"There was shenanigans in Galway again this year during Rag Week." That is the oft-repeated statement which I was confronted with yet again at a recent family gathering.
Previously, I would have taken the easy option by simply nodding as if in agreement. However, having completed one exciting Erasmus semester at a University in Germany, one of the many changes that I noticed within myself is that the nod had developed into an emphatic shake of the head.
The concept of RAG Week in Ireland can be traced back as far as the 1950s. Originally students took time out of their studies and sought to raise money for the poorer members of society during this week.
The concept of RAG Week is certainly not exclusive to Ireland. In Germany it takes the form of the O-Phase or Orientation week.
Surely, German students do not carry on with the sort of outlandish drunken behaviour which has become so stereotypically Irish in recent years? Just imagine thousands of students, dressed as nutty professors, pushing shopping trolleys brimming with an abundance of exceedingly cheap booze through the University and the city.
Imagine furniture being taken from student residences to re-create sitting rooms on the University's lawns where the students party to pumping music from noon until the early hours of the next day. This is the German cousin to our rather tame Irish RAG Week.
I am sure that many here at home would be outraged by such antics and many would hope that the University in Germany tries to curtail such behaviour. In fact, the University promotes and encourages their students to take part in the week-long events.
They provide money to the various societies to enable them to provide free beer, sweets, breakfasts and barbeques.
They allow students to party uninterrupted on their grounds. But why do they allow this? The reason is simple. They recognise one of the key ingredients in leading a successful life - knowing people and making friends.
The O-Phase allows students to make an endless number of connections with students from all faculties within the University, which plays a vital role in their careers later in life. With one of the strongest economies in Europe the Germans are savvy when it comes to money.
The O-Phase is proof of this. With 38,000 students in this one University the spin-off from the O-Phase is huge.
Off-licences offer special deals on already ridiculously cheap alcohol. The night clubs offer free or €1 entry along with drink promotions such as shots for €1. Even restaurants and coffee shops line bicycle baskets and letterboxes with special tokens and promotions for students during the week.
Undoubtedly, people working in these industries are big fans of the O-Phase, and with taxes being paid on alcohol one would presume that the government are not against the idea either. One wonders whether the situation is really any different in Ireland.
So, RAG Week is not unique to Ireland. In fact, in comparison to the O-Phase the behaviour of Irish students during RAG Week is mild. One could even argue that parties, such as the renowned Donegal Tuesday, are economically beneficial to the country.
Perhaps we should learn from our European neighbours. Maybe it is time to stop judging our youth, let them party, let them burn off some steam in an ever more complex world. If the traditional RAG Week was allowed once again by Universities, charities would enjoy much needed funding.
