DIT’s Independent Student Newspaper
Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
AHHH LADS!
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LIFE AS AN UNHEARD VOICE
IS 'BOYS WILL BE BOYS' A VALID EXCUSE FOR LAD CULTURE?
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A PART OF A SOCIETY
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WHERE YOU CAN ONLY COMMUNICATE WITH A MINORITY OF PEOPLE?
THE ADDITION- OUR NEWEST SECTION FOR ALL YOUR ARTS, CULTURE & LIFESTYLE NEEDS - P 11
May the Odds be Ever in your Favour It's a clean slate for this year's DIT Student Union election positions as no current Vice Presidents have been nominated for a 2016/ 2017 term in office.
Patrice Brady EDITOR
The fight for this year's DIT Student Union Presidency is officially a two person race with Boni Odoemene and Sarah O'Shea, being the only two nominees for the prestigious position. None of this year's nominees for President or Vice President positions have previously been VP's, which is set to make the upcoming campaign more unpredictable than ever before. Last Friday saw the open nominations come to a close where DIT students were eligible to put forward candidates for the upcoming DITSU Election. The upcoming election allows every DIT student across all campuses to vote for their next SU President and Vice President (VP) for Education, for Events and for Welfare, as well as each campus' College
officer. The nominations are as follows, Boni Odoemene and Sarah O'Shea for President; Kieron Pierson and Steve Doody for VP Education; Gretel Downey and Diarmuid Cleary for VP Events and Tara O'Brien was the only candidate nominated for Vice President of Welfare. However when only one candidate is running for a post , they must get 50 per cent +1 of the valid votes for the position in order to be elected. The nominees for College officers were also closed on Friday and were as follow, Caoilte Cahill and Pierre Yimbog for Aungier Street; Robert Nolan, Jamie Clifford and Mehmet Ali Aydin for Bolton St, Joey Cronin;
Continued
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NEWS DIT Elections
The race for next DITSU President begins
Lad Culture
Colleges attempt to stamp out 'Lad culture'
Superbowl
Lucky DIT Student wins ticket worth €10,000
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Abortion Debate
DIT's Abortion debate raises questions among students
USI Appeal
USI have called on the next Government to tackle unpaid internships
Drug Driving
Rise in young drivers driving under the influence of drugs
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When the lights go down Claire Reegan, a fourth year student at DIT’s music college BIMM is launching a new single next month. At the tender age of 21, Reegan has already endured the ups and downs of the music industry. Continued
LIFESTYLE
CULTURE
It aint Easy being Yeezy
Reviews
Kanye's latest collection
Students on tour
Erasmus life in Utrecht
#FreeKe$ha
The Singer’s career comes to a halt after court case
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This weeks newest music and film reviews
Scoops
Exclusive interview with the up & coming band
Queen Bey
Beyonce back with a new Formation
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SPORT Ski's the limit
Catch up with sports Scholar Enda Bolger
DIT Retain Hockey Title
Triumph over Tallaght IT
DIT out of Umbro Cup Injuries lead to teams downfall
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NEWS THE EDITION editorial staff
Editor Patrice Brady editor@edition.ie Deputy Editor Sinead Farrelly deputyed@edition.ie Feature Editor Laura Somers features@edition.ie Culture Editor Rachel D'Arcy culture@edition.ie Sports Editor Donagh Corby Mark Donlon sports@edition.ie
Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
EDITORIAL PATRICE BRADY EDITOR
Elections are everywhere and it's all we're hearing about however as the General Election 2016 campaign comes to a close this week, DIT student will also be electing their DITSU President, Vice Presidents and college officers between March 8th10th. However putting that to the back burner until we have a new Government and this election could see a rise in young voters, with Irish Students set to make their voices heard. Ireland’s young people have previously had a very low election turn-
out. One study found that in the last General election the number of 18-25 year olds voting was 20 per cent lower than the national average. However, one big event may have influenced young people since the last election: the marriage referendum, which got many students excited about politics for the first time. The high voter turnout among the younger generation ensured the highest turnout for a referendum in Ireland ever. Kevin Donoghue, head of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), believes students are more engaged in the political process since last May. “After the marriage referendum, we had a voter registration drive in October where we registered 10,000 people in one day,” he said. Donoghue also pointed out that on the day the elec-
tion was called there were queues of third-level students outside Garda stations waiting register to vote. “We registered 60 people in 60 minutes one day in DIT,” he said. “Everyone’s very engaged, it’s actually now hard to find people that aren’t registered to vote.” And as the final week of campaigning begins the question we should be asking is if we vote for any of the political parties what are they offering for third level students and will we be let down as we have been in previous years? For the majority of students the deciding factors will be the issues such as repealing the eighth amendment, student contribution fees and especially for students in Dublin the rising cost of accommodation. Other aspects
that could effect DIT students is where will a new Government leave the Technological University Bill, will it see delays in being processed through the Dáil? As well with the Teacher's Union of Ireland's , TUI, most recent strike earlier this month, what political party aims to help Institutes of technologies that have seen cutbacks of 44 per cent since 2008? Alongside class sizes increasing and the number of lectures dropping, is there any plans to help Institutes of Technologies? However is anyone listening to the wants and needs of students? Only time will tell if Irish students are willing to make their voices heard and use their voice on February 26th.
Online Editor John Patrick Kierans online@edition.ie Photo Editor Lauren McColgan photo@edition.ie Production Editor Maggie Gethings production@edition.ie Contributers
John Patrick Kierans Liam Kennedy
DIT 1916 Commemoration Volunteer Sign up
Nick Moloney
Staff Reporter
Paul Hyland
DIT is looking for Volunteers to sign up to part of an exciting event taking part on Monday 28th March 2016 (Easter Monday). Food and Tshirt supplied to volunteers and they will be required to attend a training day which will take place a week prior to Event in DIT Aungier St. Details TBC. See the sign up for more details @ www.socs.dit.ie
Rian Mooney Iona Shearer Catherine Devane Olivia Powell Jack Popeley Rachel D'Arcy Donagh Corby Robert Geoghegan Cormas Byrne Mark Donlon
Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
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NEWS
DIT Student Union Elections Continued from p1 Patrice Brady EDITOR
Jessica Morris and Tony Duggan for Cathal Brugha Street; Lina Scalzo was the only nomination for Grangegorman; Dean Murray, Alexander Zavulan, Alexander Komarov, Kelly Crabbe and Paula Tiernan for Kevin St and Leah O' Donnell for Rathmines/ BIMM college officer. Every registered student of the institute is eligible to vote and elections take place on March 8th -10th. Over the next coming two week nominees will be campaigning for students votes, and the annual Presidential Debate will take place on March 2nd between Odoemene and O'Shea. The elections are DIT students opportunity to get involved in the college and to exercise their right to vote for their SU. Speaking to The Edition earlier this month about the upcoming student elections, current DITSU President, Graham Higginbotham had this to say, “Everyone has doubts, everyone struggles to balance the workload that college throws at you, the only real factor that matters is whether or not you know, that if you took the risk,
you could live with that decision – because win or lose, you know you would give it everything you have. “Sometimes the biggest hurdle to overcome is your own self doubt. People can say the nicest things to you, and you might be more than capable to achieve great things, but if you don’t believe it – it doesn’t matter. “What DITSU has found over the past number of years is that, in more and more cases, when it comes to a candidate putting themselves forward, there was a reassuring word given to them by a close friend, parent, work colleague, classmate or partner. We all need encouragement, we all want to hear that we are “able” and will “do a great job” – it’s why we come to college to educate ourselves to become the professionals of the future. But we need to keep in mind that we are all still human, and that reassuring word can make the difference nine out of ten times. “That’s why this term, the implementation of the DITSU policy around elections will be encouraging more women and men to run for what is a life changing job. All our initiatives will aim to inform and aid students to see past the things that would hold you back from running and instead see the positives opportunities that incorporate why you are running.”
€10,000 The worth of the Superbowl ticket that Fergal Donohoe won last week for Superbowl 2017.
3rd Of March when DIT's Suits Ball takes place in the Hilton.
9th Of June when Queen Bey hits Croke Park on her World Tour.
1 The number of Candidates for Vice President for Welfare in this year's DITSU Nominations.
JOHN PATRICK KIERANS
allows you to share short messages known as ‘Yaks’ with people in your area. The article sparked an enormous reaction from students on social media. The investigation has claimed that the original story was based on ‘hearsay’ and that the College Tribune should write an article clarifying that there was no ‘first hand evidence’ of such a group. A Garda spokesman confirmed that they are not investigating the matter, adding that no complaint has been received by gardai in relation to the issue. Does ‘Lad Culture’ exist in DIT?
600,000 People in Ireland who have hearing difficulties.
Colleges to Stamp Down on ‘Lad Culture’ Earlier this month UCD’s newspaper ‘The College Tribune’ reported that up to 200 students were involved in a group sharing explicit photos of women. It was alleged that the Agricultural Science students had set up a Facebook page where they could share nude photos, videos and rate women on a scale of one to ten. UCD investigated the allegations but claimed that ‘no evidence’ was found regarding the matter. However, due to the outrage from students on social media, the college is now introducing mandatory sexual consent classes for the first time starting in September. Professor Mark Rogers, who was chair of the investigation told The Irish Times that he “isn’t naïve as to believe that the university is immune to this type of activity.” He said: “I have reminded all students that if any of them has been affected by the inappropriate sharing of private information on social media, the student advisors and wider university support services are available to them.” The story initially came to light via Yik Yak, the social media app which
In Numbers
Vice President for Education Gareth Walker-Ayers said that lad culture does exist in DIT, but added that DITSU has never been made aware of any groups regarding explicit photo sharing. Speaking to The Edition, he said, “When I found out that the UCD story was a hoax I was very relieved. Something like that is very worrying. “I can’t understand how people could be in the frame of mind to think that it’s okay to have discussions and share images of women. “Have we heard about something like this in DIT? The answer is no, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not there.”
Gareth believes that the ownness is on students to make sure that something like this does not happen, but said that if it ever does, DITSU will be here to help. He continued,“It is our responsibility as representatives for the students to look after or investigate if anything like this happens in DIT. “We must make sure that no student is bullied or harassed or made to feel disadvantaged in some way. Nobody should be made to feel less than they are. “We need to promote a healthy attitude towards relationships and how to treat other people.”
