male members of staff. The hotel have yet to corroborate Captuo’s claims.

The Pulp Fiction actor and his attorney, Marty Singer plan to launch a prosecution lawsuit in the coming weeks.

Image from Michael Wolf via WikiCommons

The Union of Students in Ireland is in the process of re-examining their established campaign for ‘free fees’, and are putting the question to students across the nation to decide the approach it should take on the issue of third level education fees.

The USI has set up a special website, www.usivote.com, in order for students to vote on which course of action to take on the matter, ranking their preferences from six funding models. The six available options are a graduate tax, total exchequer funding (the union’s current stance), upfront fees, a student contribution (the current model in place), a student loan scheme, or none of the above.

Up to this point, the policy of the USI on this topic has been that the tuition fees for Irish/ EU students should be funded by the taxpayer through a system of progressive taxation. This stance has been repeatedly reaffirmed by the USI congress, most recently in 2009.

The question of this current model’s future has been raised by the USI after comments from Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn detailed his intention to raise the Student Contribution from €2,250 to €3,000 by 2015. Now the USI wants students to decide if its current program of ensuring equity of access for students is feasible, or if it must adopt a different strategy.

Students will be able to vote from the USI’s special website from 1am Tuesday, May 15th. In order to vote, students will be asked to supply their college usernames and passwords which will be cross-checked electronically to ensure that only registered students are accessing the voting page.

The results of the vote, calculated on a college-by-college basis, will be used by delegates of Ireland’s various colleges to cast their vote at the USI’s special congress in UCD, on Wednesday, May 23rd.

Upon announcing the ‘Preferendum’, USI President Gary Redmond claimed that students are being given ‘a historic opportunity’ to have ‘real input into how their national union will campaign for equity of access to Higher Education’ and encouraging all students to take part in the vote, as their decision will dictate ‘how their national union will fight for them’.

NUI Galway, however, have decided not to engage with the voting proposal. Students’ Union President, Emmet Connolly said the NUIG’s Students’ Union feels that it is “utterly ridiculous” that the “single most important issue in higher education” is put to a vote at a time when most students are finished college and no longer engaging with the Students’ Union.

He also said that the voting model “does not allow students to be sufficiently informed of the issues surrounding the funding of higher education through debates, campus media, shout-outs and information sessions on campus. On an issue of such central importance to USI, I cannot understand the need to rush this through.”

He added: “It is worth pointing out that I do not know of any groundswell of popular opinion, such as a positive vote in a class reps council or a referendum, from the student body in any significant number of colleges, which calls for a change in the current USI policy. However, I do recall some 40,000 students being led through Dublin in November under the banner of ‘Stop Fees, Save the Grant’.

“I similarly don’t recall any current or incoming sabbatical officers in any Students’ Union having been elected to their positions on platforms of supporting a graduate tax or student loans. Therefore I find it hard to see why we are having this rushed vote in the first place. It seems to me that the student leaders want this policy changed more than the students themselves.”

Emmet went on to say that is is “painfully ironic that we condemn successive governments for refusing to hold referenda and elections on days which are convenient for students to vote, and then we ourselves go and hold a vote – electronically – when student are at least likely to be engaged with their Students’ Union and college life in general. Having an inherently unsuitable vote during the summer is not how our national union should be engaging with our members.”

Dominic brings us his story of the week. Cocorobo, an emotional Japanese robot designed to hoover your home can even communicate with its owner.

This animation has been produced by our friends at Cutbacks.ie

Think back to one of the more awkward experiences of your life. It may have been that time you were jocked in front of your crush, and rather than laugh, she just shook her head in pity. It may have been that time you were caught by your mam during your special alone time with one arm, quite literally, longer than the other. Or it may have been the time you walked in on your dad wearing high heels and full makeup while singing ‘Bad Romance’ into a hairbrush.
Whatever it was, at least you only have to endure these awful experiences once.

After that horrible incident has occurred, you can at least leave for Mexico to start a new life. However, there are some awkward experiences which happen too regularly for my liking, and have a habit of occurring when you’re already in a bad mood and just want to go home and eat a head of lettuce. These are the ones which seem to strike more often than any other, and make me wary to leave my home for fear of having to engage socially with other semi-intelligent members of society.

