Students were left disappointed last week after the cancellation of the RAG Hitch to Paris. The trip was due to start on June 17th, with participants thumbing a lift in groups to the French capital.
Despite the appeal of a low-cost city trip in aid of charity, RAG co-ordinators found it difficult to generate enough interest. Another complication arose when the accommodation booking fell through due to an administrative error from the hostel; RAG co-ordinators tried to find a replacement at short notice, but by the time one was found, there were too few confirmations from participants.
RAG officer Rebecca Irwin told Vision that some of the blame for the lack of interest lay with “the unfortunate election timings which gave our reps a tight window in which to organise the hitch.”
She said mistakes had been learned. “Next year, we’re going to ensure that new hitch co-ordinators will have an easier transition by getting the incumbents to have several aspects organised and waiting for them upon their election,” she told Vision.
Last term’s hitch was also cancelled at short notice, and RAG hitches in the past have suffered because of lack of interest.
The problem stems from organisers publicising the hitches at the last minute, when students have already been bombarded with large amounts of information regarding other student activities.
RAG officers have pledged to really push the upcoming hitches in order to revive the tradition. According to Irwin, in the future “there’s no reason for them to be unsuccessful; they’re a really great opportunity to get involved with RAG, have fun and travel about the place.”
Student Activities Officer Nick Scarlett added: “The Hitch met all regulations and requirements in terms of health and safety, the only reason it was cancelled was due to a lack of participants. This is most likely due to the fact that the planned Hitch conflicted with major events such as Alcuin Fete, James Quad Dash and the YUSU Awards, and also that the event wasn’t publicized until fairly late in the day.
For the November Hitch to Dublin, there will be a stall at Freshers Fair for sign-ups, and a whole month of publicity to get people interested and involved.”
The RAG Hitch co-ordinators were contacted but unavailable for further comment.