Quote of the day
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I can’t understand how people could be in the frame of mind to think that it’s okay to have discussions and share images of women. Have we heard about something like this in DIT? The answer is no, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not there. – Vice President for Education Gareth Walker-Ayers talking to The Edition about where 'Lad Culture' exists in DIT
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Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
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NEWS
Lucky DIT Student Wins Super Bowl Tickets Worth €10,000 JOHN PATRICK KIERANS After buying a pint the outcome for the majority of students is a hangover, not a prize worth €10,000. However the odds were most certainly in DIT student, Fergal Donohoe favour when the Louth native won two tickets for the 2017 Super Bowl, all because he bought a pint of Budweiser. The first year Civil Engineering student won the competition when he went out to watch the Super Bowl with his friends earlier this month. The Living Room pub on Cathal Brugha Street was host to a Budweiser promotion campaign where every person who bought a pint of Budweiser was entered into a draw to win the tickets. Fergal revealed to The Edition that he hadn’t planned on going out, and that an empty keg won him the prize. He said, “I was just at home with the lads and one of them kept asking me did I want to go for a few pints to watch the Super Bowl. “I didn’t really think anything of it. I didn’t want to go but he persuaded me and we ended up going. “When we got there, I went up to buy a pint of Fosters, as most cheap students do, but they had none left so I ended up getting a pint of Bud.
“I had to write my name and number on a piece of paper. “Myself and the lads were discussing what we would do if we won the tickets – whether we would go or sell them, not thinking one of us would actually win. “About half an hour later my named got called out and I went a bit
When we got there, I went up to buy a pint of Fosters, as most cheap students do, but they had none left so I ended up getting a pint of Bud.
mad to be honest.” The 2017 Super Bowl will take place at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on February 5th. Fergal is unsurprisingly over the moon with winning the competition. The trip in total adds up to a whopping €10,000, including flights, accommodation and two VIP tickets
for the Super Bowl itself. Fergal will also receive tickets to numerous VIP parties around the city over the course of the week. The 18-year old is planning on bringing his father with him. Neither of them have been to Texas before and the pair are getting very excited. He said, “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. You can’t really miss out on something like this.” The 2016 Super Bowl took place on February 7th and saw Denver Broncos defeat the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24-10. Despite this year’s Super Bowl just ending, Fergal is already looking forward to his trip to Texas next year. The modest student still can’t believe how lucky he has been. He added, “I can’t wait. It’s still a shock, I don’t think I’ll believe it until I actually have the tickets in my hand.” After his victory, the Living Room offered Fergal their congratulations via their Facebook page. They posted,"Massive congratulations to Fergal Donohoe who just won the grand prize of 2 VIP tickets to Super Bowl 51 next year compliments of Budweiser and The Living Room. “You are one lucky son of a gun Fergal.” That you are Fergal. That you are.
The Law Society Hosts its First Ever Open Debate in DIT Bolton Street. Nick Moloney
DIT's Law Society hosted it's first ever open debate in DIT Bolton Street last Wednesday discussing the topic of abortion from all angle. Abortion was chosen as the topic for the first debate as student wanted to be as informed as much as possible on the topic if the Eight Amendment is appealed in the forth coming years. Boni Odomene, president of the Law society said that the aim of the night is to “give students who are on the fence about abortion a chance to hear both sides of the argument, “If a referendum comes up in the next year they will be educated enough to vote yes or no” Eoin MacLachlan, a student from UCD, was chairman for the night and had the hard job of time keeper. Each speaker had seven minutes to make their point at end of which a bell would ring twice. Most speakers ran over their sev-
en minutes, intent on finishing their point even through the incessant ringing bell. The night began with Ailbhe Smyth, from the Coalition to Repeal the Eight Amendment. She took a statistical approach. 150,000 women have travelled outside of Ireland to have an abortion since 1993 she told the audience. Emphasising in her speech that it is “time for change.” Sinead Slattery from Pro Life Campaign spoke of other options to women in crisis pregnancies saying that instead of bringing in abortion they should invest in more services for women who find themselves in this situation. She brought up ‘abortions on demand’ which could be an issue if it is made legal. Gerry Edwards, told the story of his wife who had a termination for medical reasons. They were told that their son, Joshua would not survive birth. Mr Edwards said that he has two stories which he tells to people. The first being how it was a miscarriage and the second about the trip to Belfast. He said that the thoughts in Ireland about abortion is still undecided and
people can question their decision. Helena O’Callaghan from One Day More spoke of her sister, Linda, who after twenty weeks of pregnancy was told by doctors that her baby, Lily, had four fatal diseases and the right ventricle of her heart was not beating. This would have implications even if she survived At birth they performed surgery and Lily made a miraculous recovery. She was perfectly healthy after the surgery. Ms O’Callaghan was arguing that abortion would have taken away any of the babies chances of survival. Some members of the audience spoke out during the debate arguing against speakers. Dr. Peadar O’Grady of Doctors for Choice argued that Ireland is a democracy and choice is what democracy is all about. He emphasised how it is the one person’s choice and no one else’s. Mr Grady directed some comments towards the Anti abortion speakers’. Cora Sherlock the Deputy chair of the Pro Life Campaign was the final speaker. She aimed comments back saying that the pro abortionists are a
disgrace. She spoke of harrowing statistics about how 90 per cent of babies with down syndrome in England are aborted now and spoke of peoples’ experience of the abortion process. Other speakers on the night were Vanessa O’Sullivan from the Abortion Rights Campaign who raised the issue of forced pregnancies and Áine O’ Connell from Youth Defence who spoke about unborn babies having the
right to life. The night concluded the with a ninety second speech from each side. The Pro side spoke of equality for women, which the Anti side returned the argument with equality for everyone including unborn babies. Both speakers stood firm on their side. There was a short Q&A where students asked difficult questions about issues surrounding rape victims and the abortion process.
Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
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NEWS
USI Calls on Future Government to Tackle Unpaid Internships The Union of Students in Ireland, USI, is urging the next Government to end Zero Hour Contracts In addition to taking steps to tackle unpaid internships ahead of the General Election. PATRICE BRADY EDITOR
USI President, Kevin Donohoe said students who are employed with zero hour contracts feel insecure and powerless at work, and called precarious work practises such as JobBridge and unpaid internships “exploitation of young workers”. "Zero hour contracts are a disservice to everyone involved, they erode stability and increase employment insecurity for employees. "People who are contracted with low hours can feel insecure and powerless at work. USI urges the next Government amend the Terms of Employment Information Acts 1994 2012 be amended to require employers to provide a statement of working hours which are a true reflection of the hours required of an employee. "This requirement should also apply to people working non-guaranteed hours. Students and young people deserve to have the opportunity to work
enough hours to be able to afford a decent standard of living.” USI is also calling on the next Government to legislate for abolition of unpaid internships in favour of a system that enhances the experience of participants, improves quality and increases progression into secure and sustainable employment. The economic crisis of 2007 made a significant impact on the levels of youth unemployment. Young people on the live register trebled in just a three year period from 29,950 in May
USI is also calling on the next Government to legislate for abolition of unpaid internships in favour of a system that enhances the experience of participants. 2006 (CSO, 2006) to 95,746 by August 2009 (CSO, 2009). “The Government in 2009 imposed cuts in the Jobseekers Allowance for young people under the age of 26.” Donoghue said, “However, the 2013
Budget saw similar cuts reach young people up to the age of 25 as a tactic to encourage young people to seek work. JobBridge started in 2011 as a temporary initiative which is becoming a permanent, defective and flawed programme.” A poll commissioned by the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) found that 52 per cent of young people felt exploited by the scheme (2014). As of January 8th 2015, there were a total of 36,434 jobseekers,
10,125 of whom were under the age of 25 who took part in JobBridge (Humphries, 2015). Participants in the National Internship Scheme receive an extra €50 per week with their social welfare. However, participants in the scheme struggle to meet the extra costs and found the sum of €50 to be inadequate to live (NYCI, 2015). 47 per cent of interns do not receive any employment, while 14 per cent receive employment on a part-time
basis which is not sufficient to live in Cork, Galway or Dublin due to the cost of living. Just 27 per cent receive full-time employment (NYCI, 2015). 44 per cent of interns agree that JobBridge is used solely for free labour with 13 per cent neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Young people feel JobBridge internships are pervasive, and lead to job displacement while stunting any job growth for entry-level graduates, especially with value for money (IMPACT, 2015).
USI, SIPTU, TUI and IFUT Join Forces to Encourage Young People to Vote Staff Reporter The Union of Students in Ireland has joined forces with SIPTU, the Teachers Union of Ireland, and the Irish Federation of University Teachers to encourage young people to vote in the upcoming General Election. The group of unions are emphasising to students that their vote is their voice and are stressing the importance of using their vote to contribute to the formation of the next government. The unions will be sending direct emails to their members over the next two weeks to remind them to vote. USI is the membership body for 354,000 students in the island of Ireland; the Teachers’ Union of Ireland represents 4,000 lecturers and researchers; SIPTU has over 200,000 members; and IFUT has 1,300 members. The four unions have over 559,300 members between them. “Young people in Ireland understand that their vote is their voice. We are engaging with young people through social media and on our road
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Young people in Ireland understand that their vote is their voice. We are engaging with young people, encouraging them to use their vote wisely.
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shows, encouraging them to use their vote wisely.” Kevin Donoghue, President of the Union of Students in Ireland, said, “We expect to see a huge percentage of students voting in the General Election. Irish students have experienced the positive effects of using their vote during the Marriage
Referendum and since then have become extremely politically aware with a real hunger for progression and change.” USI decided to join forces with TUI, IFUT and SIPTU for the #Mak-
eASmartVote campaign because they share common interests – the welfare, education and future of young people. “A voting group of people is an empowered group of people and it is extremely important for all four of
our unions to empower its members.” Donoghue said, “We hope that young people across Ireland will engage with this General Election by using their vote and having their voice heard.”