1)      Trying to dodge the charity people:
You’re a good person. You love your family. You work hard. You read through pointless articles on the internet to distract yourself from studying. However, even the best of us tremble in fear at the prospect of being stopped by the charity assassins. Although they tend to mostly congregate around large towns, don’t ever think you’re safe, as that’s exactly what they want. As soon as you let your guard down – BAM! They hit you with a one-two punch of guilt that would make Ghandi reel. Politely refusing them by saying you have no money, while simultaneously trying to stop the coins in your pockets from making any noise, is possibly one of the most awkward things ever.

2)      Making eye contact with people in waiting rooms:
So you’re sitting in the waiting room for the doctor, quietly minding your own business. You’re looking around the room, trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with all of these people and if you’re going to catch the plague. As you gaze around, your eyes lock with some random stranger’s. You look into their eyes. They look into your eyes. You aren’t willing to look away, thinking that to drop your eyes would be to indicate some sort of weakness which would lead to you being kicked out of the surgery for being unable to brave the waiting room. All of a sudden, you notice that the stranger’s trousers are shifting ever-so-slightly. You tear out of the surgery and hide under your blanket in your bed for the next week; crying and listening to Christina Aguilera’s ‘Beautiful’ in an effort to make the hurt go away.

3)      Trying to remember someone’s name:
“Hey, Andy, this is…” All of a sudden, for no reason at all, you completely blank. You’ve been getting along great with this randomer who your mate introduced you to, but now, for the life of you, you can’t think of her name. Perhaps it’s the fact that it’s a foreign name. Maybe it’s because you’re slightly intoxicated. Or it might be because you were too busy trying to stare at her arse when you were introduced. Whatever it is, you begin to panic as you realise that she isn’t going to introduce herself. You desperately cycle through all the possible names. Amélie? You’re pretty sure that she’s not actually foreign. Quasar? That’s a game, not a name. Jane. Jane is a pretty common name. You decide to go with Jane. The elbow in your testicles a second later, however, immediately confirms that your guess is wrong.

4)      Getting stuck in a chat with someone you can’t stand:
There’s always that one person who you can’t stand and who, for whatever reason, seems completely oblivious to that fact that you never want to talk. These are the same people who always manage to corner you when you have no escape. You’ll be sitting on a bus, pondering the meaning of life and whether you should switch to a different toothpaste, when they’ll sit right beside you (when the rest of the seats are empty, naturally) and start jabbering away about shit you don’t care about. No matter how disinterested you seem, it won’t matter. Even when you jump out the window to escape, they’ll join in, thinking you’ve started a new ‘bus jumping’ trend. That’s when you hire Chuck Norris as your bodyguard.

5)      Forcing conversation with estranged relatives:
“So James.” says your great-uncle twice removed. “I hear that you go to school. How’s that working out for ya?” This is only a sneak preview of some of the more cringe-worthy conversation-starters that distant relatives will attempt when your family meet for its annual Christmas gathering. You dig your fingernails so hard into your hands that you feel bone, but it doesn’t help at all. “Well Emma,” your granddad’s brother begins, while staring at the spot just over your head as if it were the Second Coming of Your Man Himself. “You’ve gotten very tall. Are you on growth hormones?” Pray for death all you want, it won’t come.

Do you fall down often, call your lecturer ‘Mam’, accidentally swear in mass? What awkward, Liz Lemon-worthy moments have you to share with us?

Image from KDE via WikiCommons

The former brother-in-law of actress-turned-singer, Jennifer Hudson, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of the actress’ mother, brother and nephew.

William Balfour, who was separated from Hudson’s sister, shot 57 year-old Darnell Donerson, 29 year-old Jason Hudson and seven-year-old Julian King at the Hudson family home on October 24, 2008.

Jurors deliberated for three days before delivering the guilty verdict. The trial lasted three weeks, with prosecutors calling 83 witnesses to the stand, including Hudson herself.

No DNA or finger print evidence directly linked Balfour to the crime but he was seen near the house on the morning of the murders and was in possession of a gun. Balfour is believed to have flown into a rage after seeing a gift of balloons outside the house, which he believed were from his wife’s new boyfriend.

