Consensus Politics is all well and good, but a press release from the National College of Ireland students' union shows what happens when happy smiley people go too far.

Welcoming the grant of £7 million to the college to help it move to the docklands, union president Dave Reid said: "One of the primary advantages of being a student in NCI . . . is the sense of collective spirit which that wills you to achieve your goals."

Reid went on to pay tribute to college president Joyce O'Connor. "Professor O'Connor is an inspiration to any ambitious student in that she saw an opportunity to develop and move with the times and remain firmly focused on her objectives until her dream became a reality." Wouldn't it be great if it was like this all the time?