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Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
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NEWS
Drug Driving and Young People Amid growing concern over the rise of drug driving in Ireland, it has emerged that the issue is most prominent among younger age groups. Liam Kennedy For a long time now, we have all been aware of the dangers of drink driving, but until recent years little was said about the issue of drug driving. However, it is apparent that it is a growing problem and according to statistics from the RAC it is mainly young people who are being caught driving while intoxicated. The 2015 study showed that 7per cent of motorists aged 17-24 admitted to driving under the influence of class A or B drugs in comparison to a figure of just 2 per cent for all motorists. In addition, the total number of motorists found to have driven under the influence of drugs including legal prescriptions was 6 per cent, with 13 per cent as the equivalent figure for the 17-24 age group. While the RAC statistics refer to the case in the UK, there’s no doubt that there are similarities with the situation in Ireland. After the publishing of these findings, RAC Chief Engineer David Bizley described the latest numbers as a ‘cause for concern’, “Official figures show younger drivers are more likely to be involved in serious road-traffic accidents so it is extremely worrying to see an increase in both the number of 17 to 24-year-olds admitting to
driving under the influence of drink and illicit drugs in the last year and also in those saying they have been a passenger in a car driven by someone over the limit. The latter may reflect the greater level of first-hand experience of drink-driving that younger motorists have, but is nevertheless a cause for concern.” While this trend may be linked to a number of social factors, such as the general belief that young people take drugs more frequently and are more likely to be careless drivers, it is clear that something needs to be done in order to discourage the younger members of the population from continuing to take drugs. The last few years have seen an increase in the number of people being charged with the offence, but there has also been a rise in the amount of public discussion focusing on the issue. This dialogue already appears to be bringing about positive results in Ireland as a bill was passed at the end of last year paving the way for new legislation on the issue of drug driving which should be introduced midway through 2016. It is hoped that a change to the law will help reduce the number of in-
stances of Irish people driving after having taken drugs. Regarding the current legal situation, those who drive while under the influence of an intoxicant can only be arrested if their driving ability is found to have been impaired. A significant element of the imminent changes will see an increase to An Garda Síochána’s capacity for roadside testing. The new law will also see those who test positive for cannabis, cocaine or heroin facing the
punishment of a €5,000 fine or time in prison. Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe has been backing the proposed new legislation which he hopes will be passed in the middle of this year. Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland show in December last year, he stated that the effect these drugs can have on driving is becoming clearer, “We have a growing amount of evidence that indicates very clearly that the presence of drugs like that can impair
your ability to drive a vehicle safely”. He said that a number of fatalities on Irish roads from the last ten years can be linked to drug use, and believes that the new legislation will reduce the number of these cases in the future. There’s still a long while to wait before the anticipated legislation is introduced and there’s no way of knowing how effective this will be, but one thing that is certain is the need for a solution to the drug driving problem.
DIT Student Success in International Design Competition
And the Smedia goes to…
DIT students from the College of Engineering and Built Environment teamed up with their University of Oklahoma counterparts to compete in a collaborative student design build competition in Dallas, Texas.
The Oscars of Student media has returned this year.
Staff Reporter
The Student Media Awards, Smedia is in it’s sixteenth year and is looking to celebrate gifted media students across Ireland and to have their work recognised at a national level. Receiving an award is a huge distinction and over the past sixteen years the Awards have provided Ireland’s hardworking young people with a unique platform from which they can announce themselves to the world. Last year’s awards had over 1,000 entries and an exceptional turn out on the night with over 600 students, sponsors, celebrities, and media icons in attendance. Aidan Power, Director of Customer, Brand & Marketing at KBC Bank Ireland said, “KBC Bank is delighted to return as the title sponsor of the Smedia awards for a second year. The Awards
The competition is hosted by the Associated School of Construction region 5. The DIT members of the team were Nadine Kinsella and Paul Connolly, both in their 3rd year of their degree programme in Construction Economics; and John Flynn who is a 4th year Architecture student. Working with three students from University of Oklahoma their team placed 3rd in this very competitive international competition. In addition, Paul Flynn won the award for Best Presenter. Each team of six students was provided with a detailed Request for Proposal released at 8am on the first day of the competition, and each team had 16 hours to complete a design, schedule, estimate and the necessary
outline works. The project involved the design, estimate and schedule for 100,000 square feet of office space in a developing community in North Dallas. The site location offered some varied and commanding challenges to the competitors and called for a team approach to address the re-
quirements of the client. Having worked on their proposal and submitting it by the deadline of midnight, the collaborative DIT/University of Oklahoma team travelled from the Norman campus of University of Oklahoma to Dallas to defend their proposal to the judging panel.
Staff Reporter provide a great platform for the next generation of journalists, filmmakers, photographers and producers to grow and develop." The Awards are judged every year by national journalists and broadcasters with 2015 judges including; Fionnan Sheehan – Editor of the Irish Independent, Tim Vaughan -Editor of the Irish Examiner, Cathy Fox – Executive producer of The Late Late Show, Lenny Abrahamson – Multi-award winning director, and Darragh O'Connell - Founder of Brown Bag Animation and Multi-Academy Award nominee. This year’s panel promises to be even more impressive. Entries open on the 1st of February with a deadline for receipt of the 3rd of March, with the awards being presented in the Aviva Stadium on April 7th.
Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
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TRIBUTE
Open Letter to Orla Kearns Lauren McColgan Dear Orla, I was asked to write a tribute to you. I began to write something journalistic: cold and impersonal. It felt wrong, so I’m writing you this letter and opening it to all to read it. It has been over a week since you died. The night you died I was 2,500 kilometres from home on one of my foolish whimsical trips. We had plans to get coffee and catch up when I got home. You had just found a new coffee place near college that you wanted to try. Tonight my mind races with what we would have talked about this week, in that coffee shop. Maybe
you had something you wanted to talk about? Was there something on your mind… I can guarantee you would have offered me tonnes of advice about all my silly affairs and heartache. It would have been good advice: you cared, genuinely. You also understood me. Circumstances had brought us closer recently, we had a shared experience and I felt lucky to have you as my guide and my confidente. It’s odd. I don’t have much of a memory, but I can recall the last time I saw you so clearly. You were wrapped up (possibly wearing two jumpers) with cozy socks and wooly everything. You were worn down and had a cold - probably due to the volume of events in your busy sched-
ule. We talked about the stencils on the walls of your bedroom. Yoda took ages to do, you said. It was so creative. You were like that - always making cute things for people. Doing. You were a doer. I took the bass off your wall. You had stuck a butterfly to it and named it Roger. Roger is in my front room now. Everytime I go in, it’s as though a little piece of you is sitting in the corner. There is nothing more sullen than a silent musical instrument. Your absence is resounding. To go abroad and return to you gone is surreal. To have my final memories of you wrapped up, hair in a mess, lying on your couch and smiling at the rainbow patterns from those silly oversized
glass door knobs dance on the ceiling of your living room is precious. It’s a happy memory. I prefer that to the idea of your final night. A night like any other; where you were making plans for the week ahead. A night when some inexplicable and cruel phantom stole into your mind took you from us. Death is a monster. For all our friends who talked to you that evening, for all of us who had plans to see you soon, we will always wonder if we failed you. We will always beg for answers but we will never get them. Maybe there is no reason at all, maybe there are hundreds. Even if there were, it would make no difference. We would still be as much without you as we are now.
I was fortunate to have sung with you for years. Your voice has joined with so many others and all singers know that ethereal connection of voices soaring together in song. I hope that one day we will sing together again. Until then, all we can do is remember the sweet innocence of your voice. Its clarity and gentleness were illustrative of who you were. This is all I can write for now. Perhaps in the future I’ll find more apt words to express our sorrow at your passing or our joy for having shared memories together. We all love you, and we all miss you. Your pal, Lauren x
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Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
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OPINION
Ahhhhh Lads!
Is “Boys will be boys” really an excuse for the exist lad culture that can be seen across social media and western culture? The Edition’s reporter, Iona Shearer, investigates if a person’s gender can really excuse their misogynist behaviour. IONA SHEARER
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here are two types of men in this world. Men who think with their heads, and men who think with their dicks. To put this is less misandrist terms, there are some people who, while understanding that their gender is integral to who they are, do not allow it to define them completely. And some people who will use their gender as way to excuse themselves for their follies and vices. After all, boys will be boys. In the wake of the recent UCD scandal, there has been public condemnation of the so called lad culture that apparently perpetuated the sharing of indecent images of women on campus. Although circumstances surrounding the alleged UCD ‘revenge porn’ site are unclear, what has been made clear is that female students can often feel at threatened by the men they are studying alongside.
Whether or not the UCD scandal has any foundation of truth, lad culture is something that needs to be stamped out of college campuses and Western culture altogether. Inherent misogyny in any culture should be taken as seriously as cultures with integral racist or homophobic beliefs. In January of this year Trinity College announced that it was looking to introduce sexual consent workshops for new students arriving at the university. Following its recent controversy, the UCD Student’s Union has also announced plans for mandatory sexual consent classes. The crossover between laddism and consent is complex– it’s not to say that any bloke’s bloke doesn’t know when no means no, however it has been widely noted that there’s a particular type of bravado amongst men that breeds animosity or contempt towards women. The U.K’s National Union of Students (NUS) define lad culture – which is not a uniquely Irish phenomenon – as “a group or ‘pack’ mentality residing in activities such as sport and heavy alcohol consumption, and ‘banter’ which is often sexist, misogynist and homophobic.” In fact this pernicious culture is so often at the forefront of Student Union banter and politics, and a prob-
lem that has become so pervasive, that the NUS has published a number of reports and audits working to define and diminish its presence in campus life. The very nature of lad culture is to put men before women. A lad who values women as much as their male counterparts is deemed “soft” by his peers, and it’s this pressure that re-
sults in the formidable pack mentality which is one of the various factors that make lad culture so threatening to those outside it. Like Orwellian brainwashing, lad culture requires that its members only think in one way – the lad way. Often in a bid to show their lad status or their commitment to their fellow lads, men will go above and beyond
the already dubious philosophy of the culture, doing things they might not want to do in order to show that they are, well, total lads. This peer pressure is a detriment, not only to the men themselves – excessive drinking and Iron Stomach competitions do not a healthy man make – but also to those around them, whether they are a direct target
of lad culture of just victims of a ricochet. Social pressure is frequently where lad culture and consent cross paths. It is fair to say that buckets of alcohol and a misogynist attitude rarely result in ideal conditions male-female copulation. Anyone swimming through a haze of vodka, gin and whisky is bound to start making bad decisions. However the pressure upon lads to assert their . . . laddishness means that they are arguably more likely to, in turn, push someone to do something they don’t want to do, for the sake of a salacious story to share with the lads the next day. That’s another interesting thing about lad culture. Little of what lads participate in seems to be for their personal enjoyment. Sleeping with a girl seems to be less about sexual pleasure than the lad’s ability to find someone actually willing to have sex with him. Iron Stomach competitions and drinking games are more an assertion of manliness than the individual’s enjoyment of chugging gallons of whiskey and eating his own vomit. Speaking to Marian Finucane about the UCD scandal, technology writer Roisin Kiberd shared her own story about a man who took a picture of her without her consent during sex. The interesting thing she said, was that “for him, I suspect, taking the picture was more interesting than sex.” She later went on to explain that it struck her as a kind of exhibitionism, and it’s this exhibitionism that makes lad culture so destructive. Exhibitionism is, by definition, attention seeking, and as such inescapably involves other people – willingly or not. Any culture that has a detrimental effect on others’ lives is worthy of public concern and the brash and bullying nature of lad culture not only demands attention, but often publicly demeans and exposes to ridicule people outside of the culture who are considered “lesser” by the lad mentality. Whether or not the UCD scandal has any foundation of truth, lad culture is something that needs to be stamped out of college campuses and Western culture altogether. Inherent misogyny in any culture should be taken as seriously as cultures with integral racist or homophobic beliefs. This is not just for the minorities who are victimised – although women are hardly a minority – but also to stop the spread of skewed philosophies that are forced upon men who are possibly not strong enough to say “no” themselves. Women should absolutely never feel threatened by the men they study with, but nor should men be allowed to reduce themselves to animalistic creatures defined only by their gender. Remember guys, you are more than just a penis
Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
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Life as an Unheard Voice With over 5,000 people in Ireland who are deaf, what is it like to be a part of a society where you can only communicate with the minority? And what is our government doing to support these people?