At the time of the killings, Balfour was already on parole having been convicted of attempted murder and carjacking. He is also a former member of Chicago’s Gangster Disciple gang.

Balfour showed no emotion as the verdict was read out.

Hudson and her sister left the court yesterday without speaking to reporters. However, in a statement released on Friday night, the women extended a prayer to the Balfour family, saying:

 “We have all suffered terrible loss in this tragedy… It is our prayer that the Lord will forgive Mr. Balfour of these heinous acts and bring his heart into repentance someday.”

Public defender for the accused, Amy Thompson said she intended appealing the verdict:

“It has always been our position and it still is that William Balfour is innocent of these murders.”

Dear Friends,

I address to you on this very sad and momentous day. Europe has lost a great leader. The reign of Nickerless Sarkey has come to an end. He may have been short in stature but he had the ego of a giant, Napoleon complex blah blah blah. To be honest, Nickerless probably did not help his campaign when he told the people of France that his opponent would usher in a festival of spending. Shur feckin voters, like yourselves, would love the idea of a festival of spending (If it’s an option between that and more feckin austerity blah blah blah). 

I called Nickerless earlier to convey my sympathy for his election defeat. His good lady wife answered the telephone. Allo? Says she. Ah, hello Madam Sarkey, This is the T-Shock, Edna Kenny.

K.S: Oh alloooh Edna, ees is so nice to ear your sexee Iiirish voice again, and ow many times av I told you, to please call me Karla.

E.K: Sorry Madame Sar…. I mean Karla. Eh… would Nickerless be home by any chance?
K.S: Yes, E is in ze “leettle boys” roum having a leettle cry for himself, I weel get eem for you now. By ze way, you muss come an viseet us at our veela in Cannes. We av a lovely sweeming pool, veree private, ans zer ees no need sue bring ze sweemwear, we sweem au naturale ere.

E.K: Eeeeh… thank you Karla, that sounds ……… very liberating, but to be honest I prefer to preserve my modesty when I go for a dip, chilblains you know blah blah…

K.S: But Edna ……… I inseest. I will count ze day’s unsill your veeset. Anyway, one momens ans I weel get Shorty for you.

Madame Sarkey can be a very strange woman. Fionnuala says “she’s a bloody nymphomaniac”. (Whatever the feck that means)!

Sarkozy and his wife

When Nickerless came on the line he was understandably a bit down in the dumps. “Oh, allo Edna, what do you want?” he said. “I was just calling to offer my condolences on your election loss Nickerless” said I. “Ah sank you Edna, I sought it might have been more of ze – ow do you say? – crank calls” says he. “What do you mean crank calls?” says I. He told me that he’d had a few “job offers”. Apparently someone from Euro Disney called him asking if he’d be interested in being one of Snow Whites seven dwarfs and some fella called Mike Myers offered him a role appearing in the next Austin Powers movie as Mini Me’s long lost twin……… “Seriously though Nickerless”, says I, “have you any plans in the “short” term?” “Va te faire foutre”! says he.  Then the telephone line went dead. He must have forgotten to charge his mobile.

Mini Me's long lost twin

To be honest dear friends, I don’t know too much about this new lad Frankie Holland, apart from the fact of course that he’s Dutch. I thought it was very progressive of the French to elect a foreigner! So long as it doesn’t herald the emergence of Amsterdam style “coffeeshops” all over Paris. I just hope that his election coupled with the disappointing election results in Greece do not make things any more difficult for us regarding the fiscal tree-a-tee referendum. I’m dreading my next telephone conversation with “Das Boss”. She is going to take this very badly. Herself and Sarkey had become very close over the years and I do not think she is going to take too kindly to this new Lad. I heard her on the radio today saying “Ze EU Fiscal Zreaty vill not be renegotiated, iz zat clear”! As the old song goes “There may be trouble ahead”. Watch this space!

"The look of love"

Anyway, I must dash, busy man blah blah. I’m going to give Frankie Holland a call and introduce myself and give him a bit of a heads-up on the whole “Das Boss” situation.

So, good Citizens of Europe, until next week.

Yours blah blah etc………………

Edna Kenny – An T-Shock.

Follow Edna Kenny on Twitter: @edna_kenny