CATHERINE DEVANE TWITTER: @CATHDEVANE
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t’s a blustery morning when I walk into the DeafHear Centre on Frederick St, North Dublin. The non-charitable organisation which has been running for over 50 years, offers a service to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. I’m early for the interview, so I take a seat and wait. While waiting a deaf couple come in, looking for help regarding confusion over their television contract. Brendan Lennon, the head of information and advocacy at DeafHear, sits them down and through sign language he helps them with questions they have; something they wouldn’t be able to do over the phone with their television service providers. I later find out the couple are one of the 15,000 people that DeafHear help yearly, in providing anything from information to equipment. “Our mission is to support and improve the lives of people with hearing difficulties. To strive towards a point where they would have equal opportunities and equal participation in society, which is something that doesn’t happen at the moment.” Brendan tells me when we take a seat for our interview.
The charity deals with a wide range of ages, from newborn babies to the elderly. With 600,000 people in Ireland who suffer from some form of lack of hearing and one in three people over the age of 60 with a significant or disabling hearing loss (according to The World Health Organisation), services like DeafHear is much needed. A main system of communication for many deaf people in Ireland is Irish Sign Language (ISL), but with not everyone able to use Sign it can often be difficult for the hard of hearing community to be understood in society. That’s why the recent news that the HSE has announced that all GP services can avail of an Irish Sign Language Interpreter for GP visits has been welcoming update. Though a flaw that comes with this announcement is that the service is only available to people who hold medical cards. Something which DearHear doesn’t agree with. “It creates discrimination within the deaf community, leaving some people left behind while others get a better service.” Brendan informs me. With an interpreter costing 50 to a 100 euro, many deaf people decide to not get one for their doctor appointments. Though, as Brendan points out to me, an interpreter wouldn’t just help the deaf person it would also help the doctor involved. “GP’s often expose themselves to the risk of malpractice when they
don’t make sure an interpreter is there for a hard of hearing person’s consultation. If the deaf person doesn’t understand the doctor and ends up taking the wrong dose of
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On all manner of areas, from equal public services, mental health issues, social isolation and recognition of their language, the voice of the vulnerable needs to be heard.
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medication or whatever the case, it will lead to the doctor being at fault.” Something else DeafHear feels strongly about is getting residential support services for people who are deaf, something they consider the government isn’t doing enough about. Often when a deaf person ends up in a residential home because of mental health problems or
intellectual disabilities, they get little or no support. They are in a situation where they are already vulnerable and they are put into a place where no one can communicate with them. “An average stay for a hearing person in a residential home is usually a couple of weeks, while in some cases for deaf people they are in those homes for 11 years because they are getting no help to get better. It’s often the case where these people are disempowered and they can also lose the ability to Sign because they are not using it on a regular basis.” Government funding for DeafHear was 80 per cent, but like with many cases, cutbacks have left them with 60 per cent. With the money they do receive, the charity uses it to offer better services for their 13 centres around the country. Each centre has a social worker, lip-reading support and sign language classes. But the charity can only do so much, and it’s time for the Government to put more of a focus on this group of vulnerable people in society. Something that Brendan and many other organisations for the deaf community like The Irish Deaf Society feel would make a big difference, is if ISL was to be recognised as an official language alongside Irish and English. As a report from the Sunday Independent published in March last year states, “For the deaf community, recognition of ISL would mean
more legal rights and better access to public services - including education, healthcare, media and banking. Plus, better employment opportunities and a higher-quality interpreting service.” In 2014, the Seanad rejected the ISL Bill, though last October, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald, insisted the Government is committed to examining different mechanisms to promote the recognition of ISL. Yet any developments on this is yet to be seen. While around the world 45 countries- including the UK and Northern Ireland - have granted legal status to their own unique sign language. The Government’s excuse is that by making ISL an official language it would mean every legal act would have to be translated into Sign through videos, alongside the English and Irish versions. They consider this to be a waste of resources But as Brendan simply puts it, “Unless you have official recognition, things aren’t done.” It’s clear from the passionate way in which Brendan and others who support and are part of the deaf community voice their concerns, that more needs to be done by the Government. On all manner of areas, from equal public services, mental health issues, social isolation and recognition of their language, the voice of the vulnerable needs to be heard.
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Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
A Sleeve in the Work Place
Tattoos being more popular than ever, Edition reporter, Nick Moloney looks at how these works of art can effect qualified people looking for jobs. NICK MOLONEY
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attoos have been around for centuries. They were among one of the first forms of art and have since become ingrained in our society as a widely accepted cultural trend. Getting a tattoo is an individuals choice. A choice that people would have put months of thought and consideration into making this life long decision. Sadly, these personal decisions are becoming a hindrance for qualified people looking for a job in their respected fields of work. Tattoos aren’t cheap and artists generally charge by the hour. This can vary hugely from artist to artist as they charge what ever they think their skill and reputation has warranted them a right to. Some of the “TV” famous tattoo parlours charge $200
Some of people then had to leave their jobs as a result of this crack down on tattoos. This stigma originated from centuries ago when the only people who had tattoos were sailors and criminals, but times have moved on, haven’t they? just to book a consultation. High Voltage tattoo’s, an internationally famous tattoo parlour, states on it’s website that, “We do have a $200 shop minimum, but please contact our artists to discuss details”. Tattoos are a controversial topic at the best of times. Many cultures embraced tattoos but others, like Japan, frown upon tattoos and what they stand for. It is almost illegal to have them on show in public. If you have a tattoo that can be seen at all when in a bathing suit you are not aloud into a public swimming pool. The Japanese are so against tattoos that in 2012 Toru Hashimoto, the Mayor of Osaka, went on a hunt for civil servants that had any sort of tattoo marking their skin. Not discriminating against whether or not it was visible in everyday work clothes or a little butterfly hidden on the lower back. Once he found them all they were asked to fill out forms detailing the tattoo. Some of these people then had to leave their jobs as a result of this crack down. This stigma originated from centuries ago when the only people who had tattoos were sailors and criminals, but times have moved on, haven’t they? Well according to the HR managers at ‘Dee Set’ where sales assistant
Claire Shepard (27) from Swansea, was subsequently fired from her job when she told them about her intricate tattoo that extended from her forearm to her hand. Claire took to social networks where it is fair to say she received support and comforting words from people, but also had abuse thrown her way. The company did come under heavy scrutiny from the public as it re-opened that can of worms. An on looker on twitter Oswaldo Reyes said, “its called ‘its my company and I don’t have to hire you.’ you should have thought of the consequence before getting the tat.” Claire was qualified and had actually been offered the job after her phone interview had been a success. Soon after been fired they re-approached her with the same job offer to try and cool the media fire they had started. Claire turned down the
job on principle. The sales and distribution manager for the insurance company Zurich, Lorcan Harding believes that it’s not too important whether an employees tattoo is visible or not. He said that, “I hire people who will meet their objectives.” Lorcan currently has 22 sales personal working for him and that the most visible tattoo is a feather on the wrist on one of the women. Mr Harding said that, “they are ok as long as they are not offensive”. Nick Walsh, tattoo artist and owner of the tattoo parlour ‘Tomb Stone Ink’ said that “I would always warn people about getting tattoos on the hands and neck,“everywhere else can be casually covered up…… but I won’t touch the face unless it’s for cosmetic repair”. It is fair enough to believe that visible tattoos in some jobs are
simply inappropriate, and deemed unprofessional. Jobs like primary school teachers and people working around kids should have all their tattoos covered while in the working environment. Nick thinks that, “it depends on the job, if it’s not around kids [then] it shouldn’t be a problem.” Matrix Recruitment recently did a poll on 200 HR managers. These HR managers were from various industries like, Engineering, Financial Services, Hospitality, IT, Manufacturing, Medical, Pharmaceutical and Retail. According to their research, they found that 53.8 per cent of HR managers wouldn’t have a problem with employees having a tattoo and it would not have a negative effect on their chances of progressing up the promotion ladder. 1.2 per cent were very favourable and then 3.6 per cent
were somewhat favourable. That accumulates to 57.4 per cent of HR managers that were polled not seeing any issues with having tattooed employees. These figures are optimistic in terms of the direction tattoos are heading. This is with thanks to the positive exposure that online media are giving tattoos and the culture in which it is beginning to be amalgamated into. Tattoos are no longer exclusively found on criminals and members of gangs. Professionals have now added them to their everyday attire. According to Matrix Recruitment you are more likely to miss a job opportunity because of “Dirty nails, creased shirts and messy hair”. Tattoos have nearly completed a whole revolution on the social spectrum. People say that a picture paints a thousand words and now so
VOL:1 ISSUE:6 24.02.16
THE
Who Runs the World? Queen Bey is back with a new edgy sound, in her new single 'Formation'. We look back over her transition from Pop Princess to political Activist
THE EDI TI ON
ADDITION It ain't Easy being Yeezy Edition reporter, Rian Mooney talks Yeezy season three & how Kanye West's latest designs fail to excite.
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LIFESTYLE
Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
It Ain't Easy being Yeezy The life of Pablo Picasso wasn’t really successful. Yeezy Season 3 proves that according to Edition contributor, Rian Mooney. All looking like they were having a great time, with sweat dripping from their brow. The presentation was muddle-headed, and there wasn’t much happening with the clothes. Yeezy Season 3 looks pretty much like an expanded version of seasons 1 and 2, though top stylist Joe McKenna was involved this time, and that may account for the feeling that the collection had more substance. I felt a trace of 1980s Alaïa in the close-fitting shapes (partly, I suppose, because Naomi Campbell and Veronica Webb, both close friends of Alaïa, were briefly in the show, wearing long fur coats). Finally, there was West’s mouth-off moment at the end. He had to go there, didn’t he? This is when he opens the kimono and rants about the crazy artist whose dreams are being controlled by various dark forces, and how he has overcome them and blahblahblah. He wears everything on his sleeve, his ego as well as his innocence. He even shared a clip from a video game he had created of his mom entering the gates of Heaven. The imagery was utterly banal, though the impulse was one many a loving son can probably identify with — Mom transformed into a rocket ship blasting into the big blue beyond. I wonder will Yeezy season 4 go ahead? Watch this space...
RIAN MOONEY
TWITTER: @STATICSTYLEBLOG
To be quite honest, I never got the whole infatuation with Kanye West, he’s a repeater, and Yeezy season 3 has proved that. For Yeezy season 1, I was invited to the show as I was in New York for Fashion Week, and, embarrassingly to say the least, I found myself racing to get the the venue on time in fear that I would miss the underwhelming display of boring, impractical clothes. Although I was seated three rows behind Kim Kardashian and Anna Wintour, sitting amongst such celebrities didn’t sway my opinion of how dreary the clothes and show was – I wonder why I haven’t received an invitation for the other two shows... Anyway, this February, Madison Square Garden was packed by fans and, surprisingly, fashionistas, from all over the globe to see what Kanye had to offer up for Autumn/Winter 2016. I fear they left the show thinking that their airfare could’ve been used on something more exciting. Not only was the show used for the launch of Yeezy Season 3, but Kanye also debuted his new album: “The life of Pablo” which was really the star of the 2 hour long “spectacle”.
The show really began when the Kardashian Klan entered the building, dressed in furs and dresses made by Olivier Rousteing from the house of Balmain. You’d think they would be dressed in Yeezy “couture”, no? Mr. West entered the garden to fix some technicality with the sound and then proceeded to play his new album off his laptop. The show was off to a great start. A whole song song played, and then as it ended a sheet was pulled off the 300 or so models, in the middle of the garden, to reveal Yeezy season 1, wait, I mean Yeezy season 2. Oh shoot I meant Yeezy season 3. Models were practically squished together, no room to breath or move.
UTRECHT
A Nether-ending Ride
Third year Journalism erasmus student, Jack Popeley is settling into Utrecht and has already notice the efficient way of the Dutch, especially when it comes to cycling. JACK POPELEY
TWITTER: @JACPOPELEY
I have been in the Netherlands for two weeks now, a time of endless discovery. This country has an incredible history, one that is rich and cultured. But my real interest was to meet the Dutch people, and see what they were like. Before I had ever been to the Netherlands, my family and friends told me that people here cycled a lot. Even with this knowledge, when I went to Amsterdam last summer, I was shocked by the amount of bikes. There were everywhere! Right by Central Station, there was a multi-story bike park, something that would never be seen in Ireland. Our little island on the western coast
of Europe has a way to go before we are anywhere near the Netherlands’ biking standard. However there is a growing movement, especially in Dublin, that want better infrastructure
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I saw someone cycle past me on a knitted bike!
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and improved laws for cyclists. Right now, our cycle-lanes are in a bad way, they are small, on the road and are often uneven. On the other hand, the Dutch have an incredibly good network of cycle lanes and paths, which are well looked after. This makes cycling an easy and cheap choice for
everyone here. It has become part of the Dutch culture, something that people do every day. The Dutch cycle on average 2.9km daily, with Dutch teens clocking up 2000km on a bike every year. You can tell people here are proud of their bikes, many are ornamented in one way or another. I saw someone cycle past me on a knitted bike! Furthermore, this way of life ties in with the country’s eco-friendly ethos. The government has taken various ‘green’ stances on a variety of issues from renewable energy, proper disposal of rubbish and recycling. The Dutch themselves are very direct and seem to have very little time for small talk, something the Irish have mastered. Cashier’s will answer your ‘How are you?’ with a ‘What do you want?’ and this is not considered rude. They are trying to get to the point and now I’m used to it, I have to
say I like it. If you need to be quick, you can rush through and not stop to chat, without being considered impolite. They are also very helpful and friendly. Anytime I have been lost, people have always helped me to find my way, and most people are up for a chat over a beer or two. Just remember to order a big glass, otherwise you will be given a half-pint (or less). The drinking culture is different
here, which is probably a good thing. The Irish stereotype isn’t necessarily false, with the National Alcohol Diary Survey (2014) stating that 1 in 5 Irish people binge drink at least once a week. Although the Dutch still love their beer, from what I’ve seen so far from going out here, they seem to be slightly more sensible. I’m looking forward to the rest of my stay here, but also to keeping you all updated on my adventure.
Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
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Tik Tok, well that’s ShowBiz #Free Ke$ha is trending and with the Tik Tok singer’s future in danger, The Edition’s Culture Editor, Rachel D’Arcy looks at why only women seem to pay the price in the music industry for reporting crimes of sexual harassment and rape. What do Chris Brown, John Lennon, Dr. Luke, Roman Polanski and R Kelly all have in common? They are all convicted of, or have been strongly accused, of multiple cases of domestic violence and rape. What else do they have in common? They all continued to win awards, sell out tours and achieve greatness in their fields. The music and entertainment business is a patriarchy, one which has lead to the downfall of many female musicians within its history. It’s most recent victim is Kesha Rose Sebert, better known to the masses as Ke$ha, the musician behind ‘Die Young,’ ‘Tik Tok’ and ‘Your Love is My Drug’. She accused Dr Luke, a music producer, of drugging and raping her, and forcing her into an abusive work relationship before a federal court in New York City. Kesha initially launched her case against Dr Luke – real name Lukasz Gottwald – in October 2014, suing him for “sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, unfair business practices, and infliction of emotional distress”. Nearly two years later, on February 19th, Kesha lost her case to escape her contract with Dr Luke – within minutes of the verdict, #FreeKesha trended on social media world wide, and continues to be a trending topic
on Twitter days later. This case has resonated with thousands of girls all over the globe, for the simple reason that many are aware of what it’s like to be forced to work, live and associate with someone who has made your life a living hell. Abuse is not a unicorn, something rare and infrequent – it is a common ant, rampant throughout all corners of the globe. It may not be constantly visible, but it is always there. For Kesha, she has been given the most sickening of ultimatums: work with your alleged abuser, or don’t work at all. The judge at the helm of the case denied her plea for a piliminary injunction of her Sony contract, because over $6 million has been invested in her career. Of course, in the entertainment industry, money has proved to be worth more than the wellbeing of a woman who has admitted to having suicidal thoughts over having to work with her rapist once again, and who was admitted to rehab for this same reason as well as stress induced bulimia, inflicted by the cruel words of Dr Luke. Dr Luke has also worked alongside artists such as Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Kelly Clarkson, both of whom have spoken out in support of Kesha in recent days. Kesha made the case that she will
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Abuse is not a unicorn, something rare and infrequent – it is a common ant, rampant throughout all corners of the globe. It may not be constantly visible, but it is always there
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now be blacklisted at Sony, with any music she does create not being promoted and as she still has another six albums left in her deal, this may signal the end of her career. Many recording contracts only last three to four albums – Kesha signed on for eight with Dr Luke’s Sony imprint
label, something suspicious in itself. Whitney Houston’s $100 million six album deal was credited as one of the longest in history, for comparison. Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich said “there is no showing of irreparable harm, Kesha is being allowed to record,” moments before Kesha and her family burst into tears in the court room upon finding out Kesha has to return to work with Dr Luke. Of course, the old sentiment always stands, meaning Dr Luke is innocent until proven guilty. It was found that he deleted tweets on his account of Kesha passed out in his bed – the Tik Tok singer didn’t even know they had been posted until days later, as she was in hospital after being date rape drugged by Dr Luke, something proven by doctors in evidence given by Kesha. Despite this picture that has circulated online in recent days, many on social media are taking the sentiment ‘guilty until proven innocent’ and applying it to Ke$ha – she has been accused of lying about the rape to escape her contract. This is something that occurs all too common with rape cases – with over 248,000 rapes reported in the United States each year alone, many are accused of lying about a sexual assault, something that has come to light in the age of the
internet with hundreds sharing their stories online. This case has become a focal point not just for the general masses, but for the music community as well. Dozens of artists have spoken out against the ruling, showing their support for Kesha. Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, Troye Sivan, Kelly Clarkson, Jack Antonoff, Halsey and many, many more have taken to Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook to state their support for the 28 year old vocalist, and their anger with Sony for not releasing Kesha from the contract. “Sony Music, fuck your ‘investment’, this is a human being you’re dealing with. Just let her go,” wrote Troye Sivan on Twitter on Sunday evening. This has now been retweeted over 15,000 times. Taylor Swift also donated $250,000 to Kesha to aid her legal fees. Kesha and millions of other females all now have the same thing in common. They have seen their careers tarnished, their reputations damaged when they are truly the victims. While Dr Luke has yet to be proven guilty of sexual assault in a court of law, one thing is clear – he is guilty of damaging the career of one of the most prolific artists of the 21st century, one who may be unable to release another chart topping single ever again.
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Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
CULTURE
Report
Film, Music, & TV reviews
was just 14 years old. Armed with my ‘So Wrong, It’s Right’ CD, fanclub member ship and beaming, cheesy grin, I saw Alex, Jack, Rian and Zack for the first time. They were playing a sold out Academy on September 27th, 2009. Now, 7 years later, they were playing a near packed out 3Arena. It was a funny feeling. Being so used to seeing the ‘Dear Maria’ hitmakers in a small capacity, and acts like Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift in the 3arena, it was a culture shock of
sorts. That being said – the pop-punk pioneers proved this is a room they could fill, with a little more determination and effort. Opening the show was Against The Current, a New York three piece recently signed to Fueled by Ramen. Fronted by Youtuber Chrissy Costanza, you wouldn’t be blamed for wondering if this was another fly-by-night band, riding by on Youtube covers and social media celebrity. Against The Current proved to the room tonight that they aren’t simply a cover band, but they can hold their own on an arena stage. With both of their European tours selling out in the last year without a debut album to their name just yet, ATC may just be destined for their own arena tour in a couple of years. Pop-punk stalwarts Good Charlotte were the main opening act on this show, pulling in a slightly older crowd who had waited five years for the Maryland men to return from hiatus. The most dedicated of fans would love this set, truly enthralled by the music and nothing else. However, it became very messy, very quickly. Vocalist Joel Madden and bassist Benji Madden continuously talked over each other, often repeating the same clichéd jokes of being Irish while swigging some form of alcohol. This could work in a small club room, but in an arena, it came across as somewhat unprofessional. That being said, their musical talent is still on point, with iconic tracks like ‘Lifestyles of The Rich and The Famous’ and ‘The Anthem’ packing a punch. All Time Low have come a long way in the decade since they released their first critically acclaimed EP, ‘Put Up or Shut Up’. With near constant radio play across the US and the UK, they’ve managed to sell out some of
the worlds best venues – including a run of shows at The Olympia here in Dublin. This is the first time they’ve brought a headlining arena show to Dublin, and it was one worth waiting for. Their production was something unexpected, perhaps matched to something 5 Seconds of Summer may have, but it was still ‘All Time Low’ – graffiti inspired graphics, an intense light show and pyro to boot, illuminating each track. The setlist carried a mix of the newer ‘Future Hearts’ material for the younger fans, as well as tracks from ‘So Wrong, It’s Right’ and ‘Put Up or Shut Up’. It was a completely remixed setlist – having seen All Time Low live so often, their setlist always
followed the same routine, this time, the tracks they played were refreshing as they introduced some new ones and reintroduced some nostalgic tracks. They kept the same ‘lad’ banter that they always incorportate into their set, perhaps toned down a little for the mothers and fathers in the room! While I may have been waving goodbye to part of my teen years with this All Time Low show, rumoured to be one of their last tours for the next year or so, they truly gave it the perfect send off. Their talent for live performance is one that will always be noted as one of the best in their scene, even now that they’ve swapped club venues for arenas.
The first trailer is filled with scene’s of Cannavale charging around snorting cocaine, drinking whiskey from the bottle and making impassioned speeches to people about music. His supporting cast includes Olivia Wilde, who plays his wife, Ray Romano, who plays his long suffering friend and co-worker and James Jagger (son of Mick Jagger) who plays and up and coming rock star. Cannavale’s career has been steadily rising over the past decade, he has appeared in supporting roles in films such as: The Other Guys(2010) and Blue Jasmine(2013). While his role as
the psychotic gangster, Gyp Rossetti, in season three of Boardwalk Empire was the stand out performance of that series. It seems the big wigs in HBO have decided he is finally ready to carry his own series and should it be successful further promotions will surely be in store. Despite all this the pilot was really disappointing. The biggest problem being it ran for 112mins. This meant it felt more like a film that was going nowhere, rather than a first episode setting up various character arcs and storylines. They tried to fit in Finestra’s entire
backstory as well as moving the plot along. There are too many shots of him staring into the camera brooding. We’re used to seeing this type of thing in Game Of Thrones where people walk around scheming and looking sorrowful. It doesn’t have the same effect here. I expected this show to be a lot funnier. Especially considering Terrence Winter’s CV which includes both The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire. In both these series Winter was always able to find a balance between drama and comedy. Most of this episode was so dull that I can only remember a
couple of scenes that made me laugh. The best scenes took place inside the record studio with Finestra’s incompetent staff. It’s not all doom and gloom however, I hope they just blew the first episode and the best is yet to come. One storyline that looks really interesting is that of Lester Grimes. He’s kind of a Miles Davis character who is battling the record company. He talks in a husky voice from an injury he sustained in the first episode. There’s also lots of good music as well so give the second episode a chance, pilots are often crap.
Cards
MUSIC
All Time Low Rachel D'Arcy Nostalgia is a beautiful thing. It’s great to look back on your teen years with a fond eye, thinking of the music you listened to, the friends you loved and lost, and how much your life has changed since then. All Time Low were a major part of my teen years – I saw them 14 times in just a few years, deciding to close out my love affair with the Baltimore boys as they embark on their first arena tour, ‘The Back To The Future Hearts Tour’. The first time I saw All Time Low, I
TV
Vinyl Paul Hyland “A ride through the sex- and drug-addled music business at the dawn of punk, disco, and hip-hop, the show is seen through the eyes of a record label president, Richie Finestra, played by Bobby Cannavale, who is trying to save his company and his soul without destroying everyone in his path.” HBO.com Rock legend Mick Jagger first pitched this concept to Martin Scorsese as a film idea about the new age of Rock ’n’ Roll in New York City in the 1970s. When Terrence Winter became involved he steered the project towards a TV series so they could explore the characters in greater detail. The result look really interesting and has the potential to create the next big TV show. The series follows Studio Executive Richie Finestra, played by Bobby Cannavale, as he tries to save his business and restore his reputation.
Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
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CULTURE
MUSIC
Dublin Group, Scoops set for European Tour Following their successful EP launch in Whelan’s late last month, The Edition’s reporter, Olivia Powell meet with Dublin based band, Scoops, to talk about their first EP and their up-coming tour.
‘Scenes of Joy’ has four tracks and the name comes from a song on the EP. Cooper explained that the song was written after a great day out with his mates some years ago. O’Rourke said that positivity is a running theme throughout the EP and that the songs really give listeners an introduction to the band’s sound. Asking whether a full album will be released soon, Cooper said that they are not going
to rush with the release of an album and another EP will be out first. He said that many bands, for example Coldplay, released three EP’s before releasing a full album. The boys are going to be touring the EP this year in Ireland, the UK and, interestingly enough, Scandinavia. Scoops have been lucky enough to tour with Walking On Cars, Keywest and Hudson Taylor. Wondering who their favourite was to tour with, Cooper enjoyed touring with Keywest as they spent a lot of time on the road with them and got to know them very well. Scoops toured the UK and Ireland with Keywest. Apparently if you are out with Keywest, you will more than likely be on their Snapchat story, they are always on social media and great fun to be around. O’Rourke enjoyed touring with Walking On Cars because he knows them well personally, he said he knew them when only two people would go to their gig and will always support them. Seeing scoops perform live at The Grand Social as the support act for Keywest in December, there was only two of them playing on stage (the two Stephens) this is because for support acts the venue only want a solo acoustic performer or maximum two piece. The venue have this policy as it would give the main band a better
impact on the audience. Scoops launched their EP in Whelan’s on the 21st of January. Kevin said that it was a massive night for the band and he was overwhelmed by the support. He said he was blown away as he walked out on stage and saw the crowd. Scoops agreed that it was their best gig to date as it was so enjoyable with the crowd singing their songs and a wonderful atmosphere. Each band member has very different musical inspirations. Cooper admires the likes of Noel Gallagher and Chris Martin because of their song writing skills and how incredibly talented they are. O’Rourke is a massive country music fan and adores Taylor Swift (I was surprised too.) He is a great admirer of Irish based artists like Ryan Sheridan. Kevin confessed he went through a massive hip hop phase when he was younger but didn’t we all? Kevin grew up listening to the likes of The Beatles and Arctic Monkeys. The band agreed that their music influences change over the years. Scoops are down to earth, well-grounded and an absolute pleasure to interview. Keep an eye on their social media pages for tour announcements and the release of a new EP.
as she repeats the same sentiments in nearly every scene. Alec Baldwin plays a former NFL team doctor looking for redemption and gives an awful performance. Being a fan of Alec Baldwin and seeing some of his finer work, this is not it. He spends half of the film staring into the camera pursing his lips (as if he’s doing his best blue steel impression) and the other half speaking in a bad southern accent. The films has it’s upside however with David Morse playing Mike Webster, a football Hall of Famer whose
life is destroyed by CTE incurred by years of playing football. Morse is one of those actors you often see playing small roles in films and always excels. The few short scenes he has redeems the film in other places where it’s lacking. His portrayal is both heart-breaking and thought-provoking and provides a springboard for the rest of the story, just as Morse’s death was the catalyst for change in real life. Perhaps the greatest achievement of this film is its ability to promote the need for a discussion on the topic of
head injuries in sport. Landesman, who spent years as a reporter clearly knows how to explain what exactly is happening to the audience in an interesting way. Most people walking into this film will have never heard of CTE but they will understand all about it by the time they leave. Whether this film interests you or not depends. If your interest lies in sports, some aspects should appeal to you if not it’s a film you probably won’t care for but if you play Rugby or if you compete in Boxing or MMA you should see this movie.
OLIVIA POWELL It was a freezing cold February evening when I visited the Scoops in their rehearsal studio in Drumcondra. After releasing their first EP I caught up with them to ask what’s next for the group. If you haven’t heard of them, you will soon. After touring with the likes of Walking On Cars, Keywest and Hudson Taylor, the three piece Dublin based band are making waves in the music scene. The band are solely about the music now making it their full time job and are extremely passionate about what they do. The group consists of Stephen Cooper on lead guitar and vocals, Stephen O’Rourke playing the drums and Kevin Murphy on guitar as well. Scoops have recently released their first EP ‘Scenes of Joy’ and describe their music genre as a mixture of pop/ rock/acoustic/indie. It is without a doubt, their own original and unique sound that is attracting crowds in venues across the city. Cooper started off on his own for years before the band, writing songs
and playing gigs. After meeting Stephen O’Rourke on a J1 and they decided to join forces becoming a duo and six months later Kevin joined. O’Rourke knew Kevin beforehand from college and wanted him to be involved, the band was finally complete. Scoops immediately started recording songs and trying to get as many gigs as possible to make themselves and their unique genre known.
FILM
Concussion
'A failed attempt' Paul Hyland
Concussion is Will Smith’s latest failed attempt to elevate his career from blockbuster star to acting elite. In this film he plays real life physician Dr. Bennet Omalu, who discovered a link between playing American-Football and brain-trauma, called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which can lead to depression and early onset Alzheimer’s in those affected. The film chronicles the most rewarding and difficult period in Dr. Omalu’s life, as he first publishes his findings and is then almost coerced into burying them by the NFL. It’s not a great film but I think if it was based on a less interesting topic it would be a bad film. Director Peter Landesman doesn’t have huge experience at this level, having only directed two features before this, and struggles to find a
consistent tone for the piece. The story focuses too much on showing how much smarter Dr. Omalu is than the NFL executives he is battling against. This done in cheesy ways, particularly in a courtroom scene early in the film which really feels unnecessary. By contrast the NFL executives are portrayed as villainously as the Empire in Stars Wars standing around plotting the demise of the good doctor. It’s a bit ridiculous to be honest. As for Smith he did a reasonable job but it remains to be seen however, whether or not he can make the final jump to the top table as Mathew McConaughey did a few years ago. In fairness to Smith he is a lot better than most of his co-stars but the film’s script didn’t do him any favours. His wife, played by Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha, is a real drip and once again it’s the writing that failed her;
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Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
CULTURE MUSIC
The ‘Formation’ of Queen Bey
After her controversial Superbowl half time performance Beyonce is back with a bang and her upcoming world tour tickets are already like gold dust. The Edition’s, Olivia Powell looks at the evolution of the performer from feel good ballads to promoting the political message that Black lives matter OLIVIA POWELL With the release of her new single ‘Formation’ and a confirmed gig in Croke Park this summer, the time has come to look back on the journey of Queen B and how her sound has changed throughout the years. In 2003, Beyoncé released her first solo album called ‘Dangerously In Love’ which featured the hit song ‘Crazy In Love.’ Other singles released from the album include ‘Baby Boy’, ‘Me, Myself and I’ and ‘Naughty Girl.’ The genre of the album is R&B/Soul with elements of Hip Hop. The album has a good mixture of feel good up tempo songs and ballads. The album proved Beyoncé a successful solo artist with a bright future. B’Day, Beyoncé’s second solo album, was released in 2006 on the 4th of September to coincide with her 25th birthday. Hits from the album include ‘Irreplaceable’, ‘Déjà vu’, and ‘Beautiful Liar.’ The R&B tone of the album is similar to her first so not much of a difference here.
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Beyoncé’s new sound is certainly different and experimental but do we prefer her emotional, female empowered sound better?
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However, Beyoncé’s third solo album introduced her alter ego Sasha Fierce. The album ‘I am… Sasha Fierce’ was released in November of 2008. The album has two discs, the first disc ‘I am’ contains slow, mid-tempo pop and emotional ballads which include the classic hits ‘If I Were A Boy’ and ‘Halo.’ Beyoncé explained in an interview that ‘If I Were A Boy’ is different from her previous songs in the sense that it is not a classic R&B song. The second disc ‘Sasha Fierce’ focuses on more up tempo, feel good beats which include ‘Single Ladies’ and ‘Diva.’ The theme of female empowerment is truly visible throughout
this album. The split personality on the album is exciting, different and intriguing, however Beyoncé said in an interview that Sasha Fierce is just for the stage. Moving on to Beyoncé’s fourth solo album, ‘4’, which was released in June 2011. The album continues with the theme of female empowerment but her alter ego Sasha Fierce is no longer around. In between the releases of the third and fourth album, Beyoncé took a career break “to live life and be inspired by things again”, and decided that she could merge the two personalities. It is evident that the lyrics on the album are inspired by her career break. Hit singles from the album include ‘Run The World (Girls)’, ‘Best Thing I Never Had’ and ‘Love On Top.’ It is a truly beautiful, feel good album with a mixture of ballads and up-tempo hits. Now onto Beyoncé’s latest album, simply called Beyoncé, which was released in December of 2013. This album has a completely different sound from the rest. The album was released unexpectedly and also as an audio-visual medium so each song has its own music video which is unusual for any album. The tone of the album is dark and intimate that includes feminist themes and relationship issues. Songs like ‘Drunk In
Love’ and ‘Partition’ are dark, sassy and complex. The album is said to be Beyoncé’s most experimental album to date. Finally, Beyoncé released a new single called ‘Formation’ on the 6th of February 2016. The single is edgy, dark, explicit and similar to songs from her previous album. It is likely that a new album is just around the corner. Beyoncé’s new sound is certainly different and experimental but do we prefer her emotional, female empowered sound better? Her Superbowl performance this year also created a mix reaction and the good girl pop image of Beyonce was altered with a new style of political message, referencing the recent Police brutality cases in the State. Especially with her recent music video as well as her half time performance featuring references to the Black Lives Matter movement, Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, Queen Bey’s upcoming album might be the most radical political statement from the star in her 20-year career. With some people calling the single and performance “anti-police”, her world wide tour is selling out in every country and could be her most successful tour yet. Beyoncé will play Croke Park on the 9th of July 2016.
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When the Lights go down A career in music is not for the faint hearted and definitely not a warning that DIT fourth year BIMM Student, Claire Reegan needs.The Edition's online Editor John Patrick Kierans caught up with the talent student to chat about her past disappointments and her alternative style of music. JOHN PATRICK KIERANS The ups and downs of the music industry is enough to stop anyone from pursuing the path, however this isn't the case for Claire Reegan. A fourth year student at DIT’s music college BIMM, she is launching a new single next month.Reegan, who hails from Drogheda, Co Louth will be unveiling her single ‘When the Lights Go Down’ to the world at the Droichead Arts Centre on March 4th. At the tender age of 21, Reegan has already endured the ups and downs of the music industry. The vocals student progressed through the audition stages of the X-Factor when she was just 14 however despite her amazing performance, Claire was booted off the show just hours after her audition when it was discovered that she was three months too young to be on the show. Reegan described the experience as ‘grim’, but now admits that it was probably best for her if she is going to succeed in the music industry. Speaking to The Edition, she said, “My dad had come over with me at the time. "It was a very tough experience as my Mam had already rang all our family and friends to tell them that I made it through. “It was very emotional for me, from the absolute buzz of getting through to the disappointment of not going through was very tough to take. “But in hindsight, I was probably
too young.” Since her disappointment on The X-Factor, Claire has played hundreds of North East gigs with her former band ‘Five Foot Nothing’, which she formed during fifth year. The band was just with school friends, however they had achieved great success and in the group’s first year together, the entered the CocaCola Schoolstars competition, reaching the semi-final. Claire was over the moon at the achievement, especially because the band played only her original songs.
The group received a lot of offers after the competition, playing shows around the North East over a period of two years. However, the band was forced to split once college came around, which was very upsetting for the Louth woman. “It was very tough when the band split. We all just ended up going to different colleges after school. “I’m in BIMM and some of the others are in Dundalk and Maynooth. “It was just too hard to keep going.” Now a solo artist, Claire describes
her music as alternative pop with a bit of a folk twist. Claire admitted that her love of storytelling is noticeable in all of her music, especially with “When the Lights Go Down.” She uses powerful music to tease out modern day issues. Speaking of about her music, Claire said her inspirations come from her surroundings. “The inspiration for ‘When the Lights Go Down’ came from the summer I spent in New York on my J1 last year.
“I noticed a lot of problems with the beautiful city, such as homelessness and violence. “I know these are also serious issues in Dublin, but I just couldn’t believe how bad it was in a country which we tend to associate with ‘rich people’. “The inspiration also comes from war and acts of terror around the world.” She also added that, “The song is open to interpretation, I wrote it that way. “I want people’s own personal thoughts to arise from the song’s lyrics.” The launch for Claire’s new single has been a working process, starting all the way back in September. From recording the song, to rehearsals, to organising the launch itself, Claire revealed that it has been a roller-coaster ride. “You don’t realise how much work is involved until you actually do something like this," she said. “But I know I’m learning a lot of stuff that will help me in the future. “Now I just can’t wait for the night. “I want to thank my parents, my sister Megan and all my family and friends for their help and support over the last few months.” Claire will be playing a full set of her own music on the night with the help of her fellow BIMM students Ken Mooney, Donal Pywell, Colin Power, Emma Donnelly and Laura O’Sullivan. ‘When the Lights Go Down’ is set to launch at the Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, Co Louth on March 4th at 8pm. Tickets cost ten euro and can be purchased at http://www.droichead.com.
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SPORT SPORTS SCHOLARSHIPS
The Ski is the Limit Skiing isn't exactly Ireland's most popular sport giving our country's lack of snow fall however this didn't stop DIT Sports Scholar, Enda Bolger, from making the transition from holiday maker to internationally recognised skier. The Edition's Mark Donlon, caught up with DIT's rising star to ask him about his time on the slopes. MARK DONLON SPORTS EDITOR
For Enda Bolger, the path towards becoming a sports scholar at DIT was carved out thanks to his rapid rise as a negotiator of the slopes. The skier is coming to the fore this year in the wake of representing Ireland at the Youth Olympics in 2015. It must be said that an interview with an Irish sports scholar whereby the interviewee doesn’t talk about GAA seems highly unlikely, but the only allusion to Gaelic Games in Enda’s case is in his admittance to having very little to do with it as a child: “ I was never into GAA or anything like that when I was younger. I wasn’t sporty at all to be honest!” Enda’s non-sporty child-
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I achieved my goal in January 2015. I was selected to represent Ireland in the Youth Olympics. I broke records for Ireland, placing us in the top 40 out of 125 competitors.
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hood seems ironic in retrospect given his skiing exploits, and the irony is not lost on the Dubliner: “It’s funny because I turned out to be the only internationally recognised athlete in my year!” It’s fair to say skiing seems very far removed from Ireland, and that to practice skiing here in appropriate conditions would be to wish constant snowfall upon a country whose people curse anything more than a snowflake. So how did Enda’s interest come to life? “I had been skiing on family holidays for a few years and following that I joined the ski club of Ireland. This is when it all really started.” The transition from holidaymaker to skier was rather abrupt, as Enda explains: “ I was scouted for the clubs development squad and trained with them for a few years before eventually being moved onto the club’s race squad.” As part of the clubs race squad, Enda travelled to small
club league races all over the UK to compete. After this, the attachment and commitment to the sport grew stronger: “The addictive side of the sport then kicked in and competitive skiing quickly grew to be a big part of my life.” Enda planted his foot inside the door of the sport of skiing at the age of 15, when he was, as he modestly says himself, “lucky enough” to be selected to represent Ireland at U16 level. This opportunity whetted his appetite for the future, but also opened his eyes to the fiercely competitive playing field he was joining: “Racing as an internationally recognised skier with a race license from FIS is a whole other ballgame”, he says. “I was now up against the best in the world and giving them a run
for their money. I never came close to them, but I can still say I raced against them!” The early stages of Enda’s career may have underlined to him the fearsome contenders he was up against, but they also shone a light on his undeniable ability. Ability alone, however, is not enough to climb any ladder, not least that of the gruelling sport of skiing. Enda says that being a skier here in Ireland means, among other things, less time in homely surroundings: “It is hard to be a skier in Ireland. It involves a lot of time away from home.” Aside from home comforts proving elusive, the academic side of life also takes a bruising to facilitate sporting goals: “I pretty much took four and a half months out of 6th year to train and race chasing
the snow all over Europe.” Somehow, the hiatus had no bearing on his Leaving Certificate results: “It worked out grand, I got my first choice. Don’t ask me how, but I did!” Not only did he emerge unscathed academically from his time off, but he simultaneously achieved more than ever before in the world of skiing in a year which he dubs his “big claim to fame”. Having taken time off to work on his sporting goals, he saw the leap of faith pay off in January of last year: “ I achieved my goal in January 2015. I was selected to represent Ireland in the Youth Olympics.” One might marvel at the prestige of representation at Olympics level, but Enda went a step further and left his mark on the event: “I broke records for Ireland, placing us in the top 40 out of 125 compet-
itors.” “It’s not too bad for an Irish lad!” he quips. Nothing is eternal in sport, and Enda seems to be of the mind-set that looking forward towards bettering what he has already achieved is the only way to look. He is modest but it is also clear that he possesses the inner belief necessary for success. While his achievements to date dwarf those of many pretenders, he makes no secret of his appetite for more: “To be honest with you, while it is cool to hold the records, nothing beats having an Olympic title.” Right now, Enda is looking to overcome a knee injury. His prognosis is that it’s “looking good to sneak a few races in over Easter.” You can’t keep a good man down.
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SPORT
HOCKEY
DIT Hockey Club Retain their Title Marcus Blake DIT Hockey Club retained their Mixed Intervarsities Title for 2016 in Athlone following a 7-5 win over Dublin City Rivals IT Tallaght in the final. DIT started off with an 8-0 thrashing of Munster side University Of Limerick, with Sorcha Conway starting the rout, smashing past the Limerick goalkeeper. The game didn’t get any easier for
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DIT came out all guns blazing and doubled their lead when a fine spin from Ben Campbell
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Limerick as further goals from Davy Carson, Ben Campbell and Jane Foxton put DIT in firm control before half time. The second half began brightly with College veteran Marcus Blake deflecting past the goalkeeper, before Neil Byrne, Ben Campbell, and Sorcha Conway completed the rout. DIT faced sterner opposition in their second match against Dublin City rivals IT Tallaght. The match started brightly for DIT
with Davy Carson and Ben Campbell going close only to be denied by the in form Tallaght goalkeeper. Frustrations continued as Geoff Cole was put through on goal but once again the Tallaght goalkeeper kept the scoreline blank. With time running out in the first half DIT kept pressing, attack after attack, and before Kate Lloyd finally broke the deadlock seconds before the half time whistle. DIT came out all guns blazing and doubled their lead when a fine spin from Ben Campbell caught the Tallaght keeper off guard. Neil Byrne put the game to rest with 5 minutes remaining with another fine finish. Tallaght were to grab a consolation but DIT went on to secure a 3-1 win and their second Final berth in as many years. Day 2 of the competition saw DIT race into a 3-0 lead against city rivals DCU, with goals coming from Jane Foxton, Ben Campbell, and Kate Lloyd. DCU though weren’t phased by their lacklustre start and got a goal back right before half time. Chances kept coming for DIT with Hannah Morrin, Sophie Barnwell, and Paul Byrne going close. DCU profited from their oppositions misses with a second goal of their own to peg the game back. DIT held firm with some excellent defending from Skipper Scott Sullivan, Molly Cole, Uilliam Blythman,and Goalkeeper Alanah Carragher pulling off some wonderful saves, but couldn’t prevent a breakaway equal-
iser with just minutes remaining. 3-3 the final score, and IT Tallaght were again the opponents for the final. DIT once more were quickest out of the blocks and raced into an early 6-1 half time lead with goals coming from Hat Trick Hero Davy Carson, Laura Hanlon, Simon McKeever, and Karl Lynch. Tallaght finally got going and replied with 3 quick goals before top goalscorer Ben Campbell with his 5th goal put daylight between the teams once more at 7-4. Tallaght were to grab a late consolation but Excellent goalkeeping from Alanah Carragher ensured that DIT Hockey Club retained their Mixed Title for the second year in Row with a 7-5 victory. Well Done to All Involved.
BASKETBALL
DIT Send a Message to Semi-Final Opponents Robert Geoghegan Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) men’s Basketball team eased past the University of Ulster Jordanstown (UUJ) in a convincing 84-51 victory to stay in contention to win the Men’s Basketball College League. DIT finished second in the NBCC Men's League Division 1 North, behind Griffith College Dublin (GCD) to whom we awarded a walkover earlier in the season due to the gym being deemed unfit to host the game. We have been in contention for the title via the play-offs come season’s end ever since. DIT played host to fourth place team UUJ at the Swan Leisure centre Rathmines on Friday February 12th. DIT were led by their top scorer Makerenko who poured in 26 points on the night. Makerenko is also forth in the league in scoring, having scored
97 points collectively through four games this season is averaging 24.2 points per game (ppg) this season for our team. UUJ’s Barbour, number six on the league’s scoring list with a 22 (ppg) average this season, Barbour responded with 22 points of his own. Barbour was backed up by team-mate Mullen who has averaged 20 (ppg) this season and provided 17 points on the night of his team’s loss to DIT. DIT’s basketball team are coached by Randall Mounts who has had recent success in the under 19 Group A Secondary School league back in January with an impressive 92-71 win over Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig. Coach Mounts is hoping to emulate the same success with DIT’s basketball team. The next date, opponent and venue will be confirmed as soon as possible, and all at the Edition urge you to come support your team.
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Wednesday, February 24th, 2016 Enda Bolger, DIT Sports Scholar Looks to the Future DIT Hockey Club Retain their Title DIT Basketball Still in the Running for College League
CAMOGIE
DIT Lose Out on Purcell Cup Despite Gallant Second Half
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SPORTS EDITORIAL DONAGH CORBY SPORTS EDITOR
MARK DONLON
MARK DONLON
SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTS EDITOR
DIT Camogie team were in action in the Purcell Cup this week. However they ultimately came up short despite a gallant second half display which may have salvaged the spoils on another day. GAA Development Officer Darragh Biddelcombe spoke about the game ruefully, "We were disappointed in the end to lose to Cork in the semi-final. They were very strong and they got an early run on us in the first half." Darragh felt the team left themselves with a mountain to climb after the first period. "We really played well in the second half but we probably conceded too much in the first half. We had too much of a gap to overcome. "It left all pondering what might have been had the girls overcome this Cork side, "Cork then went on to win the competition comfortably by a good few points", Darragh concluded. However the ladies football side enjoyed success on the pitch this week. Darragh noted the team's resilience in competing with such a talented outfit, "UL were quite good. They were
strong enough and they did get an early goal. But we came and fought back and we held our composure in the second half then. We dominated in the second half and in the end we won the match quite comfortably." Darragh
continued that, "The girls did put in a really big performance, and they'd beaten Tralee well like that." He also noted the number of injuries the team were suffering prior to the game, "We were carrying a number
of injuries going into the match so it's key to us that we get those girls back fit." With some absentees returning to the fold, things appear to be in very good stead for the ladies football side.
FOOTBALL
DIT Out of Umbro Cup Cormac Byrne The DIT premier side exited the CFAI Umbro Cup with a 21 quarter- final defeat away to 1st Division side Letterkenny Institute of Technology on 9th of February. Being a division higher than their opponents, DIT travelled north as favourites despite missing three of their best players due to injury, perhaps the biggest absentees were that of striker Adam Zayed and Captain Rhys Gorman. The first half started slowly with only half chances falling to either side. Paul McVeigh forced a good save from Gavin Moor. McVeigh caused DIT further problems when
just before halftime he was denied a penalty by referee Marty Quinn claiming Cristian Lateffa had blocked a shot with his hand, the ref waved play on, and the first half concluded with honours even. Minutes into the second half, Appiah had a great chance to open the scoring for the home side, putting the ball inches wide. However, on 49 minutes DIT found themselves in the lead when Aaron Brilly fired past McElhinney from 13 yards out. Chances were rare, but in the 55th minute, Letterkenny received a rather questionable penalty when Paul McVeigh was knocked over by DIT centre back Cooney. McVeigh converted from the centre spot to make
it 11. DIT responded almost immediately when Appiah shot just wide, O’Rourke also missed a chance before DIT hearts were broken 2 minutes before full time when Brian McVeigh drove home the winner from 12 yards, following a poor clearance. Afterwards, DIT coach Gavin Fleming claimed the Letterkenny penalty was ‘dubious’. Fleming also bemoaned the absence of a physio who did not show up, leading to DIT losing Colin McPartlin to injury after only 37 minutes, Fleming concluded “The season is over for the first and second teams, however there is some consolation as the third team won their cup tie against Moate College
Carlow, winning 4-0 and have progressed to the next round”. Letterkenny progressed to SemiFinal of the CFAI Umbro Cup vs IT Carlow (A). Letterkenny Institute of Technology Team: Mark McElhinney; Caolan McDaid, Jamie Boyle, Peter Doherty, Fearghal Harkin; Liam Doherty (Keelan McElwaine 90), Daire McDaid, Brian McVeigh, Anthony Appiah; Dean Larkin, Paul McVeigh. Dublin Institute of Technology Team: Gavin Moore; Oho Tabi Amanetry, Niall Cooney, Cristian Lateffa, Jamie Cross; Aaron Brilly, Fionn Byrne, Colin McPartlin (Martin O’Rourke 37), Kaleem Simon; Sam Simpson, Gary Curran.
This past fortnight was a big one for sport in DIT. For our GAA teams, there was both joy and disappointment with a Lynch Cup win against University of Limerick as well as a semi-final exit of the Purcell Cup to Cork IT, the eventual winners. For DIT Basketball, we were delighted to see Randall’s team win so convincingly and book their place in the Division 1 League Semi-Final. UUJ are no easy opposition, but the lads were dominant and ended up coming out 8451 winners. Unfortunately, the season came to an unfortunate end for our Premier soccer team, with the lads going down 2-1 to Letterkenny IT, but they have had an impressive season and I’m sure will come back stronger next year. In positive news for the Soccer club, our C team won beat Moate Business College 4-0. There are a few talented lads in that young squad whom I’m sure will make the step up to the Premier team in the coming years in the college. We had a lot of good success with other clubs too. DIT Hockey Club defeated IT Tallaght, and the Boxing Club were involved in the Fight Night with other colleges such as IT Tallaght, University of Limerick, National University of Ireland Galway, Trinity College Dublin, Galway-Mayo IT and IT Carlow. We’d like to thank everyone who has sent in content for this week’s issue, including first-time writers for the paper Robert Geoghegan and Cormac Byrne. If anybody else would like to get involved, please don't hesitate to email us at sports@Edition.ie, we'd be happy to get you on board! We hope everyone reading this will enjoy their content, and we’ll be back in two weeks with some more sports news.